Any PVRs that can decode the raw T/W signal?

[m@dman]

Hi everyone, new member - be gentle.

I've been after a digital recorder for a while, deciding that the Toshiba XS34 (160GB all the formats, £280) was the best bet. I've carried on looking as as good as it is, there's little/no EPG or scheduling beyond the painful (at least the last time I had a recorder) Video+.

So over the last couple of days I've been checking out the Freeview PVRs that at least offer some sort of EPG/Scheduling, the Topfield 5800T (160GB, two tuners, EPG, £280) and the Inverto IDL 7000T (similar price and feature-set excluding the 50% HDD [80GB]).

I'm wondering now, if any of those can (/ be modded to) eat the raw Telewest feed - as the PVRs above do with the Freeview feed. Otherwise is there anything else out there that can do it and throw out ethernet or a/v to a seperate recorder?

Thanks to anyone getting this far

Wet with anticipation,
Mark.

[Chris W]

have you investigated TIVO? You would need the Set Top Box connect to Tivo, but seems to work ok with ntl...

Jimbo had this setup with ntl, so may be along soon to offer some more advice!

[m@dman]

Didn't think TIVO was sold in the UK anymore? (in fact I think I heard DirectTV - who bought them recently, was getting rid of the TIVO brand worldwide)

Ignoring availability for the moment (think I've seen them on Ebay) are you saying you think that would eat the Telewest feed?

Thanks for the quick response

[Chris W]

no you would still need the TW stb, but i believe it would connect via scart to the tivo...

and yes they aren't sold new anymore but plenty on ebay

[Stuart]

You can't buy a pvr that will record from the digital signal direct. Even if you found out how to modify one, if Telewest found out, at best you would cut off.

Don't know when it is being released, but Telewest is releasing their own PVR. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds23279.html

[m@dman]

So you don't think anyone makes a PVR that can replace the STB then? I hate the idea of having all this awesome scheduling power, only to have the majority of my channels locked in a box that needs manual channel changing.

[quadplay]

Hi m@dman,

There are no PVRs currently available that will "eat the Telewest feed" directly, as you put it (great way of putting it, by the way!) Telewest are currently developing a PVR which will connect directly to the network, but I don't know how long it will be before that's launched. The Freeview PVRs that are available aren't easily modifiable to take a cable feed as the digital signal is different (DVB-C as opposed to DVB-T).

No new TiVo PVRs have been manufactured for the UK market for a while, since Thomson stopped - but I still have two connected to my ntl boxes, and they work VERY well. Far superior to Sky+ (which my parents have). They will also work with Telewest boxes.

They are still available via eBay, and you can still sign up as a new subscriber to the EPG service by calling the telephone number in the manual. There have been recent rumours that TiVo are planning a return to the UK but as yet, nothing has come of them. What you heard about DirecTV is not quite correct - DirecTV used to offer a satellite receiver with TiVo technology built in, but have recently dropped this in favour of their own in-house solution. This is similar to the UK situation, where Sky did the marketing and back-up for TiVo before launching their own solution. Sky still operate the UK call centre for TiVo. TiVo are not owned by DirecTV.

There's loads more information available at TiVo's UK site and the TiVo Community Forum. Hope this helps!

[m@dman]

Interesting Stuart! I'd seen bits about that but assumed it was a concept and cancelled when Teleport was finalised/launched. You think this is still on the way then?

Box looks ugly but the remote looks nice. At any rate it would be nice to have something Sky+y without the silly price. Cheers.
__________________

Originally Posted by jimbo

"eat the Telewest feed" directly, as you put it (great way of putting it, by the way!)

Heh, cheers.

Originally Posted by jimbo

...but I still have two [tivos] connected to my ntl boxes, and they work VERY well. Far superior to Sky+ (which my parents have). They will also work with Telewest boxes.

So TIVOs will eat a T/W feed?

Thanks for clearing up all the other bits as well Jimbo, much appreciated.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by m@dman

So TIVOs will eat a T/W feed?

Not the digital feed, no. However, you can connect a Tivo up via Scart to the STB (RGB is the best quality). Also, if you want to record any PPV stuff, the Tivo does (apparently) remove the Macrovision encoding and allow you to record it. Before you get ideas about running off 100's of copies though, it does replace the Macrovision encoding when you play the recording back.

[simpsonsFAN]

Originally Posted by m@dman

Ignoring availability for the moment (think I've seen them on Ebay) are you saying you think that would eat the Telewest feed?

Tivo is very clever and was far ahead of its time, it accepts the RGB scart output from the sat / cable set top box, and uses a IR blaster wand to change channels on it.

As you said, they can be picked up on ebay but the only online store ive found still selling them is http://www.tivoland.com/ (there all modded on that site with bigger hard drives, as a resualt there kindof expensive). Make sure you buy one that comes with a lifetime subscription otherwise you will have to pay 10pounds a month for the tivo service. Without the sub, the box functions only as a basic VCR.

But, if I were you, I would just wait for the 3 tuner telewest PVR due for release at "the end of the year", tivo is showing its age abit now...
-Chris

[m@dman]

Thanks Stu/Chris, will checkout that Tivo site and try and find out more about the Telewest offering.

Thanks to everyone for your help