Just curious: so how hard would it be to buy one of these Sony DVD HDD Recorders from England, then have it fitted so it could be used in the Region 1 USA television market.

Just wondering as we are reduced to practically no choices whatsoever in the DVD Recorders with Hard Disk Drives here in the States.  I mean we have two new machines; and that is it!

One is garbage; the other I'm not comfortable with.  I would like a third option; but for some reason, Sony just does not want to offer this kind of product in the USA market.  Various theories; but I do not know.

I know one thing: everyone can have their DVR/TiVo devices and their monthly fees.

So back to my question: is it possible; is it feasible; or am I dreaming with delusions of false hope for a English Sony player to be revamped for an American digital television coded market?

The entertainment industry is starting to tick me off.  I may just stop watching everything unless I can catch it as it is broadcast.  I do not watch that much anyway,--I mean of the rehashed garbage "they" spew out to the western public.  Trash and rehashed trash of things entertaining but vading memories of a forgotten and forgetful past. 

W. Braithwaite

Hi  Mr Braithwaite,

There are a few web sites that will give you codes that you put via the remote control, to enable some Sony DVD players to play all regions - bypassing the region control chips this is a link to one such site :   http://www.alldvdcodes.com/    take a look for the code for the particular model that you want to purchase - get in touch with supplier and give the code to them, to load into player before purchase of DVD. Hope this helps, Cheers .....Carl.

W. Braithwaite wrote (see)

how hard would it be to buy one of these Sony DVD HDD Recorders from England, then have it fitted so it could be used in the Region 1 USA television market.

Take a look at this site. There, you will find a first class repository of knowledge on these machines. However, I suspect that the region hack (quite easy on these machines using One For All type universal remote) is the least of your problems.

I have a similar unit and shudder to think how difficult it would be to use without the broadcast EPG.That's the main problem; the need to program every record event manually is a rather scary thought. The second, but related, problem is based on the need for the PVR to control an external tuner, assuming that the internal tuner on a European unit is about as much use to you as a chocolate teapot.

These Sony recorders are capable of controlling external tuners via a small infrared transmitter on a length of wire plugged into the back. The recorder is capable of controlling a large number of tuners of different makes and types, but will you be able to find a compatible option? And once again, without a suitable EPG, will this be of any use?

I fear that the complications in trying to use a European PVR could outweigh the advantages. Rather than buying a rather closed system like the Sony, have you considered the options available using a dedicated Linux computer with the appropriate video hardware? See MythTV. A suitable EPG for North American use is available for a subscription of $20 per year.

Another alternative worth examining might be the Topfield PVR. While this is a unit designed for Euro use, it's far more open than Sony (there is a lot of third party software available) and a lot more expertise about what can and cannot be done.

Also, take a serious look at KnoppMyth. I suspect that this will be a far more satisfactory approach than attempting to kludge a closed European system for US use.

Good luck in your quest to buck the system; let us know how you get on.