Thinking abotu buying a DVR box
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,877
connoisseur
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OP
connoisseur
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,877 |
So I have been thinking about buying a DVR box of some type. If I can get one with a cable card reader I can save about $15 per month from my cable company and in addition to hopefully finding a dvr with a larger hard drive. Any suggestions for DVR boxes? I see that amazon has this Tivo box on sale for $470. Looks really nice. I would like to spend about half that much tho if possible.
-David
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Re: Thinking abotu buying a DVR box
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,955
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,955 |
No advice as mine is Bell ExpressVu. However, I will say that once you have one, you can never do without. I am now actually watching the 4-6 shows per week that I record instead of missing them and once you get used to skipping commercials, you get spoiled and can no longer watch live TV.
If I had to give one up, I'd give up my HD channels long before my DVR/PVR.
With great power comes Awesome irresponsibility.
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Re: Thinking abotu buying a DVR box
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,458
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,458 |
I see that amazon has this Tivo box on sale for $470. Looks really nice. I would like to spend about half that much tho if possible. I would go for it. That's a great price considering it has the larger HD capacity. All DVRs are addictive, but the TiVo interface is the best / most user friendly. My TiVo is my favorite part of the theater, and the one part of it I wouldn't want to give up!
::::::: No disrespect to Axiom, but my favorite woofer is my yellow lab :::::::
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Re: Thinking abotu buying a DVR box
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 16,441
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 16,441 |
Damn. Now I can't get the Tivo click-pop sound out of my head.
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Re: Thinking abotu buying a DVR box
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 18,044
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 18,044 |
I'd get a regular TiVo HD and then an add on drive later on if you find the capacity isn't high enough.
I halfheartedly recommend the lifetime subscription. I would strongly recommend it, except for the fact that it costs $400 now.
I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!
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Re: Thinking abotu buying a DVR box
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 6,471
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 6,471 |
TiVo/DVRs are my favorite tech development of the last ten years. Better than iPods, smart phones, GPS, everything. You'll love it.
Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.
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Re: Thinking abotu buying a DVR box
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 556
aficionado
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aficionado
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 556 |
One option could be to wait a few more months until digital cable tuner with CableCARD are available to regular DIY HTPC consumers. Recently at CEDIA EXPO 2009 was announced the lift of some restrictions like OEM BIOS requirement and DRM. So hopefully they should start to be available soon, though I have no idea how soon. You could try something like this in the meantime. I’ve been tempted to try it but decided to wait. Better than iPods, smart phones, GPS, everything. Everyone I’ve known that have a Tivo swear by it as the greatest thing ever, I don’t know, I’ve had DVRs and yeah they are great and all but come on, better than a cell phone or GPS?
The sailor does not pray for wind, he learns to sail. --Lindborg
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Re: Thinking abotu buying a DVR box
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 212
local
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local
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 212 |
I took an old computer, TV Tuner card and 320G Hard Drive and put it in an HTPC case. Installed Linux and MythTV. Voila.
Works great for me, and its its very user friendly but the install, set-up and troubleshooting (when things break) are for nerds only.
If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
Thanks snazzed
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Re: Thinking abotu buying a DVR box
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 556
aficionado
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aficionado
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 556 |
I have a httpc w/ Win7 MCE + HDHomeRun. It works well enough but it sucks not having channels like discovery, ESPN and CSN on HD. Configuration can get frustrating; Comcast is constantly moving channels around so I have to keep adding them manually every few weeks. Also, the WAF not as high as a DVR or tivo. I think once the CableCrd tuner issue gets sorted out and they become available, a htpc is best way to go. Right now, I going back to the Comcast DVR.
The sailor does not pray for wind, he learns to sail. --Lindborg
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Re: Thinking abotu buying a DVR box
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 212
local
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local
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 212 |
WAF was very good on the MythTV. The remote control and interface are very "appliance like" and not at all technical. I imagine it is similar to a TiVo, but I've never actually seen one. For channel listings, you have to buy a subscription to an online listings service ($20/yr) and the MythTV PVR then grabs listings via internet. On the rare occasions that our channels have moved, they get automatically updated within 24 hours. Apparently with the right Tuner card, MythTV will do HD (get a bigger hard Drive), but the setup is more involved. Ok, thats my last post about it unless people have specific questions. Don't want to sound like a raving fanboy! snazzed
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