Re: pvr dual tuner with virgin cable

"hilary" <minimaggy@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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On 8 May, 22:19, "pmj" <p...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"hilary" <minima...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1178657014.141798.17740@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm wondering if I can meet all my needs with one piece
of equipment?

Unlikely...
:-(

1 record one cable tv channel and watch another

Yep, you can do that.
But since you're using a *Cable* TV thing, then to do it, you
would need a Cable (NTL/TeleWest/VirgiinMedia) Hard Disk Recorder.
They used to call them "Telewest TV Drive" - now they are called
"V+"

http://www.telewest.co.uk/html/tvdrive/
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/dtv/vplus/
<snip>
A FreeView type PVR is a completely different thing from
a (Telewest/NTL/VirginMedia TV Drive/V+ thingy)

A FreeView thingy won't work with Cable TV (other than to just
Record whatever the Cable Set Top Box is tuned to)

2 quickly and easily transfer my camcorder home movies to dvd

That's something different.
Though (as you have noticed) many (most?) DVD/Hard Disk Recorders
will do that.
But the functions for recording from TV (either FreeView
or Cable/Sky) are a different Set of Functions.

Unfortunately(?) the Telewest/NTL/VirginMedia TV Drive/V+ thingy
*doesn't* have any form of DVD Player or recoder in it.
:-(

If it did, then yes, that would be your "Single box" Solution!

am very confused by the array of technical specifications
associated with these machines.

You & me both!!!

hope someone can advise

See above.
:-)


Thanks pmj, for helpful comments. Just one more thought though.

Yep - it's when you start looking into (& thinking about) that
sort of thing, that you find out how involved it can all get!!!

Whatever you end up getting, there'll always be *something* that you
find it won't do, which you (subsequently) find out you wished it
could do...

Or you find out that what (at first) seems like it should be simple
& obvious turns out to be a lot more involved than you would like,
or you end up having to compromise to do stuff you want to do.

... when looking at machines again today, it did appear that some
had dual tuners and no integrated freeview receivers.

If they don't have an integrated (Digital, FreeView) Tuner in them, then
they won't be able to record stuff "off air" - i.e. from an Aerial
- once the Analogue Aerail Signal is turned off, which begins (in some
areas next year), in 2008 & in all areas by 2012 (I think, though it
may be later).

... If that's correct wouldn't it imply that a dual tuner
(dvd recorder hdd)

Well, whether it's got a DVD or Hard disk doesn't mean (or matter
or make it have) a Dual Tuner...

They are different things.

The Tuner(s) are what dtermines what Signals it can pick up
(& Record/Display).

& the DVD (&/or Hard Disk) is just what it Records the stuff onto
(& in the case of a DVD, decides what can be Played on it)

... will couple up with any old seperate receiver (ie virgin)

Yep, good point...

and be possible to tune into tow channels at once??

Yes, to a certain degree...
You can use it to Tune into whatever (Single) Channel the Set Top Box
is Tuned to & then *using the other Tuner) tune into (& Record)
a different Channel.

But that's what I meant about having to "compromise".

That means that you would be limited to recording whatever Channel
the Set Top Box was tuned to. - So nobody else could watch any other
Channel using the Set Top Box, while the Recording was taking place.

& unless the other Channel you wanted to Record wasn't on the Set
Top Box (i.e. was available directly on the Tuner), then you wouldn't be
able to Record it.

HTH

--
pmj


.

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