Guest Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 I'm sure there will be someone in this community who will be able to answer my questions! This is a FAB forum! Yesterday our Cable Box (TeleWest) and Video recorder (VCR) stopped working. I don't know why and TeleWest are sending someone to look at the cable box on January 4th! No TV for a week!! Assuming the cable box will be mended or replaced, I am expecting to replace the VCR machine. What I would like is a PVR (a hard-drive recorder) and integrated DVD recorder. In looking around I have discovered that most of these machines seem to come complete with Sky+ or Freeview, neither of which I can use. TeleWest would provide me with one which works with Cable for £15 a month + installation fee of £75. That seems a lot to pay each month ad infinitum. I would prefer to just buy a machine myself. I want to be able to record one programme while watching another (so two tuners) which the TeleWest machine does (it's made by Scientific Atlantic and I don't think I can buy this machine anywhere, just rent it.) So, does anyone know of a PVR/DVD machine that I could buy and connect to my TeleWest cable box? I would be really grateful for any helpful advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 definitley try amazon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 Hi Ginette! OH bought a dvd recorder to replace our old one. This has a built in hard drive (Ohhh I sound like I know what i'm talking about) It is a Panasonic, really easy to use (even I have managed to record and play back) It has 60 hours of recording time and cost about £300 We bought it a few months ago on the internet so i'm sure the price has come down by now. Good luck! www.richersounds.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 It looks like they have you over a barrel, so to speak. I think that system is the only one compatible with Telewest, they're not daft are they! http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/13/telewest_tvdrive_reviewed/ It may be better to just replace the video recorder (aren't they dirt cheap now?) if you don't want to pay the extra each month, which I agree is a lot. Have you googled for the manufacturer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 Bizarrely VCR machines aren't that cheap DVD's are cheaper I looked into replacing the one in the conservatory abour a year ago and decided it wasn't worth the money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 Bizarrely VCR machines aren't that cheap DVD's are cheaper I looked into replacing the one in the conservatory abour a year ago and decided it wasn't worth the money I've only ever bought one video recorder, and that was 6 years ago . It is an own brand and I think it was £85 then. I thought that was reasonable at the time and presumed they must be available for less now? Mind you, I am not a gadget person so probably expect mine to do a lot less than the average person. If they are still relatively expensive it must be because demand is less because of DVD's (that doesn't seem to make sense though ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 We had to just go to Homebase ( ) and I saw a DVD player for £29!!! Unbelievable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 We are still considering the options: 1) replace VCR but it must have a tape library facility. There don't seem to be many available and I wouldn't want to invest too much. This has to be a cheap and easy option. 2) OH thinks he saw a hard drive recorder without a decoder. Presumably this would work just like the video machine. I need to confirm this, see how much they cost and investigate what we wouldn't get that we would with the Telewest machine. 3) Go with the Telewest option for a year (costing £250) and then see what else is on the market in a year's time. This would be a rental scheme, so nothing to sell at the end. The trouble is, we don't really know what we're doing and it takes so long making these decisions and trying to find out the answers to our questions. We could try a shop and hope we get someone over the age of 16 who really knows what he's talking about, not just guessing and convincing us with the wrong information! Thank you everyone for taking the time to help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 We've ruled out the first option. Can't find any VCR or VCR/DVD combis which have a tape library facility. I am NOT going back to not knowing what's on the tape! Off to Comet today to ask someone some awkward questions. Hope we get someone who can answer them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura007 Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 if you havent got a tv for a week, could you just plug the ariel back in the back of the telly?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 We've ruled out the first option. Can't find any VCR or VCR/DVD combis which have a tape library facility. I am NOT going back to not knowing what's on the tape!Off to Comet today to ask someone some awkward questions. Hope we get someone who can answer them! On New Years Day??? You'll be lucky to find anyone with half a brain cell today! Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 We discovered that if we buy a machine with Freeview in it, then it has two tuners. Then we can watch one programme while recording another. That ruled out the two VCR/DVD recorder/PVR combis we had found. We have come home without a VCR facility at all. But we do have a DVD recorder/PVR combi with Freeview. We have set it up and it works! The picture is fab, much better than when the signal went through the VCR, so maybe that has been failing for a while. We bought a scratched model without a box, so got £80 off. It's a Pioneer too so I feel we have come away with something worth having without having to spend too much. Our cable box doesn't work still and the man is coming on Thursday to fix that, but we can access the 5 terrestrial channels, even though the signal passes through the cable box! Bizarre, but I'm pleased to be able to record things again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 So Ginette, how many days did you survive without a tv in the end? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 ooh - about 3!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Well, I guess its a bit like your hair washing stuff...... "I can honestly say that after 15 years without a TV I don't miss it at all"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 "I can honestly say that after 15 years without a TV I don't miss it at all"! Nor would I if I lived with Jonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Christian! I'm shocked! A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 tee hee Annie wont be!! (i hope not anyway) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 What are you like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 "I can honestly say that after 15 years without a TV I don't miss it at all"! Nor would I if I lived with Jonnie Close to the bone Christian! Ah but would Jonnie feel the same way and what would you do with Annie - she cant sleep with the donkeys you know as she is used to luxury living!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Telewest gave me a new cable box yesterday! I'm all back to normal now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
