Kit choices

You can carry on using the video cassette recorder (VCR) that you may have had for years. But there are now products that will deliver digital TV as well as record it. Here we give pros and cons.

1. Hard drive digital TV recorder

Hard drive digital TV recorders record on to their hard disc drive (HDD) and give a good quality picture – in fact it should be identical to the original broadcast. They are usually the easiest type of recorder to use. They have the advantage over VCRs in that each recording is automatically indexed on the disc, saving you all that trial and error fast winding of tapes.

A recorder with twin tuners can be used to record one digital programme while you watch another. One with a single tuner can do this only if used in conjunction with a set top box or iDTV, which brings its own second tuner to the mix.

A hard drive digital TV recorder does have a limited capacity – although a large one – and is really intended as a temporary store. This is OK if all or most of your recording requirements are to view later and then wipe. If you occasionally want to keep a recording, you could copy it from the hard drive digital TV recorder on to a VCR tape or a DVD recorder disc – see Connection wizard for how to set up the kit.

Also, on basic hard drive digital TV recorders, you can record only from the TV. You cannot record from other equipment, such as a camcorder or DVD player, as digital TV recorders have no external inputs.

There are a few iDTVs with a built-in recorder on the market. See our test report on the Humax LCD with recorder.

2. DVD digital TV recorder

A second option is to buy a new DVD recorder - with a built-in digital TV tuner. This will record one digital channel while you are watching another on your iDTV - not possible if the recorder does not have its own digital tuner. DVD recorders record on to DVD discs and will give good picture quality. As with a hard drive digital TV recorder, the recordings are automatically indexed and it is easy to go straight to the one you want.

A DVD recorder is also versatile, just like a VCR. You can use re-writable discs to record for later viewing, erase and record some more. Use cheaper write-once discs for recording and archiving classics. And of course you can play back all those pre-recorded DVDs on the market.

Most DVD recorders have an external link feature. This means you can select a programme from compatible TV guides for recording on a DVD.

DVD recorders are usually relatively complicated to use. They have a lot of features, disc formats and recording options – look over the lengthy instructions before you buy. There are also combination DVD and hard drive recorders that we have found more complex to use.

3. Video cassette recorder (VCR)

A good old VCR can still be an option with digital TV, especially if you already have one and want to carry on with the same system. VCRs are also relatively versatile. You can use them to record for later viewing and then erase, to record classics you want to keep forever and to play back pre-recorded tapes. However, because they are so mechanical, they have a limited life. If yours is getting on a bit, now might be a good time to consider replacing it with a digital TV recorder.

There are other downsides. Recordings on a VCR give a poorer picture. Also as it has an analogue tuner, it records only the five standard channels, and for as long as they are transmitted. But it is possible to hook the VCR to the back of your iDTV with a SCART lead. Most TV SCART connectors can act as outputs as well as inputs, so you can record the digital channels. This still has drawbacks though - the TV has to be on and you can record only what is being displayed on the screen.

More positively, if you have a fairly recent VCR, it may sport an external link feature – and should have a labelled button on the front panel. This means you can set it to record using the on-screen TV guide on some set top boxes and iDTVs. To see if a STB or iDTV we have tested has this feature, use the link from the summary test report to its detailed test report and look for “TV guide timer feature triggers via SCART link’. This will be in the section headed ‘Timer and timer recordings’.

Why can’t I record one TV channel while watching another?

So you have splashed out on an iDTV and find if there are two programmes on digital channels, you can’t watch one and record the other on your VCR. The reason your old set up could do this was because it had two tuners that picked up the TV stations – one in the TV and one in the VCR. If you want the same versatility with digital, you need two digital tuners. If you have a new integrated digital TV buy a digital recorder with a built-in digital tuner. See easiest to use digital TV recorders for our recommendations. Alternatively, you can save money by having one set top box for an analogue TV and buying another for your VCR – clumsy solution though.

Back to top