TV recorder for use in France

[Jonboy_t]

Asking on behalf of a family friend who, like me, knows naff all about these things!

He has a house in France with an internet connection and gets his TV through a camping ariel he’s stuck on the roof. Just bought a new TV which doesn’t have built in memory and wants to record shows from it on to something but doesn’t want any subscriptions.

Any ideas on something simple that would do this? He’s in his 80’s so REALLY needs to be plug and play! Budget is not really an issue, but he doesn’t need anything special in any way, shape or form!

[littleredrooster]

Depends whether he is expecting to record English programmes or French. If French, I would have thought a simple Humax recorder would have done; if he wants English stuff, it then means getting it via satellite or internet with a VPN and becomes a whole lot more complex.

[Jonboy_t]

littleredrooster said:

Depends whether he is expecting to record English programmes or French. If French, I would have thought a simple Humax recorder would have done; if he wants English stuff, it then means getting it via satellite or internet with a VPN and becomes a whole lot more complex.

Ah, probably a no go then as it’s english he needs.

No way of plugging something in between the dish he has and the tv? Sounds overly simplistic, but the dish picks up UK tv (somehow!)

[Motorrad]

Should easily be able to set up a dish pointing at 28.2e and pick up freesat with an appropriate receiver

[rdjohn]

I use a FreeSat box from Humax. For £200 it is fantastic and has Internet connection for ITV, C4, YouTube, Netflix etc.

[littleredrooster]

Jonboy_t said:

Ah, probably a no go then as it’s english he needs.

No way of plugging something in between the dish he has and the tv? Sounds overly simplistic, but the dish picks up UK tv (somehow!)

You said he had an aerial, not a satellite dish...

[Jonboy_t]

littleredrooster said:

Jonboy_t said:

Ah, probably a no go then as it’s english he needs.

No way of plugging something in between the dish he has and the tv? Sounds overly simplistic, but the dish picks up UK tv (somehow!)

You said he had an aerial, not a satellite dish...

It’s the same thing you’d put on the side of a caravan to get something when you’re in a field.

[littleredrooster]

Jonboy_t said:

It’s the same thing you’d put on the side of a caravan to get something when you’re in a field.

If ( IF !) it's a satellite dish, then your answers are here:

Motorrad said:

Should easily be able to set up a dish pointing at 28.2e and pick up freesat with an appropriate receiver

rdjohn said:

I use a FreeSat box from Humax. For £200 it is fantastic and has Internet connection for ITV, C4, YouTube, Netflix etc.

[Jonboy_t]

littleredrooster said:

Jonboy_t said:

It’s the same thing you’d put on the side of a caravan to get something when you’re in a field.

If ( IF !) it's a satellite dish, then your answers are here:

Motorrad said:

Should easily be able to set up a dish pointing at 28.2e and pick up freesat with an appropriate receiver

rdjohn said:

I use a FreeSat box from Humax. For £200 it is fantastic and has Internet connection for ITV, C4, YouTube, Netflix etc.

Cool, cheers. TBH, I’ve seen it and it is just a dish on the side of the house that looks to all intents and purposes like a satellite dish, but what it actually is, I couldn’t say!

[Vaud]

Maybe search for local expat newspapers in his region - they normally have English speaking plumbers, builders, electricians, etc who advertise.

[rdjohn]

If he finds his local PulSat (https://www.pulsat.fr) they will come out and set the dish (parabola) to look at the right satellite for him. It’s not expensive.

[Jonboy_t]

rdjohn said:

If he finds his local PulSat (https://www.pulsat.fr) they will come out and set the dish (parabola) to look at the right satellite for him. It’s not expensive.

Ideal, thank you very much

[alorotom]

Old sky plus box and a free view card would do the job if it’s a Sky dish like many seem to use over there.