cancelled Sky+ subscription

[marinyork]

Try a Digital TV recorder, same ability to record and watch later and pause live TV while you take a telephone call. You can't rewind live TV but if you record all you want to watch so what?

And no subscription. We use the money we saved to buy DVDs of old TV and Films.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by this. If you mean you can't rewind live tv that has been spooled, this is a very controversial statement as nearly ever PVR ever built has not only this function but to spool back record (virgin media's v+ box is an extremly strange exception to this latter point). This is the same for sky+ because sky+ is a PVR, it is just sky trying to product genre brand their product into being synoymous with that product. I would certainly recommend a PVR as my freeview one was much better than sky+ imho.

 

[soulful dog]

Agree with byegad, if you miss the ability to pause the programme you are watching or to record everything and watch it whenever you feel like it, buy a PVR to use with Freeview. I bought a Humax PVR 9200 a couple of years ago and would hate to be without it now.

Which: How to choose a digital TV recorder

 

[marinyork]

It might be noted that the next year is not necessarily a good time to buy a freeview PVR.

 

[marinyork]

What do you get over there in belgium? Luxe + BBC HD, itv stream, plus what else?

 

[Crackle]

It might be noted that the next year is not necessarily a good time to buy a freeview PVR.

Why not? Just decided to go Freeview and Humax.

 

[marinyork]

Why not? Just decided to go Freeview and Humax.

Freeview is going to deploy a new broadcast transmission standard DVB-T2. This is for HD. It will really shake up the manufacturers and what goes on in factories so it may also affect people who reasonably say that they aren't remotely interested in HD in terms of prices. It's not necessarily bad but it remains to be seen what will happen. Before anyone panics DVB-T2 is backward compatible with the previous standard. All that will happen will that you're DTT will be using upto 5 of the multiplexes rather than 6. It is just a timescale thing and although people say they want something now, I worry they change their minds 2 or 3 years down the line.

By about the middle of 2010 things should have settled down. HD channels will have launched for months and available in much of the UK, supply will have been resolved (maybe), whether DVB-T2 will be put in standard boxes will have been thought about, what demand is, whether it'll be a flop etc. Big changes. How this goes will then probably trigger further plans even more distant into the future and then it really might start to bite.

Freesat doesn't suffer the same problem. They'll be able to receive/record and they won't become redundant/not able to record/view new stuff when things like ITV HD launches properly, C4HD joins (anyone's guess as their sky contract has expired) and Five HD launch (probably autumn 2010).

 

[Archie_tect]

Looking forward to cancelling Sky once our two are away to university... thought about getting BT Vision since we have their Wireless Hub... any views?
Chris

 

[marinyork]

BT vision is crap, although their vod is better than it used to be.

 

[Archie_tect]

Thanks marinyork... I'd had a sneaking suspicion. You've convinced me!!
Chris

 

[Crackle]

Sorry, that's not completely clear to me. If I buy a HD capable Humax now to work with current HD channels on Freeview are you saying it may not work with newer channels or just not work a well?

 

[marinyork]

There is some confusion because there are two different things. Humax are a world class company that were mostly known for their freeview PVRs. Now there is a Freesat HD service and as a world beater humax also produce for those. Unfortunately their boxes have undergone a gigantic price rise in some big retailers in recent days.

So if you get current humax freeview pvr it won't be able to pick up (very near) future HD channels.

If you buy a freesat humax HD box it will pick up all future FTA HD channels and work fine.

 

[Crackle]

There is some confusion because there are two different things. Humax are a world class company that were mostly known for their freeview PVRs. Now there is a Freesat HD service and as a world beater humax also produce for those. Unfortunately their boxes have undergone a gigantic price rise in some big retailers in recent days.

So if you get current humax freeview pvr it won't be able to pick up (very near) future HD channels.

If you buy a freesat humax HD box it will pick up all future FTA HD channels and work fine.

Well spotted: That was me using the wrong terminology. It's Freesat i'm talking about not Freeview. Confusion over.

 

[marinyork]

Well spotted: That was me using the wrong terminology. It's Freesat i'm talking about not Freeview. Confusion over.

Oh I understand, mort writers humax I instinctively think he's talking freeview (which of course I know he can't be).

I have to confess I mentioned HD because unless I have a faulty memory you're in the north west tv region, which gets these freeview HD channels on 2 December 2009. How many boxes will be available/price/whatever is a big question mark but the changes are coming, imminently.

On the topic of freesat, iPlayer should be launching fairly soon, which is another thing to consider for people .

 

[marinyork]

P.S. crackle if you're already bought one that means you've avoided the price rise .

 

[Crackle]

Oh I understand, mort writers humax I instinctively think he's talking freeview (which of course I know he can't be).

I have to confess I mentioned HD because unless I have a faulty memory you're in the north west tv region, which gets these freeview HD channels on 2 December 2009. How many boxes will be available/price/whatever is a big question mark but the changes are coming, imminently.

On the topic of freesat, iPlayer should be launching fairly soon, which is another thing to consider for people .

One of the reasons I was going to go Freesat rather than wait for Freeview, which as you say begins soon near me but not the full switch 'till late 2010.