Help Buying a DVR
 

So Im buying a DVR soon but know very little about them (I do know enough to realize that football season is coming in a few months so i gotta get one).Please give info on the best one to get (replaytv, tivo, etc...) I have Comcast Cable and heard they might be coming out with there own brand, should I wait for this?Links to useful websites and previous threads will help as well.

Thanx in advance

youll probably get it much cheaper, if you can get it through your cable service

i got in the the replaytv pricing snafu (unit + lifetime activation for $150) back around christmas.. and I dont know how I lived without this..

I really like the replay..

does tivo even do ethernet yet?

thanx, BTW whats snafu

Check out this thread for how to get a free "learn about TiVo" DVD.

Thanx for the link,Chew.I guess my final question is what does replaytv have that tivo doesnt and vice versa

If you just want something very basic, the DVR put out by Comcast is your cheapest option. Not much functionality but it serves the basic purpose.

If you want a good DVR with lots of functions, go with Replay or TIVO. I prefer Replay myself for cable or digital cable.

Of course the #1 option, is to get DirecTV with DIRECTIVO.

I got my DVR from Time-Warner and have been very happy with it. The nice thing is if something happens to it, they replace it.

Lots of good information here too:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/

I have 2 TiVos... couldn't live without em!

-k
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Thanx guys, my Tivo demo dvd just came today and Ill be watching right after MADTV, of course if I had TIVO or ReplayTV I wouldnt have to wait to watch the demo, then again if I had one of the DVRs I wouldnt be watchin the demo now would I.

I've had my TiVO for about two months now, and I wouldn't want to give it up for anything. I went with it over the cable company's box because of the extra features, and I haven't been disapointed, it's well-worth the money. I haven't watched any "live" TV for over a month :)

Just watched the demo. Wow, Ill be getting mine soon, does replaytv have similar features to the Wishlist, and save to vcr options.

I think another thing to note is the Directv Season Pass for NFL games.

I believe that they are the only place you can get this.

NFL Sunday Ticket it is called.

I have been using the comcast dvr box for about 3 months now and havent had any major issues with it other than the fact that I cant watch one show while taping another. And when networks decide to run shows longer or start them a minute early. But besides that I am happy with it and its only an extra 9 bucks a month.

What box do you have? Explorer 8000? If so, it has 2 tuners so you should be able to watch one thing and record another.


If the wish list is where you can search for a program or actor or something like that, and then record all programs that match, then yes. You can of course save to vcr from a Replay.

There are a couple of DVR's out there at are "TiVo" yet come with free BASIC service. Yes, not near the functionality of the full service ($12.95 month or like $300 for lifetime). But, it might give you the feel for if you would like if before having to pay for the service.

For about $280.00 you can get this Toshiba which is an 80 DVR w/progressive scan DVD player and free basic Tivo. I think I'm going something like this. You can then "upgrade" to the full service by paying $12.95 per month or $300 lifetime if you want.

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.proc...eed.TOS+SDH400

I might consider doing the comcast dvr although I probably wont, as of now I think Im slightly leaning towards ReplayTV although the TIVO demo has made it a very tough decision for me.

I have Direct TV and just recently purchased a Phillips DVR 704

http://www.consumer.philips.com/glob...tId=DSR704R_17

So far I like it alot. It replaced an old direct tv box I had and for $4.99 a month I get the tivo functionality.

I have the Motorola DCT6208 box

That sucks. You know you can always split the cable - run one to the box and another direct to the TV. That way, you can watch one channel (analog only) which recording another.

thanks for that info, im gonna put my technical skills to work this weekend and see if I cant make that happen.

Since you have Comcast, you should call them and ask if they have any of the 2-tuner boxes, like the Explorer 8000 (like my Comcast offers).

This is exactly what I do with my Motorola 6208. I only split the cable once because the Cable box is picky about signal strength. Another plus is that my TV has a much better picture and quicker channel changing than the Cable Box for analog channels.

For those people using a DVR with their cable system. Doesn't the DVR have to come from the cable company in order to have the menu functionality and ability to descramble digital signals? Or do you have to have a cable box and send the signal thru the DVR?

I am with Insight cable and have the Motorola DVR. I hate the fact that I can't watch 1 channel and record another.

No. For one thing, if you only have analog cable (without any cable box), you just plug the cable line right into the TIVO or Replay. If you do use a cable box, then the cable line goes from cable box to DVR to TV. The DVR has a device called a IR blaster which can change the channel of the cable box.

Good info Red Dog.....much appreciated. I did not know the DVR could control the cable box. I was afraid of adding ANOTHER remote. I can hear my wife screaming at me already....ha ha ha