<rant>
I don't believe it... our current Sony RDR-HXD870 DVD/HDD recorder is getting a bit - erm - eccentric, so I decided that I'd look around to
see if there was a suitable device to replace it (it's a Freeview HDD recorder that can also play and record DVDs). And... I can't find
anything. I can't remember the last time I used it to record a DVD so that functionality can go, but otherwise I just need something that can
record stuff off Freeview with the option of HD, if available - purely for short-term replay. I have another device if I need to play DVDs.
All I can find are Humax and Panasonic machines, many of the Humax ones are reconditioned rather than new, and all seem to have an appalling
reputation according to the reviews. Our TV can record programmes, but that's a bit limited and I had to plug a USB drive in to get
functionality.
I expect that their excuse is that people can go online for various replay services such as the BBC iPlayer, but many of the programmes we watch are
on other channels that don't have such a service (or on ITV, which has an abysmal replay service).
So where the **** do I have to go to find a suitable device?
</rant>
We just got a new TV and HD recorder from Reliant direct in Preston.
It's a Samsung BDH8500 - Smart 3D Blu-Ray Player with 500GB Recorder, and we're pretty happy with it.
Does Freeview, records up to 2 different programs at once with ability to watch a pre-recorded one at the same time, and does all the old school
playing/recording too.
Reliant Direct
Even cheaper now too 
Not a huge fan of Samsung - and the sharp drop in price suggests that that particular model is near the end of its life...
quote:
Originally posted by Mash
We just got a new TV and HD recorder from Reliant direct in Preston.
It's a Samsung BDH8500 - Smart 3D Blu-Ray Player with 500GB Recorder, and we're pretty happy with it.
Does Freeview, records up to 2 different programs at once with ability to watch a pre-recorded one at the same time, and does all the old school playing/recording too.
Reliant Direct
Even cheaper now too
Hi
I have a humax HDR-2000T
Actually 2, a 500gig upstairs, and 1Terabyte downstairs
Both are great (only problem is if you scan for new channels, it loses all your searches)
Just bought the 500gig version for parents for Xmas, from curries on line, so still available
Does all the freeview stuff, but I don't have sky etc so no idea about that
David
Have you got a sky dish up??
I use one of these with a 500 GB HDD in it. I've got 3 tuners installed so I can record 2 channels and watch another, or, record 3 and watch a
recording...
http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/index.php?route=product/search&filter_name=et8500&filter_category_id=63&filter_sub_category=true
I've got one of these in the bairns bedroom...
http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/satellite-and-terrestrial/digital-receivers/technomate/Technomate-TM-Twin-OE-Enigma-2-Linux-HD-PVR-Twin-Tuner-Sate
llite-Receiver
I pointed the dish at 19° and put another lnb to the right for 28°(sky) and another one to the left for 13° (hotbird). I now have 5500 channels a lot
are freeview and on the foriegn channels all the films come with the original language.
The box works much the same way as a sky box bit is much more open.
It can be connected to a normal aerial with the right tuner and it streams as well, it has utube and kodi and can be used with m3u files.
I've just paid €28 for 14 months of unscrambled channels...
Just been looking through the manual for my extreme and its an et10000 (not 8500) and has a DVD HDMI input so you can play DVDs through it as well!
My TV can record but needs USB drives, I've never used it myself but the manual seems to say you can record something while watching something
else. OP seems to have the same function so why not just by a USB storage of the size you want?
I was going to get one when I moved house a year and a half ago as I'd been living somewhere with a recorder, but very quickly got used to not
having one and don't feel I'm missing out (and feel the same way about paid for channels) but it will depend on what you watch and I agree
with you on ITV, they don't seem to offer the ITV hub through games consoles.
I've got a humax- as said the retuning losing searches is annoying but the ability to copy HD files off the unit (albeit via a bit of software) is great.
quote:
Originally posted by morcus
My TV can record but needs USB drives, I've never used it myself but the manual seems to say you can record something while watching something else. OP seems to have the same function so why not just by a USB storage of the size you want?
None of the world of satellite PVR boxes take your fancy?
I don't know if it's changed, but last time I used FreeSat it couldn't show the local news and other regional stuff, which the sort of
thing that would annoy the missus. Maybe they've fixed that now?
I have a dish, but although my TV can receive satellite it doesn't sort the channels like a good FreeSat box would.
On my box the extrend et10000 and the same with the tm twin, you can set the sky channels and freeview to your region then build a favourites anyway
you like...
Once you have scanned the satellite it gives you a list of every channel from every region including Ireland that you don't see on sky or
freeway. You then just add the ones you want to you favs.
The box is open source so gives you everything and you choose what you want.