Ask LH: Why Can’t I Record 7Flix On My PVR?

Dear Lifehacker, Why can’t I get Seven’s new channel 7Flix to record on my PVR? The channel appears in the TV guide and you can press record, but it won’t record anything despite accepting the request. One of my favourite programs is I Dream Of Jeannie which has been transferred to 7Flix from 7Two. Please help! I am using a Panasonic DVD Digital Recorder; Model DMR-XW300. Thanks, Max

Dear Max,

If you can see the channel on your TV but can’t record it, it’s likely that your PVR is incompatible with the MPEG-4 broadcasting standard. 7Flix uses MPEG-4 compression to deliver content to your TV. To receive the signal, your hardware needs an inbuilt MPEG4 encoder.

According to Channel 7, products that were sold prior to 2009 may not support MPEG-4. Unfortunately for you, this includes the DMR-XW300 which came out back in 2008. I checked with Panasonic and they have confirmed that this model does not record MPEG4 transmissions. You might be able to fix the issue by downloading the latest firmware update, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

If you really want to record 7Flix, your best bet is to buy a cheap set top box with recording capabilities. To keep costs down, go for a model with no inbuilt storage and use a thumb drive instead. Or maybe it’s time for a PVR upgrade?

Alternatively, if you have internet access, it’s possible to record the live stream of 7Flix through the website 7Plus. The video below provides a brief explainer. Good luck!

Cheers
Lifehacker

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