DVR for OTA

[Coach]

Does anyone know of a good DVR I can use for my OTA HD?

[Gregg Lengling]

Only if you have a Toshiba XXxxx94 series set, the Toshiba Symbio DVR is just super and unlike Tivo and the others there is no on-going monthly fee.

[techboy]

I use a computer with the MIT HD100 video card.  You can record and play from the computer hard drive.  You can also use Windows Media 9 to convert the Mpeg HD files to WM9 HD files which are much smaller.  I get about 2 hours of HDTV onto one 4.7gig DVD with little loss in PQ.  The WM9 codec is about 4 times more efficient than Mpeg.  And the best part is that the software is free from Bill Gates.  If intersted, check out the WM9 HD demos at Microsofts Web site.

[jkane]

Dish makes a model 921 that does OTA HD recording.  The price just droped last month to $550 or something like that.  I'm drooling, but haven't bitten yet.

[cjucoder]

Originally posted by Coach
Does anyone know of a good DVR I can use for my OTA HD?

Coach - Hope you are still listening.  I love my LG LST-3410A DVR and I use it only for OTA DVR.  I purchased a refurb for about $550.  Smooth as silk.  So far in 4 months flawless.  I use it only for OTA, although it has a cable card option.  It is not as "smart" as a tivo (nothing like "season pass"), but the recordings are reliable, HD recordings are as good quality as the live broadcast, and the guide/scheduling system has worked great.  The biggest downer for me is you can't watch a previously recorded program while recording another, and there is only one tuner (so you can only record one program at a time).

[picopir8]

The MyHD-120 and the ATI HDTV Wonder both allow users to pause live TV as well as record programs to the HDD. If you dont want to build an HTPC, then there are also a handfull of set top boxes made by Motorola, LG, and others.

[Gregg Lengling]

Originally posted by Gregg Lengling
Only if you have a Toshiba XXxxx94 series set, the Toshiba Symbio DVR is just super and unlike Tivo and the others there is no on-going monthly fee.

Just wanted to give a heads up on this item so some people aren't confused.  This is not a dual tuner unit so it can't do time shifting and some other items.  However once it is hooked up it always buffers the current program watched up to 1 hour so it does provide pausing, rewinding (and fast forward after pausing or rewinding).

[cjucoder]

Sorry if this is old news, I searched the forums and didn't find a mention of these...

Sony is coming out with some OTA/cable DVRs.  The question is "when?".  Here is a http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00067TYEK/ref=pd_sbs_e_1/002-4184465-5403222?v=glance&s=electronics">250 GB model and there is also a http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00067TYFO/ref=pd_sbs_e_1/002-4184465-5403222?v=glance&s=electronics">500 GB model at Amazon.

...The major thing lacking (IMHO) with my LG DVR is being able to record one show while playing back another previously recorded show.  You only need one tuner to do that (although in my perfect world I would like at least two tuners) yet the LG can't.  According to the above links these Sony's are supposed to be able to do that, but no FireWire for recording out to D-VHS.

[Richard H.]

I  receive all my HD TV OTA. I have the new Jvc HM-DT 100U D-Vhs Digital Recorder. It has built in both digital and analog tuners. It records flawless wide screen HD as well as regular vhs and S-vhs. Check the Crutchfield web site for more info.