(I can’t speak from experience of specific Sony Bravia models, so you’ll have to check what applies to your TV.) However, there are other drawbacks with the USB recording technology, as generally implemented. To do this, you need two Freeview tuners. That’s fine if you use the timer to record something when you’re out, but not if you want to record one programme while watching another. The biggest drawback with most Freeview TVs is that they only have one tuner. For playback, Sony TVs can recognise FAT and exFAT file systems, but – unlike some other TVs – not Windows’ NTFS file system. When you attach a USB storage device for recording purposes, the TV set will format it, and this will delete everything that’s already on the drive. There’s a good chance that your TV can record programmes, but it’s not guaranteed.

On its website, Sony lists 14 Bravia TVs that can record to an external hard drive, and 41 models that can play back from an external hard drive. See the section on USB HDD Recording in the Bravia’s European online i-Manual (versions for other regions may vary).īe sure to use an external hard drive with its own power supply, rather than using the power available via the USB socket.

In Sony Bravia TVs, this is the second USB port, labelled HDD Rec. This involves plugging a USB memory stick or external hard drive into the correct USB port. Some TV sets allow users to record TV programmes directly to a USB hard drive, without using a VCR or DVR (digital video recorder).

The digital signal that probably arrives through the same TV aerial has to be decoded by a Freeview or Freeview HD tuner, and Freeview tuners have been included in all TV sets sold in the UK since 2008. Indeed, this was a vital part of the VCR’s appeal: you could record something while watching a different TV programme.įast forward to today: the government has closed down analogue TV broadcasting and replaced it with a form of digital TV based on DVB-T (standard definition) and DVB-T2 (high definition). The VCR had its own analogue TV tuner, so it didn’t actually record from the TV: it recorded programmes from the signal it got from the TV aerial. In the old days, people who wanted to record TV programmes bought a VCR or video cassette recorder to connect to their TV sets. In fact, you probably don’t need a machine at all. You don’t need a machine with a Freeview tuner. Presumably I don’t need a machine with a tuner? Any ideas? Julian Most of the recording devices seem to include a Freeview tuner, but my TV has a Freeview tuner built in. It’s connected to Freeview via an aerial.

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