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Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7202
Location: North Yorkshire
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 Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 9:15 pm Post subject: Freeview+ recorder |
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My hubby is getting interested in us buying one of these, but we have no idea what to look for. He is useless with technology so it would need to be something that I could cope with. I would be pleased if anyone could give us some useful pointers. We have a dvd/video recorder but it is noisy and we find that very annoying! Thanks.
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RockitRon
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7202
Location: North Yorkshire
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| Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you for the links Ron, I will follow these up and maybe we will make a decision.
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Peek
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 55
Location: In the region of the summer stars
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| Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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We have had a Humax Freeview box for 2 years now...it has dual channels so that we can record 2 things at once. If you do do that it restricts the number of channels you can view whilst recording...however we upgraded our tv last year to one with Freeview installed, so now we can record 2 things and watch any channel on the tv itself.
To say it's the best thing since sliced bread would be an understatement, we currently have about 45 programmes recorded ( alot of them are short ones I admit) but we have only filled just under half the space of the memory. As we have an elderly dog who fidgets alot during the evening we prefer to watch programmes from the box so that we can pause and play accordingly,plus for ITV/Ch.4 etc. you can skip through the ads. of course.
It's a very good bit of kit, and I imagine that a more up to date Humax will probably be even better.
We also use the Humax to transfer progs. to the PC...they can then be converted to use on an MP4 player...so it really is well used in our house !
P.S. It is Very easy to use...even I can do it !
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Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7202
Location: North Yorkshire
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| Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for this Peek, we're still doing the research. Well I say we its really just me, every time I think I've found the one, I read someone's review and end up back to square one!
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SantaFefan
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 11258
Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk
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| Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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We've recently bought a Humax too, but ours is the "FreeSat" version...
I'm still getting used to it but I'm pleased with it so far.
It has a large memory for recording and it'll pick up many stations which our Virgin+ doesn't.
The one I watch most is CBS Action because it has the original StarTrek, Starsky & Hutch and Moonlighting series - plus many more old TV shows which I like.
It's not cheap though.. I think the box was about £275 plus the Dish & installation at £140. 
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Rob
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Posts: 163
Location: Leicester
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| Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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The recommendation I had a couple of years ago was that there are two makes of Freeview recording boxes worth considering.
If you're technically minded and want to something you can play with and configure to your heart's content, then the Topfield range is pretty good. Something of a community has grown up around these - I had problems with mine and got all the help I needed at a site called toppy.org.uk. I ended up replacing the hard drive (which was starting to overheat and cut out) with one that was four times bigger. I now have somewhere between 600 and 700 programmes on the drive (many of them in the "deleted" folder, I hasten to add!).
If you're not into messing around in the technicals of a box, then the Humax range are supposed to be easy to use.
I would recommend getting a box with two tuners so you can record two programmes at once. I've TV cables around the house to send signals to portables in the kitchen and bedroom, so I find the ability of the Topfield to "transmit" its output on the aerial output useful, too; I can watch a recorded programme while doing the washing up!
Rob |
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Ian Robinson
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Joined: 11 Dec 2006
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Location: Chorley, Lancashire
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| Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Are any good for recording radio shows? |
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SantaFefan
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk
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| Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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My Virgin+ box won't record radio,
The Humax FreeSat does, but to the hard drive,
My Panasonic VHS/DVD with freeview records radio onto DVD which is great.
( I still say the Roberts Radio with a sound card is the best idea.. I use that a lot. )
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Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! 13/8/07
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Peek
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 55
Location: In the region of the summer stars
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| Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 8:45 am Post subject: |
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| Ian Robinson wrote: | | Are any good for recording radio shows? |
Yes you can easily record radio programmes on the Humax box that I have.
I've now found the manual I have for it...it's a Humax PVR 9200T.
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Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7202
Location: North Yorkshire
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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We bought one eventually and I have got quite a lot of radio programmes stored on the hard disk. I would like to transfer some of them on to some sort of media storage thing and then put on to a cd to play via our music system. Can anyone tell me what sort of media file I need to use to convert them to play in this way please?
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ColinB
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 10:59 pm Post subject: |
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| What file format are they on the hard disk drive? If on Pc they need to be WAV or AIFF on a Mac. Then, on the PC, use Windows Media Player to write the files to CD. You'll be prompted on what you want it to do. Personally, I use iTunes to manage all my media files; this can also be used to burn audio and video to disc or to serve a media player (my main computer is a Mac but also use networked PCs and my iPhone). |
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Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7202
Location: North Yorkshire
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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They are still on the Freeview+ hard disk. I have a had a major breakthrough today though, I managed to save the 'Radio Election' programme onto my laptop (using Audacity) and then using your advice, I have burned in onto a CD and played it successfully on our music system! 
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Pirate Johnnie Walker played my request on 11 April 2009
Last edited by Angela W on Sat Jan 01, 2011 6:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ColinB
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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Excellent job, Angela!
Guess what? I did exactly the same thing with the very same program - although I ported it into my iPhone via iTunes as well. I also grabbed the Jools Holand chat with Eric Clapton which I'll listen to some other time.
PS: There's a way to get them out of your Freeview+ box as well. Ask me when you need to do it. |
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Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7202
Location: North Yorkshire
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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The bit I'm not sure of is taking a programme from the Freeview+ recorder and putting it on to the computer to convert. I was going to try either a USB memory stick or DVD, which do you think would be better please?
Oops sorry Colin, I should have read your post a bit closer before running away on the keyboard! 
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nod
Joined: 24 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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| ColinB wrote: |
PS: There's a way to get them out of your Freeview+ box as well. Ask me when you need to do it. |
If a HUMAX then yes please |
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ColinB
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Angela W wrote: | | The bit I'm not sure of is taking a programme from the Freeview+ recorder and putting it on to the computer to convert. I was going to try either a USB memory stick or DVD, which do you think would be better please? |
I was thinking primarily of capturing audio from the recorder, Angela! That's easy.......
Video, however, is a different kettle of fish. You can't just dump the file (which is tucked away inside the box and often encoded in a specific way) to an external storage like HDD, DVD or flas memory stick because of (a) the way the video is encoded and (b) the format the video needs to be in to be played elsewhere (ie: from a video DVD). Another way would be to attach a DVD or HDD/DVD recorder to the SCART outputs and re-record the saved file.
At the very least, you need a separate bit of hardware that goes between the box and the PC that reads the analogue video playback and converts it into digital video. Then you need to convert that video into a form that can be written to a DVD or as a Windows Media Player or Quicktime video file.
There's another (more direct) way - but that involves hacking the firmware in the box and tapping the MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 files. However, that's jolly naughty and will also invalidate warranties...................... |
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Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7202
Location: North Yorkshire
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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Yes it is only audio that I want to record. They are some radio programmes I recorded on Freeview and I want to transfer them to CD if possible please.
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Pirate Johnnie Walker played my request on 11 April 2009 |
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Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7202
Location: North Yorkshire
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| Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| ColinB wrote: | Excellent job, Angela!
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I wasn't so clever after all. In making this recording I have done something stupid and have lost my wireless connection to the internet and seem to be incapable of getting it back. Can anyone help me please? 
I connected my laptop via the Ethernet cable as I thought this would make the connection more stable to download the show and apart from that, I don't know what I have done to mess it up! (Thanks in advance for any help)
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Helen May
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 19334
Location: Cheshire
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:24 am Post subject: |
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Hi Angela,
Sorry I can't help about the wireless connection only in that have you tried switching off all computers then the router?. Wait a couple of minutes and switch the router back on first let it get all 'sorted' then switch computers back on. I did that when my internet radio lost the wireless connection (even though the laptop still had it) and voila it was back.
Also I think I'm right in saying you don't need internet for Audacity to capture your sound from the Freeview box. I did the same from Sky and only used audio leads and my Total Recorder programme which is the same as Audacity in principle.
H
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I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
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Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7202
Location: North Yorkshire
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Helen
Thanks for your reply. I did need the internet because I was recording through listen again on the i-player. I have tried turning the router off and re-setting it but it hasn't solved my problem.
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Pirate Johnnie Walker played my request on 11 April 2009 |
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Helen May
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
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Location: Cheshire
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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Ah sorry, I thought you had it already recorded on your Freeview+ box and wanted to save it to your computer!
H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!
I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
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