Want to finally dump the VCRs and get a DVR w/harddrive etc. and the ability to burn out to disc - but one question I have not found an answer to....all the adds for DirecTV DVR talk about signing up for a service (like 5.99/mo) - what exactly is that for? Can't I just use it like a VCR? Is the "service" like Tivo where you can tell it to find all the movies with a certain actor in it type stuff?

Can I still use a DVR without the service? No, $5.99 won't break the bank, just no sense paying for some gimmick I do not need or want.

I just want to better understand how they work. Thanks I appreciate any info you have.

 

If you can find a Tivo Series 1, you can use that without a service. It will work just like a VCR.

I believe the Tivo Series 2 can be run without paying for a service but you only get a couple days of guide data or something.

The basic pay service for all of these DVRs is the guide data.

I dunno if D* will let you get a DVR without paying for the service.

 

You could use a highend PC to do all the capturing. TiVos and the cable/dish companies all charge a fee.

 

If you're getting the DVR from DirecTV or cable means you're paying the $5.99/mo. So unless you use a PC or mod an older TiVo... you're paying.

FWIW, we have the HD-DVR through our cable company and we love it. We have shows scheduled to be recorded, tons of stuff we just grabbed, etc. Last night we watched Monday's 24 and we watched it in HD and fast-forwarded through all of the commercials. It was awesome.

 

I have a couple series 1 tivo's that I used as VCR's when the first came out...

It was pretty much a waste. There's very little point, IMO, to a DVR without all the extras offered by the subscription.

Ever since TimeWarner (Scientific Atlanta) came out with the first HD DVR, my TiVo's have sat in boxes.

 

I guess I do not understand or know about "the extras".


The DVRs for sale at best buy or wherever - what do people do with them once they get home? Plug them into what and how do they work. Forget about getting them via cable company or Satellite company.

Currently I set my Dish to tune to channel whatever at a specific time.
I then set my VCR to record at that same time.
My show is taped.

How will this same activity occur when you have DVR?

 

You tell it to record "Battlestar Galactica" and it figures out what time and channel its on. You can all tell it to pick only the new episodes and skip the reruns.

 

You can do stuff like series managers with the DVR, so you can set it to record the first showing of a series, or all showings, you can choose the channels you want the show to record (for example, if I wanted to record, say, King of the Hill, it will record it on Fox, or I can have it record it on any channel, so re-runs on FX are also picked up). A VCR can't do that...all the VCR does is record it when you tell it to.

FYI, with the DVR you don't have to set the channel either. Once you set it up as mentioned above, you can be on any channel and it records. If we're not home and the box is off, it still records. In fact, I can record two shows at once if I want to. So if the wife wants to record The OC Thursday at 8pm, I want to record My Name Is Earl Thursday at 8pm, but I want to watch the Barrett-Jackson Auto auction this week I just let the DVR record both shows at the same time and I go into the bedroom and watch the auction. Once one of the recordings end I can then use that tuner to watch TV while the remaining half-hour of the OC records and I don't mess anything up.

Best $6/mo I've ever spent on a cable service.

 

hmmm..I think in order to tape 2 shows at once I would need to add another dish right - or get a different setup? Right now with my Direct I cannot watch one show and tape another - dish must be set to the right channel.

Ok, I am sold and convinced of the worthiness of the $5.99 - now just wondering how I can do it - is that a Tuner thing or do I need multiple dishes in order to tape multiple shows? Does anyone here have DT that can tell me their setup?

I appreciate the replies - this is good stuff.

 

I can record two shows at once with DirecTV. You must have an old DVR.

You need to have two lines run into the back of the DVR from DTV to record multiple shows. Perhaps your installer only ran one line and your unit is capable of multiple recordings. I'd investigate.

 

So I would need 4 wires coming off my dish? Or two? Don't have a DVR yet - still in VCR land. What is # of cables I should have coming off of my dish and going into my DTV box? RIght now their is one into DTV box and one out to my VCR.

Did the guy screw me years ago and not do it right?

 

I'm not sure about DirectTV.... so I'll need to wait for Scrib to reply again on that.

For cable, we don't need anything special. The HD-DVR has two built in tuners that run off of the one coax cable. So I can do any combination of things using those two tuners. If I'm not recording anything, I can use Picture-In-Picture and watch two different channels. If I'm recording one show at that time I can record that show in the background, and just watch TV like normal. Or, I can use both tuners to record 2 different channels at the same time. Obviously if this is happening I can't change channels since both tuners are being used, so this happens rarely... either when we're not home, or one of us isn't home but we both want to watch both shows... so I go into another room to watch TV until one of the recordings is over and frees up that tuner.

 

DirecTV DVRs do not split the signal inside the box, like cable DVRs, so you need two lines run off the DTV LNB, directly into your future DVR. It's no big deal to have an installer run an additional line. The two lines go into "Sat 1" and "Sat 2" in the back of the DVR box. You can still run aline off your DVR to a VCR, etc.

If you purchased DTV service without a DVR, then there was no reason for the installer to run the second line. But again, if you decide to upgrade to a DTV DVR (which I highly recommend), then just have an installer come out and do it.

Good luck.

 

DVR rocks....

 

I have not gone out and verified - but here is what I think I have - I must have 2 lines coming off dish - cause one currently feeds the upstairs TV and the other feeds the downstairs TV. Can I run another pair of wires off the dish then? Do I need to buy a different LNB - one with more "ports"? Right now I just have one single LNB at my dish - is that only capabale of having two wires max - or can I get the ladder out and run 2 more off of it?

 

What viewing area are you in; i.e. what city do your local channels come through?

The reason I ask is DTV is already transitioning to a new compression standard; mpeg4 (currently mpeg2), which will ultimately require everyone to move to a new dish.

DTV is rolling these out by city populations. Depending on where you are, you may be eligible to get the new dish. I should note that you're note requireed to immediately move over. The main reason for the switch is to be able to broadcast local HD channels across the CONUS. Ultimately, everything will be moved to mpeg 4, but currently the only channels in mpeg4 are the local HDs. The new dishes can handle both mpeg2 and mpeg4 feeds.

But ya, you'll either need to get another LNB installed or use a multi-switch. IMHO, I would be calling DTV and see what your options are. If you can get the new 5LNB dish installed, do that and get a DVR. Why not move up to HD while you're at it???

 

NY is where my locals come from.

Multi switch as in split the signal after it comes down from the dish but before going into box?

 

Scrib,

Does your DVR have ability to burn to disc or just has the 70 or 80 hour hard drive? How do you watch a movie in other room that you recorded in another room?

 

No DVR capabilities. Although you can hack the DTV TiVos so you can send the data over to a PC and burn.

And you can't want movies in another room. Short of running a line off the DVR (line a VCR) and run that into the room you want, there's no other way.

 

100% agree - I am more than willing to pay the $5/month for this service. You are essentially buying time and my time is worth much more than the $5 fee.

I can rip through football games in 1.25 hrs on average, if I am pretty aggressive with the FFWD button. My FFWD button kips ahead 30 sec, which is PERFECT for football. But turning 1 hour shows into 40 min shows is a beautiful thing.

 

The only way I came up with to burn something would be to get a DVD burner, then plug the DVR into the input of the burner, and record. Not sure if it would work, but that was all I could come up with.

Otherwise, there's no way to watch what you recorded in a different location short of disconnecting the box and moving it to another TV.....

 

hold on - there are DVR's with Harddrives AND a DVD writer...why not get one of those? Otherwise what is the point - If I record (forcing myself to no longer use the word "Tape") something upstairs I have to then watch it there? Dumb. Plus a lot of times my in-laws may want to watch somethign we recorded from PPV - oh sorry, you have to come over and sit in my bedroom and watch it - c'mon that is lame.

They have burners built into some of these things. I know I have seen it.

 

Tivo with built in burner.