Well done BT

[Clive Long]

This looks like the baby for me

• Set-top box with electronic programme guide for recording of programmes - no more tape
• Enough TV channels that I want on Freeview
• No over-priced Sky or cable packages with hundreds of channels I don't want
• Pay-per-view for extra films
• Integrated 8Mbps broadband

Only remaining questions are:

• can I still use my ADSL "router" as a "wireless hub" in parallel with the BT box?
• can I "extract" the recorded films or proggies from the BT box?

Clive

[Lee Bartholomew]

Apparently they are just SATA drives in them. Just whip them out and in to your pc to copy the progs across. All done in Mpeg so shouldn't have too many problems.

[ducasi]

For what I understand, BT's "Home Hub" replaces your ADSL wireless router (as that's basically what it is itself.)

Don't think that "whipping the drive out" is a very convenient method of getting recorded programmes off the box. If for no other reason than it's probably against the terms of the contract with BT. There doesn't seem to be a supported way to extract "content" from the box though. Perhaps a DVD recorder would do...

(When I took the hard disk out of my Philips PVR, I found that although the content is MPEG, there wasn't a standard file system on the hard disk to allow me to easily get at my recordings.)

[Stuart M]

Only remaining questions are:

• can I still use my ADSL "router" as a "wireless hub" in parallel with the BT box?
• can I "extract" the recorded films or proggies from the BT box?

Wouldn't bet on it, given BT's track record on joined-up thinking. The BT Home Hub failed to include a print server when shipped (though this may be introduced as a software upgrade soon), and the accompanying BT Broadband Talk handset can't receive landline calls (though this may be introduced as a software upgrade soon). Spot the pattern. We currently have to keep our old landline plugged in alongside the new phone (which is pretty rubbish anyway - we can hardly hear it ringing from the next room even at max volume).

Oh, and don't be fooled by the shiny faux Apple look: they're way more plasticky.

[David Franklin]

(When I took the hard disk out of my Philips PVR, I found that although the content is MPEG, there wasn't a standard file system on the hard disk to allow me to easily get at my recordings.)

Are we surprised? I expect BT will be worse - they'll probably encrypt the drive as a matter of course.

[Lee Bartholomew]

Apparently the HD is only NTFS formatted but still agro to take drive out to get vids off.

There is no connections out of the box to go to PC. There is a USB port (1.0!!!) but you can;t copy across from that.

The only way is through a PC TV tuner card at the mo im afraid.

Connections are

• 2 x SCART sockets
• 1 x HDMI socket (for connection to a high-definition TV)
• TV aerial RF co-ax aerial input
• TV aerial RF co-ax aerial input (not modulated)
• Ethernet RJ45 socket (for connection to BT Home Hub)
• USB socket (purpose unknown)

Have quite abit of info to hand if anyone wants to know anything.

[David Franklin]

Apparently the HD is only NTFS formatted but still agro to take drive out to get vids off.

NTFS? Kind of surprised - I thought everyone (other than MS) avoided NTFS like the plague.

Have quite abit of info to hand if anyone wants to know anything.

Guess the most interesting questions are what hardware it's running on and which OS it's running?

[Lee Bartholomew]

hardwear wise not sure of proc or mem speed. out of box has 80 gig HD but as SATA can be upgraded if you open it up. There is a plan to release a duel tuner version so you can record a freeview channel whilst recording a digital chanel.

Software wise. a cut down version of windows media center called Windows TV IPTV edition. Which will explain the NTFS for you.