Recording programmes without a cable subscription

[funtimewincies]

Firstly, if you're kind enough to reply to my query please don't assume ANY prior knowledge on my part !

We're due to switch over to digital and lose the analgoue signal in the autumn and at the moment I don't know how to video from digital channels. We currently have a digibox and a VCR and, although we watch through digital, the VCR videos the analogue equivalent IYSWIM .

So...
Is it possible to record in the future
EITHER by buying a new piece of kit which will do the same job as the VCR in some format or other
OR by using a cable/digital service which does not require a subscription
OR by hooking up our VCR to record digital AND HOW ?

Hope that someone can help.

Err the short answer is yes but I am in no way qualified to tell you much about it appart from the fact that I bought DH last christmas a hard drive recorder from currys that lets you access digital and record ( in just the same way as sky plus ) you can series record, pause live tv etc etc it is the best gaget we have.

Can't help you with video problems, but when my old VCR remote broke I couldn't set timers to record anything, so I bought this dvd recorder when it was on special offer.

It has built in Freeview, dvd recorder and hard disk recorder.

I can record digital channels onto hard disc, then burn them onto dvd

I also hooked my VCR into the back of it, so I can transfer videos onto DVD

Just remembered something about VCR/digital.
If you put your VCR onto AV channel and switch your digibox on, can you see the digi channels then?

Erm..... I'd have go and see.

I think that in the future a digital recorder is the bunny. As you might have gathered, we tend to use things until they fall apart and only replace them when we have to [tighwad emoticon], hence the cluelessness.

I've never even held an IPod .

we have a Humax PVR machine. It has integrated Freeview and you can pause and rewind the TV channel you are watching.

But the best thing about it is that with one press of a button you can record channels - 2 at once if you want. You can also watch a recorded programme whilst recording another.

It stores 160 hours of programming and cost less than £100. It is the best piece of kit we have ever bought and even technophobe me can use it with ease.

Dh says we can't macdog, as the VCR is so old!

If you connect :

• ariel to your digibox input
• digibox output to VCR input (scart lead)
• VCR output to TV input (scart lead)

I think (although I'm not an expert) the VCR should record the digitial signal it is receiving from digibox. Cant think of any reason it wouldnt.

Thank you, you're all being very kind, I'm only feeling slightly ashamed at my incompetence .