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Old 30-07-2011, 09:57
spotbot1spotbot
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Hi People, Firstly let me explain that I'm a middle age man with a smattering of common sense & a fear of technology, I'm looking to purchase a DVD recorder/player with twin Freeview HD tuners & a HDD. At present I have a sat box (Not sky or Virgin etc & I get only free stuff via Astra) & I want to be able to record bort Freeview HD & stuff from the sat box but I'm bewildered by HDMI's & AV1's & AV2's & what cables I need, I've been to shops but they're of no help, so could someone advise or recommend a unit before my head implodes with to much data, my tv's a Sony 40w2000 & the unit I favour is the Panasonic dmr-xw380ebk at £300 but I'm unsure
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Old 30-07-2011, 10:12
bobcar
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If you have a fear of technology then you would be better off with a Freeview PVR or a Freesat PVR - you could of course get both. A Freeview PVR is the cheapest option.

Is there a reason why you want to record off both Freeview and satellite? A PVR will record 2 channels at once or let you record one channel and watch another if that is the reason.

The reason I suggest the PVR approach rather than the DVD recorder is that they are much easier and more convenient to use. Only consider getting a DVD recorder if archiving stuff for viewing a few years later is very important to you.

Come back and say what your viewing habits are and you will get more specific advice.
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Old 30-07-2011, 10:13
Chasing Shadows
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As Panasonic are the only manufacturers of DVD recorders with twin tuners, you are limited to buying one of theirs. And if you definitely want Freeview rather than Freesat, you are limited to a choice of two. The one you have highlighted (which as a 250Gb hard drive) and the BWT-700EB which comes with a slightly bigger hard drive (320Gb) and can also record to Blu Ray as well as DVD (which means anything you archive in high definition will stay in high definition; archive HD to DVD and it will obviously only be in standard definition).
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Old 30-07-2011, 10:17
Chasing Shadows
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Only consider getting a DVD recorder if archiving stuff for viewing a few years later is very important to you.
...or if you want to watch your recordings somewhere other than sat in front of your own TV/PVR. Or if you want to make DVD recordings for other people. Or if you want to watch your recordings on your computer. Or if you want to put your recordings on to the internet. Or if you intend to record a lot which means a PVR hard drive won't be big enough to hold everything. Or if you want an offline backup of your recordings in case the hard drive of your PVR packs up.
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Old 30-07-2011, 13:50
bobcar
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...or if you want to watch your recordings somewhere other than sat in front of your own TV/PVR. Or if you want to make DVD recordings for other people. Or if you want to watch your recordings on your computer. Or if you want to put your recordings on to the internet. Or if you intend to record a lot which means a PVR hard drive won't be big enough to hold everything. Or if you want an offline backup of your recordings in case the hard drive of your PVR packs up.
True but how much of that applies to spotbot? We don't know which is why I asked the question though I'd bet none of them, if they do then he didn't need my advice on them anyway.

I'm not against DVD recorders (I have one myself) but most people who start off with "I need a DVDR" and "I have a fear of technology" usually are looking for a VCR replacement for time shifting and think a DVDR is the obvious choice when it usually isn't. I answered the post the way I did because I was trying to help spotbot not to start an argument about the relative merits of DVDRs and PVRs.
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Old 30-07-2011, 14:59
Nigel Goodwin
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I'm not against DVD recorders (I have one myself) but most people who start off with "I need a DVDR" and "I have a fear of technology" usually are looking for a VCR replacement for time shifting and think a DVDR is the obvious choice when it usually isn't. I answered the post the way I did because I was trying to help spotbot not to start an argument about the relative merits of DVDRs and PVRs.
Many of these people couldn't work their VCR's, and DVD recorders are MORE complicated to use. What is easy is a PVR, and those are all most people need.
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Old 30-07-2011, 15:49
bobcar
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Many of these people couldn't work their VCR's, and DVD recorders are MORE complicated to use. What is easy is a PVR, and those are all most people need.
Yes very much so, my parents just about manage their VCR but would get nowhere with a DVD recorder whereas if they got past their technophobia I know they could manage a PVR. I've tried to persuade them that a PVR is their best bet to replace their "on it's last legs VCR" but I'll probably just end up buying them a second hand VCR from eBay.
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Old 01-08-2011, 20:23
spotbot1spotbot
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Cheers for the replies, I have my answer now & shall be purchasing a Panasonic xw380.
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