Digibox With Timer

Can you still get set top Freeview boxes with a timer function that allows
recordings to be made (using a VCR) when you are out? I have a friend who
is in need of one but we cannot find one with that facility. The best we
have found is one that reminds you your program is about to start.
--
Tinkerer

"Tinkerer" wrote in message ...

Can you still get set top Freeview boxes with a timer function that allows
recordings to be made (using a VCR) when you are out? I have a friend who
is in need of one but we cannot find one with that facility. The best we
have found is one that reminds you your program is about to start.
--
Tinkerer

Just leave the digibox turned on and tuned to the channel you want to record
from. Use the timer in the VCR to do the rest. Don't bother leaving on the
tele.

--

John the West Ham fan

"Tinkerer" wrote in message
...
Can you still get set top Freeview boxes with a timer function that allows
recordings to be made (using a VCR) when you are out? I have a friend
who is in need of one but we cannot find one with that facility. The best
we have found is one that reminds you your program is about to start.

Like the Goodmans GDB3, with five timer slots and the ability to turn on a
suitably- equipped VCR? I don't know. Maybe you can get hold of a second
hand GDB3.

--
Max Demian

"housetrained" wrote in message
...
"Tinkerer" wrote in message ...

Can you still get set top Freeview boxes with a timer function that allows
recordings to be made (using a VCR) when you are out? I have a friend
who
is in need of one but we cannot find one with that facility. The best we
have found is one that reminds you your program is about to start.

------

Just leave the digibox turned on and tuned to the channel you want to
record from. Use the timer in the VCR to do the rest. Don't bother leaving
on the tele.

Yes I thought of that alternative soon after making my reply. You can even
set the VCR using VideoPlus - for the digital only channels you will have to
tell the VCR which AV socket the Freeview box is connected to the first time
you enter the code for each channel - for the others you will have to
manually change the setting (unless you still get analogue).

--
Max Demian

Max Demian wrote:
"Tinkerer" wrote in message
...
Can you still get set top Freeview boxes with a timer function that
allows recordings to be made (using a VCR) when you are out? I
have a friend who is in need of one but we cannot find one with that
facility. The best we have found is one that reminds you your
program is about to start.

Like the Goodmans GDB3, with five timer slots and the ability to turn
on a suitably- equipped VCR? I don't know. Maybe you can get hold of
a second hand GDB3.

I used to have a GDB3 and it wasn't bad. I don't recall that it turned on
the VCR (depends what you mean by 'suitably equipped', I guess). It was a
case of setting a timer on the VCR to record from AV-in, while making sure
that the GDB3 at that time was tuned to the necessary channel via its own
timer.

I remember making complicated arrangements to record what we wanted when we
were away for a fortnight, working within the limitations of the number of
timers on the GDB3, the number of timers on the VCR and whether it was
better to record from the analogue or digital version of a channel when the
choice existed. Not to mention the length of a video tape at whatever speed.

How quaint that all seems when the PVR has 70 timers! I'm afraid the best
advice to your friend is to join the 21st century and either get rid of the
VCR or keep it just to show old and valued tapes. Forget about recording on
it.

I wouldn't bet that any GDB3s survived the increase in channels which broke
the NIT on the Topfield (until fixed by the Toppy community); or that they
can cope with 64QAM. Or that they've survived at all - I seem to recall mine
died in such a way that I would have had to get in, find the dry joint or
whatever and have a go at soldering. So I junked it.

André Coutanche

"André Coutanche" wrote in message
...
Max Demian wrote:
"Tinkerer" wrote in message
...
Can you still get set top Freeview boxes with a timer function that
allows recordings to be made (using a VCR) when you are out? I
have a friend who is in need of one but we cannot find one with that
facility. The best we have found is one that reminds you your
program is about to start.

Like the Goodmans GDB3, with five timer slots and the ability to turn
on a suitably- equipped VCR? I don't know. Maybe you can get hold of
a second hand GDB3.

I used to have a GDB3 and it wasn't bad. I don't recall that it turned on
the VCR (depends what you mean by 'suitably equipped', I guess). It was a
case of setting a timer on the VCR to record from AV-in, while making sure
that the GDB3 at that time was tuned to the necessary channel via its own
timer.

I remember making complicated arrangements to record what we wanted when
we
were away for a fortnight, working within the limitations of the number of
timers on the GDB3, the number of timers on the VCR and whether it was
better to record from the analogue or digital version of a channel when
the
choice existed. Not to mention the length of a video tape at whatever
speed.

How quaint that all seems when the PVR has 70 timers! I'm afraid the best
advice to your friend is to join the 21st century and either get rid of
the
VCR or keep it just to show old and valued tapes. Forget about recording
on
it.

I wouldn't bet that any GDB3s survived the increase in channels which
broke
the NIT on the Topfield (until fixed by the Toppy community); or that they
can cope with 64QAM. Or that they've survived at all - I seem to recall
mine
died in such a way that I would have had to get in, find the dry joint or
whatever and have a go at soldering. So I junked it.



Actually, I said VCR but it is actually a full Panasonic PVR (HDD and DVD)
but is only analogue. I had thought also of leaving it set to a channel
and on with just the PVR set to record but he really needs it for recording
from different channels over a period of time when he is away.
Coincidentally I have the exact piece of kit he needs. It was a Technica
box from Tesco that I bought about three years ago for around £20. Since
then they seem to have disappeared completely.
--
Tinkerer

Tinkerer wrote:
Can you still get set top Freeview boxes with a timer function that
allows recordings to be made (using a VCR) when you are out? I
have a friend who is in need of one but we cannot find one with that
facility. The best we have found is one that reminds you your
program is about to start.


Actually, I said VCR but it is actually a full Panasonic PVR (HDD and DVD)
but is only analogue. I had thought also of leaving it set to a channel
and on with just the PVR set to record but he really needs it for recording
from different channels over a period of time when he is away.
Coincidentally I have the exact piece of kit he needs. It was a Technica
box from Tesco that I bought about three years ago for around £20. Since
then they seem to have disappeared completely.

The Icecrypt T5000 Freeview box has eight timers which I assume can be
used to start a recording on an HDD/DVD deck using SCART signalling, as
was the case with my old Digilogic box and Toshiba HDD/DVD, but I've not
actually tried it since I don't make recordings like that anymore...

John Legon wrote:
The Icecrypt T5000 Freeview box has eight timers which I assume can be
used to start a recording on an HDD/DVD deck using SCART signalling, as
was the case with my old Digilogic box and Toshiba HDD/DVD, but I've not
actually tried it since I don't make recordings like that anymore...

I've just taken a look, and the timers will switch the box on. But
there's no option to set a time to switch the box off, so not much use
for timed recordings...

"John Legon" wrote in message
...
John Legon wrote:
The Icecrypt T5000 Freeview box has eight timers which I assume can be
used to start a recording on an HDD/DVD deck using SCART signalling, as
was the case with my old Digilogic box and Toshiba HDD/DVD, but I've not
actually tried it since I don't make recordings like that anymore...

I've just taken a look, and the timers will switch the box on. But
there's no option to set a time to switch the box off, so not much use for
timed recordings...


I have come to the conclusion that, with the advent of Freeview tuner
recorders the set top boxes with timer controls have been phased out. I
have advised my friend to replace his analogue PVR with a digital one.
Expensive but, apparently, the only way out.
--
Tinkerer

On Sat, 14 May 2011 16:43:57 +0100
"Tinkerer" wrote:

Can you still get set top Freeview boxes with a timer function that
allows recordings to be made (using a VCR) when you are out? I have
a friend who is in need of one but we cannot find one with that
facility. The best we have found is one that reminds you your
program is about to start.

Morrison's are still selling a Lowry (no idea who really makes them)
with eight such timers. They won't turn the VCR on, but use its own
timers for that. No idea if they are old stock that is selling out or
not.
They cannot be left turned on to a specific channel, as they go into
standby mode, but the timers will wake them up as required, to
whatever channel you program.
--
Davey.