Best PVR available?
JethroUK
Posts: 6,107
Forum Member
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I want to move from virgin media / tivo which might be a tall order if not impossible
I currently get/want:
HD recorder
3 channel recording
Good/excellent SD tv picture quality
Extra channels/subscription including reality tv (need to be able to record these channels too)
Catchup TV on guide
1 gb storage
EPG search facility
Wishlists
You Tube?
Netflix?
I currently get/want:
HD recorder
3 channel recording
Good/excellent SD tv picture quality
Extra channels/subscription including reality tv (need to be able to record these channels too)
Catchup TV on guide
1 gb storage
EPG search facility
Wishlists
You Tube?
Netflix?
0
Comments
Freeview, YouView and Freesat PVRs are two channel recording only, although you can watch a third channel if it is on the same mux/transponder as a channel being recorded, or you can watch a previous recording instead.
Catchup TV available via the guide means either YouView or Freesat Freetime. In which case it really has to be one of the Humax PVRs.
Extra subscription channels really means YouView from either Talk Talk or BT, but you cannot currently record those extra subscription channels.
The only way to record those subscription channels is to stick with Virgin, or move to Sky.
I assume you mean 1TB?
The nearest PVR that fits your needs is a Youview box but few would call it the best for various reasons. But add a tablet that can be connected to your main TV to cover Netflix etc and you are mostly covered.
You can record subscription channels via BT they did a software update to let you back in November/December. There is however a minor bug in the retail Youview boxes that sometimes make the extra BT channels fail to record,
Darren
Cheers,
In that case OP, BT Youview is about the closest to your requirements, away from Virgin and Sky.
The YouView boxes have their limitations though. They are not MHEG-IC compliant (which is why they don't carry the Freeview +HD logo as they aren't Freeview certified).. That means they cannot access the growing range of IPTV channels on Freeview. Not a major issue at present, as most of those channels are niche or poor anyway (and some are available via Talk Talk or BT YouView), but the range is growing.
You cannot set a manual timer. Not a huge issue today, as the majority of channels seem to have sorted out their accurate recording signals but it does mean you very occasionally miss the very beginning, or very end of a recording when the broadcasters mess up the AR signals. Rare these days, but something to be aware of.
Virginmedia do not have a mysterious alternative source for the SD channels, they receive them off air and feed them into their cable networks at each cable hub (for want of a better word).. Go to their local main offices and you will see they have an array of aerials and satellite dishes. The big dishes are there to distribute their own programming
I suggest you buy a decent TV!