UHD TV to DVD recorder questions

Hi all,

I've just purchased a new TV. The first time I've done so since 1997 (yep, that's right. I've been using a trusty olf CRT telly) and things have changed somewhat...

I'm in the UK.

The TV (of course) has it's own built-in Freeview tuner, but so too does my HDD recorder/DVD player. I also have an old (Samsung-made) Virgin Media box (which I may get rid of. To be decided).

My questions are:

how do I connect the machines together and to my Freeview aerial such that the HDD/DVD player and/or Virgin box doesn't end up downscaling the Freeview HD content for the TV to have to upscale back again?

My assumption is that the aerial connects from the wall to the HDD recorder and then to the TV, presumably via the HDMI connection. Is this correct? The HDD recorder can send full 1080p via HDMI, so am I right in thinking that the HD signal would pass unaffected through the HDD machine and on to the TV?

If not, do I need a splitter to send two separate signals from the aerial to HDD recorder and telly?

Also, how does the Virgin box fit in to this? At present, my standard def Freeview signal passes into it before going to the HDD box. Signals then go to the TV via SCARTs. However, my TV has no SCART input, but presumably I don't really need to direct the Freeview signal to the Virgin box before it goes to the HDD box (unless I want to record from it, which I don't).

My thoughts are either 1) discontinue my subscription to Virgin, 2) connect the Virgin box directly to the telly (keeping it separate to the HDD box) presumably via a USB connection but possibly I might need a new box with HDMI, or 3) connect the Virgin box to the HDD box and utilise it's HDMI connection to the telly...

Any thoughts or advice would be gratefully received by this rather confused "old tech" chap.