educate me about DVR systems (VCR replacement)

[ftg]

@carnivorousplant

An older TIVO will be analog, and a new cable may very well be digital.

But if it has an external remote control device, then it can switch the cable box (in all probability).

Mine has two remote connectors: the “IR blaster” type that with a IR bulb on the end of a cable that you put in front of the IR sensor on the box and a direct digital connector (like a serial cable) that you connect directly to a suitable digital box. The first is pretty much sure to work in most cases. The latter is more reliable if your box has that capability. (Unfortunately, my DVR does not allow them to be assigned to different tuners. It’s Linux underneath. They are different devs. The tuners really only need to get channel 3 for me. Baah.)

Plus they are DVRs with digital cable card slots now.

[Dewey_Finn]

What I was considering getting was the Tivo Premiere XL, which can store up to 150 hours of HD content (as opposed to the 20 hour limit of my Comcast DVR) and can support a dual-tuner cable card. The problem is that the box costs $500 plus $400 if I go for the lifetime service plan. So $900 to replace my admittedly crappy Comcast DVR. One thing I’d lose, though, is the ability to watch On Demand content.

[carnivorousplant]

@ftg

But if it has an external remote control device, then it can switch the cable box (in all probability).

Ah, I thought by “tuner” you meant that it could use it’s tuner on the cable, by passing the cable box.

[ftg]

@carnivorousplant

Ah, I thought by “tuner” you meant that it could use it’s tuner on the cable, by passing the cable box.

It may or may not. If you are lucky enough to still get significant number of analog channels, then the DVR tuner will actually do more than just sit on one channel. You may also be able to receive digital channels with a suitable DVR and compliant cable company. But that excludes encoded channels like HBO so a cable box is needed. Also, even if you are digitally-bound, some DVRs allow for a digital cable card to be put it so that it can directly decrypt digital channels. If you have satellite, then controlling the box is a must. Note that with a cable or satellite box, it might have outputs (hopefully better than RCA) than can be run to the DVR bypassing the tuner entirely.

With all the various ways of connecting and controlling DVRs, we really can’t cover every possible way of setting up a DVR and still keep the posts smallish.

[Markxxx]

In additon to the above always check the AVS Forums for quesitons like these. They pretty much have the answers for whatever question you could possible have. Be prepared to spend awhile reading though

AVS Forums link

AVS Forums - DVR Forum

[carnivorousplant]

@Markxxx

In additon to the above always check the AVS Forums for quesitons like these.

Thanks for the link!

[Onomatopoeia]

@Dewey_Finn

What I was considering getting was the Tivo Premiere XL, which can store up to 150 hours of HD content (as opposed to the 20 hour limit of my Comcast DVR) and can support a dual-tuner cable card. The problem is that the box costs $500 plus $400 if I go for the lifetime service plan. So $900 to replace my admittedly crappy Comcast DVR. One thing I’d lose, though, is the ability to watch On Demand content.

Not so. Tivo provides access to On Demand.

[Arnold_Winkelried]

@brickbacon

One option, if you don’t need an hd DVR, is to purchase one of the older model DVRs that come with a dvd burner and free lifetime tivo basic service. The tivo basic service is minimal, but may be enough for your needs. You would have to buy one of these DVRs used form ebay since they no longer sell them. Some examples are the Toshiba RS-TX20 and the Pioneer DVR-810HS. Those models will play/burn dvds, come with free lifetime tivo basic, and can be found for around $75 on ebay.

This sounds interesting. How do I take over someone’s lifetime tivo subscription? Do they have to give me their account information (username/password)? Or is the lifetime subscription “built into the box” somehow?

In all cases, you should be able to set up the tivo to control the cable box. They come with a tuner that will change the channels at the appropriate time so long as both units are on.

And I do this by connecting the DVR to my current comcast “digital cable” box, right? So the video signals goes from physical cable (coming in from the wall), to cable box, from cable box to DVR, from DVR to TV?

@Markxxx

In additon to the above always check the AVS Forums for quesitons like these. They pretty much have the answers for whatever question you could possible have. Be prepared to spend awhile reading though

Thanks a bunch, I’ll have to go check out those forums also.

[Nuveena]

@Onomatopoeia

Not so. Tivo provides access to On Demand.

The cable company’s On Demand? On my HD Tivo with cable card, I can download shows for a price from Amazon or Blockbuster, but I don’t see any way to download the cable company’s free On Demand programming. When I wanted to watch the first season of True Blood, I had to go a separate TV that has an older Tivo hooked up to a cable box. For each episode, I would start recording a random hour-long show and use the cable box remote to start playing the On Demand show while the Tivo thought it was recording the random show. I do not know of any way (for free) to watch a show I’ve missed on the Tivo with a cable card. I have Charter cable.