[vincentnyc]

are there any of these devices exist out there? i dont want to pay monthly subscription to either my cable company or tivo for this feature.


i want to record shows while i watch another, or record 2 shows at once. is this possible and does this device exist?

 

[Ripper99]

In Canada you can still buy the ExpressVU 9200 HD which is a dual tuner PVR without a subscription, this same model is the Echostar 921 HD in the U.S...perhaps these can be bought without having to pay monthly fees?


Going this way of course would mean you would have to leave your cable company.

 

[gigaguy]

Maybe you know about the Sony Hi-def DVRs? THey are one tuner though and do high-def recording. THey use the free TVGOS program lisitng service. I have 2 of them, great machines - 500 gigs, record up to 60 hours Hi-def or 400 hours standard, if I remember right. Sony DHG-HDD500 (discontinued but selling like hot cakes on ebay).

there's also a 250gig model.

If you split your cable you can watch one TV program and record another.

(This is a DVD recorder forum tho, these don't use DVDs.)

 

[sivartk]

in the US, they make us bow down to the big corporations (after all they run the country not our government) to get what we want.


I want a DVD Recorder with an ATSC tuner, but no...only in Europe (FreeView Tuner).


Seems you have run into a similar problem.


Might be worth it to just pick up another unit and split your signal.

 

[jtbell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sivartk I want a DVD Recorder with an ATSC tuner, but no...

Just wait until next March, then they'll have to have ATSC tuners (in the U.S.). The companies are just waiting until the last minute to save money. Before March this year, not many 27" TVs had ATSC tuners, now they all do because it's required.

 

[sivartk]

will they? Or will they just decide not to market a DVD Recorder with ATSC Tuner (just sell all old stock) and simply go with the much more costly Blu-Ray/HD DVD recorder with tuner.


I hope that they do release one in march, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[sivartk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vincentnyc are there any of these devices exist out there? i dont want to pay monthly subscription to either my cable company or tivo for this feature. i want to record shows while i watch another, or record 2 shows at once. is this possible and does this device exist?

I haven't seen one with dual tuners, but if you TV has a tuner, you can use that to "watch" and a recorder with a single tuner to record, but recording 2 and watching one is going to be a challenge with just one machine....unless of course you subscribe to a service

 

[mattack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vincentnyc are there any of these devices exist out there? i dont want to pay monthly subscription to either my cable company or tivo for this feature. i want to record shows while i watch another, or record 2 shows at once. is this possible and does this device exist?

Yes, through a loophole, though it's much more than you want to pay most likely.


1) buy a Tivo with lifetime subscription off of eBay

2) buy a Series 3 Tivo (via a special URL at tivo.com)

3) 'transfer' the lifetime to the series 3 for $199.


Now you have a dual tuner recorder that can record OTA HD, digital cable (with cablecards), analog cable, and OTA analog... with no monthly subsciption.


I don't even have an HDTV, but am semi-seriously thinking of doing this, even though it'll take a LONG time for the no-monthly-payments to make "sense".. (I have 2 lifetime Tivos now so I have no monthly payment.)

 

[sivartk]

that's interesting, but you would still shell out $1000 + Tivo from eBay price.


I, too, only use OTA ATSC. I am going to watch for a sub $350 deal on the Sony DHG-HDD250 and live with one tuner. (plus the one in my TV)

 

[Rammitinski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sivartk will they? Or will they just decide not to market a DVD Recorder with ATSC Tuner (just sell all old stock) and simply go with the much more costly Blu-Ray/HD DVD recorder with tuner. I hope that they do release one in march, but I'm not holding my breath.

Or maybe the SD DVR's will have NO tuner at all.

 

[mattack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sivartk that's interesting, but you would still shell out $1000 + Tivo from eBay price.

No, you would be "out" $1000 *TOTAL*.. Err, ok, a bit more, if you also needed to buy a lifetime Tivo..


But as someone with two lifetime tivos and NO HDTV yet, I'm still thinking about this very much. I hope the prices DO go down before the end of the year (and they officially make it so you can buy it ANYWHERE rather than just that site -- they already did make some exceptions right after the release)..


Personally, nowadays, though I would grumble about it, if for some reason my existing Tivos died AND I somehow couldn't get them repaired and couldn't buy used (ebay) tivos with lifetime subscription, I *would* pay a monthly fee.. (and again, I *do* have an XS32 also)


The Tivo UI is *that* good.

 

[jtbell]

For what it's worth, there are processors available that are specifically intended for ATSC-capable DVD recorders:

http://www.lsilogic.com/products/rec.../dmn_8633.html


If for example Panasonic comes out with something like the EH55 but with an ATSC tuner, I'll seriously consider buying one to replace my E85. I watch exclusively OTA digital stations now, so I have to feed my E85 with downrezzed output from my HD DVR when I want to save something on DVD. The only reason I keep the E85 hooked up to the antenna is so I can keep its clock synchronized with the DVR.


I suspect it will be at least another year before HD-DVD or BR recorders become available, and probably another year or two before prices drop to a level that I'd buy at. And of course if the broadcast flag comes to life there won't be much recordable broadcast HD content anyway.

 

[sivartk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtbell For what it's worth, there are processors available that are specifically intended for ATSC-capable DVD recorders: http://www.lsilogic.com/products/rec.../dmn_8633.html If for example Panasonic comes out with something like the EH55 but with an ATSC tuner, I'll seriously consider buying one to replace my E85. I watch exclusively OTA digital stations now, so I have to feed my E85 with downrezzed output from my HD DVR when I want to save something on DVD. The only reason I keep the E85 hooked up to the antenna is so I can keep its clock synchronized with the DVR. I suspect it will be at least another year before HD-DVD or BR recorders become available, and probably another year or two before prices drop to a level that I'd buy at. And of course if the broadcast flag comes to life there won't be much recordable broadcast HD content anyway.

So far the broadcast flag to prevent recording of HD material has been shot down.


As for the processors that can it be used for ATSC, I hope they hurry up and do it since they are already available overseas (with a different Digital tuner, of course)

Panasonic DMR-EX85 . It has a DVB-T tuner (UK's OTA Digital Television.