Recording TV: DVD or HD recorder?

[d000hg]

Splashing out on a nice new TV, would also like to replace our VHS with something more modern. We won't have Sky so initially will be recording standard TV, but something supporting HDMI would be cool.

Are there any big differences between getting a DVD/HD recorder, except the obvious ones regarding capacity/removability of the media involved?

[pmeswani]

Splashing out on a nice new TV, would also like to replace our VHS with something more modern. We won't have Sky so initially will be recording standard TV, but something supporting HDMI would be cool.

Are there any big differences between getting a DVD/HD recorder, except the obvious ones regarding capacity/removability of the media involved?

Get a combo device. Then you can record your programs onto HDD, and the ones you want to keep, you can then record onto the DVD.

[Lockhouse]

Get a freeview twin tuner box like the Humax which has a built in hard disk. That'll do you until you get Sky+

[FSM with Cheddar]

Get a freeview twin tuner box like the Humax which has a built in hard disk. That'll do you until you get Sky+

Yeah the Humax ones are good.
Most of the good ones, have a usb connection so you can copy off any programs you want to keep.

PVR is much better than a dvd recorder.

[Platypus]

Sky have got some good offers on at the mo, e.g. Sky+HD for £50 IIRC, so cheap why not go for that straight away?

[pmeswani]

Sky have got some good offers on at the mo, e.g. Sky+HD for £500 IIRC, so cheap why not go for that straight away?

I thought it was £50.

[Platypus]

I thought it was £50.

Ooops

[ferret]

Another vote here for the Humax, I got one about three years ago and it is still going strong. Had to hack it to get a more reliable USB connection so hopefully the new ones are a bit better.

I am looking at upgrading to one of these with RAID 1.5 TB hard drives:
http://www.efficientpc.co.uk/desktops/genii/

So can whack music, pics and family videos on in as well as record from the TV etc.

[Tensai]

PVR is much better than a dvd recorder.

WHS

Yeah the Humax ones are good.
Most of the good ones, have a usb connection so you can copy off any programs you want to keep.

Careful - I came across a couple that have a USB connection but the firmware doesn't "yet" support grabbing data from the disk using it.

I used to have in Inverto 'til a tuner fault developed, and there's zero support from the now-defunct manufacturer

Replaced it with the latest TVonics, pretty happy* so far though the EPG interface is a bit clunky.

* By which I mean the family are happy - I hardly watch TV, 95% of it is utter rubbish IMHO.

[dezze]

Topfield

I've got a Topfield hd recorder, which I've had for about 3 years now. The good thing about it is that you can load lots of external stuff, such as really good EPG's etc. Also has a USB output to copy stuff off to computer and play using VLC (plus maybe others)...good when working away.