How many of you have PVRs?

JoshK · « **on:** 6 Jan 2004, 08:58 pm »

I spent a week at my inlaws over the holidays. They have a PVR. I came home and had to buy one. I don't think that after using one for a week I could ever go without again. My wife enthusiastically approved the purchase. I bought the Pan DMR-E80HS, which is a DVD recorder too.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #1 on:** 6 Jan 2004, 09:36 pm »

I want to get one but I don't want one without a DVD recorder, and I'm sorta trying to wait til they dip under $400 (locally they're about $450 now). Until then I'm strongly considering buying a card w/a TV tuner and using my PC as a PVR- big HD and it already has a DVD burner.

audioaffliction · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Jan 2004, 12:58 am »

PVRs definitely fall into the category of gear you'll have to pry out of my cold dead hands.

In the last 3+ years, I've had a series 1 Tivo, a series 1 DirecTivo (the best ever) and I'm currently on a series 2 Tivo. And I also have a standalone DVD recorder. I'd love to get the Pioneer Tivo/DVD-recorder, but the pricing for those units is ridiculous right now.

The thing about PVRs, especially Tivo, is that you don't really understand what a paradigm shift it is until you've experienced one at home. Most people think it's just a VCR with a hard drive, but it's so much more than that.

greve · « **Reply #3 on:** 25 Jan 2004, 04:58 pm »

Quote from: audioaffliction

PVRs definitely fall into the category of gear you'll have to pry out of my cold dead hands.

In the last 3+ years, I've had a series 1 Tivo, a series 1 DirecTivo (the best ever) and I'm currently on a series 2 Tivo. And I also have a standalone DVD recorder. I'd love to get the Pioneer Tivo/DVD-recorder, but the pricing for those units is ridiculous right now.

The thing about PVRs, especially Tivo, is that you don't really understand what a paradigm shift it is until you've experienced one at home. Most people think it's just a VCR with a hard drive, but it's so much more than that.

I have to second audioaffliction on this one. I have had a PVR for some 6 months now and I haven't looked back just once. I don't really miss a DVD-Recorder, but that might just be me.

The PVR I have is called Sky+, which is the proprietary offering from the leading satellite provider in UK. It is important to understand that having a PVR (strictly speaking it's just a VCR with a harddrive instead of tape) in itself is not much of a paradigm shift, unless it is combined with an "intelligent" Electronic Program Guice of some kind. This enables extremely easy programming of recordings and more importantly automatic recoding of subsequent episodes. With Tivo's "guessing method, I guess this is even more intelligent than what I have in Sky+.

Sky+ is for me the best value box in my system and probably the last to go, if I had to get rid of the boxes for some reason.

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 Mar 2004, 11:46 am »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

I want to get one but I don't want one without a DVD recorder, and I'm sorta trying to wait til they dip under $400 (locally they're about $450 now). ....

Which unit are you talking about at that kinda price???? I see the Toshiba Tivo DVD, but it's only a DVD PLAYER (not recorder). The Pioneers that DO record are in the $900+ range.

Dan Driscoll · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Mar 2004, 06:54 pm »

I have a Panasonic Showstopper with the free lifetime ReplayTV subscription. I love this thing!

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 Mar 2004, 03:55 am »

I ended up just buying a basic Tivo unit--it REALLY changes the way you watch TV. I may never watch a commercial again!

Eric · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 Mar 2004, 03:28 pm »

I have the microsoft one

cjr888 · « **Reply #8 on:** 31 Jul 2004, 02:48 pm »

So on a whim I purchased a Toshiba SDH400 -- the combination DVD Player, 80GB drive, and Tivo from OneCall for $200...that also had a $50 rebate on service after a month.

http://www.onecall.com/PID_20507.htm#

Based on what's on the Tivo website, if the software isn't current, and since I don't have a land line, it sounds like I may have to drag the unit to a friend's house to hook up, get the software update, and then I can connect it via broadband.

Now here's what I'm wondering -- look at the specifications of the unit, and keep in mind that its a Toshiba. What are the chances that the CD/DVD portion of the unit are basically a Toshiba 3950? Anyone own one of these units, have a manual, or ever opened them up?

I'm curious because TV setup will most likely always remain a two channel setup due to room layout. Have to wonder if this unit could function as Tivo, but could also have some of the basic Vinnie/Swenson modifications done to it and possibly get half decent audio output out of it as well.

Thoughts?

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #9 on:** 1 Aug 2004, 01:40 pm »

Experiences with Tivo:

As I said above, I bought the cheapest Tivo (40 hour) for $150 after rebate.
First thing, the rebate takes forever (their stated time frame is 8-10 weeks and they took ALL of the 10 weeks). Secondly, the unit's hard drive quit just a week after the 90 day parts/labor warranty ran out. Their after-90 day warranty is $99 for replacement (you pay shipping to them).

Fortunately, when I called about service, they offered free repair (I still paid $20 for shipping to them). I THINK this is due to the fact that I only have monthly Tivo service rather than the $299 lifetime subscription: I think they knew that if they insisted on the $99 repair charge, I would have cancelled the subscription and thrown the Tivo in the trash. I'm afraid if I had lifetime service (i.e. life of the Tivo unit), I would have been out of luck.

Tivo forums suggest that the units are quite susceptible to power surges, lightning storms and physical movement..

Woodsea · « **Reply #10 on:** 1 Aug 2004, 01:54 pm »

I get one from the cable company. I love it. I will be building a PVR/PC/Half-life2 rackmount machine soon. Don't think I could go without after using one.

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #11 on:** 1 Aug 2004, 02:03 pm »

Quote from: Woodsea

I get one from the cable company. .....

Yeah, Comcast keeps advertising digital Video recorders in our general area, but it's not yet available at my address.

The monthly rate is below that of Tivo (I've heard) and there wouldn't be the potential service problems.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #12 on:** 1 Aug 2004, 02:25 pm »

I really want to get one, but won't shell out the bucks til they work with HDTV...

PhilNYC · « **Reply #13 on:** 1 Aug 2004, 02:28 pm »

Quote from: Eric

I have the microsoft one

How do you like it? I heard the next version is supposed to support HD, so I've been thinking about it. I like the fact that it also supports digital photos, music, etc...

JoshK · « **Reply #14 on:** 1 Aug 2004, 07:32 pm »

I think if you want a PVR with HDTV you need to look to HTPC and building your own. Problem with PVR's that will records HD (when they come around) is the amount of storage required for recording in HD. Tons!! That is going to require quite a lot of storage space and the way that mass market companies tack onto price for unit's with large HD's you are better off doing it yourself. Plus, don't expect to be able to burn to a DVD from the HD program material, we aren't there yet.

I don't use my PVR that way. I bought one with a DVD-R because I thought it would be useful long term but I have never used it. Its the recording all your favorite shows ahead of time and then watching them when you want to and without the commercials that adds all the value to them, IMO.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #15 on:** 1 Aug 2004, 08:16 pm »

My brother just got the All-In-Wonder 9600 video card which is a pretty nice graphics card with a TV tuner built in. With that he's able to set his PC up as a pvr. Pretty cool since he's got a 120 GB & a 250 GB HDs.

That holds a lot of TV shows! Anything he really wants to save he can burn to a DVD. Oughtta be pretty cool when football season rolls around.

rosconey · « **Reply #16 on:** 1 Aug 2004, 09:23 pm »

i got one with cable when i switched back from the dish-
its in the livingroom and hasnt been used yet

might just hook it up in the stereo room tonight

tom1356 · « **Reply #17 on:** 2 Aug 2004, 12:11 am »

My brother just got the Direct TV HDTV box and it is just amazing. It was only $999. Not to bad considering the HDTV sat only box it replaced was $300+.

PEB · « **Reply #18 on:** 12 Aug 2004, 05:35 pm »

Quote

you don't really understand what a paradigm shift it is until you've experienced one at home

Amen to that. Can you say "time shifting"?

I have Dish PVR, for just $5 extra per month, and I (intentionally) DON'T own the recorder, which means it is always under warranty.

My question about store-bought units:
Can I NOT subscribe to the menu service, and still "program" the unit if I know the time, length, channel, etc?

ctviggen · « **Reply #19 on:** 12 Aug 2004, 06:26 pm »

Typically not. As a former Dish PVR owner (two different models), and now a Replay owner, the Replay crushes the Dish PVRs. For instance, in Dish, if I want to record Good Eats, I have to search for this and manually record the ones I want. In a Replay, I just set up a Good Eats "channel," and the Replay does everything -- it records all the Good Eats episodes. The most I have to do is delete ones that I don't want to watch.