Is there an external USB device which I can use to record Homechoice programs on to my PC's hard-drive?

For a desktop PC or a laptop?

The simple answer is yes.

It's a PC (Win XP, Athlon XP1900/ 512Mb Ram...).

Many to choose from. Does it have to be USB or can you get a PCI one? I would direct you to tv-cards.com and look on the excellent forums there.

Thank you!I'd prefer to use USB since I don't feel too comfortable openinng the PC. Is there any particular make that you would recommend or that's not allowed on this forum? I will check tv-cards.com, thanks for the link

Don't know too much about the USB ones unfortunately - otherwise I would recommend one for you. The quality is very variable, as is the bundled software, so it pays to do your research.

OK, can you please recommend the PCI one? cheers

Actually, I only own laptops and only use PCMCIA cards. I have looked at PCI and USB cards but it was some time ago and the info will be out of date now. Loads of good info on tv-cards though.

Just avoid Hauppage where possible. Flaky hardware and software.

OK, can anyone please explain what requirements either USB or PCI card should have in order to record Homechoice? Do I just need normal TV card (with TV in ). Do I connect my TV to the TV card or STB? I use Scart or s-video?
Please help!

I don't know of ANY tv card that comes with a SCART input - or at least his was the case a while ago. There is no S-video out on the HC box and if you output S-video via the SCART connection it doesn't work and you just get a black and white image. So you will need to get a SCART to Composite/AudioL/AudioR (3 phono jacks) type lead and use the composite video in on the tv card.

I hadn't appreciated that you wanted to be able to connect the PC AND the TV. I can see a few options, you may be able to get a TV-card with a loop through (i.e. input and output) on the same card. You may need to get 2 tv cards, one to input to the PC and one to output to the tv. Alternatively, because SCART connectors are bi-directional you can actually use the input SCART on the HC box as an output - the image is not quite as good but is OK, in which case the TV would connect to the output of the HC box and the PC to the input of the HC box.

I appreciate this very much! At the moment I watch divx films from my PC on the TV using S-Video out of my graphics card.
If I get the TV card with TV in can I just record programs and watch them same way as now, using s-video output of my graph. card? What software is used for this?

Or shall I just get stand alone dvd recorder with internal memory like Liteon? This just seems like an easy way out. Although it would be nice to take advantage of PC/ laptop's almost unlimited memory...

Thanks again

Theoretically you could get a tv card to handle the recording, which would use the software that comes with the card. You could then set your output from the PC to use the S-Video out from your graphics card. As far as I can see this would work, i.e. HC STB -to- PC -to- TV. This should allow you to watch and record from your HC STB on your PC whilst using your TV to view it. You would need to have your PC on all the time and could only record what you were watching (this would be true of a standalone DVD recorder also). To do this I would recommend getting a card that comes with good software - check reviews.

By the way you may want to consider buying Windows XP MCE (Media Centre Edition) 2005. I think you can get it for about £90 on ebuyer. It would be a bit of a project though!

Ok, I'll just go for the option with "Scart to Composite Audio(L/R)" connection between the STB and the "TV in" of the TV card and then I will use my graphics card for the replay.
By the way have you heard of this product? http://www.aminocom.com/products/pdf...T500_flyer.pdf

It's supposed to be a PVR Ethernet Set-Top box.