Recording from Now TV with recordable DVD player

Posted by HKC (486 days ago)

Hi!

I am not technical at all but I am just setting up our new recordable DVD player so that I can record from Now TV. I seem to have been sucessful but only seem to be able to record the channel that is set. Is that right? I would like to record from Star when watching BBC Entertainment but is this possible? I just don't know what I am doing wrong!

Thanks in anticipation

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Tidings2 (486 days ago)

Great question. I'd like to know as well.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by beachball (486 days ago)

Not possible unless you have a second decoder box and subscription to NOW TV.
Final answer ;-)

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by HKC (486 days ago)

Oh blimey Beachball is that true? Everytime I try and set the channels automatically it doesn't work but Now Broadband is set on AV1 so does that really mean I can't watch another channel while recording from Now? Also having problems with timer record , not sure how that works either as I can't set the Now channels, can't I do that either?

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by briandwest (484 days ago)

Beachball is spot on.
There is only one output socket on the back of the NowTV box that you connect to the input socket on your DVD player (AV1). The DVD player can only record whatever it is receives from the NowTV box down this connection i.e. whatever is sees in AV1.

There is no way for the DVD player to tell the NowTV box what it wants to record as the NowTV box does not have this facility. To change the NowTV channel you want recording you will have to manually change it on the NowTV box.

Similarly, there is no way for the DVD box to say to the NowTV box "I want to record this channel, but display this other channel on the TV".
The only way you could do that is to have a built-in recorder in the NowTV box itself - unfortunately this isn't available in HK as PCCW are yet to develop such a box (unlike Sky in the UK which has a product called SkyPLUS that does exactly what you describe).

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by beachball (484 days ago)

Actually, most NOW TV boxes (there are different models) have at least two outputs that could be plugged into a DVD recorder.
Sadly though, both outputs will produce the same channel, so the conlusion stands: No watching one channel while recording another with a single box.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by idingstay2 (451 days ago)

What reason would they have for doing that?

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by DA (451 days ago)

As stated above: "unless you have a second decoder box and subscription to NOW TV." Business is business!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by beachball (451 days ago)

No, it not business related, but rather a technical limitation: NOW TV is broadband television, i.e., in effect streaming video over the DSL line/internet connection. There is not enough bandwidth (and probably not enough processing power in a single box) to receive more than one channel at a time.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by idingstay2 (451 days ago)

beachball I buy that.

It's like when I asked smartone why can't I give a busy signal instead of my line going to vm when I'm talking and they finally admitted their software was not hi tech enough.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by zerocred (450 days ago)

To see two different NOW channels you (currently) you'll need two NOW boxes, 2 subscriptions, and two phone lines (there are usually two lines to your socket).

BTW the subscribed channels are tied to the line - not the box, so I was dissappointed not to be able to move my box to another flat and get the channels I had already subscribed to.

The boxes also have some sort of copy protection capability that PCCW can switch on for some programs that defeat the 'normal' video recorders.

There exist 'intelligent' remote controls that can be programmed with NOW TV box channels controls. They have timer control too..

That way you can have the intelligent control change channel to record different channels at night.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by hksoul (445 days ago)

another note - don't dare to share your copies of programs on the internet.
your Now broadband is directly traceable back to your account!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by idingstay 2 (444 days ago)

How can one do that anyway hksoul?

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by ramhkg1 (410 days ago)

when we are looking at right our vision is not on left. is as simple as that. i also thought is a good idea to do this but unless pccw comes with some new invention...

(I am based in Hong Kong)