[Archived] Digi Box With Hard Drive

[Paul]

I have a feeling this is going to be the big Christmas push........but that aside I plan to buy one soonish. Has anyone got any experience of these boxes, and in particular:

80Gb sounds a lot, is it in practice? Waht size would an average movie be?

On standard digi boxes you can only record the channel you are watching. Presumably the whole point of one with a hard drive is to allow one to record a channel while watching another? (the main feature I want)

Anyone recommend a particular model?

[dave birch]

Paul, LG are releasing a LCD TV with a built in STB that has a 450Gb drive in it.

I'll try and find the details.

[Ste B]

I've got a Fusion FVR145 from Argos.. Its twin tuner which means you can record 2 things at once (i've not tried it as theres never 2 things worth atching on at the same time) or watch something else whilst recording.

Its done me well, but it could use a "series link" option.

[Dan Furness]

Nah.... get yourself a Nokia Dbox, network it and you can record to your pc, play films off your pc on your tv and also mp3s and pictures etc

why blow loads of money when you can spend less for something more practical

[BuckyRover]

Sky+ is the way forward

I can set programmes to record from my mobile

[Ricky]

Paul, the Thomson model isnt the prettiest but is very good for 99 quid. It's got the twin tuner to enable you to tape one thing and watch another. It also enables you to dump stuff onto dvd and remove the adbverts.

thomson

[stuwilky]

I rushed in and ended up with a DVD Burner and 80GB hard drive.

The hard drive is never anywhere near full, in fact I dont even think Ive hit 50%, and Ive only burnt things to DVD I want a back up of.

But, the one I have got (Lite On LVW5045) does a very good job. But isnt digitally enabled.

[den]

80Gb sounds a lot, is it in practice? Waht size would an average movie be?

Working on the new sky HD boxes - they have 160 GB of useable memory. That equates to 80 hrs of standard definition programmes, or 40 hrs of high def programmes.

So 80GB should give you 40 hrs of programme memory.

[Tris]

I'm pondering over the Sony RDRHXD710 and the Toshiba RD85DT, after my 16 year old VHS machine gave up the other day.

I bet these new gadgets won't last for 16 years.

[T4E]

I don't get it, whats up with Sky+??

[Paul]

I don't have, or want, Sky

[T4E]

Oooh, that explains that then

[Tris]

I have a Sky+ box (and a normal Sky digibox) - but infuriatingly I am not allowed to put a dish on this building, so both are redundant and awaiting the next house move.

So I finally took the plunge on a DVD-R + HDD last week and settled for the Sony mentioned a few posts up.

I got it from Currys where the shelf price was £499, but a long argument with the manager about their "price promise ("we won't be beaten on price") ended with her calling head office and me walking away with the new toy for £349. It was the only local store where there was stock and I didn't want to wait or mess around with home deliveries from the likes of Empire Direct etc.

Top marks so far - it's a really good bit of kit, easy to use, and is coping with being hooked up to cable as well as offering the EPG for all Freeview channels. Brilliant sound too, as I've come to expect from Sony - I'm using a Sony amp and speakers I bought in 1990 and the new machine sounds great through that set up.

[Flopsy]

shame Mrs Tris keeps maling you watch Big Brother on it though

(sorry Kiwi)