It is only until March 2009 that you will be unable to do that. Is this right? One should wait until then to buy a digital tuner model(the ones that panny,sony,samsung etc are pushing now on the shelves. My gosh by then the prices of the extant digital tuner models should be very much less. Correct me if wrong. Of course if you only record off only cable and/ or sat, it does not make or mean sh##. You do not need a digital tuner DVDR.

While I agree ATSC tuners in todays DVD recorders are not up to the task because of poor implementation/integration (disappearing channels, repeated channel scans, no HD passthrough), I have to disagree that you should definitively wait until the 2009 switchover. In many cases for OTA or even if you have basic analog cable, the ATSC/QAM digital channel equivalents are generally superior in reception (e.g., no weak signal snow or analog interference) and picture quality to their analog counterparts and therefore provide a better source program for recording even at 480i (as you know from personal experience HG from recording your Hi-Def channels off cable/satellite). Furthermore, with the OTA or QAM digital channels you are able to receive the many local subchannels (eg our local PBS station has six digital subchannels each with different programming). So my position is, yes, wait until the manufacturers have worked out the bugs of ATSC/QAM tuner integration with DVD recorders then get an ATSC tuner DVD recorder or a standalone ATSC/QAM tuner (which are currently expensive, unless you get a 480i model, with relatively few models to choose from overall) or even an analog output feed from your HDTV's digital tuner (only a few TV's have this) because even with OTA or analog only cable subscribers there is a lot of pristine digitial content you would be missing out on if you wait until 2009 to get a digital tuner as a source.

The tuner in my Panasonic EZ-17K seems to be very much up to the task.

I have not experienced disappearing channels, repeated channel scanning, or the so-called "freezing" that others report with the 2007 Panasonic DVDRs. Although it does not pass HD signals, that is not the purpose of the recorder, since it only records in SD 480i.

You Can Still Record Over The Air HD On Your 2006 or Before DVDRs

Well, yeah. Pre-2007 DVDRs don't include ATSC tuners so they can't record digital TV directly, whether SD or HD. However, they can record digital SD and (downrezzed) HD from an external tuner via the line inputs, as many of us do with excellent results.

It is only until March 2009 that you will be unable to do that. Is this right?

The analog shutdown won't change this.

The tuner in my Panasonic EZ-17K seems to be very much up to the task.

I have not experienced disappearing channels, repeated channel scanning, or the so-called "freezing" that others report with the 2007 Panasonic DVDRs. Although it does not pass HD signals, that is not the purpose of the recorder, since it only records in SD 480i.

I guess the disappointing thing is that there doesn't appear to be a DVD recorder with a digital tuner and HDD that quite hits the mark (Panny is not releasing any in the US and the Philips model has flaws).

Regarding HD passthrough of the digital tuner content, I realize this is not the main purpose of the DVD recorder but it sure is convenient if you have an HD monitor or projector that does not have a built in ATSC/QAM tuner because it would obviate the need to have a separate digtal tuner box.

I hear you Vic.

Sorry if we are coming in late to the thread. So if someone was wanting to purchase a new DVD recorder right now with a new off air digitial tuner built in and with a hard drive what optons do we have? The reports that I am seeing on the Phillips model DVDR3575H and the DVDR3455H are not sounding real promising.

Thanks, Steve

It is only until March 2009 that you will be unable to do that. Is this right? One should wait until then to buy a digital tuner model(the ones that panny,sony,samsung etc are pushing now on the shelves. My gosh by then the prices of the extant digital tuner models should be very much less. Correct me if wrong. Of course if you only record off only cable and/ or sat, it does not make or mean sh##. You do not need a digital tuner DVDR.

Well not necessarily. Some of the basic cable channels (SD/HD) are Clear-QAM, so a digital tuner in a dvd recorder can still be handy. Also the same channels (or at least the very basic ones) will probably continue on analog cable for longer than 2009, so an analog tuner can also be handy. Of course neither one is as flexible as now where an analog tuner can record all standard cable channels. But with digital the unencrypted HD channels maybe a bonus for cable subscribers with digital tuners.

I agree with ncaahoops. I have basic cable from Mediacon. But they pass through local HD's and their music channels unencrypted. My TV also has a ATSC/QAM tuner, so I like the digital tuner in my Phillips 3575. The only way I'll ever buy a STB is if they start encrypting the stuff. Up until 6 or 8 months ago, the pay-per-view channels were unencrypted. I could watch the movies people were paying to get. The only downside was if they paused, it paused for me too. There were some interesting programs people ordered late Friday or Saturday nights . . .

Up until 6 or 8 months ago, the pay-per-view channels were unencrypted. I could watch the movies people were paying to get. The only downside was if they paused, it paused for me too. There were some interesting programs people ordered late Friday or Saturday nights . . .
Just because I'm in a nit-picking mood ...

What you are describing is Video On Demand, not Pay-Per-View. With PPV, you can't pause/rewind, etc. PPV comes on at a certain time and is typically encrypted.

Just a quick question. What happened 6 to 8 months ago that you can't get the VOD channels? Did they start encrypting them? If so, that sucks. I really like watching the VOD streams that my "neighbors" order. I'll catch a few scenes of a movie and if it's good, I'll go rent it at Blockbuster. I saw about 5 minutes of Deja Vu in HD. We're going to rent the DVD as soon as we have some free time.

I think unencrypted VOD is a good way to preview movies ... for me.

And I totally agree with you on the pause/stop/ff deal. It's so aggrivating when you really get into the movie and it pauses (presumably, I have a larger bladder than my neighbor). It really kills the excitement to the point where I don't bother trying to watch the whole thing. Just a preview.

ft

Just because I'm in a nit-picking mood ...

What you are describing is Video On Demand, not Pay-Per-View. With PPV, you can't pause/rewind, etc. PPV comes on at a certain time and is typically encrypted.

Just a quick question. What happened 6 to 8 months ago that you can't get the VOD channels? Did they start encrypting them? If so, that sucks. I really like watching the VOD streams that my "neighbors" order. I'll catch a few scenes of a movie and if it's good, I'll go rent it at Blockbuster. I saw about 5 minutes of Deja Vu in HD. We're going to rent the DVD as soon as we have some free time.

I think unencrypted VOD is a good way to preview movies ... for me.

And I totally agree with you on the pause/stop/ff deal. It's so aggrivating when you really get into the movie and it pauses (presumably, I have a larger bladder than my neighbor). It really kills the excitement to the point where I don't bother trying to watch the whole thing. Just a preview.

ft

Thanks, you exposed my ignorance of cable TV jargon :D I've never actually ordered a pay-per-view or VOD. I prefer to rent.

But yeah, I got my TV in December 2006 and discovered all these 'hidden' channels, VOD and such. On a given Friday or Saturday, there could be 20 or 30 movies playing. Many were duplicates though. Then in April or so, the channels were just blank, and wouldn't show after a rescan. The buzz on the Des Moines forum here was they started to encrypt. Like you say, I liked getting a 'preview' of the movies. Too many times we watched for 1 hr and for some reason the orderer stopped the movie! He probably new what was going on and was trying to mess with freeloaders! I did watch a few movies that I wouldn't have paid anything for (Employee of the Month).

Can someone here give me a report on the new Phillips model DVDR3575H recorder please? We are comparing it to the other two Phillips models out and the several Panasonic models. Would like to know how the digitial tuners compare.
Thanks, Steve