I have the Humax PVR-9150T which I am delighted with, yes it records subtitles, and will record two channels at the same time.The subs come on automatically but you can turn them off if not required. I bought a Thomson first, which was great at first, but after a few months it started to 'do its own thing', i.e. delete stuff and did not always record etc. I took it back for a refund and bought the Humax. I think this is a long term problem with the Thomson, according to the reviews, and I notice Asda are selling them off for �50!! The Humax was �120 a couple of months ago. I know you asked about Virgin, but just thought this might help too. Rosy