I fancy this

According to the review I've just read, you can 'freeze' live TV. If the
doorbell goes, you can stop the TV prog, and come back 10 mins later and
carry on watching from where you left off. As my Video recorder is on the
blink, I could use this to record stuff for later viewing too. Mmmmm

Aries...

A cousin of mine has this and it is excellent.

Ebeneezer Ponder...

I have a Nova on my shopping list when my voucher finally turns up. PCI
card. It has built in freeview which frees up more space on my desk :)

The card I have in at the moment allows for pausing on live TV. It's
useful but on this card there's a slight but very noticeable drop in
picture quality.

One thing to watch for, make sure it's not plugged in along with any USB
1.1 device on the same chain or it won't have the bandwidth to deliver the
stream.

jackie...

Looks very interesting BoyPete!!

andon...

Yes, and you can get set-top boxes that work that way too.
Personally I would have no use for one, but I know others who find it
essential for racing season. Nobody would dare interrupt my racing
:-)

BoyPete...

I have 3 (yes, 3) set-=top boxes, but none have that option. Currently, I
switch between posting here and watching TV on an ancient 14" tele. My
monitor is 20", so quite reasonable to TV.
Racing? Is that horses, F1.........?

andon...

I was brought up not to play with food :-)

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°5 +...

I thought that was what Sky+ was all about.

Rabbit...

Tools for the job as I keep telling you know who :-) I didn't see a price on
there but the price of HD stand alone DVD recorders with time shift are
dropping just now. Might be a good idea to watch the sales.

BoyPete...

£70-80 if you look around.

Rabbit...

Still a bit more for one with a HD and time shift but you can get a stand
alone DVD recorder ( records onto DVDs) for £69 in ASDA

BoyPete...

Nah, would rather record to HDD, then delete when watched. :)

Rabbit...

I'd prefer a HD too but till the prices drop a bit more I'll just record to
DVD R/W then delete and reuse :-)

pmj...

But a DVD Recorder (without a Hard Disk) can't do Pausing
of Live TV, can it?

& also, it can only hold about a couple of Hours or so of TV
or Video at a time - you have to keep Faffing around Inserting
different DVDs, just like you used to have to do with VHS Video
Cassettes.

A Hard Disk can hold *Hundreds* of Hours of TV or Video,
depending on its Size, of course.

A (Recordable) DVD can't be considered in (or used in) the same
way as a Hard Disk Video Recorder

& that's why the idea of using a PC for doing all that sort of
thing is becoming so popular...

You can get Tuner Cards for a PC (either PCI or USB - & many PCs

BoyPete...

Noted, ta :)

now actually come with them already Installed) that will enable
you to do all that sort of thing (as BoyPete has found out).

& (*Large*) Hard Disks for PCs are now dirt cheap.

But a *Standalone* Hard Disk Video Recorder (with or without DVD
Recorder) is still relatively expensive - about 200 Quid for the
cheapest, at the mo.

Why should anybody fork out all that money, (or pay for a Sky+
type Subscription) when they already have a PC that can do it?
:-)

Paul Jeffree...

Without DVD around £120 depending on tuners included, I think, eg Argos.
A year ago we got a Fusion FVRT150 there, 80GB and twin Freeview tuners, but
they don't list it anymore. Use it all the time as the tele is remote from
the 'puters, and we didn't have Freeview before. Use it for timeshifting and
pausing live tv.