Official DVR Thread

[RedDragonXXX]

I'm currently using Motorola DCT6412 Dual Tuner from Comcast.

PROS:

One of the biggest would be that it lets you record HD Programing. I have been using it for awhile now and it works great. The price point is a big plus if you consider how much an HD Tivo or an HD Tuner would cost you if you bought them separately and there is no loss in the picture quality with recorded shows.

Having dual tuners is another big plus especially if you are recording a program and you want to watch something else while you are doing it. Another option would be to record two shows at the same time while you are away.

Finally, ease of use. Even if you are new to this kind of stuff you shouldn't have any problems picking it up and start using it without even looking at the manual. It took me some time to get familiar with the remote mainly because there are some shortcut buttons like for ex switching between tuners with one easy press instead of doing it through the interface.

CONS:

Well the first thing that comes to mind is storage. Having 120GB IDE HD is just not enough when you are recording HD programing. It just runs out of space quickly when you have few HD shows on it and you are eventually force to delete them to make more room. I'm not sure if you can upgrade it yet through Comcast or do it yourself, but either way you will be forced to spend more money.

Second is that you will get some delays when switching programs or going through guide. However I have a friend that is using Tivo and this DVR as well and he said that delay times are much worse on his Tivo. I can't confirm this cause I'm only using one, but load times were obviously much faster on my HTPC cause I'm running RAID0 with SATA on primary storage.

CONCLUSION:

Overall I'm very happy with this DVR. I have abandoned my HTPC ever since I got it cause it much easier to use, records HD programing without additional tuner, and is much cheaper. It's worth checking out if you are subscribed with Comcast or plan to subscribe with them.

[jiggamanjb]

Tivo dual tuner S2
upgraded it to 250GB HD - very simple, took about 20min

pros:

-tons of space, used a old HD i had laying around collecting dust
-2 tuners
-TiVo uses the line from the wall for channels 74 on down and uses the comcast box for all others. I hated the Comcast box for standard def channels cause they look like total crap!
-a 5yr old could use it
-tons of add-ons, i use it to view my videocasts and i also have it hooked to my home network
-my wife would kill me if i didn't say a pro is the "bloop" sound it makes :)
-can watch recordings from just about anywhere

cons:

-can be pricey if you don't pay for a couple years upfront and if you buy it at a store you don't get a free box. i have mine for $9 a month and got the box free
-NO cheap way to get HD :bang head :bang head $700 for the box


i have a comcast dvr too for HD and i must say that TiVo is like XP and the comcast box is like Win 3.1

[LandShark]

custom built watercooled HTPC

1 x OTA HD tuner (Fusion5HDTV Lite), 2 x SD tuner (PVR-500 MCE) feed by 2 DirecTV boxes, 750GB dedicated HDD space for recording only, BeyondTV as primary PVR.

pro:

-lotta space when compare to other factory DVR box/TiVo.
-more feature/control than other facotry DVR/TiVo box.
-just as easy to use, well, actualy could be even easier to use. (e.g. latest BTV has built in DVD burning feature that's just a couple click to burn the shows onto DVDs!!)
-say NO to DRM!!
-record, cut ads, and burn any shows (HD or SD) easily.
-could be use for a lot more things than just PVR function. (as a media center, watch downloaded/ripped shows/movies/collection, play games on big HDTV, etc.)
-could easily support 3 clients (people) to watch different channel at the same time as the one with tuner card act as steam server. (more if needed in the future)
-upgradable if needed. (e.g. add more tunner, more space, more features, etc.)
-no monthly fee!
-easily add more client machine. just some barebone computer would work, no need for power house for clients. (planning to build a client machine in bedroom, and GF wants me to build her one in the kitchen so she can watch and cook and store all her recipe and view them when needed.)
-oh, did I say it's fun and a good way to show off the "geek side" of yourself! :D

con:

-might be diffcult for 1st time HTPC user to build/plan.
-lotta pre-construct homework needs to do.
-could be more expensive than off the shelf DVR/TiVo box.
-might need tweak/update every now and then. (but you can also set and forget it IF you don't need/want any new feature tho!)
-if not careful, noise could become a problem!
-might be addictive to build more. (planning to build a client machine in bedroom, and GF wants another client machine in the kitchen so she can cook and watch TV and to store all her recipes in it.... :shrug: )

my thought:

love it. it's fun to build and geek enough to show off to others. very useful in daily base as it use as more than just a simple PVR device. http://landshark-racing.com/icon/thumbsup.gif

[Phrenetical]

custom built HTPC

1 x Fusion lite HDTV tuner (>3 yrs old now), 1.3 TB HDD space for recording/downloading.

pro:

"-lotta space when compare to other factory DVR box/TiVo."
- better feature/control than other facotry DVR/TiVo box.
- its still better then many of the tuners or pre built HTPC's i see being released today
- has channel guides
- channel previews
- ultra easy to record shows, one click of remote to record as mpg
- easy to encode to divx
- multitasking machine, not limited to DVR

con:

- its not dual tuner
- no add removal from recording (have to do it manually)
- not as much functionality as current DVR's


will probably upgrade to a digital dual tuner very very soon, but for a tuner thats as old as my current one and has as much functionality and picture quality im pretty happy, back in the day Fusion was the only choice for HDTV tuners.

[moz_21]

I have a Directv DVR R15 (non-TiVo brand). Initially, it crashed constantly. This went on for about two weeks until I decided to take a look at it. I cracked the lid and started feeling for hot chips. The main one that has the exposed core was hot as hell. So I got a small heatsink and some goop, no dice. It still crashed.

Take two. I got to reading and noted that the fan is thermally controlled. Since it wasn't all that loud when running, I rigged it to run constantly with a molex-->3pin cable. Since then, not a single crash.

My mom was so mad about it crashing that she was gonna tell them to come take it. Glad I showed her.

I also have a homebuilt DVR in a hacked up old NEC desktop case. I'll have to get pics of it sometime.

[RangerXLT8]

Mine is Direct TV DVR w\ TiVo so I voted for TiVo/

[Recursion]

I have one from Scientific Atlanta and while its not great it does its job. I also had one from Dish network which was gltchy but did its jobs.



The tivo is a very solid device but with all of the new things they are planning, for not allowing you to go over commercials i dont think they are worth it. also Tivo uses much much higher compression than the other companies that are made by no name companies. so that makes the tivo worse.


check avforums. alot of info on this.

[Avg]

I just stuck a tv tuner on my computer and I was done, I use it to record tv shows and to have the tv on while playing on the Wii, the sad thing is that my monitor is now bigger then my tv and it supports HD which is something my tv can't do.

[jiggamanjb]

The tivo is a very solid device but with all of the new things they are planning, for not allowing you to go over commercials i dont think they are worth it. also Tivo uses much much higher compression than the other companies that are made by no name companies. so that makes the tivo worse.


check avforums. alot of info on this.

From what I've read about the commercials is that they are thinking of doing like yahoo music does where there is a 10sec commericial before your show starts. I can live with 10sec, since they will have more good things come out by then that will make you forget about the 10sec. Once the S3 price comes down a bit, TiVo will continue to keep a tight hold on the DVR market.

Actually the S3 uses MPEG-4/H.264. They don't do anything to the stream, you can't get any better than that. The S2 uses MPEG-2, which isn't that great.

[Jon]

HTPC for mine. Fusion5HDTV Lite for OTA HD (also have a Comcast box for HD over cable) and a PVR-150 MCE for SD digital. 500GB direct storage and another TB over gigabit. Microsoft MCE is my frontend.

Pros:
I can do whatever I want with it.

Cons:
It doesn't always like what I want to do with it.
QAM doesn't work in MCE with this card.

[doublejack]

Custom built HTPC. XP Pro w/ GB-PVR front end (handles DVR, net radio, media center functionality, slideshows, etc) 1x PVR-150 MCE tuner. Several Media MVP's used for playback.

Pros:
1. Full control over the content I record.
2. Zero noise. The HTPC box is in a corner in my basement. By each TV I have a completely silent Media MVP.
3. Small size - a Media MVP is about the size of a sandwich.
4. No special HTPC case / parts required (mine is in a rusty old mid-size ATX tower). The sleek MVPs are all that anyone can see.
5. Ability to upgrade hardware and feature set easily
6. Huge money saver. The initial cost is more than a boxed solution, but there are no monthly charges. Between PVR functions and net radio (which I consider to be equivalent to satellite radio) I'm saving hundreds of dollars annually. Other than the OS, all software utilized is freeware.
7. Look and feel of the PRV software is easily customizable

Cons:
1. I had to run a cat-5 cable to each TV for the MVPs. Fortunately I did this when I build my house seven years ago. At the time I didn't know what I'd use the connections for, but figured it would come in handy in the future. (note that there is a wireless version of the MVP but I'm skeptical about how well it works. I still believe wired >>> wireless).
2. Constant minor hassles associated with a home-built solution.
3. No ability to record HD yet (planned upgrade in the near future).
4. Burning DVDs "the right way" (editing out commercials, etc.) is time consuming.
5. Not much support. GB-PVR is well supported by it's developer, but for the most part when something goes wrong it's up to me to figure out why and fix it. I recently had a switch go bad and I nearly went crazy sorting out the issue.

[Phrenetical]

HTPC for mine. Fusion5HDTV Lite for OTA HD (also have a Comcast box for HD over cable) and a PVR-150 MCE for SD digital. 500GB direct storage and another TB over gigabit. Microsoft MCE is my frontend.
.


Fusion lite doesn't let you encode to divx or other formats either, it sticks you with the full no loss recording format it uses.


I definently dont recomend getting the lite for this sole purpose, part from that its a good card.

[LandShark]

Cons:

4. Burning DVDs "the right way" (editing out commercials, etc.) is time consuming.

give VideoReDo a try. it's very simple and fast to cut out the commercials if your PVR software doesn't do it for you! ;)
Fusion lite doesn't let you encode to divx or other formats either, it sticks you with the full no loss recording format it uses.

I definently dont recomend getting the lite for this sole purpose, part from that its a good card.
well, with his 1.5TB of storage, I don't think Jon'll have much short term storage problem tho. ;) I use FusionLite too, and very happy with it.

[kovboi]

another custom HTPC here.

2 x PVR 150 MCE, windows xp mce, 300 Gb storage (rest is in my sig)

pros:
- it just works. select a program to record in the epg or just record on the fly. timeshifting makes it difficult for me to tolerate watching regular tv now.
- slick, intuitive front end interface, especially when using the MS remote/keyboard.
- good interaction with the epg, so you can record an entire series or just one program
- plenty of options for storage management, including setting it to delete certain recordings if you're running out of space
- centralized management of music and video media in one box
- easily upgradeable hardware (depending on your budget)
- drool factor. house guests are always impressed.

cons:
- can't play music and watch tv/video at the same time
- have to find ways to cope (ahem) with microsoft's DRM. similarly...
- need to be vigilant for potentially detrimental windows mce updates and make backup images before doing major software updates/upgrades.
- no built in video editing capabilities (but i'll check out some of the suggestions above)
- no built in commercial skipping
- no picture-within-picture
- limited number of activations, after which you have to call microsoft and explain that your dog ate your motherboard

[Jon]

well, with his 1.5TB of storage, I don't think Jon'll have much short term storage problem tho. ;) I use FusionLite too, and very happy with it.

I don't archive either. If I record, it's because it's something I know I'm going to miss, record, watch once, and then delete.

To be honest, I watch approximately 3-4 hours of programmed TV per month (Lost each week and then maybe another hour here and there). I typically watch DVD movies only as it's all I have time for. I've got a library of about 1500 and I've seen only about 2/3 of that with more being added weekly.

The PVR definately comes in handy when needed though!

[Randyman...]

My vote was for "TiVo" - but it is the DirecTV TiVo (HDVR2). This thing is so smooth, and never misses a beat. I just wish extracting the data was easy to do (blocked due to piracy concerns with an "All-Digital DVR").

I have often pondered doing a PC DVR to increase file portability, but with DirecTV - that is kind of pointless as you would still need 2 standalone DirecTV Tuners and 2 capture cards to match what my $100 TiVo does flawlessly ;) . This is one area where dedicated hardware and an application-specific OS makes perfect sense IMO.

I could not imagine being without my TiVo. I even bought a spare HDVR2 since DirecTV no longer offers the TiVo branded DVR's (TiVo really is the bomb if you have never used an actual "TiVo" brand unit IMO).

TiVo RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:cool:

[Blackstar]

You might want to add Verizon's FiOS HDTV service to the list. ;)

They use the Motorola 6416-2's for their HD service recordings. This Motorola seems to be using a 160GB Seagate Barracuda 7200 model ST3160023AS. This gets you about 25 Hours of HD recordings. SDTV recordings, much more than that. I've use this one and played with a friend's TiVo, and personally, I like this one better. The IO seems alot more logical and straight forward imho.

It has dual tuners for multiple HD recordings at once. Performance over the last month has been fantastic. Verizon's fiber tv picture quality is the best of any provider. Hands down. And the HD playback is perfect, exactly like the original. Highly recommend it. Only downside is you HAVE to rent a box for each tv you have because the signals are pure digital. So depending on how many you have, it can add up. The signal strength is even so strong, the installers have have to put in limiters so it does not overload and fry the boxes! ($39/month for the TV service, $4/month for the SDTV boxes, $13/month for the HD DVR.) Not bad. TiVo's cost you per month and you have to pay for it. If the machine dies, you have to get a new one and no transfers of lifetime memberships between different machines. Anything happens with this one, Verizon gives me a new one for free.

Their internet service for $49 a month isn't bad either. :D And they just upped the speeds for free this past month.

TCP/Web100 Network Diagnostic Tool v5.4.12
Connected to: web100.rit.edu -- Using IPv4 address
Checking for Middleboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Done
checking for firewalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Done
running 10s outbound test (client-to-server [C2S]) . . . . . 4.95Mb/s
running 10s inbound test (server-to-client [S2C]) . . . . . . 20.25Mb/s

You get a monthly discount for getting the services together.

- Blackstar

[wnnbgwrrr]

I'm not going to say anything about the pros and cons of my HTPC setup that other people haven't mentioned... but for the deciding factor has to be no monthly subscription cost using MCE 2005. That and my computer is much, much more than a box that records television.

[SickBoy]

Yeah, saying your tivo/DVR costs "only" $100 or whatever is a little misleading.

I have uber-basic Comcast cable (like, you get your over-the-air stations, plus a few more) and OTA HD with a HDTV wonder card, as well as my dual tuner PVR500.... so my current HTPC setup suits me nicely.

Initially I built the box with the dual tuner card and a video card I had laying around with an old HP Pavilion that my girlfriend gave me. Eventually (in order) I added: HD space (250gb), wireless, a new case, mb/cpu/mem, 32" LCD display, Firefly media remote, HD tuner, and now I'm looking at upgrading my system drive to SATA and adding another 500gb HD and completely digitizing my DVD collection. Granted, the hardware cost winds up being more than a Tivo/DVR, but I can obviously progressively upgrade my system.

Simply having a PC do the duty that a tivo/DVR can also expands other capabilities - play PSX games, listen to FM/Net radio, browse my photo collection, etc etc.

+1 for HTPC

[jiggamanjb]

Yeah, saying your tivo/DVR costs "only" $100 or whatever is a little misleading.

I have uber-basic Comcast cable (like, you get your over-the-air stations, plus a few more) and OTA HD with a HDTV wonder card, as well as my dual tuner PVR500.... so my current HTPC setup suits me nicely.

Initially I built the box with the dual tuner card and a video card I had laying around with an old HP Pavilion that my girlfriend gave me. Eventually (in order) I added: HD space (250gb), wireless, a new case, mb/cpu/mem, 32" LCD display, Firefly media remote, HD tuner, and now I'm looking at upgrading my system drive to SATA and adding another 500gb HD and completely digitizing my DVD collection. Granted, the hardware cost winds up being more than a Tivo/DVR, but I can obviously progressively upgrade my system.

Simply having a PC do the duty that a tivo/DVR can also expands other capabilities - play PSX games, listen to FM/Net radio, browse my photo collection, etc etc.

+1 for HTPC

Actually they are free, but you pay ~$10 / month.

TiVo's can be upgraded very easily with HD's and wireless and what not.

You can stream ALL you video files from your PC through your TiVo ( DVD's, home movies, videocasts ). You can also play all your music and browse your photos. You also have options for net radio and podcasts. Really the only thing it can't do is play games on it and cruze the Internet. If my only PC was the one connected to my TV and I wanted to use my TV as my gaming monitor, then I would go the route of HTPC. Otherwise it just seems like another PC I have to support around the house.

[RedDragonXXX]

Anyone here uses their Xbox360 to stream media from computer?

[Jon]

Anyone here uses their Xbox360 to stream media from computer?

I use my regular Xbox - does that count? :)

[RedDragonXXX]

Haha

If you count modded xbox, then sure Jon :)

[Blackstar]

I have a friend in AZ that used his 360 to stream media to the entertainment center he made. He says it was an awesome experience and enjoyed it very much. That is, until his 360 died. :)

Only bad thing I can think of is the 360 will only do WMV files, so if you have other videos with other codecs, your out of luck using them.

- Blackstar

[RedDragonXXX]

Well you could convert them :)

I have had 360 ever since it came out and have yet to connect it to my PC. It's not that I don't know how, but never get around to it.

[Blackstar]

Well you could convert them :)

I have had 360 ever since it came out and have yet to connect it to my PC. It's not that I don't know how, but never get around to it.


You could. Personally though, going through every video I want to watch on it and re-compress it again just does not seem a viable option. In quality, or in volume. :bday:

A truly workable solution has to be scaleable and flexible otherwise it risks premature obsolescence. ;)

- Blackstar

[RedDragonXXX]

You could. Personally though, going through every video I want to watch on it and re-compress it again just does not seem a viable option. In quality, or in volume. :bday:

A truly workable solution has to be scaleable and flexible otherwise it risks premature obsolescence. ;)

- Blackstar

That's true. I convert a lot of movies to MP4's so I can watch them on my PSP. It is a time consuming process, but I just set up a string and let it run overnight on my laptop.