OTA HD Tuner + DVR?

[Comdrpopnfresh]

My mother has an HD monitor, and with the digital-transition date approaching, I'd like to find her something she can buy. She needs a box with an HDTV tuner, DVR capabilities, and an EPG. She doesn't want something with a monthly fee- so Tivo is out...
I hear echostar's tr-50 should be coming out in a month, but is there anything comparable out now, or would it be best to wait?
Any idea on the tenative price of the TR-50?

 

[newnameman]

Tivo + lifetime service?

 

[sivart]

Tivo or TR-50 (when/if released). I have an older Sony HD DVR and hopefully it will work after Feb 2009...but no one is 100% sure at this time.

 

[mshan]

A Mac Mini with an Elgato EyeTV Hybrid or EyeTV 250 Plus would work well, is very stable and simple to use. Refurb Mac Minis are available at the Apple Store and refurb Elgato products are available at http://www.macsales.com.

It obviously would only accept an unencrypted signal, though.

If you yourself have a dual tuner cable box and she has a sufficiently fast internet connection, you could also just let her control the second tuner on your box via a Slingbox Solo.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

She doesn't use cable or satellite, so the Tivo is kind of frivolous. Any OTA dvrs besides the TR-50?
We don't use macs, and if I were to build something, I would do it to keep the price similar to that of a DVR- so I think a mini is out.

 

[newnameman]

You could look for a used Sony DHG-HDD250
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-DHG...Recorder/dp/B00067TYEK