DVD or some other type of recorder??

[~Wingnut~]

Hi all!!

We are looking to buy something to record TV programs but not sure what to go for. We have Virgin TV packages (not V+) and the TV is fairly old so it doesn't have Freeview built in. I was looking at DVD recorders but also saw Freeview Digital TV recorders. Now do these have the capability to record programs from the Virgin set top box?
Here's one we were looking at:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumb er/5321739/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHome+entert ainment+and+sat+nav%7C10199181/c_2/2%7Ccat_101 99181%7CDigital+boxes+and+services%7C10199362/ c_3/3%7Ccat_10199362%7CFreeview+digital+TV+rec orders%7C10199363.htm

I would be most greatful if someone could point me in the right direction as I'm not very clued up on all this.

Thank you :o)

[Tom Braider]

You should be able to get a Vigin+ box installed for �75 and retain your existing services - we did and would now hate to be without it. You wouldn't need any other recorder unless you wanted to transfer recordings onto a DVD or something (including another hard-disc recorder), The Wharfedale has a much bigger memory - the V+ is "only" 80Gb - but we've never filled ours.

[~Wingnut~]

Hi Tom!

Thank you for your reply :o)

Don't you have to pay a bit extra every month to have the V+ box tho?

[Ethel]

I love my V+ box - I've just looked at the Virgin site and it is �99 now.
I don't know if you'd have to pay extra each month - it depends on your tv package and what sort of deal you negotiate.

However, it is by far the easiest way to watch and record tv - three tuners (one more than Sky+) so you can record two and watch a third channel at the same time; pause and rewind live tv too.

A Freeview digital recorder is excellent for recording your freeview channels, but if you want to record your Virgin channels it's a lot of flaffing - you have to set it to manually record the AV or EXT channel your Virgin box uses, make sure your Virgin box is switched on and most importantly set to the channel you want to record and don't change channel during the recording.

Give Virgin a call and see what they can offer you. I also have a cheap (�20) dvd recorder that records on to dvd disk - I can download programmes I want to keep from my V+ box to dvd very easily indeed.

[~Wingnut~]

Thanx Ethel for your reply :o)

I think V+ box is prob the best way to go, just going to give them a ring now and see what they can offer us :o)

Thank you Tom & Ethel :o)

[trish432]

I have just bought a Sony DVR-HXD870, Only had it a couple of days, so I`m still getting used to it. It is amazing, so many features. Freeview, a usb port, so you can play direct from a pen drive etc. pict bridge slot, plays divx, avi files.
I am on Virgin and can record either from Virgin, freeview or terrestial tv. Not sure yet if I can record two programmes at once.

[~Wingnut~]

Hi Trish!

Thanx for your reply :o)

Thats what I want to hear as after contacting Virgin we would have to either pay �99 for V+ then �5 a month, or pay �150 and not pay �5 a month. We've decided to go for the recorder box.

Thanx again everybody :o)