High Def Recording

[Doug Mohr]

Don't just lay your comment out there with nothing to back it up!  Give us some numbers so we can compare! :p
Along with the miracle $60 ATSC tuner; please build us a whole system; including an antenna (properly grounded), the aforementioned tuner card, motherboard, power supply, OS, software, memory, hard drive and video card w/DIM or component out.
$50 antenna
$60 tuner
$75 MB
$200 memory
$200 hard drive
$74 case & PS
$100 OS
$20 software? (not sure)
$200 video card
$979 total
Now teach anyone but yourself how to use it and add some sort of remote control.  Hopefully it will last a few years...and assume you do this all on your own.

Oh yeah, add an antenna mount, processor and DIM cable.

Building an OAT PC recorder... $1000.

Being able to tell TW to stick it... priceless

Seriously though, I just happened to order a system the other day so I have the prices handy.

Antic Quiet Case & 350W power supply $68
Abit IC7-G $92
Intel Pentium 4 3.0GHz $171
2GB Dual chennel memory $172
WD 400GB SATA II $174
CDRW/DVD RAM, +/- RW, and whatever the hell other types there are $39
MyHD MDP-130 and Daughter card combo $170
XP Pro $119
Meedio $ 70
iMon remote control $25
Shipping  $78

Grand Total $1178. When compared to digital cable which is what? $140/mo? That means you start saving money your ninth month and you have the most coolness points of all your friends plus more if you use the simple link to your home automation system too :rock:

When you friend can connect his iPod to your home theatre and share his work on the big screen, everyone wins! (except maybe him if you have Damon running to copy all his data to your server without introvention (( Letts see what Kenny did on his data last night  :eek:  :eek:  :rock:

Doug       (Now accepting orders )

[StarvingForHDTV]

When compared to digital cable which is what? $140/mo? That means you start saving money your ninth month

I don't think digital cable is quite that expensive.  What is the price for the standard digital package + HD pack + monthly HD-DVR fee?  That's gotta be less than $140

[CrashCamomilli]

I pay 43.95, which is the digipic 1000

that includes the box

A DVR is $10 a month more and, the HD package is $6.95

I would have the DVR, it I didn't have a High-End Computer.  $6.95 for the HD pack is a joke, so from TWC, it would cost

  $43.95
  $10.00
+$6.95
-------------
=$60.90

This is right off my TWC bill

[kevbeck122]

Are you sure you don't have the digital access package, or do you have some discount?  Digipic 1000 is $51.99 a month.. plus $7.95 box... HD DVR service $7.95... HD Package $6.95.. so around $80 a month when you add in taxes and other fees.

Our bill is 120-130ish with Digipic 2000, one box, one cablecard and roadrunner.  I record everything OTA on my HTPC.

[mhz40]

You can go as low as G4 systems or P3s with MyHD/Hipix/DVICO for much cheaper, but...

Here's a nice new system that a chimp could run:
MacMini Core Duo - $799 (Remote Included) (Core Solo $599)
EyeTV 500 Refurb - $199 (Addl Remote and FW Cable Included) or $60 ATSC tuner (Add up to 3 EyeTVs or as many tuners as you wish)
ZHDTV1Z Antenna - $20
DVI Cable - Bluejeans or Ebay (Same situation with Cable)

Add addl HD storage via USB2/FW/Gigabit Ethernet as you please. All can be transferred to other HD or D-VHS. Plus, you own it and can sell it and upgrade as you please.

or

D-VHS for $400 or less and ST-182 BQ S-Video tapes from Tapewarehouse.com.

I was closer than I thought...
So a grand gets you how many hours of storage on the Mac?

[Joseph S]

With a core solo and some shopping you could get 400-580GB, plus the ability to edit out commercials, offload, etc. With the Duo you get 80GB and for $115 per 320GB thereafter. Not bad for a new machine. If you go G4, you could have 1.5+TB or so storage/recording.

[CrashCamomilli]

Are you sure you don't have the digital access package, or do you have some discount?  Digipic 1000 is $51.99 a month.. plus $7.95 box... HD DVR service $7.95... HD Package $6.95.. so around $80 a month when you add in taxes and other fees.

Our bill is 120-130ish with Digipic 2000, one box, one cablecard and roadrunner.  I record everything OTA on my HTPC.

Do you have permium Channels, or anything?

I'll have to get the scoop from the little lady when she comes home

[kevbeck122]

Yeah.. digipic 2000 is $71.99 and includes 2 premiums and the associated premiums on demand.  It also drops the price of Road Runner to $40 a month.

[HiDefDon]

Unless of course you want cable channels, ...

If you want cable channels, then you definitely should get cable.  

With PCs and tuner cards, my wife and I watch way more TV than necessary -- all OTA, all HiDef, and all commercial free.  There are many evenings when 2 PCs are busy recording OTA HTDV while we are watching previously recorded HD shows in the TV room.  By planning ahead and scheduling the recordings we always have a backlog of HiDef material to watch.  Cable/Satellite is the way to go if you need it for live sports or you really need to see more recently released movies.  We don't have a problem waiting ~3 years for movies to show up on OTA HDTV.  We recently enjoyed movies such as Panic Room, Terminator 3, Daddy Day Car, etc.  I use HDTVtoMPEG2 to edit commercials and have two sets of antennas in the attic.  I am still using a UHF antenna which was purchased in 1975!   It takes some time and effort to set up antennas but once set up they last a long time, especially in the attic.   I got one HDTV recorder just by adding a tuner card to the main PC we use for our finances and internet access.  One PC is in the den where it is used to play music (MP3s, CDs) and HDTV on our 52" RPTV.  I just finished building another PC for the master bedroom which will be used to play MP3s, CDs, and HDTV on the 50" plasma TV.  I would rather spend my $'s on these toys and not the $50 - $90 per month for cable/Satellite.  Also, PCs provide flexibility for  other things such as games and viewing digital photos.
DonP