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Thread ID: 123276	2012-02-15 08:05:00	Panasonic DVD Recorder, Tivo or ?	tutaenui (1724)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1259226	2012-02-15 08:05:00	With the impending demise of analogue TV transmission, I realize my trusty VCR is about to become obsolete. The question is what do I replace it with? I can choose the safe but expensive option of the Panasonic hard drive DVD Recorder or I can get the cheaper option of a Tivo box which is more of an unknown and appears to be rapidly losing market share in its home country USA or is there a third option? Note Sky is not an issue, I don't have it and its most unlikely I ever will.	tutaenui (1724)
1259227	2012-02-15 08:08:00	Panasonic DVD hard drive recorder. Make sure it is a model with a Freeview tuner in it. :)	Trev (427)
1259228	2012-02-15 08:18:00	It's not going to become obsolete. You just won't be able to record one channel and watch another. It will only record the channel that the STB is on at the time. Assuming you have a STB.	pine-o-cleen (2955)
1259229	2012-02-15 18:12:00	I'd go TiVo myself they are really cheap for what you get Which is a dual tuner freeview HDD recorder. Forget the Caspa service, they seem to have. As a PVR only it's a great device and cheaper than any other I have seen. The only downside is that it requires an internet connection to get the guide and apparently will refuse to record without it, does come with a wi-fi adapter and has an ethernet port. Since they added prime to the guide recently it became about the best PVR option available at the price. Another option I quite like is a Samsung dual tuner freeview HDD recorder with a built in blu-ray I'm sure I saw one somewhere, it was more than twice the price but the convenience of one device for both jobs appeals to me. Since getting my TiVo I no longer watch live TV, I set up season passes for the shows I like and watch them whenever I'm in the mood. An unexpected bonus is not missing shows when they return for a new season, the TiVo jut starts recording them again.	dugimodo (138)
1259230	2012-02-15 18:25:00	One thing to look for in whatever you get (and I suspect this will at the tivo more that the DVD based recorders) is recording off the EPG. Yes internally it's still setting a time and channel,. but unlike the VCRs of old days, recording off EPG allows the recorder to modify the length of the program if it's schedule changes (say a special one week is 2 hours instead of 1, it should pick that up), allow for "all episodes" regardless of channel and time slot. Of course the advantage of the DVD based ones is you can record things off to permanent media....but you've got to weigh up how often you'd do that. And I think there may be ways of getting stuff off a tivo anyway. I think in terms of costs a tivo wins out now, $299 sometimes on special for $199 at bond and bond.	psycik (12851)
1259231	2012-02-15 19:01:00	I bought the Panasonic unit for about $550, it is great. I can record 2 programs at once, and all sorts of things I didn't have with my analogue units. Do the analogue units have any value now, I have two for sale. I did buy a Panasonic TV at the same time, all nicely integrated.	Cicero (40)
1259232	2012-02-15 21:24:00	My first Panasonic HDD DVD (analogue) unit died only a few months ago, after about 5 years of fairly hard work. The beauty of the Panny is that it can be used to ... er... 'archive' media. The built in DVD drive is a RAM drive, and also DVD RW compatible. Thanks to also having a RAM drive in my computer I can simply copy recorded content to RAM, and then to the computer as an MPG, without the need for any processing / editting at the computer end. Editting out commercials can be done quickly and seamlessly at the Panasonic end if desired. The replacement Panasonic is dual tuner and Freeview ready (handles analogue as well). The electronic program guide for the Panny does not require any internet connection (unlike the Tivo), and gives programmes a week in advance, and one-touch record scheduling from the guide. To say something negative about the Panasonic... the old one had a 'copyright switch' built in (ie MPAA manipulations at the manufacturer level). If a TV signal includes the 'protected content' flag then the recorder flips into pause mode for the duration of the show, only going into record mode during the commercials! I found this out purely by accident one time when either channel 3 or C4 set the mode for a show - probably accidentally, or testing the tech themselves. While it has never ever happened a second time, you can bet your house that once these sorts of units are inside every home the MPAA will then set about requiring broadcasters to include the 'protected media' flag in all the media they transmit. The final conclusion being, there's lots of big advantages to the new kit, but one day we may all wish we still had our old recording gear if Hollywood gets its way... and it might, it just takes one executive decision, and a bunch of laywers to put the frights into the broadcasters. Hardware level copyright protection has been built in since the days of VCRs.	Paul.Cov (425)
1259233	2012-02-15 23:56:00	Might be best to stay away from the Samsungs. A friend of mine rang Harvey Normans and was told they will no longer stock the Samsungs due to the fact they "blow up". I have a Panasonic and it works fine.	Jeff (1070)
1259234	2012-02-16 00:38:00	That sounds like a bit of scaremongering too me. :)	Trev (427)
1259235	2012-02-16 02:58:00	I bought the Panasonic unit for about $550, it is great. I can record 2 programs at once, and all sorts of things I didn't have with my analogue units. Do the analogue units have any value now, I have two for sale. I did buy a Panasonic TV at the same time, all nicely integrated. Can you back up to BD media a program in HD or is this blocked ?? I know you could on the older non FV certified boxes..	paulw (1826)
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