Currently I use my PC as a timeshift PVR for SD Freeview progs, recording off air via a DigiTV usb tuner, Video Studio X4 to remove Adverts and burn onto DVD to play back on TV.

Am finally moving up to a HD TV and want to upgrade my PC tuner and hopefully do the same AD removal and then burn to Blue Ray to play on TV - TV is a 3d model but not sure if it is possible to handle any Freeview 3D programs.

Am looking for some real world advice on suitable Freeview Tuners for my PC, pref under XP but also dual boot to 64bit W7, PC has i5-2500K and 8gb mem, and to confirm ability to record shows in an editable format suitable for burning to BRay.

Having difficulty finding useful info on the web so any advice gratefully received.

This sounds like a lot of work... would it not be easier to use a Humax (or Topfield) box to do this? I had a feeling that some of them have ad skip functionality, and they can so series link, etc so it means your PC does not have to be on all the time.

Or create the HD file on your PC, and use DLNA streaming from the HD TV to pick up the file and play it over the network (saves on burning all those BlueRay disks)

Freeview 3D program

There aren't any Freeview 3D programmes. (yet)

Topfield

Is there a HD Topfield?

Humax

You can record HD on Humax HDR T2 but all HD content is encrypted - but you can get around that by using some 3rd party software. All stand alone PVRs record the transport stream so the recording is the same as the transmission and you have to "demux" the transport stream if you want to edit it or recode it.

Won't your fancy 3d TV,as mbames suggested, be able to play DLNA streamed media direct from your PC?

Any reason you want to go down the PC media rather than use a PVR?

I dont think that there are any DVB-T2 freeview tuners available for PC's yet. Do not get any of the ones that Maplin sell that state they can receive HD as they are for HD DVB based on the european standard which is not whats been adopted in the UK.

There are at least 2 DVB T2 receivers for PC a PCIe from Black Gold and a USB unit from PCTV systems, no info found on whether they handle 3D but that is currently not important as so few progs are broadcast in 3D.

I have ordered a Humax Fox2 for normal PVR use but like to keep a semi permanent copy of some films/progs on DVD currently so wanted to do the same for HD progs.

Looks like I will have to progress through trial and error but I was just hoping someone else had done some trail blazing and had some feedback on recording formats, editing tricks and Blueray burning.

Or create the HD file on your PC, and use DLNA streaming from the HD TV to pick up the file and play it over the network (saves on burning all those BlueRay disks)

Will look into this once the TV arrives but not sure I understand exactly what is required to use DNLA - or even exactly what it is. I think I understand that it is only possible using W7 but have no idea how I would go about setting it all up, also my current Talktalk router only has 2 ADSL ports and I have 2 PCs plugged into it and would rather not use Wifi - swapping cables could be a solution when needing to connect to the TV, the actual cable run is already in place for my old, non working, Media MPV box.

You might guess I am familiar with most basic PC ops but proper networking is not something I have much experience of.

Will look into this once the TV arrives but not sure I understand exactly what is required to use DNLA - or even exactly what it is. I think I understand that it is only possible using W7 but have no idea how I would go about setting it all up, also my current Talktalk router only has 2 ADSL ports and I have 2 PCs plugged into it and would rather not use Wifi - swapping cables could be a solution when needing to connect to the TV, the actual cable run is already in place for my old, non working, Media MPV box.

You might guess I am familiar with most basic PC ops but proper networking is not something I have much experience of.

Lots of info My link here about transferring. It doesn't rely on networks (but it does make things easier) as you can move things about using USB devices (it is a pain for HD content because of the size.)

Lots of people have been trialblazing for some time and I have beem using a FOX T2HD (not the PVR but you can add a HD to record) and a FOXSAT HDR and moving the recordings to PC and demuxing them using a PC programme called "VIDEOREDO". Although I've not done much HD stuff for a few reasons 1. the FOXSAT HDR encrypts the HD recordings and so far there isn't a way of removing it. 2. The FOX T2 HD also encrypts the HD recordings and I only discovered the way to decrypt them at the weekend. 3. HD recordings fill the disk up to fast!

The FOX T2 HDR encrypts the recordings but you can make decrypt them when you copy the file off to a USB drive.

Incidentally, you can add a cheap switch (£10-20) to your talk talk router to add more ethernet ports.

Edited 30 November, 201114 yr by io1901

The recording format will depend entirely on the software you use to record the TV.

I have a media centre pc in the living room.

The specs are pretty modest/old (HD Freeview and 1080p videos are silky smooth though still):

Intel P4 3.0GHz with Hyper Threading

3GB DDR2 RAM

120GB 2.5" laptop drive

Low profile nVidia 8400GS

The Freeview HD tuner I have is this:

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tv-tuners/1281253/pctv-nanostick-t2

I used Windows 7 Media Centre that works pretty well. I can put the machine into hybernate then when a recording is due it wakes up a few mins before and records.

This tuner also works very well but the only problem I have is because I also use a dual tuner (non-HD) tuner that media centre attempts to use for the HD channels so you have to manually go through the list of HD channels and remove the non-HD tuner from them.

The recording format in Windows 7 is .wtv and doesn't include any DRM so you are free to convert to other formats.

I think in XP media centre the same applies but a different format.

I will be doing some editing with some recorded shows as there are a couple I want to remove ads from but most of the recordings from BBC HD etc I just move straight onto my 1TB NAS drive.

check out MCEbuddy if you want to automate some of those features

check out MCEbuddy if you want to automate some of those features

Cool.

Thanks for the heads-up on that one will give it a go.

Another bit of software I use is MCE Standby Tool which helps to configure how the computer sleeps, hibernates and wakes up etc.

Phil