Help me decide to wait for a PVR (1 Viewer)

[WaltS]

I have been wanting to go the PVR route for some years now but have been unwilling to accept the models of the past. Like all of us here I have been awaiting the HDTV capable recorders but am about at the end of my patience and have started looking at getting a stand alone PVR DVD recorder combo without Tivo service.

Does anyone have or recommend a PVR DVD recorder that has component out. I want to and should just wait for the Directivo HDTV units but impatience has drawn me to think about a christmas present to myself and would appreciate any advice.

 

[Stephen Tu]

Geez, you missed out for 4.5 years already and now can't wait for another measly 5 months? What was so unacceptable about previous units? You've just been depriving yourself of a good thing.

None of the PVR/DVD recorder combos are really satisfactory by themselves, IMO. If you have DirecTV, and really can't wait the 5 months, I think your best bet is to get the standard DirecTivo combo now for $99 + $5/month, which will tide you over until the HD version comes out. Supplement with a separate DVD-R if desired.

The combo units just are flawed at this time. The Pioneer Tivo is expensive, has no editing features, and won't have as good picture quality as an integrated PVR due to the reencoding. The Panasonics w/o Tivo have the editing, but have the same PQ issue, plus are a ton harder to program.

 

[Michael Reuben]

plus are a ton harder to program

This I agree with. Nothing I've used beats TiVo for ease of use.

M.

 

[Stephen Tu]

I have a standalone Panasonic (the 80, which has a hard disc), and I haven't found this to be true. Then again, I'm recording from cable, not DirecTV. Perhaps I'd be more dissatisfied if I were starting from a better source

It's still quite good quality, but you can't beat the "perfect" bit-for-bit recording of a digital source that you get with an integrated sat unit. Plus the Dolby Digital 5.1 when available.

 

[Michael Reuben]

you can't beat the "perfect" bit-for-bit recording of a digital source that you get with an integrated sat unit

Don't rub it in.

(NYC apartment dweller; no such source is available.)

M.

 

[WaltS]

I have given alot of thought to just getting the cheap directivo now and just eating the loss when I buy the HD version. The directv site does not give much info about the unit and I was wondering if someone can give me the specs or a link to detailed information. Do any of the units that do direct sattelite recording of the incoming mpeg stream without conversion have component out?

 

[Lew Crippen]

This will probably be the Hughes with 35 hours of storage. It has two tuners so you can record one thing and watch another, or record two programs at the same time, or record one and play back another. It also has an optical audio out—you can record any 5.1 broadcasts and get the 5.1 playback.

If you already have an HD tuner, you can actually use that to watch one channel while the Tive records two more programs. You do have to have three separate lines for this. But the installation will include a multiswitch to provide this even if you have only a 2 LNB dish.

Personally, I’m in no hurry for the HD PVR, as the early indications are that it will only record about eight hours of HD and will cost a lot. It would be handy for some of the other features such as pause and starting in on a program late, catching up during commercials. Even so, I’m going to wait for a better price point than the initial offering.

 

[Stephen Tu]

None of the current DirecTivos have component video out.

Personally, I’m in no hurry for the HD PVR, as the early indications are that it will only record about eight hours of HD and will cost a lot.

It'll probably cost a lot (~$800?), but will store much more than 8 hours. The spec quoted at CEDIA was 250 Gb hard drive, which should be around 28-30 hrs HD.