UK Freeview PVRs with DVDR - What are my options?

[peanutismint]

I'll be moving to an area where I can recieve Freeview DVB signal soon, and would like to join the PVR revolution. I'm looking to buy a combined freeview tuner/PVR, but I'd also appreciate the ability to burn recorded content to DVD. At present in UK retailers, I'm only seeing Freeview/PVR units OR DVDR/PVR units. Does anybody know if there's any model that includes a freeview tuner (two, ideally), and a DVD recorder as well as the standard HDD recorder? Or would I be better off buying a DVD/HDD recorder and then also a freeview box?

My other question is, TiVo has not come to prevalence in the UK yet, but i understand there is a trend of hacking TiVo boxes at the moment to allow recorded content to be transferred to a PC over a network. This would eliminate my need for a DVD recorder, as all my media could be archived on my PC's media drive, and then burned to DVD as needed. Does anybody know if any PVRs available in the UK allow or can be modded to allow this type of media transfer, from HDD recorder to PC?

[Panash]

Some possibilities,

If you are inclined more toward archiving films to DVD rather than PVR, consider the Panasonic DMR-ES20D DVD Recorder and Freeview.

On offer from Argos at present £169
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5334939/Trail/C%24cip%3D36693.Sound%2...Brecorders.htm
or from Richer Sounds £179
http://www.richersounds.co.uk/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=PANA-DMRES20
Since the digital content from the tuner is digitally presented to the DVD recorder, it has absolutely cracking good picture. Also gives PVR like flexibility (up to 8hrs) using DVD-RAM discs. This is what I own.

If PVR functionality is more important (ie 160GB of storage) consider the HUMAX 9200-T at DABs £195 http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=3V0N&SearchType=1&SearchTerms=humax&Pag...avigationKey=0 which will allow download of recorded material to PC over USB.
Use VideoRedo or ProjectX for A/V resync, trimming & advert removal (or PVAstrumento for A/V sync + an mpeg editor). DVDs produced are, of course, a bit for bit copy of the transmission and so are as close to 'perfection' as is possible.

Beware that authoring DVDs regularly is a time consuming process & can threaten your marriage! I used to do it with a DVB-T PCI card. Much prefer the Panny now, even though the adverts remain in.

Don't go Freeview PVR & seperate DVD recorder, its kinda the worst of all worlds. Degredation in the conversion back to analogue video really does make the DVDs produced second generation.

PN

[peanutismint]

I'm probably going to go with the Humax. I'd seen it around in shops, and been intrigued by the USB2 port behind the flip-down panel. But, on their displays, it said that the USB2 port was just for pictures/mp3s, i.e. transfer photos/music from your devices to the Humax and then you can play it on your TV. I was not aware that it supported video transfer in the other direction. Can anyone else verify that the 'MPEG A/V file transfer between Duovisio and a PC' means exactly that? And is there any way to turn this USB2 port into a wireless network port, for easy connection without having to have a PC close by?

[Richard_G]

Don't go for the Humax, go for this http://www.topfield.co.uk/terrestrialequipment.htm

The 5800 may not be the cheapest you can buy but it is by far the best.

[peanutismint]

Hmm I feel this might be a little too pricey for what I want to do. I was thinking of getting a simple Humax one and sitting it on top of an old PC I have. I could put a DVD writer/bigger hard drive in the PC and use it as a media server, connecting the Humax to it, but if I'm gonna do that then i may as well just watch TV through the PC?!