Recording programs while away 4WD'ing now cheap!

**Omaroo** · 2nd July 2006, 07:13 AM

On the rare occaisions when there is something good on TV while you are away doing the real stuff, you might wish you could record it.

1) Video used to be OK - but the playback quality sucks compared to that of the digital set top box's output (which you obviously miss because you aren't there).

2) DVD recorders generally were, and still are, expensive.

No more! My wife Jenny came back from Woolies yesterday evening - with a brand-spanking KROSS 80Gb HDD/DVD recorder for $269.00!! Works a treat. Chinese, I know - but at least the manual is written for the Aussie market and doesn't suffer from the "Chinglish" syndrome. Very good value, and easy to use. Writes to all common blank DVD types including re-writables.

Now when we're away I can record 4WD TV and other progies in digital format without having to spend $450+, which is what stopped me before.

Now.... back to normal programming.......

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 2nd July 2006, 07:20 AM

so----
you can record on its 80gb hd and then write to dvd,
or can you record straight to dvd?

**Maggot4x4** · 2nd July 2006, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

so----
you can record on its 80gb hd and then write to dvd,
or can you record straight to dvd?

Weve had the NEC 160GB for a while, it does both but you wouldn't bother going straight to DVD

**matbor** · 2nd July 2006, 09:27 AM

I have a modified Tivo from the USA, to work here, has 400gb of space which will record about 60/80 hours (Don't think I watch that much !) of TV !! Also has full TV guide on it, both for Foxtel and FTA.

Matt.

**Omaroo** · 2nd July 2006, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

so----
you can record on its 80gb hd and then write to dvd,
or can you record straight to dvd?

Yup - you can record direct to DVD, or go HDD then write to DVD from there after editing.

**one_iota** · 2nd July 2006, 11:05 AM

I bought a HDTV receiver for my laptop for $175 and can do likewise

**waynep** · 2nd July 2006, 11:20 AM

Set top boxes with a Hard Disk inside them are another alternative for a premium of a couple of hundred dollars over a standard STB. I have one with 120Gb Hard Drive which records about 47 hrs of digital video. It has twin digital tuners which means you can watch one channel while recording another. ( or record while playing back at the same time ). It records straight off the digital tuners which keeps all the widescreen formatting etc. I think there are Hi Def ones out now too but they are still over $1000.

BTW 4WD TV is on Ch31 which is not digital yet ( or is it ?)

**Omaroo** · 2nd July 2006, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by waynep

BTW 4WD TV is on Ch31 which is not digital yet ( or is it ?)

That's correct. This player, and in fact all HDD/DVD recorders available these days only have analogue tuners built in (which catches Ch31) because the analogue signal compresses well to disk. If they had digital tuners then their processors would have to be much faster to run things such as time-shift. SDTV is broadcast using MPEG2 @ aprox 7Mbits which means that 1.5-2 hours is the most you will get onto a single-layer DVD otherwise.

**waynep** · 2nd July 2006, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Omaroo

That's correct. This player, and in fact all HDD/DVD recorders available these days only have analogue tuners built in (which catches Ch31) because the analogue signal compresses well to disk. If they had digital tuners then their processors would have to be much faster to run things such as time-shift. SDTV is broadcast using MPEG2 @ aprox 7Mbits which means that 1.5-2 hours is the most you will get onto a single-layer DVD otherwise.

So that is why on the PVR you only get 50hrs or so recording time on to a 120GHz HDD, ?? whereas on an equivalent HDD DVD recorder there is more recording time.

I tossed up between HDD DVD recorder and PVR and decided the PVR was the way to go.

**landrovermick** · 2nd July 2006, 05:57 PM

So how about this one, i have a pay Tv dish - left on my place by ex tenants - is there any way that antone know of that i can recieve tv.... without a box etc into my computer..... if ya get ma drift!

pm me if you like

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