Recordable Domestic DVD Players

[Tosh McCaber]

I'm in the market for a recordable Hard disk DVD recorder. I almost went for the Sky+ box, but a) it is tied too much to Sky and b) it doesn't have a DVD recording facility. However, it does have a great interactive and dead easy to use method of programming recordings, by showing the Sky menu, pressing the button, and Bob's your uncle, that's it!

My question is- do any of the mainstream DVD HD recorders have a comparible menu system that is as easy to use?

Thanks for any info.

Tosh

[spannersatcx]

Although sky+ is a HDD based system there is a facility once you have recorded something to copy it out, to vcr or even a pc if you wish. I don't think there is any dvd recorder out there that has the epg system.

With sky you still get all the normal channels so I can't see any other channels that you could record.

If it is things like movie channels or ppv then they are encrypted and you can't copy them to anything anyway.

[Tosh McCaber]

I'd then have to buy a second DVD recorder, to record from the Sky+ box. What I was really want to know is- are there any DVD HD recorders that have a similar interactive menu system to the Sky+ system?

[P.Pilcher]

The sky HDD recording system that everybody agrees is so simple to use compared to your average VCR relies on the programme start and finish data which is also transmitted with sky signals. It is this data which enables the system to work in the way it does. The system can also cope with changing schedules when using the "series link facility". Such data is not available from the terrestrial analogue transmissions, and although it probably is from the "freeview" digital system, I suspect that there is not yet a sufficiently large customer base for this system yet to make the availability of a recorder financially worthwhile. Of course in the future anything and everything will happen, particularly when the analogue transmitters are switched off. Then, I suspect, you will be able to record your favourite programme on a hard drive and then press another button to transfer it to a DVD if you wish.

By the way, did you know that our American friends have a further facility on their equivalent of our Sky recording boxes: It is a button on their remote controls which skips 30 sec of recorded material. Just the job when you are watching your recorded prog and come to a commercial break. 2 minute advert? four clicks and it has gone! Apparently there has been a lawsuit over there to try and get the facility withdrawn which did not succeed!

Of course - they won't let us have that - yet.

P.P.

[TheOddOne]

I know it's not what you're after but we've got a JVC DVD recorder and it's pretty simple to use. It has a RAM disc facility for watching while recording so you can zip through the adverts, though you do have to 'fast forward' through them rather than press a '30 secs' button - I really like the sound of that!

It's a great machine, easy to use with 'one touch' recording or a simple-to-use menu system for VideoPlus numbers, though probably not as easy as the Sky system.

It also has sockets for camcorder inputs. I've been putting all our tapes on DVD for archiving and ease-of-use. If it's a DV tape, then you've got synchronous tape start and DVD recording.

At £190ish for a good 'name' machine pretty good value. Suits our needs, we've got cable rather than Sky...

Cheers,
The Odd One

[newswatcher]

There are several DVD recorders with HDD facility. I recently purchased a Panasonic DMR-EH50, following good reviews. DVD recording is either to HDD(80mB), a DVD disc, or DVD Ram device. It does have a TV menu, but I'm not sure if it does exactly what you want.

One of the biggest disappointments is that, when "copying" a program recorded on Sky+ HDD, to the Panasonic, I don't seem to be able to watch another Sky program on the TV, since there appears to only be one "output" from the Sky+ HDD. However, you can record another program to the Sky+ HDD during this time. Now this may be due to the way that I have set it up, since everything - TV, DVD and Sky+ has two scarts! If I can high-jack your thread and ask if anyone has a way around this, that would be good!
:ok: :ok:

[Tosh McCaber]

Skywatcher, Hijack as much as you want- the more the better on the forum. As an indidrect answer to your question, phone the Sky+ helpline, (or, optionaly the manufacturers of your Digibox) and ask them- they should be able to answer your question.

[Specaircrew]

The Sky + box only has one decoder so you can't output video to your DVD recorder and watch a different channel at the same time. You can record two channels at the same time because the satellite feed is recorded to the HD without being decoded.

[SyllogismCheck]

Tosh, I'll freely admit that I'm guessing here as TV isn't really my thing.
However, I would imagine that the best you're going to find on any DVD recorder is videoplus/PDC for the simple fact that the program listings from which the SkyHD box identifies the programs you've selected to record don't go any further than the decoder in the Sky box (be it a HD or a conventional one) in any form other than as a video signal for the on screen display.
Consequently, there's no facility for a recorder downstream from the Sky box to look at the Sky program listing and identify those which you've marked for recording there in the way in which the Sky box itself can.

Afraid to say, that for now at least, it looks like a decision between the the Sky box and simple recording setup and a seperate DVD recorder and slightly more complex recording setup.

[spannersatcx]

There's a thread here (http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=284266) on Sky+ to DVD it's on the digital spy forums (http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/forumdisplay.php?f=35&daysprune=-1&order=desc&sort=lastpost) you may get more expert advice there (no offence to anyone).

[newswatcher]

Have re-read the Sky+ manual over the weekend. It definitely draws attention to this single operation capability. Maybe they will do something for the Sky+ HDTV model, due out next year.

[ORAC]

Philips with Guide Plus+ (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002S871O/026-2539449-6345217) ?

never tried Guide Plus+, but looks worthy of investigation.