DirectTivo or Ultimate TV with HDTV? (1 Viewer)

[WaltS]

Is there a receiver capable of HDTV that has the built in Tivo or Ultimate TV? A unit that would record digitally an HDTV signal and then play it back as HDTV would interest me greatly. So far all I've been able to find is HDTV units and regular DirecTivo types.

I just purchased and set up a Toshiba 57HX81 and now see just how horrible the signal is on my analog cable from Time Warner. The decision on what satellite system and equipment is upon me now.

 

[Mike Broadman]

You can check out the various DirecTV receivers by checking out American Satellite (just type that into a search engine and you should hit it, or follow the links from DirecTV's web site). They have High-Def and UltimateTV receivers. However, you can only get Tivo receivers through Tivo themselves (or stores), so check out their web site for that.

Also be aware that they stopped selling DirecTV w/ Tivo receivers. Also, they are launching a new line of Tivo products within the next couple of months (this may have something to do with the lack of DirecTV w/ Tivo receivers).

Where High-Def fits into all this, I'm not really sure. There should be HD w/ UltimateTV boxes on the market.

Yesterday, I replaced by regular satellite box and stand-alone Tivo with a DirecTV/UltimateTV box (not HD). Though I've only used it for one day, I like it a lot better- so IR switching, the ability to record/watch two things without having to worry about multiple video controls to the TV, and the picture does look better.

 

[LarryDavenport]

I posted a similiar thread for a friend (I think it's in Home Theater Basics) and was told there isn't a TIVO or digital recorder capable of recording HDTV yet.

Do a search under my name as a poster and you should find the thread. It was just a couple weeks ago.

 

[DavidDeane]

AFAIK, I don't believe there are any PVR's on the market that do HDTV. ReplayTV doesn't, TiVo doesn't, UltimateTV doesn't. And UltimateTV is a dead product line; Microsoft closed up its UltimateTV development department. I would not be looking for any HDTV support from them any time soon.
A good forum to make inquiries about TiVo is: http://www.tivocommunity.com/ (a spinoff of the AVS Forum) and for HDTV, ReplayTV, and UltimateTV questions, you could try http://avsforum.com/ ....or you could try other forums on this website; this is the TV and HDTV programming forum, not the hardware forum.
I could be wrong, and my info may be out of date, but last I heard, the only consumer medium for recording HDTV was Digital VHS.

 

[DavidDeane]

Also, forgot to add: the reason it is so hard to find DirecTiVo units for sale is that they aren't making them anymore, because later this year they will be offering Series 2 DirecTiVo's (the DirecTiVo equivalent of the Series 2 TiVo standalone). IMO it is worth the wait to get the Series 2: faster processor, more memory, more storage, smaller size, and USB ports (with eventually such things as Ethernet connectors for using a LAN connection, etc.). UltimateTV is, frankly, a brain-dead implementation of the PVR concept, in comparison to TiVo. IMO.

 

[Joseph S]

I use the HiPix PCI HDTV Tuner card to do this.

It works fairly well though 1 hour of recording is approx 4GB of data. The newer software allows you to program via the TitanTV website. (I have not tried this feature)

There is boatloads of info on this at the AVS forum.

 

[Mike Broadman]

UltimateTV is, frankly, a brain-dead implementation of the PVR concept, in comparison to TiVo.

Maybe, but it gets the job done, and until the DirecTV w/ series 2 Tivo comes out and falls in price, it's the only way to get all this functionality for under $200.

 

[WaltS]

Thanks everyone, It seems that the new tivo box is out but no direct tv version yet. I will settle for a direct tv box capable of hdtv decoding and a tivo that will record the normal direct tv signals digitally if and when such a unit is made. The main thing I'm after is simply a unit with component outputs, and the ability to show HDTV. The integrated tivo where signals are stored in their original mpeg data form from the satellite is very intriguing and even if it won't store the HDTV data I'd like to see one with component out and live hd content. It's sad that the tivo 2 still only comes with S-video as its best output.

 

[David Judah]

I was told by a Dish Network representative that one of their new HD decoders due out later this summer will have an HD recorder built in.

I haven't heard anything about a DirecTV HD recorder, but I imagine they will release one as well, so they aren't outdone by their competition.

I don't know how the merger talks fit in to each of their plans, but as the DN rep. told me, they weren't holding their breath, so they are going to release developed products as normal.

DJ

 

[WaltS]

Thats awesome, if it will record the hd signal intact thats the unit I'll be waiting for. I'll deal with the poor picture from time warner until then.

 

[Jeff Bamberger]

Regarding DirecTiVOs:

You can get them now, but more likely only if you are a new DirecTV subscriber.......

What I would do is this, assuming you are new....

Get what you can now and lifetime sub it.....Then, when the Series 2 DirecTiVO is available, get that and only pay a $5/month mirroring fee......