Recording DVB on this DVD recorder?

These are the formats your DVR will or will not play.

• Blu Ray Playback: No
• Blu Ray Recording: No
• Compact Flash Card: No
• DTS Decoder: No
• DVB-C: No
• DVB-S: No
• DVB-T: No
• DVD Audio Playback: No
• DVD Player / Recorder: DVD Recorder
• DVD+R Playback: Yes
• DVD+R Recording: Yes
• DVD+RW Playback: Yes
• DVD+RW Recording: Yes
• DVD-R Playback: Yes
• DVD-R Recording: Yes
• DVD-RAM Playback: No
• DVD-RAM Recording: No
• DVD-RW Playback: Yes
• DVD-RW Recording: Yes
• DVI Interface: No
• DivX Playback: No
• Double Layer Recording: No
• Electronic Program Guide (EPG): No
• Ethernet: No
• Firewire IEEE-1394 Interface: No
• HD-DVD Playback: No
• HD-DVD Recording: No
• HDMI Interface: No
• HDTV: No
• IPTV (Internet Protocol Television): No
• Integrated VCR: No
• MP3 Recording: No
• MPEG4 Recording: No
• Memory Stick: No
• Multimedia Card: No
• Number of Scart Interfaces: 1
• PCMCIA Interface: No
• Progressive Scan: No
• Real Dolby: AC3
• Secure Digital Card: No
• Show View: No
• Smart Media Card: No
• Super Audio CD Playback: No
• Super Video CD / Video CD Playback: No
• Table / Portable: Table
• USB Interface: No
• W-LAN Connection: No
• xD-Picture Card: N

Recording, amazingly, has nothing to do with your TV, it only monitors the playback or recording input of your VCR or DVD recorder - the Channel 9 you mention.
They have their own tuners, indeed DVD recorders have Freeview (or DTV) tuners so no need for a separate box at all - given that your TV has a DTV tuner too and if a recent flat screen type it will.
If you can afford it, this is a good time to drop VHS and get a DVD recorder. You'll find plenty on Amazon Electronics for a start.
Your Bush VCR will be redundant the moment the analogue service goes off, they haven't made a VHS VCR with a DTV tuner.
Depending on your area this is a few months off, even for the last area to change over anyway, here in London there's just shy of nine months left.

If the unit has a built in analogue tuner, the unit itself will still operate as normal, but without the built in analogue channels - to record a TV show, you would need to connect an external set top box to it (SD or HD - or both).

In other words, apart from a separate set top box, if required, there should be no need to change any of the unit's settings if it works as is. I do not believe this model has a built-in digital (DVB) tuner.

Assuming the antenna is connected, and you still receive analogue broadcasts in your area, this machine should 'find' channels fine. Because this combo does not feature a DVB supported SD digital tuner (unlike the DMR-EZ series which does), it is possible that the analogue tuner (or its associated circuit) is faulty (the best way to determine whether your combo has a problem or if you have no analogue channels in it is to check your TV - if that still has analogue channels, and those are OK, then it is the combo's tuner which is the problem).

The problem with this circuit is the abundance of surface-mounted components on the copper side of the board as well as standard ones on the other side (particularly in the power supply as well as the tuner). When these tiny parts fail, it is almost impossible to replace these individually, as they are glued and soldered to the tracks; manufacturers nowadays lean toward complete board/chassis/module replacement rather than indivdidual parts. It is also time-consuming for a workshop to trace the sources of the fault within these components; so the labour cost increases accordingly, and the parts are not cheap, hence the board replacement scenario.

My guess is one or more surface-mount ICs and/or surface-mount transistors to the IF/RF tuning module has developed an internal short which will mean a workshop repair.

This may not be economical for a DVD/VCR combo with no digital tuner as the unit is over 5 years old.

Here's what I recommend: with the advent of digital broadcasts, the cheaper option is to buy a digital set-top box (SD or HD or both if you can get it - any brand with standard AV/RCA sockets) - connect the outputs of the box to the inputs of the combo (assuming there is no macrovision by the channels from the STB allowing some taping/recording occasionally), select the input 'function' on the DMR-ES30V ('INPUT SELECT' is not a channel and does not use the tuner; it uses a separate control circuit as part of the video IF stage), and this should be OK. You can try this, and avoid the workshop completely this time.

It's messy, but a lot cheaper and simpler, since your DVD and VCR part appear to be OK. You should not need to replace the combo at this stage. Analogue broadcasts are gradually being phased out. I hope this helps a tiny bit.

The recorder itself will not record the digital SD/HD broadcasts, no. This is because the tuner is not DVB supported (i.e. it is analogue only), however, you can connect a digital set top box to the AV inputs on the unit (assuming the box does not support macrovision to allow recording) - and select the input on the recorder - record the channels to it from the box.

It's messy but cheaper than having to buy a whole new DVD recorder with a digital tuner built in, if your existing unit works perfectly as is. And the bonus is no workshop expense.

Don't fix what isn't broken.

Hi Victor,

You can't record the Freeview channels from the TV. It doesn't work that way. The reason you can still record terrestrial channels is because the VCR is still connected to your roof aerial with a co-axial cable and the VCR has its own built-in analogue tuner for recording terrestrial TV programmes.

To record the digital Freeview channels, you will either need to connect a separate Freeview set-top box to the VCR, or buy a VCR which has a built-in digital (DVB-T) tuner.

The VCR does not record programmes from the TV. It needs to be connected directly to the signal source, i.e. your aerial.

If you need any further assistance, please let me know.

Regards,
BElectric

Hi,

You can't record digital programmes with this recorder unless it is connected to a digital tuner, e.g. a Freeview box or Sky digibox. This recorder has a built in analogue tuner which allows it to record analogue transmissions. Recorders which can record digital transmissions have a built-in digital tuner and usually have a DVB logo (actually looks more like DV3) on the front.

If you want to record digital programmes using this recorder, you need to connect it to a Freeview or Sky digibox, preferably with a scart cable. It is not sufficient to connect it to a TV with a digital tuner or built in Freeview as the player does NOT record directly from the TV, it must be connected directly to the transmission source. A basic stand-alone digital tuner (Freeview box) can be bought for as little as £10-15.

Regards,
BElectric

Maybe slightly different on EX78, but on a E55 the time setting is done from the set-up menus.

These are found by pressing the Functions button on the remote control.

There is the option for "automatic" time adjustment. This uses the time data from Teletext if you have the unit connected to a suitable aerial/satelite/cable.

NB. if your unit only has an analogue tuner, i.e. it doesnt have it's own built in Freeview decoder, when the analogue service is withdrawn in the UK auto time update will cease to function.

Hope this helps.

I have a LG tv set. When i press the tv/av button on the remote my tv shows av1, av2 earlier but now it is showing only av. So i am unable to watch my dvd player. Need help.

sir for recording yoy must have a recording facility first