I'm looking to pick one up ("24" Thread brought this on). Money is an issue to a degree. I would like quality and reputation, but am not going to pay an arm for it ($400+ maybe?) All I really want out of it is reliabilty, standard DVD playing (I don't have one), ability to record cable programming.

Do these guys have hard drives?

Brand? Model? Price?

Just hit me with some opinions and suggestions.

 

IMO, Go Pioneer

 

My daughter has one. Think she only paid about $150 or so. I have no idea how they work. Also know you get what you pay for so $150 is probably a pretty cheap model.

 

Someone has mentioned to me to do it online, rather then through a store. I guess they were trying to say that a store would have a lesser selection? Any personal experiences here? I'm the most old school 24 year old you'll ever meet, and despise even giving my name out most of the time on the internet, and would prefer buying something off of a sales floor, not a monitor.

 

Always go local on buying things even if you have to pay more, when that "thing" is something you are unsure of - at least if it's broken or doesn't live up to the salesman's promises, you can return it easily and have someone to yell at loudly in the middle of the store so they do something for you

I've looked around at the DVD recorders and decided on one for my computer instead of a home-audio/video unit - I can record from my camcorder in digital (probably possible with high-end home-entertainment units), capture video from VCR tapes, etc. I just can't record shows live from cable easily, which you mention you want.

So, given those options, there is a Sony out there for about $499, and low-end models I've seen are $150 or so - you get what you pay for - if you can afford the better one, get it, you'll be better off.

Also, since you are a "bricks-and-mortar" guy (that's what they call people who like to walk into a real store), go look around for DVD recorders and make sure they either take the cable directly with connectors on the back, or you have a cable box with video/audio output jacks that can be connected to the DVD recorder.

And Pioneer is a good brand too...

art k.

 

Yeah, Pioneer's the way to go. My folks just bought this one:

Thing

It's the Pioneer DVR-510HS if that link doesn't work. It's so easy my technologically-challenged mom can even use it.

If you don't care to actually burn the shows onto DVD and just want to be able to watch at another time then just get a recorder, they're pretty cheap. My cable company even offers their cable boxes with recording capabilities for a dirt cheap rental fee every month.



Link Edited by FTE

 

you could alwasy put an All-in-Wonder video card in your computer, capture it, edit out commercials and burn to DVD. then that also opens the door to convert home VHS/Beta(non digital media) movies to DVD also

 

Yup, but if you have a cable box on the TV, and the video capture card in the PC, and they are in seperate rooms, it's hard to record live TV, especially scrambled channels...

 

That is the way I do it.

My PC is fully integrated into my entertainment center. What's on my PC can be output to TV and surround sound and what's on Cable, Satellite, VHS, camera etc can be input and recorded onto PC then burned to DVD. I got the settings so that I can record four 1.5 hour movies on one 4.7GB DVD-R at better-than-VHS quality. When it's coming off highly compressed satellite transmission you don't need any higher quality setting than that.

Then again a set top unit will let you record from cameras and VHS as well, as long as its not Macrovisioned.

 

wait a couple of months, you can get a dvd-r way cheap. lol, look at cd-rom drives.

 

NNOOOOO....can't do it. The nation's power plants are at risk man!!! (that's about where "24" is plot-wise).

Anyone know anything about these bittorrent websites? Downloads off of the internet...I was under the impression one was having a licensing issue? I have no idea about them, just had someone recommend it though.

 

Don't mention bittorrents around here, that's a very touchy subject...

If you download a DVD from the Internet, it's illegal, plain and simple, here in the USA.

Of course, there are lots of bittorrent sites/trackers/peers in Sweden or some other country without extradition or local laws against software/movie/music pirating...

 

Furball, et al

I have my computer sitting right next to my satellite box. I wan't to do that too. What is required to tie the computer in to an entertainment system?

Just a TV in/out card like this All in Wonder that you speak off?

 

Yup, ATI's stuff works pretty well, there is also a product from Hauppauge that works pretty good too.

Not that it matters in capturing, but the ATI boards tie directly into the video card so watching video doesn't slow down your computer and background tasks do not cause video flicker... at least, the last time I looked at them, who knows what they're doing in the last year or so...

art k.

 

I bought a Sanyo from Wal-Mart for $250. It works great but is a little complicated to program and only uses military time. You have to be very careful with the re-writable disks though, one little scratch and you will have problems. Over all I am happy with it. There are front ports to hook up your camcorder and recording home movies is as easy as pushing the record button. I never use the DVD burner on my computer unless I need to edit video. If you have the money the Pioneer might be a little more user-friendly and probably more durable.