My Cablevision DVR is 100000000x better than the crap that Dish Network gave me

something that hasn't been mentioned in this thread that I would like a bit more info on are those HP Digital Entertainment Centers? I have been considering picking up one of these but I have heard nothing about them.

info:

The versatile HP z556 gives you a world of entertainment options — from regular and High-Definition TV broadcasts to movies, music, games, and digital photos. For starters, the z556 lets you pause, rewind, or fast-forward "live" TV, or automatically record every episode of a particular program for later viewing. Triple built-in TV tuners — two standard and one high-def — can save three different shows to the hard drive simultaneously, while you enjoy a fourth program you've already recorded. Capture over-the-air HDTV broadcasts for viewing at your own convenience.

An internal 250GB hard drive can store hours and hours of shows. For even more storage, you can add an optional 160GB HP Personal Media Drive, which slips in and out of an easy-access slot on the z556's front panel. The built-in DVD/CD player/recorder drive lets you archive your favorite shows on recordable DVD discs, and music on blank CDs. You can even burn silkscreen-quality labels right onto the non-playing side of your DVDs and CDs for easy identification.

Connect the z556 to your wireless home network and open up a host of whole-house entertainment possibilities. You could, for example, send music from your PC's hard drive to media streamers in different rooms, while simultaneously watching recorded video in your main TV room. The z556's built-in Wi-Fi® capability lets you set up a new wireless network or link to an existing one. And the large-font menus and simple navigation mean everything's just a few clicks away with the included remote or wireless keyboard



Details:

» component-style chassis matches traditional audio/video gear
» Microsoft Windows XP Media Center 2005 edition
» personal video recording software
» 14-day electronic TV programming guide (requires broadband Internet connection)
» built-in ATSC HDTV tuner (compatible with over-the-air digital and High-Definition broadcasts)
» dual built-in standard NTSC TV tuners (compatible with cable, satellite, or over-the-air TV broadcasts)
» built-in 250GB hard drive
» recordable DVD/CD drive with LightScribe disc labeling technology
» front-panel text display
» built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) capability
» front-panel memory card reader accepts CompactFlash® (Type I & II), IBM Microdrive®, SD (Secure Digital®), MultiMediaCard®, Memory Stick® (including Memory Stick PRO®), SmartMedia®, and xD-Picture™ Cards
» FM tuner with pause and replay capabilities (antenna included)
» wireless keyboard with built-in trackball
» remote control
» 17"W x 4-3/8"H x 16-13/16"D
» warranty: 1 year parts and labor
» Want more peace of mind? Extended Service Plans Available

Connections:

» 1 audio, 3 audio/video (including 3 S-video and 1 front-panel) inputs
» 2 RF inputs for cable/antenna signals
» FM antenna input
» DVI digital video output for compatible TVs
» analog video output, including composite, S-video, component video, and RGB (D-sub 15-pin)
» optical and coaxial digital audio outputs
» analog 7.1-channel audio output
» 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet port
» 2 FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports
• 4-pin front-panel port for digital camcorders
• 6-pin rear-panel port
» 6 high-speed USB ports (including 2 front-panel)

PC Hardware Specs:

» 3.0GHz Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 630 with Hyper-Threading Technology
» 512MB system memory (DDR PC3200 SDRAM) — expandable to 2GB
» max. disc write speeds: 16X DVD+R or DVD-R, 8X DVD+RW or 6X DVD-RW, 40X CD-R, 32X CD-RW
» max. disc read speeds: 16X DVD-ROM, 40X CD-ROM
» nVidia® GeForce™ 6600 graphics card with 128MB video memory
» integrated Intel High Definition Audio chipset with 7.1-channel capability





this thing sounds great on paper but does anyone actually have one? I would easily toss my standalone dvd recorder out of my HT for this if it works great.

$1500?!?

The few reviews I've read have not been good.

I used to fast forward, until I programmed the "fav" button to be a 30 second skip - now, I don't have epileptic seizures while FF'ding.


Just do a search on comcast DVR 30 sec skip - its really easy to do.

Wow. I just did as Doug suggested. Now I see why 30 second skip is so popular. I highly recommend everybody with the Comcast Motorola DVR look into this.

I don't have comcast but my dvr is the motorola. Our cable provider is Insight. I assume the skip would work since the dvr box is likely to be the same. I may look into the skip later this weekend.

Thanks for the suggestion!

It would seem to me the question here is whether the remote is the same. If it isn't, I think you'll have trouble making this happen.

I have insight as well and they just added a fifth speed to the FF options. I'd say it goes twice as fast as my tivo unit.

Get a ReplayTV. While they are getting out of the hardware business, they are still very much supported. You can buy lifetime service for them as well. If you can find a 50xx model, you get automatic commercial advance and IVS (capability to send and receive shows over the Internet, which is VERY useful). Way better than Tivo IMO.

Not necessarily... The 30-second skip feature on the Motorola boxes can be disabled by the provider. Also, if your box is running the Passport Echo software (some markets use that, others use iGuide), it does not support the skip feature.