I've just bought a new Panasonic (DMR-EX77EB) Recorder with Freeview. I was assuming I can connect this to my Sky Digibox (acc. now closed though so i just get the freeview stuff) and record things off it but will I be able to watch another side at the same time? A friend thinks not!
The situation is complicated a bit because we don't get the digital signal down an aerial in Otley and my old analogue aerial has fallen off the roof so I rely entirely on a dish on the wall and the old sky box!
Have looked through the forum archive and can't find an answer.
Would really appreciate any thoughts and help before I open the box...
thanks very much for the reply......but its just the worst news I've had this week...!
can I just buy a sky + box and not subscribe and if I did would that mean I don't need the DVD recorder? Could I just buy another cheapy freeview box (would it work off my dish?) and keep the DVD recorder...so many questions...i'm getting to that stage in life where I just don't understand things anymore..!!
Mike, Age 40 and a half
Your DVD recorder has FREEVIEW built in. BUT - Freeview works only from a rooftop aerial - it will NOT work from a satellite dish - so you are wasting your money a bit if you don't get a new aerial!
Yes you can see the free channels via your satellite dish but thats not the same!
Best bet here is to buy a digital aerial - then you will be able to watch one channel whilst recording another as before - i.e. analog programme on TV (assuming your TV is not digital yet) whilst recording a digital programme either from your SKY BOX or via the built in FREEVIEW receiver in your DVD Recorder.
A SKY PLUS Box won't work unless you have a sky subscription.
Your DVD recorder has FREEVIEW built in. BUT - Freeview works only from a rooftop aerial - it will NOT work from a satellite dish - so you are wasting your money a bit if you don't get a new aerial!
You'd be wasting your money getting a new aerial in Otley. The Wharfedale transmitter doesn't carry DTT, and the town's too far down in a dip to get anything useable off Emley or Bilsdale.
Quote:
Best bet here is to buy a digital aerial - then you will be able to watch one channel whilst recording another as before - i.e. analog programme on TV (assuming your TV is not digital yet) whilst recording a digital programme either from your SKY BOX or via the built in FREEVIEW receiver in your DVD Recorder.
A SKY PLUS Box won't work unless you have a sky subscription.
There's also no such thing as a digital aerial - despite what disreputable aerial installers might like to have you believe.
Your best bet would be to get Sky+ as that can record one Sky channel while watching another. Sky are getting rid of the Sky+ subscription next month for those who subscribe to any of the mixes, so you don't need to worry about that.
yes, SKY PLUS is the best bet then - didn't realise that you couldn't get a digital signal at all through your aerial. But you would still need to take out a subscription for SKY PLUS to work -won't work if you don't subscribe to any SKY channels.
Or you could get a new aerial in any case and keep your DVD recorder, then you could use that to record stuff off your SKY box whilst still watching analogue TV from the aerial!