I know nothing about TiVo. I have Charter analog cable, no box, but know nothing about their DVR. I have 2 Panasonic recorders with hard drives, but I am frustrated with the inability to transfer directly to a computer hard drive. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of these methods of recording tv programs, especially related to transfer to a computer hard drive? I hate to record DVD's, in order to transfer them to a computer. What can you do with the TiVo and Charter DVR's?

Thanks

You will have to take a look at the Polaroid DRG-2001g or the DRA-01601a to copy from cable input to a hard drive that that the Polaroid has built into them. They are not commercially available anymore for some reson so you'll have to scrounge around on Ebay.

I've read that some (or all?) TIVOs can copy files directly to a computer HDD.

With all tivos available nowadays, you can transfer recordings to a computer.

That is, if they are not copy protected. Apparently *some* things on channels like HBO are copy protected. Shows on 'regular' cable channels most likely won't be copy protected. (This is not just a Tivo thing -- this is legally supposed to be followed by all recorders.)

Channels that are OTA channels are NOT supposed to have copy protection, and some who have had that erroneously turned on _have_ been able to get their cable companies to turn it off.