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Set-top DVD recorder vs PVR

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dmw16

Diamond Member
I can't decide which to get. Comcast offers an HD PVR for $10/month or I could get a set-top DVD recorder for about $140. Anyone care to comment on which would be a better option?
 
pvr/tivo/htpc are in general better than burning dvd's. I find it convenient to have stuff on a harddisk to watch/move/delete rather than archiving stuff on dvd's
 
I just hate giving comcast more money 🙂

Is it possible to get TV shows off of the PVR if I want to?
 
yes, building a htpc is the route i took, you can burn tv shows on dvd's for sure. I have a big fileserver (1 tb) which is network mouted to my htpc running windows xp media center, that is where I keep all the movies, recorded tv shows etc. With htpc route you can also stream tv using something like orb. It will cost more upfront but there is no monthly subscription or watever. Also you can have 2 tuners so that you can watch 1 channels and record another.
 
Well I have comcast HD cable, and I want to be able to record HD programing....I didnt think a HTPC was an option with that.
 
I am not sure how hackable the comcast dvr's are. I know you can hack the tivo (depending on series) and get the program recorded on it. Its basically recorded in a ccx stream I believe.
 
PVR is so much more useful it's not even worth considering trying to use a DVD recorder. Are you sure the $10/mo is for an HD PVR and not just a regular one?
 
Most DVD recorders do not have good tv guide functionality. They won't follow a show if it moves time slots. They will not ignore repeats. They fill up MUCH quicker, so if you watch more than a couple of shows a week, then you need more than one DVD recorder or to remember to switch discs.

That being said, I use dvd recorders and cancelled my satellite tv. The DVR wasn't worth the extra money to me. Instead of paying $700\year on that, I am building an HTPC (to replace the dvd recorders) for around ~400 that will record all my local shows, and I bought an HDTV decoder to receive all my local channels in high def. After year 1, I'll be saving money like a madman while still getting the programming I want most.
 
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