Is there a PVR to integrate with NTL Digital

Cionn

I have the basic NTL Digital and I want to get a hard disk based PVR device. I was wondering if there is an appliance that I can plug my NTL card into that will provide the same functionality as the current NTL provided set top box and the functionality of a hard disk based recording device. I want to be able to do the same as Tivo and Sky+ without adding another box to the TV stand. I know there are DVD recorders from the main guys out there that has the functionality but I already have enough DVD machines.

Hopefully this is not too incoherent and thanks for reading this much

Cionn

I have been looking around on the web and found what I think is the device that I need its a Humax PVR-8000T Digital Terrestrial Set-Top Box with 80Gb Hard Drive. It is listed here http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=106437. Is there anyone that can tell me whether it will work with the basic NTL digital package here in Ireland.
Looks pretty cheap for what you are getting and the other more expensive devices seem to be the bees knees

Thanks

MrPinK

Afraid not. These devices won't work with NTL digital because NTL encrypt the signal. The best you can do is connect the output from your NTL box up to an analogue PVR. You're gonna have some difficulty getting it to change the channels though, and you won't be able to watch one thing and record another.

lardboy

I think it's very very unlikely that the above product will work. The ntl STBs are desinged specifically for ntl digital, and use a different method of encoding to UK terrestrial digital which is what the above is designed for. I think even the connections on the back will be incompatible.

I wish I was wrong, as I'd love an ntl PVR, but I think we're SOOL until ntl do something about it themselves.

Krusty_Clown

Pretty sure that it wont meet your needs... This box is for UK digital terrestrial reception (aerial), whereas what you are receiving from NTL is digital Cable.

It would not be able to interpret your digital signal. I'm not very knowledgable on the subject of NTL digital, but I don't beleive there's a device available to meet your needs other than buying / building an Media Centre PC. The Media Centre will capture the signal from your set top box, and will control your STB via infrared. You'll be stuck with using a single tuner, but it's better than nothing.. Dell are selling some Media Centre PCs for around the 1 thousand euro mark at the moment, so not cheap.... Quite a substantial extra box on your TV stand too!

You might find it cheaper and tidier to switch to Sky Digital+.

Krusty_Clown

LOL.. Replies are like buses... you wait and you wait, and then three come at once..

Cionn

Thanks for the replies so basically I am screwed. It is strange that NTL don't want to compete with Sky+ but then it is surprising that they stopped their broadband rollout for three years. Back to the drawing board for me then

Krusty_Clown

The range of options isn't great... But you can still use a Microsoft Media Centre PC. Many on these boards have set this up successfully...

Me, I'm happy with my NTL analog and Media PC.

rogue-entity

There is a solution to your problems, the problem is that it has not been tested by anyone that I know of. The DreamBox PVR (model 70xx) comes with a DVB-C tuner, so that will tune in the channels on NTL digital. Some of these are free. I dont know if it will pick up NTL's EPG but it may. The important thing is that NTL digital uses NagraVision. And there is a CAM for that system available which you slot into the front of the dreambox, and then pop your NTL smart card into that again. The only problem is that the card may refuse to work because the serial of the CAM would not match that of the box. And you need to get your boxes "BOX SERIAL" and code it into the CAM to overcome this. There is stuff out there on the internet on this. So it may solve your problems.

I give no guarentees but since the DreamBox Tuner is swappable you can easily get and add a DVB-S tuner and use it for sattelite if it does not work for cable, so you would then at least be able to use PVR features on the british FTA stations.

Strasser

What about using something on analogue NTL. I'd prefer to spend some money on getting PVR features on the limited number of channels on the analogue service instead of spending the extra money on the digital sub. Any thing work in that case?