I just downgraded my Cablevision Service to Basic Cable. My 2 TV's receive all of the local NY channels in digital and some in HD without any cable box or cable card.

Is there a DVR I can buy that will like my TVs process the cable signal and record digital or HD programming? It seems everything out there needs a cable card or has to be rented from the cable company.

Do I have any options?

I'd say look for a used LG 3410A. But you might have to set the timers manually, as the TV Guide on Screen feature may or may not work with your cable company.

There's a dedicated thread here on it. Somebody there may even be willing to sell you theirs, as many are switching over to TiVo.

I just downgraded my Cablevision Service to Basic Cable. My 2 TV's receive all of the local NY channels in digital and some in HD without any cable box or cable card.

Is there a DVR I can buy that will like my TVs process the cable signal and record digital or HD programming? It seems everything out there needs a cable card or has to be rented from the cable company.

Do I have any options?
If you can stand SDTV, and can find a Philips 3576, that should tune and record any unscrambled analog and digital/HD channels you receive. Click #1 in my signature for more info, and Section 9 has a Google link for some sellers who still have a few 3576's (and up-pricing accordingly)... some Walmarts also still have some in stock but prob. have to have a sales person check stock for all local stores.

I may be selling my 3410a, so let me know if interested.

jcg

I'd say look for a used LG 3410A. But you might have to set the timers manually, as the TV Guide on Screen feature may or may not work with your cable company.

There's a dedicated thread here on it. Somebody there may even be willing to sell you theirs, as many are switching over to TiVo.

I just downgraded my Cablevision Service to Basic Cable. My 2 TV's receive all of the local NY channels in digital and some in HD without any cable box or cable card.

Is there a DVR I can buy that will like my TVs process the cable signal and record digital or HD programming? It seems everything out there needs a cable card or has to be rented from the cable company.

Do I have any options?

If you go used, the LG-3410a mentioned above is an option. Also, you could look at getting a Sony DHG-HDD250 (or 500) on eBay or craigslist.

If you don't mind using a PC/Mac, you could add a QAM tuner and record all of your shows.

For more pricey options, you could check out TivoHD or Moxi. The Tivo won't let you re-map your QAM channels, so unless your cable company puts the QAM channels on their listed channel number, you're limited to manual recordings. What I mean by that is if ABC comes in at something like 6.1 or 93.1, you're screwed. If ABC comes in at 233, then you're OK.

I think the Moxi allows you to re-map the QAM channels to the listings.

I know the Sony allows this and I'm pretty sure the LG does too.

ft

My PC is currently able to record analog. But even if I got a HD card I would still want to watch the shows on the big screen TV. What options are their to do that? Burn the recordings to a DVD or move the PC from the second floor to the first floor and put it next to the TV? And then get a video card that would allow me to connect Video out from the PC to the TV via HDMI? Seems like a pain.

I think this is an option for some people who like to watch stuff on their PCs.

Some of the DVRs mentioned are worth exploring further.

My PC is currently able to record analog. But even if I got a HD card I would still want to watch the shows on the big screen TV. What options are their to do that? Burn the recordings to a DVD or move the PC from the second floor to the first floor and put it next to the TV? And then get a video card that would allow me to connect Video out from the PC to the TV via HDMI? Seems like a pain.

I think this is an option for some people who like to watch stuff on their PCs.

Some of the DVRs mentioned are worth exploring further.

There are tons of options if you go the HTPC/HTMac route.

Of course, you could hook your PC up to your TV, using HDMI/DVI/whatever. This would be the easiest thing to do, but many folks don't like having a big/loud PC in their living room.

So, you could have a smaller PC/Mac in the living room that has USB or PCI tuners. Add a programable remote and some nice front-end software and you're set. If you like Tivo, Nero sells a version of Tivo that installs on a PC.

Another option would be a Media Extender. Lots of these around. I hear good stuff about Popcorn Hour, but there are others. These devices can access your PC and you essentially stream files from the PC to the Extender. On the Mac side, you could use the AppleTV.

Each has their pros and cons, so you have to decide what you need.

If you go used, the LG-3410a mentioned above is an option. Also, you could look at getting a Sony DHG-HDD250 (or 500) on eBay or craigslist.I didn't mention the Sony, because the LG, having the manual clock and timer setting to fall back on, which the Sony doesn't, is a surer thing (at least until or if switched video is put into effect with his locals - which would affect anything with a QAM tuner, regardless. Same with cutting off the analogs, if or when they do that. If he loses them, he loses them, no matter what he's using).

But the Sony could lose it's full functionability even long before that.

I just wouldn't recommend buying one at this point. Only if he can find out definitely if his cable company will keep supplying the analog TVGOS - because no matter what anyone says, the Sony working with only a digital TVGOS signal in all places and under all circumstances is not a definite thing right now.

Re-mapping the QAM channels to the listings wouldn't be an issue if he can't receive the TVGOS signal anyway. But you'd still have to be able to program those channel numbers into the manual timer settings. I don't know how the LG is with that. You'd have to ask over in the 3410A thread. I'm sure they would know.

Sony's DHG-HDD250 is a better choice than LG's 3410A if, as the OP's states, his Morris County, NJ cable provider includes WCBS-TV in his line-up.
http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=13594#station

I get KIRO-TV Seattle via Comcast Cable and my DHG-HDD500's have had no problems with digital TVGOS. I even have a DHG-HDD500 connected to an indoor Terk Antenna Pro and get 3 digital and 7 analog channels from Vancouver, BC, including CIVT-DT which provides OTA digital TVGOS.

OTOH, my 3410A, which can use only analog TVGOS, has been flakey with KCTS-TV, Seattle via Comcast and is likely to lose TVGOS completely after June 12. The only redeeming thing about the 3410A is that, by going into its service menu, its clock can be reset and it can be used without TVGOS.

Read the threads in this Forum on each. Sony will either work great with or be useless without digital TVGOS while LG's quirky recorder can be whupped into working (without TVGOS) if a user wants to fiddle with it.

Both Sony and Moxi can work with a CableCARD but don't have to. TVGOS provides manual channel mapping, as does the new Moxi DVR.

TVGOS can re-order a channel line-up as well as remap channels. LG's older TVGOS is harder to work with if a user wants to re-order a channel line-up.

All of you gave me a great deal of info and help! That's what makes this forum so great!

Now its decisions and more decisions!

I'm still considering chucking cable completely as soon as 6/12 rolls around and I can get a good fix on how my OTA reception will be. Right now it sucks. So part of my decision will be what will work with either basic cable or OTA if I decide to break the tie to cable! Right now I'm thinking OTA will not be viable for me given my reception issues the past 8 months.

No one mentioned the DTVPAL DVR. I'm not sure that is an option if I stick with basic cable or not. I know it is an OTA DVR with some problems reported on this forum.

PAL is the europeand TV resolution standard NTSC is the North American TV resolutio standard. Unless you have line of sight to the Empire State Building I doubt that your OTA digital signals will improve on 6/12 due to changes to some of the frequencies being used for OTA digial.

DTVPAL DVR has nothing to do with "PAL" standards.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1099071

All of you gave me a great deal of info and help! That's what makes this forum so great!

Now its decisions and more decisions!

I'm still considering chucking cable completely as soon as 6/12 rolls around and I can get a good fix on how my OTA reception will be. Right now it sucks. So part of my decision will be what will work with either basic cable or OTA if I decide to break the tie to cable! Right now I'm thinking OTA will not be viable for me given my reception issues the past 8 months.

No one mentioned the DTVPAL DVR. I'm not sure that is an option if I stick with basic cable or not. I know it is an OTA DVR with some problems reported on this forum.

The DTVPal DVR is for OTA and doesn't work with cable at all:
http://dtvpal.com/

Many years ago (before UHF) I used to live in Bernardsville and we got chs. 2-13 with an outdoor antenna with a front element similiar to those on the 'Motorless Antenna' toward the bottom of this link and a rear reflector element:
http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/1340294.html

Your results will vary depending on your elevation, but it's definitely worth giving OTA a shot!

Re-check post #9 which I just edited:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16213485#post16213485

My mistake on DTVPAL.
I grew up close to Chataham and the South Mountain Reservatiion Hills North of Millburn blocked our line of sight to NYC.