HXD860 Freeview Recordings

A J

27-12-2006

I have so far been impressed with the 860, but noticed recently that any "press red" interactive buttons that appear are recorded too!

Is this correct? I have SKY+ & a freeview PVR and they do not record the interactive prompts. Can the Sony have this "turned off"? I've looked at the instructions but can't find this mentioned. Cheers.

Reckless

27-12-2006

From my readings (am still looking at the options available... which all seem to fail in one way or another) this is 'normal' for a lot of recorders. What seems to be the case is they record a 'watch you're watching' output signal rather than record the actual feed itself. One plus point is that you can record subtitles like this.

I had read this review for the info:

Quote:
“Although the quality of the recordings is nothing to be sniffed at - I analysed a burned disc in a computer and was very pleased with the results - I can't understand why the unit recompresses recorded video. If these overlaid logos appear on the recordings, that, then, means that the RDR-HXD560 is bringing programmes in from the aerial through its digital tuner, converting them to a video signal, then reconverting them back to stored data via its MPEG encoder and writing the results to disc. Surely directly storing the MPEG-2 programmes pulled straight from the aerial would be the more direct and sensible option? This would mean that the already ropey-looking Freeview broadcasts would not be degraded further by recompression, and that optimal use of the hard drive would be made. Ignoring this though, the quality of the videos on the highest setting is, as I said, as good as the source material allows. I should also add that this appears to be the standard for DVD recorders and is unavoidable.

However, this recording method does have something that could be an advantage for deaf or hard of hearing users. Because the RDR-HXD560 records exactly what you see on screen onto disc, that also means that if you have Subtitles turned on, then the recording will have these burned into the video.”

Last edited by Reckless : 27-12-2006 at 18:48

LichfieldStaffs

28-12-2006

Are you sure your not recording the feed from your TV set/Freeview box and not from the tuner built into the recorder. its easy to do this without realising it especially if your using a scart conection to the TV.

A J

29-12-2006

I am definitely recording from the recorders tuner - but it looks as though this must just be the way it is. A shame but nothing I cant live with! Thanks for your replies.

bjj58

02-01-2007

Originally Posted by A J:
“I have so far been impressed with the 860, but noticed recently that any "press red" interactive buttons that appear are recorded too!

Is this correct? I have SKY+ & a freeview PVR and they do not record the interactive prompts. Can the Sony have this "turned off"? I've looked at the instructions but can't find this mentioned. Cheers.”

I get the "Press Red" prompt on my analogue TV so I'd guess that it isn't a digital button but a caption overlaid by the broadcaster.

Since many analogue TV remotes have red off buttons it always seemed to be bit of a negative message telling them to "Press Red".

erasmus

02-01-2007

If you're stupid enough to press the Text button while you're recording (as I once was), you'll record that as well!

Actually, I think Sony should have disabled the text button while recording. What possible reason would anybody have for recording Digital Text?

BigTim

03-01-2007

Originally Posted by erasmus:
“If you're stupid enough to press the Text button while you're recording (as I once was), you'll record that as well!

Actually, I think Sony should have disabled the text button while recording. What possible reason would anybody have for recording Digital Text?”

For recording subtitles that are displayed through the MHEG text system.

erasmus

04-01-2007

Originally Posted by BigTim:
“For recording subtitles that are displayed through the MHEG text system.”

I'll say it again: What possible reason would anybody have for recording Digital Text?

My 860 has a button called "subtitles" if I want to look at (or even record) the subtitles.

BigTim

05-01-2007

Originally Posted by erasmus:
“I'll say it again: What possible reason would anybody have for recording Digital Text?

My 860 has a button called "subtitles" if I want to look at (or even record) the subtitles.”

I'll say again: the subtitles work through the digital text mheg system.

Pressing subtitles button is just a fast path to that part of the digital text system.

TallDave

05-01-2007

Originally Posted by BigTim:
“I'll say again: the subtitles work through the digital text mheg system.

Pressing subtitles button is just a fast path to that part of the digital text system.”

That'll be twice you've been wrong then!

The subtitles are DVB Subtitles - nothing to do with MHEG.

In theory, if you had a receiver with sufficient graphics planes, you could have a video picture, with overlayed subtitles with an MHEG application rendering its own text on top of that.

tippex-man

06-01-2007

Correct, TallDave. The MHEG and subtitle are completely different in UK. As you will see with the BBC ONE side bar, the subtitles are displayed at the same time, the subtitle are beneath the MHEG display though. I suspect this is true all the time, but MHEG covers most of the display most of the time.

As for why you want to record MHEG? This is useful if there are other TV pictures only accessed through MHEG. Have you ever watched Wimbeldon interactive? You can select your match through the MHEG, although you cannot set a timer recording for it. This is useful if the wife is out and you know she wants to watch that match!!!

On Sky+ for example, this is impossible.