[Channeal]

Was wondering if there is anyone out there who could help us with updating our TV and related equipment. My husband will never replace anything until it is really no use any more, so (just as with our old computer) our TV equipment is very old (very frustrating for me as someone who loves new gadgets! )

 

We live in the UK and watch TV via Freeview. We do not have satellite TV, although we do have a NowTV box. At the moment, we have a Samsung TV (Model No LE32R74BD) and a Phillips DVD Recorder (Model no DVDR610). Ever since purchasing the latter, we have had problems with the TV cutting out for a few seconds when we are watching it. For a long while, we actually thought it was a fault with the TV, but eventually we sussed out that when this happens the DVD recorder loses its display for a few seconds, so the fault probably lies with that. It should have gone bck to the shop - but instead we have just put up with it for many years!

 

Anyway, the TV is at long last showing signs of going wrong. Rather bizaarely, the problem at the moment only affects the BBC channels - and yes, I have tried retuning the stations. We have another TV in another room and that is okay. We also have a digibox connected to the TV (as well as an old video recorder) and BBC is fine everywhere except on the SAmsung TV. Our TV aerial on the roof was replaced about 2 years ago too. Very strange indeed!

 

Anyway, this hasturned our thoughts towards thinking about finally updating ('hoorah', says me!). The thing is though, I just do not know what is available out there. I know you can get smart TVs and TVs with hard drive space for recording programmes, but I am totally confused as to what we should buy if we were to replace our equipment. TVs etc have advanced so much in the past few years and I have been left completely behind! Please can anybody help to enlighten me a little bit.

 

Many thanks,

 

Chris.

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any tv will do just make sure it has a good picture, only thing to look for really in my opinion is that it has a dvbt2 tuner inside and is at least 1080p screen resolution, nearly everything else is mostly just marketing hype in my opinion.

 

most if not all new tv's will come with those minimum specs,

dvbt2 tuner is so you can receive freeview high definition channels where as the old dvbt tuners were only capable of receiving freeview standard definition tv signals.

 

not a big fan of smart, and don't use it myself even though i have a smart tv. i much prefer to use a pc connected to my tv, but i'd be surprised if you bought a new tv today that wasn't a smart tv.

 

if money is no option then i'd suggest looking at 4k tv's or maybe even looking into oled tv's.

picture quality is supposed to be outstanding especially on the oled tv's not that i've personally any experience with them and i think 4k tv's have fallen a lot in price since i last looked at them.

 

personally i'm a samsung fan so would buy a samsung tv but here's some links that may help you decide :- 

http://www.techradar...his-year-709255

http://www.techradar...d-today-1198304

http://www.whathifi....-smart-hd-4k-tv

 

i'd probably buy the 49inch or the 55inch version of this samsung tv :- http://www.currys.co...144282-pdt.html

 

[terry1966]

any tv will do just make sure it has a good picture, only thing to look for really in my opinion is that it has a dvbt2 tuner inside and is at least 1080p screen resolution, nearly everything else is mostly just marketing hype in my opinion.

 

most if not all new tv's will come with those minimum specs,

dvbt2 tuner is so you can receive freeview high definition channels where as the old dvbt tuners were only capable of receiving freeview standard definition tv signals.

 

not a big fan of smart, and don't use it myself even though i have a smart tv. i much prefer to use a pc connected to my tv, but i'd be surprised if you bought a new tv today that wasn't a smart tv.

 

if money is no option then i'd suggest looking at 4k tv's or maybe even looking into oled tv's.

picture quality is supposed to be outstanding especially on the oled tv's not that i've personally any experience with them and i think 4k tv's have fallen a lot in price since i last looked at them.

 

personally i'm a samsung fan so would buy a samsung tv but here's some links that may help you decide :- 

http://www.techradar...his-year-709255

http://www.techradar...d-today-1198304

http://www.whathifi....-smart-hd-4k-tv

 

i'd probably buy the 49inch or the 55inch version of this samsung tv :- http://www.currys.co...144282-pdt.html

 

[Channeal]

Thanks very much for the links, but am not sure that you completely understood what I was wanting (my fault, I'm sure!). It wasn't so much advice about buying a TV itself I was after, the really important bit is replacing our present (eternally malfunctioning) DVD player - and at the same time getting rid of the digibox which will (I think) no longer be needed.

 

We used to record quite a few movies, but have only rarely recorded anything since the digital change-over as it is a pain having to record from the digibox. So the most important aspect is - as well as replacing the TV if it needs it - to buy something else which allows us to record stuff,  as well as play DVDs. I did find this http://www.tesco.com...?source=others# but am unsure whether this is the best option. I just don't know what else is available!

 

The model in my link I think records to DVD RWs. I thought though that there were also machines which recorded to hard drive space. Just don't know what to look for, or what is best.

 

I having been trying to investigate further what is wrong with this TV itself, but it is doing my head in! It seems like a bad signal problem, but everything else is fine so it really doesn't make any sense. I seem to be getting into stuff about whether the TV stations involved are vertically or horizontally polarised! A bit too complicated for me, especially as I am recovering from a nasty virus and my headache is not improved by trying to understand all this stuff!

 

Sorry Terry, you seem to have drawn the short straw recently and got lumbered with trying to answer all my innane questions!

[Channeal]

2nd Message

 

I managed to solve my TV problems (in spite of my headache)!!!!!

 

I found out here that it could be caused by something else interfering with the signal from the PSB1 - BBCA Multiplex, so I played around disconnecting stuff at the back of the TV. Not exactly sure at the moment what was causing the problem, but do have a sneaky suspicion that my daughter-in-law might have connected something wrongly when trying to connect our NowTV box, as they slept in our lounge when they were here!

 

Anyway, we are now back to only wanting to replace the DVD recorder etc.

 

EDIT Would ideally like something which also has a usb port so that we can connect a usb flash drive, as our son and d-i-l sometimes bring us movies which they have loaded onto a flash drive for us to watch - and the only way we can do it at the moment is to bring in my cheap tv from the bedroom and watch it on there, which is a bit of a pain!

Edited by Channeal, 29 December 2016 - 06:17 AM.

[terry1966]

sounds like what you're looking for is a pvr, dvd/blu ray combo machine. again i have no personal experience with such machines because i build my own htpc systems, small pc that does the same thing only better in my opinion.
 
what about this :- http://www.currys.co...015460-pdt.html
 
it seems to do everything you want.
 

 
oops just saw your tesco link to the same machine, yes i think that will suit your needs.

The model in my link I think records to DVD RWs. I thought though that there were also machines which recorded to hard drive space. Just don't know what to look for, or what is best.

not sure if it can record to dvd (think it only plays them.) but it definitely records to a built in 500GB hard drive.
from my links product information page.

High-quality recording

With two Freeview HD tuners, this Samsung Blu-ray recorder allows you to capture up to 124 hours of HD programming or up to 199 hours of SD content to enjoy whenever you like.

Utilise the 500 GB hard drive's full capacity as you record two shows simultaneously – you can even watch one show whilst recording another, and pause and rewind live TV if you need to leave the room for a moment or attend to something.

Record those can't-miss movies and even timetable future recordings so you can capture a full series. You'll really get value for money with this great facility.

another link that may help you decide :- https://www.freeview...-recorders.html

Edited by terry1966, 29 December 2016 - 07:32 AM.

[Channeal]

Thanks again for your help.

 

Have been looking at possible purchases all day (luckily I have absolutely nothing else to do, as I am still able to go out due to having flu).

 

Have more of a clear idea in my head about what I am looking for now. Have downloaded several manuals for the items, as info online can be sketchy (actually, even the manuals can be pretty useless: I find that Samsung are particularly bad, as the instructions are often not even in clear English! )

 

Ideally, I would like.....

 

A DVD player/recorder which records to DVD (though all the better if there is an alternative option to record to hard drive space as well).

 

A Freeview tuner included, with the option to record to DVD 

 

Timer option to programme recordings in advance (i.e. not just live TV)

 

A USB port to connect a usb flash drive.

 

 

The best option I have found so far is the Panasonic DMREX97 (manual here). 

 

It is more expensive on Amazon here (though Amazon lists it as DMREX97EB-K , so not sure if that is exactly the same model)

 

Very tempted to order it, as haven't found anything else which does everything I want!

 

Any thoughts, anybody?

Edited by Channeal, 29 December 2016 - 10:02 AM.

[terry1966]

i don't think that one records straight to dvd either, but with that one i think you can transfer your recordings from the hard drive to a dvd unlike with the samsung.

 

samsungs guide :- http://downloadcente...3-1-0507_BM.pdf

 

in my opinion the samsung is the better out of the 2 and is the one i'd buy, but that's just my opinion and it's more a question on how important it is to be able to transfer some of your recordings to dvd. samsung is able to transfer things to the dvd too according to the manual with it's send files function just not the recordings it's made by the sounds of it.

 

main differences that may make an impact on your choice are.

 

panasonic can transfer recordings to dvd.

 

samsung can play blurays, can access the internet for smart tv capabilities like watching iplayer, netflix etc., has built in wifi. can record to an external hdd.

 

apart from that both seem to play more or less the same video formats, both have dual tuners, both record to a 500GB hard drive, both can play content from an attached usb drive.

 

specifications of both :-

http://www.currys.co...0-pdt.html#tab2

http://www.currys.co...7-pdt.html#tab2

 

 

same panasonic device but at a cheaper price than your amazon link :- https://www.amazon.c...and freeview hd

 

smart panasonic device similar to the samsung but again not sure this one will record the recordings from hard drive to dvd but it's the one i'd buy out of the 2 panasonic devices. :- https://www.amazon.c...MSUNG BD-H8500M

Edited by terry1966, 29 December 2016 - 03:19 PM.

[Channeal]

First of all. thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to look into the merits of the different models.

Am getting a tad confused though....

With regard to the Panasonic model, the Richer Sounds link that I posted says 'with the freedom to record Freeview HD TV onto DVD or its HDD drive', so I took that to mean that you could record to either. Am I wrong?

As far as your Samsung model is concerned, I cannot see anywhere in the manual that there is any option to schedule recordings in advance (something which is definitely a 'must' for me). The section on recording only seems to mention recording live TV.

Am suffering a bit from overload re all the facts I have been reading, to the point that nothing makes much sense any more, so I maybe need a break for a day or so!

[terry1966]

i am only going by what i've been able to gleen from reading the specifications, reviews etc from different sites for all machines mentioned but from what i gather all machines can schedule recordings in advance, even schedule a series, all can record 2 programs at once, all can play content from a usb connected device.

 

yes the panasonic ex97 is able to transfer recorded freeview programs onto a dvd but only after it's been recorded to the hard drive first, it is not able to record directly to the dvd. of course i may be mistaken but that's what i'm led to believe. eg. 

 

Its main drawback is that unlike its predecessors it doesn't record from TV direct to DVD. You have to record the programmes on the hard disc, and then copy them to DVD afterwards. There are several improvements in this model, but that drawback outweighs them spectacularly. The manufacturer claims it was done for copyright reasons!

quoted from someone who bought the machine and reviewed it on amazon.

 

so to answer your questions.

 

With regard to the Panasonic model, the Richer Sounds link that I posted says 'with the freedom to record Freeview HD TV onto DVD or its HDD drive', so I took that to mean that you could record to either. Am I wrong?

yes i believe the site is wrong saying that and it only records to the built in hard drive. (of course i may be wrong but that's my understanding. )

 

 

As far as your Samsung model is concerned, I cannot see anywhere in the manual that there is any option to schedule recordings in advance (something which is definitely a 'must' for me). The section on recording only seems to mention recording live TV.

yes it can schedule your recordings in advance and not just live record what your watching. all the machines can do this.

 

if they work similar to my setup, the epg tv guide only shows upcoming programs for the next 7 days, so you can set things to record a series and it will record them that week and for the weeks where they don't currently show in the guide, but for 1 off recording of a film say you can only set to record it if it is on tv within the next week using the guide but i think you can set all of the devices to record things without using the guide though and just set them to record by date and time for up to a month in advance but not 100% sure on this.

personally i've never found the advanced weeks data limitation to be a problem. of course with my setup i can set certain rules to record things by actors, titles, words etc which don't rely on the weeks guide but i don't think such advanced recording options are available with the machines mentioned.

 

 

Am suffering a bit from overload re all the facts I have been reading, to the point that nothing makes much sense any more, so I maybe need a break for a day or so!

happens to me all the time too.

 

Edited by terry1966, 29 December 2016 - 09:14 PM.

[Channeal]

Okay. I might be slightly coming round more to the idea of Samsung. If I did buy a Samsung though, I might be more inclined to buy one one with 1TB of hard drive space (such as http://www.currys.co...3985&awid=73985 ), since it seems I am unable to record direct to DVD. Why not have more space, if you can get it?

 

Still cannot quite let go of the Panasonic models though (not least because they are a British firm and I do like to buy British when I can). I also like the facility that some of their models have to record via phone while away from home (as in list here). It would have been useful on one of the many occasions I have been out and realised that I have forgotten all about a TV programme (not such a problem these days though, as our daughter is here 24/7, so we can always contact her!).

 

In reality, we used to record lots of programmes in the past, but do not do so that often these days. If we miss a programme, we watch Catch-up TV which is currently accessible via our NowTV box (although we did unsubscribe for several months a year or so ago). I also have a Chromecast and am able to pair up my Android phone with the TV via that. It is usually kept connected to my TV in the bedroom though, so that I can access Spotify playlists on the TV there - although I brought it in here the other night so that we could watch a movie which was actually playing on my phone. (Life is just sooooh complicated these days!). I would like to be able to record the occasional film though; we used to record loads of films in the good old video recorder days!

 

You have no doubt guessed by now that I am the world's worse when it comes to deciding on a purchase! 

 

Btw, you don't work for Samsung do you?   

 

Many thanks,

Chris.

Edited by Channeal, 30 December 2016 - 05:23 AM.

[terry1966]

no i don't work for samsung, and in fact i might get a panasonic machine too if i was buying one, they seem to have better reviews than the samsung.

 

the other panasonic i listed :- https://www.amazon.c...MSUNG BD-H8500M

has more or less the exact same abilities as the samsung device.

 

i did find one that's supposed to record straight to dvd. :- http://www.currys.co...143734-pdt.html

 

 

A good 'rule of thumb' for Panasonic HDD/Blu-rays units is 'BDT' is a player ONLY, 'PWT' is a player and HDD recorder but does NOT record to Blu-ray/DVD disc and 'BWT' are the 'biggie' units which play/record to most media (with differing/occasional limitations eg no support for DVD-RAM, record to HDD requires disc 'registration' which limits the ability to play recordings elsewhere).

from a review on amazon :- https://www.amazon.c...ds=DMR-BWT850EB

 

 

You have no doubt guessed by now that I am the world's worse when it comes to deciding on a purchase! 

 

bet i'm worse, bought and cancelled 3 different types of device for my mums christmas present before finally buying the first one i'd bought.

 

 

ps i don't think panasonic is a british company, think they are japanese.

Edited by terry1966, 30 December 2016 - 07:55 AM.

[Channeal]

Thanks for your reply.

 

 

 

no i don't work for samsung, and in fact i might get a panasonic machine too if i was buying one, they seem to have better reviews than the samsung.

 

Was only joking!

 

 

 

 

i did find one that's supposed to record straight to dvd. :- http://www.currys.co...143734-pdt.html

 

Yes, I was already aware of the DMR- BWT850EB. I have read through the manual though and - just like the DMR-EX97EB which I was originally interested in - it does not seem to record to DVD, but only allows you to copy recorded stuff over. It does however have a 1TB hard drive, but at £448.65 is much more expensive than the others. Am not sure if it would be really worth the extra expense.

 

I suppose what I should do is actually go into a shop that sells the Panasonic models, so I could actually talk to somebody about them (we have a Richer Sounds right over the other side of town) - but I won't be able to do that for a while as we are all sick in this household at the moment. Might be worth waiting though.

 

 

 

 

ps i don't think panasonic is a british company, think they are japanese

 

Oops..... got that one badly wrong then!

 

 

 

Btw, I found out that it was definitely my Chromecast that was affecting the reception of the BBC Multiplex stations. Very weird, as there is no problem when it is in its usual home attached to the TV in the bedroom. The TV there was only purchased less than two years ago though, so perhaps that makes a difference.

 

 

EDIT

 

Was reading over the manual for the DMR-BWT850 again and am less sure now about weather you can record direct to DVD. I think I definitely need to go into the shop! 

 

I did read a review that said: 'gone are the 'usual' range of input/output connections on the rear (eg optical audio output, SCART) of previous models. Essentially it's 'HDMI only'. Does that mean that it has to be connected to HDMI on the TV? At the moment, all our equipment is connected via SCART. We only have one HDMI socket on the back of our TV and that is used to connect NowTV (or sometimes Chromecast).

 

Manuals generally are a big bugbear of mine - they just don't make them user friendly! How ridiculous that you can read through a whole manual without being able to discover something pretty vital! 

 

 

2ND EDIT

 

Just read another review which said : 'I've been playing with archive/copy from HDD to Blu-ray & DVD-R disks (both Verbatim brand). a) A simple archive (Copy) of all 6 episodes of Planet Earth II (originally recorded on BBC1 HD to the recorder's HDD) onto ONE Blu-ray disc took just 12(!) minutes and picture quality on playback of the copy seemed pretty good to me. b) Had to use SIX separate disks when doing a Copy to DVD-R discs & couldn't find a way to copy in High Speed, so took 6x1 hours, with (obvs) a disc change needed after every episode. c) Finally, copied all 6 episodes to ONE Blu-ray disc in High Definition (in HX mode to get 6 hours on single disc, as HG only allows 4 hours per disk) - this also took 6 hours, but with no need to change discs between each episode.'

 

Think I might just abandon the whole idea of being to be able to copy to DVD and just concentrate on a model which records to hard drive space only; seems like it might be more trouble that it's worth!

 

Am considering the DMR-PWT655EB now (see here) It has 1TB drive space.

Edited by Channeal, 31 December 2016 - 07:54 AM.

[terry1966]

from what i can tell after a quick look none of them have a scart socket any more and all have just the hdmi port that needs connecting to the tv, so you'll either have to keep plugging unplugging the device when using other things like chromecast or buy a hdmi switch so you can connect more than 1 device to the single hdmi port and switch between them when needed.

 

this one comes with a remote. :- https://www.amazon.c...=4k hdmi switch

 

yes that PANASONIC DMR-PWT655EB will suit your needs just fine i think.

 

 

review of 655 :- https://www.avforums...bi-review.12689

review of 850 :- https://www.avforums...bi-review.12816

 

 

Before deciding on whether, or not, you should avail yourself of the multiple capabilities of the Panasonic DMR-BWT850, you first need to ask yourself the question – do I plan to keep, or later archive, the recordings made from the Freeview HD tuner on disc? If that answer is in the negative, move on to something else as really this box is overkill – and expensive – for your needs. On the other hand, if that is one of your requirements, the BWT850 is probably the leading contender on the market.

Edited by terry1966, 31 December 2016 - 10:39 AM.

[Channeal]

Thanks very much, Terry.

I just went ahead and ordered the 655 and the switch adapter too (had already done it before I saw your edit ) Hopefully, a good way to end 2016.

Thanks very much for all your help and for putting up with all my Indecisive ramblings!

Have yourself a very Happy New Year in 2017!

[terry1966]

happy new year to you and your family too.