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Using an external hard drive as a recorder
Gill P
Posts: 21,596
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As I am thinking of ditching the BT Vision box now we have a Smart TV, and wonder if I could use my external hard drive as a recorder.
We have a Samsung 5 series Smart TV and now rarely use the Vision box except for recording programmes which we then watch and then delete.
Can someone advise me please?
We have a Samsung 5 series Smart TV and now rarely use the Vision box except for recording programmes which we then watch and then delete.
Can someone advise me please?
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Using an external HDD on your TV means you can only record a single channel, and not watch another at the same time.
I agree with Graham that it's pretty likely that your TV will allow this, and that it will be encrypted and non-transferable - and if you ever want to use the HDD elsewhere it will need to be reformatted.
I've played with Sony TV's in this way, purely because it's the sort of question I'm likely to get asked at work - and it's an excellent facility for essentially no cost (assuming you have an external HDD already). However, it's NOT a PVR, and doesn't offer anything like a PVR's functionality - but if you already have a drive (and there's nothing you need on it - as it will be wiped) it would cost you nothing to give it a try.
Will it not still record (as a Freeview PVR) if you cancel your subscription?, if not why not just buy a Freeview PVR to replace it?.
No it won't because it is one of the old BT boxes and has to be on a BT Vision subscription. Apparently the new ones are better in that respect.
That's why I asked
If you don't mind a factory refurbished unit then a Humax "manager's special" will get you a HDR Fox-T2 for £129
http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10104
Far better machine than anything at the bottom end of the price range
Thanks for the link - I'll think about it.
if youre paying £5 per month, then it will take 15 months until it costs £75!
With just the one drive I can still timer record one programme or a programme series with just a couple of presses on the remote and I can pause live TV with a single press for up to 1.5 hours. To connect to the drive is dead easy as it's just another source and the drive starts automatically when the TV comes on and runs silently in the background with no problems at all.
I can also organise the recorded programmes in various ways on the drive and all in all it's very easy and simple. The HD recorded quality is equal to that produced via the TV with no playback errors.
No you are right - I think I must be losing my marbles! I am getting bogged down with all these numbers. :eek::D