dvb-t or set top box (1 Viewer)

[diskworld]

hi, bit of a novice,but have been doing some reaserch through forums and ebay...i would like to get digital tv and record shows just like i now do with my vcr...should i get a dvb-t tv stick for my pc,or a set top box with pvr[plug-in flash to record to] or a stb with a built-in hard drive[am on a budget]..would like to make one purchase and get it right,,,or a dvd recorder with built-in hd tuner...i just want to record and watch tv shows.have a burner on pc to play and copy dvd,so in a nutshell,,,what,s my cheapest and best option to watch and record hd tv in australia in a regional area with limited tv reception...would appreciate any and all input.am willing do do my research...cheers.

 

[rmeredit]

Hiya,

The cheapest and most flexible option is a DVB-T card/USB stick connected to an existing PC which is in turn connected to your TV. Make sure it's at least a dual-tuner so you can watch one channel while recording another or record two at once. Plan on spending a while, though, configuring software, EPG data, etc. etc - we're talking a couple of weeks before everything gets bedded down.

If you don't have an existing PC available, then things get a bit too expensive and it's cheaper to get a STB with hard drive, but look to see that it supports transfer of the files if you want to play on your PC/edit/burn to DVD. Dual-tuners are a bit pricey, but cheaper than a whole new PC. The HD capacities in these units are also quite anemic, but getting them up and running is a cinch.

A DVD recorder offers the same functionality as a STB with hard drive combo, but obviously burning disks is easier since it's all done in the one unit. But unless burning to a disk (as opposed to simply archiving the digital file somewhere) is something you'd be frequently doing then I think it's probably a waste of your money. Setup is also easy.