DVR recommendations

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in article d8l36s$hjg$1@bolt.sonic.net, Patty Winter at
patty1@wintertime.com wrote on 6/13/05 4:00 PM:

> In article <BED32FC7.38211%ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net>,
> ANIM8Rfsk <ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net> wrote:
>> in article d8kkki$g2p$1@bolt.sonic.net, Patty Winter at
>> patty1@wintertime.com wrote on 6/13/05 11:52 AM:
>>
>>> I got a Sony DVR/HDD a couple of months ago and have been impressed
>>> with it. It has TV Guide's electronic program guide built in, although
>>> I've only used it once or twice because most of the recording I've done
>>> has been from DirecTV rather than cable. Oh, my model is the HX900.
>>
>> Can you just use it like a VCR without a phone connection if you want?
>
> Not sure what you mean by "if you want." It has no telephone connection
> at all. So if you want a phone connection (I don't know what for), this
> one won't meet your needs.
>
>
> Patty
>

TIVO uses the telephone to call in and get the TV Guide, and the newer
models won't function without it. The DVR box from Cox cable gets it's TV
Guide information from the cable feed itself. You said you've used a TV
Guide electronic program? How does it get it's listings? Any idea? (I
don't want a phone connection; your box sounds like it might just be what
I've been looking for)

 

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ANIM8Rfsk wrote:
> TIVO uses the telephone to call in and get the TV Guide, and the newer
> models won't function without it. The DVR box from Cox cable gets it's TV
> Guide information from the cable feed itself. You said you've used a TV
> Guide electronic program? How does it get it's listings? Any idea? (I
> don't want a phone connection; your box sounds like it might just be what
> I've been looking for)

Don't know how Patty's machine does it, but on my Sharp HDTV, it gets for free the TV
Guide programming listings from ... well, somewhere, as I know I didn't subscribe to
anything, I just set what my area code was. It must be broadcasted for free OTA.
--
"... respect, all good works are not done by only good folk. For here, at the end of all
things, we shall do what needs to be done."
--till next time, Jameson Stalanthas Yu -x- <<poetry.dolphins-cove.com>>

 

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in article d8ll0p$pug$1@gist.usc.edu, ~consul at
consul@INVALIDdolphins-cove.com wrote on 6/13/05 9:04 PM:

> ANIM8Rfsk wrote:
>> TIVO uses the telephone to call in and get the TV Guide, and the newer
>> models won't function without it. The DVR box from Cox cable gets it's TV
>> Guide information from the cable feed itself. You said you've used a TV
>> Guide electronic program? How does it get it's listings? Any idea? (I
>> don't want a phone connection; your box sounds like it might just be what
>> I've been looking for)
>
> Don't know how Patty's machine does it, but on my Sharp HDTV, it gets for free
> the TV
> Guide programming listings from ... well, somewhere, as I know I didn't
> subscribe to
> anything, I just set what my area code was. It must be broadcasted for free
> OTA.

That's interesting. I've downloaded the manual to the Sony from Amazon;
maybe it will tell me something. 🙂

 

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ANIM8Rfsk <ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net> wrote in rec.arts.tv:

> in article 1118627424.115cd6ddc219d3eff29e9a1f9a628a86@teranews,
> Brandy  Alexandre at brandy@kamikaze.orgy wrote on 6/12/05 6:50
> PM:
>
>> I have a Panasonic DVR with a hard drive. They are just like
>> VCRs, inn that you hook them up and use them with whatever TV
>> viewing service you happen to have. They are designed to make
>> the most use of cable service, but it's not necessary. TiVo and
>> Direct TV are NOT the only things out there. Best Buy, in fact,
>> has/had my VCR, though I bought it cheaper through Amazon.
>
> What model do you have? I don't see anything at Amazon that isn't
> a Panasonic DVD recorder with a hard drive seemingly stuck on as
> an afterthought?
>

It's a DMR-E85H. It has a 180mb hard drive in it and in SP stores over
50 hours, and EP over 250. It comes with TV Guide OnScreen for
listings and ease of recording. It's way cool.

--
Brandy  Alexandre®
http/www.swydm.com/?refer=BrandyAlx
Well, would you?

 

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in article 1118711605.0cd5a558b5301ab1921ba835d6872c8e@teranews,
Brandy  Alexandre at brandy@kamikaze.orgy wrote on 6/13/05 6:13 PM:

> ANIM8Rfsk <ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net> wrote in rec.arts.tv:
>
>> in article 1118627424.115cd6ddc219d3eff29e9a1f9a628a86@teranews,
>> Brandy  Alexandre at brandy@kamikaze.orgy wrote on 6/12/05 6:50
>> PM:
>>
>>> I have a Panasonic DVR with a hard drive. They are just like
>>> VCRs, inn that you hook them up and use them with whatever TV
>>> viewing service you happen to have. They are designed to make
>>> the most use of cable service, but it's not necessary. TiVo and
>>> Direct TV are NOT the only things out there. Best Buy, in fact,
>>> has/had my VCR, though I bought it cheaper through Amazon.
>>
>> What model do you have? I don't see anything at Amazon that isn't
>> a Panasonic DVD recorder with a hard drive seemingly stuck on as
>> an afterthought?
>>
>
> It's a DMR-E85H. It has a 180mb hard drive in it and in SP stores over
> 50 hours, and EP over 250. It comes with TV Guide OnScreen for
> listings and ease of recording. It's way cool.

Thanks. Annoyingly, the various horrible reviews about Panasonics at Amazon
say stuff like 'the old ones were much better' -- heavy sigh.

 

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Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu> wrote in rec.arts.tv:

> In article <BED23867.37FB9%ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net>,
> ANIM8Rfsk <ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net> wrote:
>
>> in article 1118627424.115cd6ddc219d3eff29e9a1f9a628a86@teranews,
>> Brandy  Alexandre at brandy@kamikaze.orgy wrote on 6/12/05 6:50
>> PM:
>>
>> > I have a Panasonic DVR with a hard drive. They are just like
>> > VCRs, inn that you hook them up and use them with whatever TV
>> > viewing service you happen to have. They are designed to make
>> > the most use of cable service, but it's not necessary. TiVo
>> > and Direct TV are NOT the only things out there. Best Buy, in
>> > fact, has/had my VCR, though I bought it cheaper through
>> > Amazon.
>>
>> What model do you have? I don't see anything at Amazon that
>> isn't a Panasonic DVD recorder with a hard drive seemingly stuck
>> on as an afterthought?
>
> I think he's talking about Showstopper, which was Panasonic's
> rebranded ReplayTV. They stopped selling them several years ago.
>

No I'm not (and I'm not a he). This is an independent, standalone
machine, not some subscription or dish linked service. Like a VCR,
just with a LOT more space and user-friendly. There are some things I
don't like about it because I didn't research as well as I could have,
but the answer to the main question is, yes, there are real DVRs and
you don't need cable, and they are actually affordable.

--
Brandy  Alexandre®
http/www.swydm.com/?refer=BrandyAlx
Well, would you?

 

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In article <1118711711.30dd69c913fbd11fc7a62113c1b0be00@teranews>, brandy@kamikaze.orgy (BrandyAlexandre) writes:

| This is an independent, standalone
| machine, not some subscription or dish linked service. Like a VCR,
| just with a LOT more space and user-friendly. There are some things I
| don't like about it because I didn't research as well as I could have,

Have you subsequently found a better product? (I have the DMR-E100H
which I guess is also discontinued. I'm generally happy with it, though
it seems to become non-responsive to the remote for seconds to minutes
on occasion. It also lacks an IR output.)

Dan Lanciani
ddl@danlan.*com

 

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Hey everyone, thanks for your inputs. I gotta look around some more, for smething asbasic
as I can. I pretty much just need something with a timer not a lot of razzle dazzle,
but even so, it seems that the cost is going to be $200+. I presume there is nothing on
the low end, like how you can get a DVD player from Hitachi for $69.
--
"... respect, all good works are not done by only good folk. For here, at the end of all
things, we shall do what needs to be done."
--till next time, Jameson Stalanthas Yu -x- <<poetry.dolphins-cove.com>>

 

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In article <BED361D8.3828C%ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net>,
ANIM8Rfsk <ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net> wrote:
>
>TIVO uses the telephone to call in and get the TV Guide, and the newer
>models won't function without it.

Right, but we're talking standalone DVRs, not TiVo. They don't need
to call anywhere. (BTW, does TiVo really get its info from TV Guide?
I guess it has to get it somewhere, but for some reason, I thought it
came from Tribune Media Services, not TV Guide.)

>The DVR box from Cox cable gets it's TV
>Guide information from the cable feed itself. You said you've used a TV
>Guide electronic program? How does it get it's listings?

From whichever station is sending them out in the Bay Area, probably
somewhere on that ever-useful Vertical Blanking Interval. I just need
to turn off the DVR occasionally so it can download the schedule info.
Which, as I mentioned, I've only done a couple of times, because I'm
mostly recording off DirecTV and TV Guide On Screen doesn't work with that.

Here's more info on it: http/www.tvgos.com/.


Patty

 

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in article d8lmmp$pln$1@bolt.sonic.net, Patty Winter at
patty1@wintertime.com wrote on 6/13/05 9:33 PM:

> In article <BED361D8.3828C%ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net>,
> ANIM8Rfsk <ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net> wrote:
>>
>> TIVO uses the telephone to call in and get the TV Guide, and the newer
>> models won't function without it.
>
> Right, but we're talking standalone DVRs, not TiVo. They don't need
> to call anywhere. (BTW, does TiVo really get its info from TV Guide?
> I guess it has to get it somewhere, but for some reason, I thought it
> came from Tribune Media Services, not TV Guide.)

I thought of that as I typed it, but since TV Guide for all intents and
purposes has stopped carrying TV listings, I just use their name as a
generic now. Yes, I'm being petulant.
>
>> The DVR box from Cox cable gets it's TV
>> Guide information from the cable feed itself. You said you've used a TV
>> Guide electronic program? How does it get it's listings?
>
> From whichever station is sending them out in the Bay Area, probably
> somewhere on that ever-useful Vertical Blanking Interval. I just need
> to turn off the DVR occasionally so it can download the schedule info.
> Which, as I mentioned, I've only done a couple of times, because I'm
> mostly recording off DirecTV and TV Guide On Screen doesn't work with that.
>
> Here's more info on it: http/www.tvgos.com/.
>
>
> Patty

Cool, thanks.

 

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In article <1118694707.337396.21590@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
fruitbat <fru1tbat@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Patty Winter wrote:
>> >
>> > Oh, my model is the HX900.
>
>Last time I looked at that model, it was overpriced, by the way, and
>didn't have the features of some of its less-expensive competitors...

Interesting. Anything in particular you recall? I've been very pleased
with it.


Patty

 

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Patty Winter wrote:
> fruitbat wrote:
> >> Patty Winter wrote:
> >> >
> >> > Oh, my model is the HX900.
> >
> > Last time I looked at that model, it was overpriced, by the way,
> > and didn't have the features of some of its less-expensive
> > competitors...
>
> Interesting. Anything in particular you recall? I've been very
> pleased with it.

I may have judged it too harshly, but I was looking specifically for a
unit that had a quick live pause feature and picture-in-picture review
for checking the current recording while watching in chase-play mode.
The Sony also didn't appear to be able to copy titles (i.e. make a
duplicate on the HD so that mistakes in editing wouldn't affect the
original). The reviews said it was generally a very good unit, and it
does have some features that many others lack, but it's also missing
one or two that were important to me.

Then there's the price... Currently, the Panasonic DMR-E95HS (which
seems roughly equivalent) costs $360 at B&H, while the Sony costs
around $550... At Amazon, there's a similar difference ($400 vs $600).
Is it really worth $200 more for the functionality, or is it just the
Sony name?

Jeff

 

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Best bang-for-the-buck *was* probably the LiteOn-5054 from costco.com
for $300. Now gone, it's still useful as a benchmark.

A "media center" PC could also function as a DVR, for a mere $1.5-2K.

m

 

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Fake ID wrote:
> Best bang-for-the-buck *was* probably the LiteOn-5054 from costco.com
> for $300. Now gone, it's still useful as a benchmark.
>
> A "media center" PC could also function as a DVR, for a mere $1.5-2K.
>
> m\


Avoid no-name brands like this. And buying from warehouse stores.
Nothing but trouble.... because you always get what you pay for.

Spend $600 and get the Panasonic with the 40 gHDD AND the DVD burner.

It's quality- because it is a rare find: a device still actually made
in Japan- not China or Malaysia.

 

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GMAN wrote:
> In article <1118788898.303270.260150@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>, "rst" <senninha@ziplip.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >Fake ID wrote:
> >> Best bang-for-the-buck *was* probably the LiteOn-5054 from costco.com
> >> for $300. Now gone, it's still useful as a benchmark.
> >>
> >> A "media center" PC could also function as a DVR, for a mere $1.5-2K.
> >>
> >> m\
> >
> >
> >Avoid no-name brands like this. And buying from warehouse stores.
> >Nothing but trouble.... because you always get what you pay for.
> >
> >Spend $600 and get the Panasonic with the 40 gHDD AND the DVD burner.
> >
> >It's quality- because it is a rare find: a device still actually made
> >in Japan- not China or Malaysia.
> >
> Actually that LiteOn 5045 model is a much more capable unit compared to that
> panasonic model

Nope. Panasonic records on DVD-RAM discs - this thing does not. And
picture quality is superior.
And who ever heard of "LiteOn"??

You get what you pay for.

 

[Gman]

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In article <1118788898.303270.260150@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>, "rst" <senninha@ziplip.com> wrote:
>
>
>Fake ID wrote:
>> Best bang-for-the-buck *was* probably the LiteOn-5054 from costco.com
>> for $300. Now gone, it's still useful as a benchmark.
>>
>> A "media center" PC could also function as a DVR, for a mere $1.5-2K.
>>
>> m\
>
>
>Avoid no-name brands like this. And buying from warehouse stores.
>Nothing but trouble.... because you always get what you pay for.
>
>Spend $600 and get the Panasonic with the 40 gHDD AND the DVD burner.
>
>It's quality- because it is a rare find: a device still actually made
>in Japan- not China or Malaysia.
>
Actually that LiteOn 5045 model is a much more capable unit compared to that
panasonic model

 

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ANIM8Rfsk <ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net> wrote in rec.arts.tv:

> I thought of that as I typed it, but since TV Guide for all
> intents and purposes has stopped carrying TV listings, I just use
> their name as a generic now. Yes, I'm being petulant.

Man, no kidding. I don't use a box with my cable, so I don't get
listings. The TVG OnScreen that comes with the DVR is all I really
have. It's not THAT bad, except that for some reason it thinks my zip
code should have different listings. I finally told it I lived up the
street and now it gets the right ones. 😉

--
Brandy  Alexandre®
http/www.swydm.com/?refer=BrandyAlx
Well, would you?

 

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in article 1118796344.aaf4883b1729413964cd51d07ced7609@teranews,
Brandy  Alexandre at brandy@kamikaze.orgy wrote on 6/14/05 5:45 PM:

> ANIM8Rfsk <ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net> wrote in rec.arts.tv:
>
>> I thought of that as I typed it, but since TV Guide for all
>> intents and purposes has stopped carrying TV listings, I just use
>> their name as a generic now. Yes, I'm being petulant.
>
> Man, no kidding. I don't use a box with my cable, so I don't get
> listings. The TVG OnScreen that comes with the DVR is all I really
> have. It's not THAT bad, except that for some reason it thinks my zip
> code should have different listings. I finally told it I lived up the
> street and now it gets the right ones. 😉

LOL, I had to do that with the YAHOO guide. I couldn't get the right
listings for my house, but when I told it I was my Mom in the next city, I
got mine fine. Go figure. :-D

 

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ANIM8Rfsk <ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net> wrote in rec.arts.tv:

> in article 1118711605.0cd5a558b5301ab1921ba835d6872c8e@teranews,
> Brandy  Alexandre at brandy@kamikaze.orgy wrote on 6/13/05 6:13
> PM:
>
>> ANIM8Rfsk <ANIM8Rfsk@cox.net> wrote in rec.arts.tv:
>>
>>> in article 1118627424.115cd6ddc219d3eff29e9a1f9a628a86@teranews,
>>> Brandy  Alexandre at brandy@kamikaze.orgy wrote on 6/12/05 6:50
>>> PM:
>>>
>>>> I have a Panasonic DVR with a hard drive. They are just like
>>>> VCRs, inn that you hook them up and use them with whatever TV
>>>> viewing service you happen to have. They are designed to make
>>>> the most use of cable service, but it's not necessary. TiVo
>>>> and Direct TV are NOT the only things out there. Best Buy, in
>>>> fact, has/had my VCR, though I bought it cheaper through
>>>> Amazon.
>>>
>>> What model do you have? I don't see anything at Amazon that
>>> isn't a Panasonic DVD recorder with a hard drive seemingly stuck
>>> on as an afterthought?
>>>
>>
>> It's a DMR-E85H. It has a 180mb hard drive in it and in SP
>> stores over 50 hours, and EP over 250. It comes with TV Guide
>> OnScreen for listings and ease of recording. It's way cool.
>
> Thanks. Annoyingly, the various horrible reviews about Panasonics
> at Amazon say stuff like 'the old ones were much better' -- heavy
> sigh.
>
>

I read some those and it sounded like a bunch of geeks who want to be
using the machine for high-end recording and editing. For your basic
viewing and recording, it's perfectly good machine.

--
Brandy  Alexandre®
http/www.swydm.com/?refer=BrandyAlx
Well, would you?

 

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Fake ID wrote:
> rst <senninha@ziplip.com> wrote:
>
> Correction: 5045
>
> > And who ever heard of "LiteOn"??
>
> I had, as makers of a wide array of electronic components.

I've heard of them too, and the impression I had was that they made
cheap poorer-quality electronics. I decided to give them a fair shot
(more or less), though, so I looked up a review or two and went to
their website.

> > You get what you pay for.
>
> Apparently "Panasonic" is worth $300 to you.

CNET says the LiteOn LVW-5045 has a bug that can introduce lip-sync
problems into longer recordings. They also calls its feature set
"hobbled" (for instance, the inability to watch one program while
recording another). Maybe they've addressed these issues with firmware
updates...

I found out on their website that with the 5045, I can record up to 198
hours of video program, and also that the coexistence of the optical
disc drive and HDD doesn't stay for nothing! That doesn't exactly
inspire confidence (whatever it means)...

So yes, "Panasonic" is worth a slight premium, I suppose.

Jeff