Recording Freeview from Panasonic idtv

Dr Kenny · 07-11-2006, 23:33

I've recently got a new Panasonic TX-32LXD60 tv with built-in freeview and Panasonic DMR-ES15 dvd recorder to go with my existing vcr.

I can't work out how to record the DVB signal to either my vcr or dvd recorder. They record the analogue signal no prob but I can't see a way to get the digital signal to the recorders. I've read the manuals and that is no clearer and they're all Panasonic so I can't see it being a compatability problem.

The only thing I can think it might be is the cheap scart lead from the tv to the dvd recorder (from a previous buget player). Maybe it's not a fully-wired scart cable, would than make a difference? I'm going to get some decent cables anyway, just want to rule it out before I try anything else.

AV1 output is set to DVB.

The reason I think it might be the scart is that none of the Q-link features seem to be working.

GlenL · 08-11-2006, 08:59

This may be stating the bl00dy obvious to you (apologies if it is

) but the DMR-ES15 does not have a digital tuner in it. Therefore it will not record Freeview through the arial.

I am not familiar with your telly but if it can output the digital signal through one of its AV sockets you should be able to record from that via one of the AV sockets on the ES15. This will mean though, that you will have to tune the telly to the station you want to record which may be defeating the object somewhat.

In my old setup I used to have a Panasonic DMR-HS2 dvd recorder connected via the AV1 socket to a Freeview box. Whenever I wanted to record a Freeview channel, I would manually set it on the Freeview box and set the DMR-HS2 to record from the AV1 socket.
Substitute your telly for my Freeview box and you would have a similar setup.

Richard46 · 08-11-2006, 09:39

I think some TVs can output a signal to scart when in standby; but if yours cannot do this then you will have to leave the TV on all the time you are recording. If so I would have thought a separate STB just for recording would pay for itself soon they are only about £25.
Moreover You would than also of course be able to record one digital station and record another which you will not be able to do recording from the telly.

My advice; forget the idea of trying to record from the TVs tuner.

Richard

PS better still if you have about £100-£250 have a look at the PVR forum.

kas · 08-11-2006, 10:42

Yeah I had this problem with my Sony IDTV you could only record what was actually being shown on the TV (not a lot of use really).
I bought a Humax PVR - solves the problem and more!

skinj · 08-11-2006, 11:40

Set the tv to output dvb through one of the scart sockets in the setup menu.
Connect the dvd to this socket and select av1 on the dvd. This will record the digital tv station that is selected on the tv. You can still watch a different analouge station on the tv by pressing the mode button.
You can also do a timer recoding by setting the show to record from the tv guide menu and leaving the tv in stand-by. you also have to set the vcr for the same time.
Would have been better to get DMREZ25 though for the extra £60 as this is digital and had HD upscaling. We point this out to all our customers in store.

bobcar · 09-11-2006, 00:32

I agree with Richard, get a separate Freeview box and if you can, make it a PVR. Something like the Digifusion FVRT95 for less than £100 will make recording much easier and more flexible.

Dr Kenny · 09-11-2006, 10:49

Quote:

This may be stating the bl00dy obvious to you (apologies if it is ) but the DMR-ES15 does not have a digital tuner in it. Therefore it will not record Freeview through the arial.

Yep, I've sussed that one now

Quote:

Set the tv to output dvb through one of the scart sockets in the setup menu.
Connect the dvd to this socket and select av1 on the dvd. This will record the digital tv station that is selected on the tv. You can still watch a different analouge station on the tv by pressing the mode button.

That's what I'm doing but I'm just recording a blank screen. Going to pull the unit out, check all the connections round the back.

Quote:

Would have been better to get DMREZ25 though for the extra £60 as this is digital and had HD upscaling. We point this out to all our customers in store.

I wish I'd known that. Oh well, live and learn.

Dr Kenny · 09-11-2006, 22:29

Resolved after an email to the good people at Panasonic customer care.

Quote:

In order to record digital stations please ensure that the TV's AV2 is connected to the DVD recorder AV1 via SCART and that in the AV set up menu, the AV2 is set to DVB out. Once you have this connection please select the correct source to record from by locating the 'INPUT SELECT' button on the DVD's remote control.

Press this button twice so that the DVD-LCD screen shows A2 where the channel select would normally be. Once this shows A2 press the 'RECORD button on your DVD and this will then record the digital programme being shown.

If you wish to timer record or watch an analogue channel you would need to set the DVB timer and tuner lock on the TV, after which you should be able to watch an analogue channel while recording a digital channel. You will not be able to watch a digital channel while recording another digital channel.

Top marks to them, thanks to all.

bobcar · 10-11-2006, 00:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Kenny

Resolved after an email to the good people at Panasonic customer care.

Top marks to them, thanks to all.

This won't let you record RGB or let you watch one digital channel whilst recording another.

You would be much better off getting a cheap Freeview box just for recording or a Freeview PVR if you can afford it. This will give you much better quality recordings and will be simpler and more reliable.

tichtich · 12-11-2006, 14:03

If both devices have Q-link, you should be able to record from the TV with a single button-press, providing the recorder is connected to the TV's Q-link-enabled socket (probably AV2).

I too have a Panasonic IDTV and DVD recorder, though they're different models from yours. When watching TV, I can start recording the digital programme I'm watching by just pressing the "Direct TV REC" button (on either the TV or DVDR remote). This will cause the DVDR to switch itself on (from standby), switch its input source to AV1, and then start recording. It also "locks" the TV's digital tuner, so I don't accidentally change it to another channel--if I press the channel up/down buttons the TV will change to an analogue channel instead--and will continue to output the same programme to its Scart sockets even if I switch the TV to standby.

In principle I can also set timers on the TV so, at a specified time, the TV will switch itself out of standby, change to the specified channel and perform a Direct TV Record as described above. Unfortunately, however, the buggy piece of c--p is unreliable, ignoring about 20% of the timers I set, so I soon gave up on that option.

Anyway, I now have a twin-tuner PVR, so I never use the IDTV's tuner any more and I hardly ever record to DVD.

07-11-2006, 23:33	#1
Dr Kenny Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 3	Recording Freeview from Panasonic idtv I've recently got a new Panasonic TX-32LXD60 tv with built-in freeview and Panasonic DMR-ES15 dvd recorder to go with my existing vcr. I can't work out how to record the DVB signal to either my vcr or dvd recorder. They record the analogue signal no prob but I can't see a way to get the digital signal to the recorders. I've read the manuals and that is no clearer and they're all Panasonic so I can't see it being a compatability problem. The only thing I can think it might be is the cheap scart lead from the tv to the dvd recorder (from a previous buget player). Maybe it's not a fully-wired scart cable, would than make a difference? I'm going to get some decent cables anyway, just want to rule it out before I try anything else. AV1 output is set to DVB. The reason I think it might be the scart is that none of the Q-link features seem to be working.

08-11-2006, 09:39	#3
Richard46 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: London Posts: 41,718	I think some TVs can output a signal to scart when in standby; but if yours cannot do this then you will have to leave the TV on all the time you are recording. If so I would have thought a separate STB just for recording would pay for itself soon they are only about £25. Moreover You would than also of course be able to record one digital station and record another which you will not be able to do recording from the telly. My advice; forget the idea of trying to record from the TVs tuner. Richard PS better still if you have about £100-£250 have a look at the PVR forum. Last edited by Richard46 : 08-11-2006 at 09:43.

08-11-2006, 08:59	#2
GlenL Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: West Midlands, UK Posts: 997	This may be stating the bl00dy obvious to you (apologies if it is ) but the DMR-ES15 does not have a digital tuner in it. Therefore it will not record Freeview through the arial. I am not familiar with your telly but if it can output the digital signal through one of its AV sockets you should be able to record from that via one of the AV sockets on the ES15. This will mean though, that you will have to tune the telly to the station you want to record which may be defeating the object somewhat. In my old setup I used to have a Panasonic DMR-HS2 dvd recorder connected via the AV1 socket to a Freeview box. Whenever I wanted to record a Freeview channel, I would manually set it on the Freeview box and set the DMR-HS2 to record from the AV1 socket. Substitute your telly for my Freeview box and you would have a similar setup.

08-11-2006, 10:42	#4
kas Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Sussex Posts: 341	Yeah I had this problem with my Sony IDTV you could only record what was actually being shown on the TV (not a lot of use really). I bought a Humax PVR - solves the problem and more!

08-11-2006, 11:40	#5
skinj Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 3,206	Set the tv to output dvb through one of the scart sockets in the setup menu. Connect the dvd to this socket and select av1 on the dvd. This will record the digital tv station that is selected on the tv. You can still watch a different analouge station on the tv by pressing the mode button. You can also do a timer recoding by setting the show to record from the tv guide menu and leaving the tv in stand-by. you also have to set the vcr for the same time. Would have been better to get DMREZ25 though for the extra £60 as this is digital and had HD upscaling. We point this out to all our customers in store.

09-11-2006, 00:32	#6
bobcar Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 14,718	I agree with Richard, get a separate Freeview box and if you can, make it a PVR. Something like the Digifusion FVRT95 for less than £100 will make recording much easier and more flexible.

09-11-2006, 10:49	#7
Dr Kenny Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 3	Quote: This may be stating the bl00dy obvious to you (apologies if it is ) but the DMR-ES15 does not have a digital tuner in it. Therefore it will not record Freeview through the arial. Yep, I've sussed that one now Quote: Set the tv to output dvb through one of the scart sockets in the setup menu. Connect the dvd to this socket and select av1 on the dvd. This will record the digital tv station that is selected on the tv. You can still watch a different analouge station on the tv by pressing the mode button. That's what I'm doing but I'm just recording a blank screen. Going to pull the unit out, check all the connections round the back. Quote: Would have been better to get DMREZ25 though for the extra £60 as this is digital and had HD upscaling. We point this out to all our customers in store. I wish I'd known that. Oh well, live and learn.

09-11-2006, 22:29	#8
Dr Kenny Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 3	Resolved after an email to the good people at Panasonic customer care. Quote: In order to record digital stations please ensure that the TV's AV2 is connected to the DVD recorder AV1 via SCART and that in the AV set up menu, the AV2 is set to DVB out. Once you have this connection please select the correct source to record from by locating the 'INPUT SELECT' button on the DVD's remote control. Press this button twice so that the DVD-LCD screen shows A2 where the channel select would normally be. Once this shows A2 press the 'RECORD button on your DVD and this will then record the digital programme being shown. If you wish to timer record or watch an analogue channel you would need to set the DVB timer and tuner lock on the TV, after which you should be able to watch an analogue channel while recording a digital channel. You will not be able to watch a digital channel while recording another digital channel. Top marks to them, thanks to all.

10-11-2006, 00:54	#9
bobcar Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 14,718	Quote: Originally Posted by Dr Kenny Resolved after an email to the good people at Panasonic customer care. Top marks to them, thanks to all. This won't let you record RGB or let you watch one digital channel whilst recording another. You would be much better off getting a cheap Freeview box just for recording or a Freeview PVR if you can afford it. This will give you much better quality recordings and will be simpler and more reliable.

12-11-2006, 14:03	#10
tichtich Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,094	If both devices have Q-link, you should be able to record from the TV with a single button-press, providing the recorder is connected to the TV's Q-link-enabled socket (probably AV2). I too have a Panasonic IDTV and DVD recorder, though they're different models from yours. When watching TV, I can start recording the digital programme I'm watching by just pressing the "Direct TV REC" button (on either the TV or DVDR remote). This will cause the DVDR to switch itself on (from standby), switch its input source to AV1, and then start recording. It also "locks" the TV's digital tuner, so I don't accidentally change it to another channel--if I press the channel up/down buttons the TV will change to an analogue channel instead--and will continue to output the same programme to its Scart sockets even if I switch the TV to standby. In principle I can also set timers on the TV so, at a specified time, the TV will switch itself out of standby, change to the specified channel and perform a Direct TV Record as described above. Unfortunately, however, the buggy piece of c--p is unreliable, ignoring about 20% of the timers I set, so I soon gave up on that option. Anyway, I now have a twin-tuner PVR, so I never use the IDTV's tuner any more and I hardly ever record to DVD.

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Recording Freeview from Panasonic idtv