Magnavox/Funai HDD&DVD recorder

[JayGee3]

Wife likes to transfer TV shows from DirecTV DVR to Magnavox HDD, then edit out commercials and burn to a DVD on the same machine. This has been going on for about 7 years, and we are now suffocating in recorded DVD's, with no conceivable place to store any more. My household popularity rating is down about 10 points for refusing to buy more DVD cases. For now, I would like her to to transfer the edited shows from the Magnavox to an external USB HDD, but need a suggestion for hardware and software to index the content on the external HDD and play it on our 2005 Sony Bravia TV. We can input the video to the TV through our Yamaha tuner, but how do we manage the content?

Further down the road, when the Magnavox dies, it would be nice if the same equipment solution could take over transferring from the DirecTV DVR to the external HDD, then editing the content right on the external HDD and adding it to the index for playback to the TV. Any equipment and software recommendations that would perform both functions?

 

[mindless1]

A few random thoughts.

- Indulging her OCD for something like TV shows could just make it worse. For the time being keep her busy converting DVDs to a denser format like H.264. There are also alternate sources for some TV shows so you don't have to DVR them. MUCH less work. Some of these sources are legal and some are not, so I won't go into the specifics.

- I would not make long term plans based on a 2005 TV. If you need hardware anyway and considering its age, now is the time to think about a smart TV.

- As far as an index it depends on what you need. A typical sort of shows could be however you want to do it, say by series or genre or year, placed in appropriate differentiating folders on the external USB drive. Once it's on the USB drive, a smart TV can navigate and play it back.

- I can't help with the equipment to transfer to exHDD or especially edit it except to get a computer involved. There is an option to keep the external HDD connected to a computer and share the content over the lan to a TV. On a computer you also have an option for more custom file indexing and/or search software but I don't know your exact needs. A broad use, high parameter capable search app for windows would be something like "Everything" Search. If you get an Android Smart TV then you could add an Android app to do that, but I can't exactly recommend an Android TV when I just got one that seems to have enough bugs in Android to make it less than good, but each TV manufacturer has their own build so this may vary.

In other words, get a smart TV, see what you find limiting in its features for your needs and go from there. I don't know what a Magnavox HDD is opposed to a normal external USB HDD, but a normal external HDD should work.

 

[JayGee3]

A few random thoughts.

- Indulging her OCD for something like TV shows could just make it worse. For the time being keep her busy converting DVDs to a denser format like H.264. There are also alternate sources for some TV shows so you don't have to DVR them. MUCH less work. Some of these sources are legal and some are not, so I won't go into the specifics.

- I would not make long term plans based on a 2005 TV. If you need hardware anyway and considering its age, now is the time to think about a smart TV.

- As far as an index it depends on what you need. A typical sort of shows could be however you want to do it, say by series or genre or year, placed in appropriate differentiating folders on the external USB drive. Once it's on the USB drive, a smart TV can navigate and play it back.

- I can't help with the "epuipment" to transfer to exHDD or especially edit it except to get a computer involved. There is an option to keep the external HDD connected to a computer and share the content over the lan to a TV. On a computer you also have an option for more custom file indexing and/or search software but I don't know your exact needs. A broad use, high parameter capable search app for windows would be something like "Everything" Search. If you get an Android Smart TV then you could add an Android app to do that, but I can't exactly recommend an Android TV when I just got one that seems to have enough bugs in Android to make it less than good, but each TV manufacturer has their own build so this may vary.

In other words, get a smart TV, see what you find limiting in its features for your needs and go from there. I don't know what a Magnavox HDD is opposed to a normal external USB HDD, but a normal external HDD should work.

Thanks for your thoughts, M1. I needed a starting point, and will look into your suggestions.

 

[JayGee3]

A few random thoughts.

- Indulging her OCD for something like TV shows could just make it worse. For the time being keep her busy converting DVDs to a denser format like H.264. There are also alternate sources for some TV shows so you don't have to DVR them. MUCH less work. Some of these sources are legal and some are not, so I won't go into the specifics.

- I would not make long term plans based on a 2005 TV. If you need hardware anyway and considering its age, now is the time to think about a smart TV.

- As far as an index it depends on what you need. A typical sort of shows could be however you want to do it, say by series or genre or year, placed in appropriate differentiating folders on the external USB drive. Once it's on the USB drive, a smart TV can navigate and play it back.

- I can't help with the "epuipment" to transfer to exHDD or especially edit it except to get a computer involved. There is an option to keep the external HDD connected to a computer and share the content over the lan to a TV. On a computer you also have an option for more custom file indexing and/or search software but I don't know your exact needs. A broad use, high parameter capable search app for windows would be something like "Everything" Search. If you get an Android Smart TV then you could add an Android app to do that, but I can't exactly recommend an Android TV when I just got one that seems to have enough bugs in Android to make it less than good, but each TV manufacturer has their own build so this may vary.

In other words, get a smart TV, see what you find limiting in its features for your needs and go from there. I don't know what a Magnavox HDD is opposed to a normal external USB HDD, but a normal external HDD should work.

So I can avoid it, which smart TV did you buy?

 

[mindless1]

Hisense. And their support sucks too. Since mine doesn't have a hardware defect, rather OS, I can't get a warranty replacement that does anything better.

 

[JayGee3]

Hisense. And their support sucks too. Since mine doesn't have a hardware defect, rather OS, I can't get a warranty replacement that does anything better.

Thanks for the heads-up.