General Question

cockswain's avatar

What technology is the best value for recording TV (Tivo,etc...)

Asked by cockswain (15286points) March 15th, 2010

I waste way too much time watching commercials. I looked into the cost of Tivo a few years ago and figured at the time I could still do without. Now, I figure there are probably more competing technologies and prices. What does the collective recommend and why is it better than the alternative (setup costs, monthly fees, etc…)? In fact, what are my options?

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4 Answers

coogan's avatar

pc tv tuner doesn’t have the monthly fees. You won’t get the ease of use, but it’s way cheaper to do.

Buttonstc's avatar

Most TV cable and satellite services have a DVR option.

Much cheaper, much more convenient. I’ve tried Comcast, Dish Network, and ATT U Verse.

Best experience- Dish network

Worst experience- ATT ( their setup is illogical and does random things for no apparent reason)

Comcast is an evil company, but their DVR service is GREAT. their free ON DEMAND feature is also terrific.

But they’re still a bunch of shysters.

jaytkay's avatar

I looked at this recently, specifically for recording over-the-air (OTA) to avoid the cable bill.

Sezmi looks really promising, but at the moment it’s only available in LA.
What Sezmi offers is value, convenience, and personalization. For $5 per month (plus $300 for its hardware), you receive an indoor digital antenna (gussied up to look like a speaker) and a 1TB hard drive, capable of holding up to 1400 hours of programming.

“The system receives local digital broadcast channels. And, if you upgrade to the $20 per month package, you also get a group of basic cable channels, transmitted over the unused bandwidth of its local broadcast channel partners.

HDHomeRun is a network DVR, you have to watch on a PC or hook a PC to your television.
HDHomeRun® Digital TV Tuners
* Watch TV from any computer on your network.
* Record full 1080i broadcast resolution.
* Pause, rewind, fast-forward live TV.
* Schedule and record all your favorite TV shows.
* Expand with multiple HDHomeRun devices.

And there’s the DIY DVR PC. Here’s a thorough guide to building one.
Ars Ultimate Home Theater PC Guide: 1080p HDMI Edition

If money were no object, I’d probably just get cable and use the DVR they give me. I used to have Comcast and their dual-tuner DVR was excellent.

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