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Home audio & video: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs?
- 3/7/08 11:37 AM
Recording TV
by TokioOkio - 3/7/08 7:41 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have two VCRs (Victor HR-F12 & F-13) and one HDD/DVR/VCR (Sharp DV-HRW35) (Japanese domestic models). As far as I know TiVo, etc. are not a factor here. My wife is bedridden so TV is her main thing. I tape her time-sharing programs on two or all three VCRs for her to watch late when there is nothing good on TV.
I use the VCRs too, mainly and the HDD. I've had the Sharp for two years and have yet to use the DVD in record mode, although I have used the DVD Player. I PLAN to dub some of the stuff on the HDD soon and may dub some old movies from VCR to DVD someday. (Japan doesn't go all-digital until 2011.)
I use a Scientific Atlanta supplied by Cox Communications
by Ron Geiken - 3/7/08 7:57 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It is a HD recorder, and it can record two programs at the same time while you watch a previously recorded program. I also have a tuner in my HD TV so I can watch something if I have 2 programs being recorded. The high definition is really high quality, and everything so far has recorded perfectly. I also have a 500 gig hard drive that is external to the recorder, but have it disconnected right now since I have 20 hours of HD available, and have been able to watch things before I run out of space. Will hook the external drive up again if it is needed. I had some problems initially with the recorder, but it was due to the coax cable hook up that was installed 10 to 15 years ago and was originally intended for analog signal inputs. Since that has been replaced, the HDTV has been great. I also have some other recorders that I bought several years ago, but have not used lately since I have cut down on the programs that I had been recording. Next fall, I will probably be recording more things, since I am retired and have the time to watch things.
TiVo Naturally !
by kasjes - 3/7/08 8:03 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have a TiVo in every room and a TiVo Humax DVD recorder in the livingroom. It is the only way to go! My whole Family Loves them.
"Watch TV your way"
Pioneer DVR-533 & 633 (HDD+DVD Recorders)
by KringleClaus - 3/7/08 8:10 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Liked the 533 so much I bought the 633 (bigger HDD) too. You can read the review at C|net: http://reviews.cnet.com/dvd-recorders/pioneer-dvr-533h-s/4505-9141_7-31473259.html. The TV Guide feature is *awesome* (albeit a little noisy but worth it) once you spend a few minutes to figure it out. A snap to edit shows & home movies and burn them to a DVD.
However, I read a post that the FCC has banned these types of machines (they are grey market at best) and that these models are no longer on store shelves (the 633 I bought was a store demo model). The new Pioneer models have a different TV Guide feature based on VCR+ so I'm not keen on them -- the old feature was pure genius.
Really nice feature of the 633 is you can plug a firewire camcorder into it to download/edit/burn home movies.
I'm *really* hoping Pioneer comes out with a BluRay model so I can use it as an interface for my Hi-Def camcorder.
I could rave on & on but think I'll go watch it instead 
dvr...sort of and...
by sharee100 - 3/7/08 8:18 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have a tv tuner in one pc. I use it sometimes (record to hard drive). I have a vcr/dvd/tv combo and record to vcr sometimes. I just got a new lcd tv and installed the cable tv/dvr. I haven't had time to read the manual so I haven't used it yet. My grown son recorded a program for me, but I haven't figured out how to play it back. So, lately, I don't record anything. I figure any program will come around again in reruns or will be out on dvd.
VCR recording is cheaper than TIVO and DVR
by lynjs - 3/7/08 8:20 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use a VCR to record because if I want to see what I recorded and my mom wants to use the TV in the family room, I can just take the tape in my room or hers and watch it all I like.
I can get up $4 for three 8-hour tapes quicker than I pay another unnecessary bill to TIVO/DVR through the cable company or subscription.
JVC DVR (DR-MH30S)
by yahooz - 3/7/08 8:36 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This unit is buggy (as I learned online eventually), but I've been able so far to always get it working again if it freaks out, without losing any of my recordings. Tech support was not helpful the first time it flashed loading repeatedly--I just unplugged it overnight and then waited patiently for it to recover after plugging it in the next morning. I was never able to get the TV tuner working due to having a cable box. It can't even set the time automatically for you if you have cable tv. Also, the manual did not say anything about how to make menus for the DVD and the speed for dubbing is always the same amount as the length of the recording being dubbed (so much for high speed). Given the number of posts I found where people had to mail their unit in for repair and wait forever to get it back (only to have the problem recur), I feel lucky to still be able to use mine after 2 years have passed. Recently it has been getting amnesia from time to time about some of the shows I have recorded in the library--I think the hard drive needs to be defragged, but I don't think there's any way to do that...
DVR + DVD Recorder + PC
by gminetos - 3/7/08 8:37 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Think I'm the only one posting so far that does all three of these. First, like most others, I use <b>Cox Cable's SciAtl dual-tuner Explorer-8000 DVR</b>, and it's just great - no complaints, since 2004.
In 2005 I added a <b>Philips multi-format DVD recorder</b> to record off of the TV's monitor-out jack. This is awesome because I can offload programs from the DVR to DVD+/-R discs for permanent storage, or to DVD+/-RW discs for eraseable storage. This capability helps me to free up storage capacity on the DVR, too.
Then in 2007 I bought an <b>HP Touchsmart IQ770 all-in-one PC</b> and it's the <i>most bestest</i> computer I've ever had. It runs Vista Home Premium which includes Media Center functionality with an excellent remote. This PC has input connections for NTSC (standard def signals) and <b>ATSC</b> (high def signals). I connected my attic-mounted antenna's wall-based coax cable to the ATSC input and I can watch and record local stations' high-def programming to the PC's 320GB drive. <i>This is simply awesome</i>. I now have entre into HDTV with no extra outlay and I watch all local HD primetime programming via the Touchsmart now, and cable programming via DVR. The Media Center functionality includes an onscreen programming guide for <b><u>no charge</u></b> and has all the same features that a typical DVR has: pause, FF, RW, record single or series shows, adjust start/stop record times, etc.
Be aware that the Touchsmart can accommodate cable programming, too, I'm just not utilizing that because I still prefer the separation. If the Touchsmart had dual tuners then I'd prolly watch most if not all TV programming there. That'd be an amazing shift wouldn't it ? Maybe one of HP's next-gen all-in-ones will sport dual-tuners....
Scientific Atlanta 8000 vs. Dish DVR
by bsa492 - 3/7/08 10:32 PM In reply to: DVR + DVD Recorder + PC by gminetosI have used both the Dish DVR (non-HD) and the Scientific Atlanta Exporer 8000 (also non-HD) from Time-Warner Cable.
1) The Dish box is much better, both in reliability and ease-of-use. The SA 8000 has a very crude user interface (feels like old MS DOS as compared to Windows XP), however it provide options to delete a recording after various periods of time or to keep it until I erase the recording, which Dish does not provide. Dish provides an option to prioritize recordings and it will erase something (unless everything is locked) when the disk is full to provide recording space.
2) The SA 8000 shows a percent full for the disk, but the Dish box tell you how much recording time you have left and it is fairly accurate. My Dish DVR had 100 hours of recording space, but the new boxes appear to have 200 hours of storage. My SA 8000 only has space for 80 hours.
3) The SA 8000 does not reliably remember to record the program, even though I told it to record all episodes. It says that it will record "Survivor" next Thursday, but it missed the episode this past Thursday. The Dish DVR captured everything I ever asked it to record.
4) The interface for the Dish box was changed a few months ago and nolonger provides a search-by-title function for finding programs in the guide or in the DVR programming mode. I can't find a similar function in the SA 8000 box.
5) There is a Yahoo Group specifically tracking complaints about the SA Explorer 8000 series of boxes. It appears that complaints about the SA 8000 depend on which operating system is running; the newest level of the OS are causing the most complaints.
6) The Dish DVR has two tuners (satellite only) and you can either (a) drive two TV's or (b) use one tuner to drive a TV (and record what is displayed on the TV) and record on the other tuner. The SA 8000 also has two tuners, but can only drive one TV.
tv recording
by wjayasuriya - 3/7/08 8:53 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I just use my PC, with Media Center and WinTV PAL H26XXX MCE 150 card, it's easy, and you can pause and rewind TV while recording it, I find it so much easier that VCR's (VHS), and it's so much cheaper than DVD Hard drive recorders, as I got a card of Trade Me (like Ebay in NZ, auction system), for NZD$39, which was so much cheaper than DVD hard drive recorders which are in NZ at least $400, brand new, and also my TV doesn't have HDMI, which drive the prices or DVD recorders high, as new ones can upscale to 1080i, some 1080p or 720p. Actually you can buy a Blu-ray disc reading PS3, or a few dollars extra, so I think the PC is the cheapest that you can get, and it's easier than fiddling with remotes that don't work, and crashing DVD players.
More
by wjayasuriya - 3/7/08 8:59 PM In reply to: tv recording by wjayasuriyaAs I said above, a PS3 with Blu-ray is cheaper, or a bit more expensive than a DVD recorder, but I'm not sure wheither a PS3 can record TV, it should as it has 40GB + (depending on model, some have 25GB), which is more than enough to record standard def matereal. The PC is the cheapest way to record TV, as you don't need to pay a lot for discs (until you run out of space), and it's cheap, especially it you have Media Center, it you don't you can buy PowerCienema for USD$120, with a free TV turner according to the product description, which it so much cheaper than Hard Drive DVD recorders, however cannot upscale DVD's.
I agree with you
by balouke - 3/10/08 10:26 AM In reply to: tv recording by wjayasuriyaWith my analog TV-card from Compro (60€, five years ago)I can still record all I want from the cable. The card has a built-in PVR that can start up my PC even in the middle of the night and shut it down again after recording. I can watch the recording on PC or on TV (I do this via cable connection). When I want to keep the recording and burn it on a DVD, with a softwareprogram of only 50€ I can rework the file (take out the pieces before and after the actual TV program, as well as the blocks of advertisements (on the frame correctly) and add a menu with chapters whatever you want. Try this with a stand-alone recorder, even with harddisk without going crazy....
HD DVR from Time Warner
by drezjohnson - 3/7/08 10:32 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Just recently got the HD DVR and I love it. I hate missing my favorite shows or an important ball game because I have to be somewhere else. Now I can set it and watch it at my own convenience.
VCR for 10+ years and a DVD recorder sometimes
by Bullseyestrat - 3/7/08 10:36 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I still use my VCR's to record shows even though its outdated and I have a hdtv now with HD-DVD and my PS3 for Bluray. Every now and then I might use my upconverting hdmi Panasonic DVD Recorder ES-25 I think. It works pretty well, but unless you use a dual layer dvd on high quality looks pixelated on a sdtv and my hdtv. So I still use VCR tapes because it looks smoother in my opinion than the dvd recorder I have. Sometimes though I might record DVD tv shows to my computer though.
Set top dvr with hard drive built in
by andy419 - 3/7/08 10:53 PM In reply to: Poll: How do you record your favorite TV programs? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have a set top multi-region DVD player/burner with a 160GB hard drive built in. It also acts as a freeview box.
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