Memory sticks

if your TV has a scart connector you can get a "scart to usb" convertor, try Amazon

but can't help with recording to a usb......

You need to be careful as some televisions with USB ports don't have the facility to actually record; only playback or connection to another device.  You'd have to check the spec carefully to ensure that it has built in 'PVR'.

Tesco Technika brand have some models with the built in facility at budget prices.  Other brands are available.  

Recording is very simple with just a button pressed on the remote;  you can also 'live pause' broadcasts using a memory stick.  Buy the biggest USB memory stick you can afford because it will use about 2 GB per hour.

It will only record Freeview via the television's own tuner.  If you hook it up to a Sky Box for example, it won't record Sky, even though there's a programme on the screen.

We have an Avtex TV with freeview and find it records very well. However, although I bought a high capacity high speed memory stick it is not very good at live pause. It does not seem to be capable of recoding and streaming data at the same time. Which of course it needs to do in live pause. The spec says it should do, but although it may start off OK, it then breaks up. We have a separate freesat, hard disc box which we use with the satallilite dish, when a signal is available.

Slightly off topic, but might be helpful.

When IPlayer first came out, followed by the other 'on demand' services, there didn't seem to be an easy way of making recordings from it, other than installing some software on the PC.

( Yes, I know about the digital rights issues, before anyone jumps on this, but if you've simply forgotten to record an on air programme, what's the difference.)

We have a Sky box, as well as a Panasonic Freesat Hard disk recorder. If I use the Sky box to download an on demand service, ( Sky box actually saves the Iplayer stream to hard disk) I can then play this across to the Panasonic box, to make a permanent recording.

Thanks all for your replies. It now seems that it's not as straight forward as I was hoping it would be, looks like I'd be best staying with the hard drive and DVD's. Of course what I should have done was as the guy with the memory sticks how he'd recorded on them, but my male pride got in the way.

Thanks all for your replies. It now seems that it's not as straight forward as I was hoping it would be, looks like I'd be best staying with the hard drive and DVinto tv's. Of course what I should have done was as the guy with the memory sticks how he'd recorded on them, but my male pride got in the way.

...It is easy, we do it all the time. We have a Cello tv for the van and Technic from Tesco's in the spare bedroom at home. We have a portable hard drive plugged in to the one at home record all the programmes we want, then unplug it and take it away with us. We record series, films, one off's etc. When we are away in Spain it gives us something to watch. It also allows us to record while away from freesat incase we go out at night.

Yes I now have two freesat boxes - leave the empty one at home to record anything I might miss - and the one with the most recordings on to catch up with - this served me well on my recent mercy mission to my sick brother in France - where there was no TV for the caravan - I just cleared the recorder quite well especially useful as I was laid up myself for a few days! 

This is where a Raspberry PI setup for £50 comes into its own.  Install OSMC to give you Kodi, and you have a lovely media player that you can put in your pocket.

Plus, there's the ad-ons that do things I won't mention here.  Cough*Phoenix*Exodus*Cough