Hmm, hadn't considered needing an aerial for Guideplus. ordered a 530 from Empire yesterday but haven't had an aerial for the past 4 years (it blew down in a storm and never bothered to replace as have had Sky for 10ish years)

Any suggestions on an aerial that I can get Freeview (and Guideplus) on as I will probably get a Freeview box soon to watch one/record another..

You don't need an aerial for Guide Plus. It's more convenient but you can certainly do it from a Sky box (which passes teletext through) via SCART. I have a Pioneer 630 and it works a treat with no aerials and RF leads in the equation.

Oh right. Does Guideplus look/act the same If you get the info via Skytext as it is one of the main reasons for buying the box.. umm, well apart from the dozen or so other good points about it..

What did you mean by 'more convenient', sounds like there's a hidden BUT in there somewhere.

It downloads the epg data from Eurosport I believe

ITV via aerial is more convenient since it doesn't tie up your digibox for updating - but it can update via t/text on Eurosport, providing your digbox passes t/text thru (some dont)

Guide Plus listings are transmitted via normal analogue teletext. The two host channels are ITV1 Analogue and Eurosport Digital. Whether you get it from ITV1 or Eurosport doesn't matter - it's the same information. Note that this is not SkyText though - it's just normal teletext. To see if your digibox transmits teletext, tune your box into Eurosport (410) and press the Text button on your TV remote (not the Sky remote).

The aerial method is more convenient because the recorder can tune into ITV1 itself to get the EPG data, on its own internal tuner without affecting what you're currently watching. If doing it via SCART and an external digibox, the recorder has to change the channel to 410 on the Sky box (via an infra-red dongle).

But the aerial method can be dodgy if you haven't got good analogue reception.

Over the past couple of weeks on these forums, it has come to our attention that some models of digibox don't transmit teletext via SCART, so if yours doesn't then you'd have to use the aerial method.

BTW I think you might be under the misapprehension that Guide Plus is "on" teletext? This is not the case, it's just the data that is transmitted via teletext and the recorder downloads it. It then uses that data to construct the EPG internally. So wherever the data comes from, the Guide Plus EPG will look the same as it's an application inside the recorder.

What if you have Sky but aren't subscribed to Eurosport? (and don't have an aerial connection for ITV).. does this mean you can't use Guideplus? (its a pain them putting it on a subscription channel)

If your digibox passes t/text (some dont) you should still get it via ITV - just tune to ITV and press t/text on your TV remote (not sky remote) & if t/text comes up you can get guide+

if not - you 'may' have R/F (aerial) output on your digibox that passes t/text - try plugging this direct into Guide+ recorder & try t/text on ITV on the internal tuner - actually this would be better option if you do have R/F out on your digibox

lastly - you could buy a cable splitter to split sky cable - one end straight back into you digibox - other end with std coax plug into R/f of the recorder - this works with NTL cable but i've yet to hear it confirmed with sky - principly the same thou so it should work

If we're talking standard analogue ITV t/text then I'm gonna need an aerial I presume. Maybe I should stop fannying about and pop down B&Q to replace my defunct one with something that will do for Freeview in the not to distant future anyway. My digibox is 6ish years old so I'm guessing it won't be up for any advanced tricks like passing t/text or R/F output.

Could have done with my Pioneer today as Sky seems to be running complete series or at least multiple episodes on various channels all day (there's something like 4 hrs of Billy Connolly on UKTV later tonight)

older box is prolly more likely to have analogue pass thru than on a newer box

easy to check - just switch to ITV or Eurosport and press t/text button on your TV remote (not sky remote)

Will do it tomorrow. In the middel of videoing Rob Roy

Yep, works of Eurosport so I'm ok until the spring when I'll put up an aerial.. Cheers guys.

that's OK - the teletext stream is transmitted regardless of whether you're subscribed to the channel. Same situation as me - no aerial, not subscribed to Eurosport, but Guide Plus still works. Yune your Sky box into channel 410 then press Text on your TV remote (not the Sky remote). Providing your digibox transmits teletext via SCART, you should get Eurosport Teletext.

My Pace Sky box is 7 or 8 years old and does it! As Jethro says, it looks like the older boxes are more likely to do it as this was before Guide Plus came out and Sky didn't realise they had to stop digiboxes passing through teletext in order to prevent use of Guide Plus (wild conspiracy theory!).

I am thinking of getting a Pioneer DVR-530H, i understand this unit will change the channel on my NTL box when it is about to record via the G-link, can i use the DVR-530H to change the channel on the NTL box by selecting the channel within Guideplus???, thus not having to use two remotes, one for the Pioneer unit and one for the NTL box

This feature did not work on my Philips HDRW720, which i have I recently returned due to numerous problems

Also does the Pioneer unit allow you to record direct to a DVD or is it onto the HDD and then copy to the DVD?

Has any one got any comments

Cheers Funky

Yes, it will let you record directly onto dvd or the hard drive. In fact you can record on one and watch on the other. Actually you can record on the HD and watch another programme or watch the one you are recording.

As for changing over the box, it works on my Sky box. YOu set the programme to record on guide plus, i amend the setting to start a minute or so early then the recorder changes the sky box over.

Don't know about NTL but you can change channel on Sky using Guideplus. Only had mine a few hours and am not convinced i would do it this fashion. Get yourself a decent OneForAll controller for the best of both worlds.

Yes you can record direct to DVD (and watch it too If it's x4+)

Simon, have you found a setting to tell the Pioneer to leave the program in 16:9 when viewed via the box? Have noticed that any old progs. that are 4:3 will switch my TV over to that format which is a bit irritating.

Nope, not found that yet, Is there nothing in the manual?

Nope. Have posed the question to Pioneer on their website, just thought it worth asking whilst I'm here etc.

I don't personally think there is such a setting, I think you just have to adjust your TV set to stretch the picture if that's what you want.

I did find though that a programme I recorded in 16:9 correctly switched my TV set to 16:9 when viewed on the HDD, but once I burned it to DVD-RW the Widesceen flag was lost.

Any thoughts anyone!?

James

I can't remember the details, but seem to recall that there's an issue about copying Widescreen flags on low-quality settings (more than 3 hours per DVD). My vague memory is that if you do a real-time copy, then the flags don't get transferred.

Just for information - the Guideplus website contains a list of all DTT boxes that are compatible with their system, and a list of some that are not. My Grundig box didn't appear on either but a call to Pioneer today confirmed that it won't talk to my DVR530. Wish I'd called them about three days ago to save a lot of messing about.....

There's 100's digiboxes for Guide+ and there is 'definately' one that would work your grundig (or any make) - lot of manufacturers use the same codes - just troll through them till you find one that works - manufacturers will say anything to get you off the phone when they dont know what you're talking about

Philips said my NTL analogue box wouldn't work - but it did

My current 'Samsung' digibox isn't listed - but it works fine on a 'PACE' code

OK - thanks for that Jethro - we live and learn. Will try other codes tomorrow...