Digispy

Just a thought. Whilst Panasonic STB owners – myself included, are moaning about the lack of a timer, and those with makes that include one are shouting from the rooftops “mine has one” a thought occured to me. Sky digi boxes didn’t have a timer facility until Sky included one in their EPG. Now if Sky can include one in the EPG, would it not be possible for Freeview to do the same when or if they ever get round to launching an EPG of their own?

OK, the Pace DTVA’s latest software allows you to use a timer which I presume (not used it yet) turns the box on from standby.

Question is why bother with this?

Why not leave the box powered up all the time (disregarding the obvious current saving benefits )?

Surely this feature complicates any recording you wish to make ie, having to set the video and the DTT box?

Having invested in a TIVO yesterday I have discovered that I have to leave the DTVA powered up all the time in order for Tivo to function – it can change the channel ok but cannot wake up the box from standby.

So, should I be using the DTVA timer in accordance with my programmed Tivo recordings (which defeats the object really) or am I missing something blindingly obvious here???

Your informed opinions would be much appreciated

Do the Pace and Grundig FTA boxes (as opposed to the old ON Digital Boxes) have timer facilites to enable recording of different channels?

Hello.

Does this elusive Pace free to air thingy have a timer for timed recordings, like the on digital boxes?

Adam.

The Nokia update seems to have brought a change to the way timer recordings work. The box no longer adds five minutes to the beginning and end of recordings.

To my mind it’s an improvement – you can always add the extra if you want to, but it was a bind trying to work out what times to enter if trying to make consecutive recordings.

I just wish they’d told us.

I hope they’ll now fix the other anomoly.

It’s no good flashing up a message saying that I’m tuned to the wrong channel and should change if I want to record what I’ve programmed.

It may well be that I’ve gone out and forgotten to switch the thing to standby.

Surely it would be better to warn me that it was going to change channels to the pre-programmed one unless I stopped it!

I set the timer yesterday morning to record a program at 17:00 on Sky One.

My VCR came on fine, as usual, but when my Nokia box came on it displayed 26 for Sky One, but was actually tuned into Sky Moviemax. This was very annoying, but not tragic as the program gets repeated again at 23:30.

Has this sort of thing happend to anyone else?

Hi,

My mate wants to buy a video (like my Panasonic NV-HS960) that can change channel on the NTL STB automatically when you set timer recordings.

I had a look around the web but I cant find any.

Does anyone know of any videos for sale that have this feature?

Are there any PVRs that can change channel on the NTL STB for timer recordings?

Thanks,
Alex.

With the new Samsung STB that I’ve just had installed, I set it to change a channel during the night, set my video as usual and then put the STB into standby mode as I always used to with the old Pace box.

When I checked it in the morning, all I had recorded was a black screen, i.e. nothing at all.

Having done a few more tests, it would appear that if you put the STB into standby mode, it doesn’t automatically “power up” and change channel at the set time and let you record your programme!

Has anyone else experience this as it seems very strange to me.

You shouldn’t have to leave it fully turned on for it to correctly change the channel surely?

I have seen several related threads on this subject, but none have fully addressed this query: I have just upgraded to Telewest’s digital TV service (+phone, +blueyonder), and was very disappointed to discover that the Pace 4000T box does not have any timer function at all.

I have noted that some VCRs (JVC etc.) can change the channel on some cable boxes in order to achieve timed recordings, but will such a VCR actually turn the box on from standby? I am prepared to buy a new VCR, but am not happy with the idea of the box running 24/7 while I’m away.

Thanks in advance,
James

Hello all

I’ve a horrible feeling I may be being particularly stupid here, but what the heck…

I’m with NTL digital, and I only use the cable feed to my telly. (I don’t use any radio-transmitted TV signals because the reception where I live is rubbish.) I believe I’m on the Langley platform if this makes any difference.

My problem is recording programmes with the video timer. I use a SCART input to the video, so have no control from the video over the channel settings on the STB. At the moment, if I want to record something when I’m not around, what I have to do is leave the STB on set to the correct channel, and set the video manually to start recording at the appropriate time. If I then want to record something else later on a different channel, I’m knackered.

Is there any way of controlling the NTL box via the video? Or any other solution I haven’t thought of…

Thanks