Digital TV

[cameo]

I have just read on a bbc news web site that when I change my tv to digital I will not be able to use my video recorder to record one channel whilst watching another.
I didn't know this.
Is it the same if I purchase a freeview box?
Does it mean we all have to buy new video / DVD recorders as well?
Any help and advice gratefully received.
The link below shows the article that I read.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6753719.stm

[vehelpfulguy]

A video recorder has a TV tuner built in. So you have a TV tuner in your TV and another in your video recorder.

When you record a TV program on your video recorder you are actually using the TV tuner INSIDE the video recorder.

If the TV tuner inside your video recorder is ANALOGUE (which is probably is) then when the analogue signal is switched off you will no longer be able to record via the TV tuner inside your video.

With the analogue switch off starting soon it is probably time to ditch video and move to a hard disk based recorder, and maybe also a DVD recorder.

You can buy a freeview box with a built in hard disk, and also a DVD recorder with a built in hard disk.

Once you have a hard disk based system then you will never look back and it will make video seem so antiquated.

You can buy a DVD recorder to record things to DVD that are on your hard disk that you want to keep.

[cameo]

Thanks for your quick response!
I now understand it a little bit more!!!

One other question - Does this mean the same for my portable with a built in video recorder?

Sorry if this seems an obvious question but I just want to make sure!!!

[Ethel]

A quick point - when you do buy your hard disk recorder make sure it is digital with twin tuners, then you can record and watch different programmes.

[vehelpfulguy]

>One other question - Does this mean the same for my >portable with a built in video recorder?

Well unless you bought it recently then it is almost certain that any portable TV with a video recorder built in will have an analogue tuner so the same applies.

Note that there are two types of portable TVs with video recorders built in.

The cheaper types have only ONE TV tuner, so you could only record the TV channel you were watching.

On the slighter more expensive types you had TWO TV tuners, one for the TV and the other for the video recorder. This meant that you could watch one channel while recording another.

Whichever type you have (one tuner or two tuner) they will almost certainly be analogue tuners so neither will even be able to pick up TV, or record onto video.

The only way to continue using them would be to buy a freeview box, and maybe one with a hard disk build in so you can record to hard disk.

Note the analogue switch over starts this year (in parts of the Lake District in October) but is taking a number of years.

Depending where you live you may have analogue TV for a couple of years yet.

[anotheoldgit]

i would have thought if you are now able to record digital TV i.e. Sky or Cable on your Video Recorder, you will still be able to, you just won't be able to view one channel and watch another. The reason you now can is because the video is tuned into the anologue signal via your ariel, and it is also tuned into digital Sky/Cable. Please tell me if I am wrong.

[thundercrack]

anotholdgit is right. your video recorder will record anything that is sent to it, digital or analogue. I use a freeview box and record programmes into my analogue video recorder, and then watch them on my analogue t.v. and this will always happen, even when the change over comes. so as long as you buy a freeview box (about �25 from tesco) everything will work, same t.v. etc.

[ACtheTROLL]

HOLD ON! HOLD ON! - before you spend any money
if it's not an issue at the moment

what area do you live in?
http://www.europeantechwire.com/etw/2005/09/uk _confirms_201.html

at worst you have a year ... at best almost 5
by that time we could all be telepathic and living on mars!

By next year there will be newer better cheaper better (I already said that) units on the market.

At the moment some cheaper fv boxes don't even have a second transducer and so can't be connected to an external recorder ... but for a few pounds more ... you get more facilities

At the moment you can get TVs with built in freeview ... freeview boxes with internal hard disc .... an external unit with freeview + dvd recorder units with fv x2 hard disc + dvd recorders.

by next year ... when changeover hysteria starts to rise ... the manufacturers will be poised and ready to make a killing ... and the boxes will have even more possibilities
HDtv is rapidly spreading and blu-ray etc prices are dropping.

I'd say pop down to dixons, pc world, currys ... talk to a couple of sales persons ... surf a little and get familiar with the technology .... then decide where your hard earned cash will benefit you best.

[cameo]

Thankyou all for your replies, they have been really helpful.

I've just checked my area and I've got about 4 years till the switch over, so there's no immediate panic!

It's nice to have the information so that when I do switch over I've got as much information as possible.

Thanks again x