As a digital TV numpty, I need some basic help/advice/info to avoid being left in the dark when the London switch over happens in April.
I currently have 21inch Philips near flat stereo nicam CRT TV which I use along with a Panasonic DMR-ES20VED analogue VHS/DVD recorder. My wants are simple: watch TV; record one programme while watching another and play DVDs. Not fussed about timed/series recordings, HD channels and such like, and I don't want to invest in a new TV at the moment, even though mine only has a single scart in and no HD etc.
So, as far as I can work out, I need at least a set top box to convert the TV, possibly a digital recorder and I need to know how to connect up any new equipment to my existing TV and VHS/DVD recorder.
I've read that using a set top box with the Panasonic DMR-ES20VED would mean you could only record the programme you're watching. Is that true?
Assuming it is, I think that means using a twin tuner digital recorder is the only way I can watch say Channel4 while recording a BBC channel at the same time. Is that right?
Humax PVRs are popular, the HDR-FOX T2 is relatively expensive and has stuff I may never use (HD, network capable, read from USB) but it does have BBC iplayer. The simpler PVR-9300T may suffice. What would you recommend if it has to have scart to TV?
I've seen different wiring arrangements, so how do I connect something like a Humax PVR to my TV and existing Panasonic VHS/DVD recorder, when the existing record is used for playback only?
I can't try trial and error, physical disability means I need to get it right first time. Is it Humax scart to the analogue VHS/DVD recorder, and then scart from the VHS/DVD recorder to the TV? And what about the aerial connections? Is it aerial to RF in on Humax, then RF Humax out to VHS/DVD recorder RF in and finally recorder RF out to TV RF in?
I currently have 21inch Philips near flat stereo nicam CRT TV which I use along with a Panasonic DMR-ES20VED analogue VHS/DVD recorder. My wants are simple: watch TV; record one programme while watching another and play DVDs. Not fussed about timed/series recordings, HD channels and such like, and I don't want to invest in a new TV at the moment, even though mine only has a single scart in and no HD etc.
So, as far as I can work out, I need at least a set top box to convert the TV, possibly a digital recorder and I need to know how to connect up any new equipment to my existing TV and VHS/DVD recorder.
I've read that using a set top box with the Panasonic DMR-ES20VED would mean you could only record the programme you're watching. Is that true?
Assuming it is, I think that means using a twin tuner digital recorder is the only way I can watch say Channel4 while recording a BBC channel at the same time. Is that right?
Humax PVRs are popular, the HDR-FOX T2 is relatively expensive and has stuff I may never use (HD, network capable, read from USB) but it does have BBC iplayer. The simpler PVR-9300T may suffice. What would you recommend if it has to have scart to TV?
I've seen different wiring arrangements, so how do I connect something like a Humax PVR to my TV and existing Panasonic VHS/DVD recorder, when the existing record is used for playback only?
I can't try trial and error, physical disability means I need to get it right first time. Is it Humax scart to the analogue VHS/DVD recorder, and then scart from the VHS/DVD recorder to the TV? And what about the aerial connections? Is it aerial to RF in on Humax, then RF Humax out to VHS/DVD recorder RF in and finally recorder RF out to TV RF in?