PC tips: Watching and recording Freeview

QI have an analogue TV set, a VCR and a Panasonic hard disk DVD recorder, which are set up so that I can watch one programme and record two others. I intend to buy a digital set nearer the time of the changeover and a Freeview box in the meantime.

I have read that it is not possible with digital TV to watch one programme and record a different one at the same time. Is it possible to keep my Freeview box and, using an aerial splitter, to use it as the input to my hard disk recorder while watching the TV?

A The key to working out problems such as this is to think in terms of the number of tuners, rather than the actual boxes underneath the television.

A standard Freeview box or digital television has one tuner so it can display one channel at a time. Most hard disk recorders, or PVRs, have two tuners so they can record one channel and watch another, or record two at the same time while watching a previously recorded programme.

The scenario you describe is correct for what you want, although most Freeview boxes have an RF passthrough socket, which is an aerial out socket that the television can be plugged into rather than buying yet another box to split the incoming signal.

Also bear in mind that the Freeview box will need to be programmed correctly to the channel for the hard disk recorder and it may not be able to change channels at particular times.