Pc Dvr??

[feerlessleadr]

First off, I am not sure if this is the right forum so if this isnt a thousand apologies :)

I am planning on building a very cheap computer to server as a media server to stream my 300-400 divx movies over to my modded xbox so that i have access to all of my movies fairly easily.

This summer I will also be making the switch to HD and have 2 s2 tivos (i single tuner and 1 dual tuner) i plan to continue using both but I did not want to take the plunge and get the s3 dvr (for various reasons).

With a computer dvr would i be able to record HD? I'm assuming that the HD channels would only be available through the digital cable box and not just straight from the coax cable from the wall. Does anyone know for sure? I have cablevision in CT.

If thats possible what kind of components would I need to be able to have a dual tuner PC dvr capable of recording HD programming? and what kind of software would I need XP Media center? where would I get programming info from....I remember there being a thread about it a while ago about if vista would over take tivo, and someone posted two links about programming info and something else, both free.

any info and/or ideas you could give me would be wonderful...THANKS!!! :D

[mick66]

First off, I am not sure if this is the right forum so if this isnt a thousand apologies :)

This is the TiVo Coffee House - TiVo Discussion forum.
Your post has nothing to do with TiVo.

What's there to not be sure about?

[feerlessleadr]

well in my defense there is a whole paragraph devoted to tivo....anywho

since clearly you found my post offensive in some way, im assuming you either are not going to help me or are going to use all your power to get my post deleted/moved/closed

again i put the disclaimer because i honestly didnt know what forum to put it in, so mods if this is in the completely wrong forum can you please move this thread or close it and i will create a new one in the proper forum

and mick again thanks for all your help :up: :up: :up: :up:

[iodarius]

Please look up cnet com's article and video from the last couple of days or so regarding PC DVR and so on.
You will lose HD capability with a computer setup.
CNET tried and failed.
The ubergeeks have spoken from on high.
You will have to use the highest quality cables available, but you will still not be able to get anywhere near HD quality at all.

[iodarius]

Also there is a program for the pc with which you can get 6 streams of video input from satellite. Ubergeeks said it was easy. Easy is relative. Can you use impedance in a sentence? Me neither. I'm sending my tivo to my friend for the upgrades it needs. When I grow up I will know how to jump on the mothers. For now, gotta share the joys of tivo with a very rough er...what were we talking about again?

[juanian]

Don't go to Vista and expect HD quality. The 'content providers' have actually gotten the upper hand on Microsoft and have forced Vista to intentionally degrade HD digital output so it is not as high quality as you would like. (I think this applies to 'protected' content as well as unprotected content.)

P.S. I think the "Happy Hour - General Chit-Chat" area can be used for non-TiVo discussions (like who is being dropped from your favorite TV show or the like) can be discussed. Maybe that is where this thread should be?!?

[mick66]

well in my defense there is a whole paragraph devoted to tivo....anywho

since clearly you found my post offensive in some way, im assuming you either are not going to help me or are going to use all your power to get my post deleted/moved/closed

again i put the disclaimer because i honestly didnt know what forum to put it in, so mods if this is in the completely wrong forum can you please move this thread or close it and i will create a new one in the proper forum

and mick again thanks for all your help :up: :up: :up: :up:

And yet you now know it's not the appropriate forum (you know damn well that saying that you have tivo but want to build your own DVR and then asking questions about building that dvr is not a discussion of anything tivo related at all) and yet you've done nothing to correct the situation ('mods please move' is not how things work here). Instead you sit here in your own ignorance (and defending it no less) waiting for other oblivious members to help you.

[atmuscarella]

Try this forum out: http://forum.byopvr.com/dvr/index.php it's title is "Build Your Own PVR Forum" You should be able to get all your questions answered there.

Good Luck

[timckelley]

Well I think this thread indirectly has to do with TiVo - i.e. he's talking about alternatives to do the same job TiVo could do. The Coffee House has plenty of threads about Replay TV, for example.

Edit: Admittedly, atmuscarella's linked forum specializes more closely to the OP's subject than does even Coffee House.

[Dan203]

This is the TiVo Coffee House - TiVo Discussion forum.
Your post has nothing to do with TiVo.

What's there to not be sure about?

Man sounds like you need to read this thread as well!

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=87115

Dan

[ZeoTiVo]

I did not want to take the plunge and get the s3 dvr (for various reasons).
If thats possible what kind of components would I need to be able to have a dual tuner PC dvr capable of recording HD programming?
since you are starting to get the answer that doing cable company HD on a PC is not going to happen just yet and then you will spend way more than 800$ -
perhaps you can make this Tivo discussion by letting us no why you would not get the S3 for around 600$ that will record HD?

[timckelley]

since you are starting to get the answer that doing cable company HD on a PC is not going to happen just yet and then you will spend way more than 800$ -
perhaps you can make this Tivo discussion by letting us no why you would not get the S3 for around 600$ that will record HD?

Just speculating here, but maybe he also doesn't like the monthly fee involved.

[lessd]

Just speculating here, but maybe he also doesn't like the monthly fee involved.

To avoid $6.95/month is not so much money!! (the OP said he had a TiVo). Using buy.com and taking out their Credit Card you can get a Series 3 delivered for $546. (you can cancel that card later if you want)

With a PC you would still need Cable Cards and the cost of power today (about $0,17/KWH) can also eat up some of the savings.

For just a HD-DVR the PC is no way to go today, the cable co box with $0 cost unlimited warranty and future free upgrades costing $15/month is also hard to beat. I personally like the Series 3 much better for many reasons, that why I have one with Lifetime Service, but all my HD friends use the Cable DVR box.

[kb7sei]

If you want to roll your own, there are a number of good solutions. Myth is what I am using. Note you will need a rather powerful machine to play back HD, recording it is simple, my 386 from years ago could probably get the job done. It's no harder than a file copy. The old XBox does not have the power required, the 360 might, I don't know. I am using a home built Athlon 64 X2 based system for the job.

Doesn't Windows MCE have something basic built in? If you want Windows based stuff, that's a good place to start. The byopvr forum also has some good into, as does avsforum.com.

[timckelley]

To avoid $6.95/month is not so much money!! (the OP said he had a TiVo).True, we're only talking $6.95. It's still enough money that it's deterred me from even getting a series 2 DT. (My two TiVos are lifetimed.)

[ZeoTiVo]

If you want to roll your own, there are a number of good solutions. Myth is what I am using.
the requirement from the OP though was to record HD from the cable company. To do that you need cable cards and the only PC solution I am aware of is some OEMs using Vista and I think those are not available for sale yet. If they are available for sale I am sure they will start at $2,000. Over the Air HD is another story.

Open source solutions will get left in the dust on HD unfortunately as more of the cable and DBS offerings go HD and digital will be problematic without cable cards as you will need to control a set top box. Welcome to the digital lockdown :mad:

[Lazlo123]

('mods please move' is not how things work here).

wait a sec... can we delete and move around our own posts in this community?

[timckelley]

wait a sec... can we delete and move around our own posts in this community?

Nope... you cannot. (Well, you can delete individual posts, but not whole threads, and you can't move them around either.)

[GoHokies!]

Man sounds like you need to read this thread as well!

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=87115

Dan
Dan,

Question on that (I usually don't hang out in the Help Center, so I didn't see the thread that you linked).

I'm guilty as hell of the behavior that you're trying to stop.

However, when you click on the "report post" button, you're given this message:
This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising messages, and problematic (harassment, fighting, or rude) posts.

Are you saying that isn't the case and that redundant and off topic posts can and should be reported by this method? Or are the considered "problematic"?

I'd be glad to do whatever you guys want.

Do you have the capability to merge threads in addition to moving or deleting them? I've noticed that there have been a lot more threads moved out of here recently, and I think that more of the same will help keep all of the forums on track.

Thanks in advance,
Ryan

[TiVo Steve]

First off, I am not sure if this is the right forum so if this isnt a thousand apologies :)

I am planning on building a very cheap computer to server as a media server to stream my 300-400 divx movies over to my modded xbox so that i have access to all of my movies fairly easily.

This summer I will also be making the switch to HD and have 2 s2 tivos (i single tuner and 1 dual tuner) i plan to continue using both but I did not want to take the plunge and get the s3 dvr (for various reasons).

With a computer dvr would i be able to record HD? I'm assuming that the HD channels would only be available through the digital cable box and not just straight from the coax cable from the wall. Does anyone know for sure? I have cablevision in CT.

If thats possible what kind of components would I need to be able to have a dual tuner PC dvr capable of recording HD programming? and what kind of software would I need XP Media center? where would I get programming info from....I remember there being a thread about it a while ago about if vista would over take tivo, and someone posted two links about programming info and something else, both free.

any info and/or ideas you could give me would be wonderful...THANKS!!! :D
HowTO record via 1394/Firewire to WindowsXP now with MCE support.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=403695&page=1&pp=30

A "tuner-less" solution!

[DaveLessnau]

Please look up cnet com's article and video from the last couple of days or so regarding PC DVR and so on.
You will lose HD capability with a computer setup.
CNET tried and failed.
The ubergeeks have spoken from on high.
You will have to use the highest quality cables available, but you will still not be able to get anywhere near HD quality at all.

iodarius: could you provide a link, some navigation hints, or search criteria to find that stuff? I looked but couldn't find anything like it.

[Dan203]

Are you saying that isn't the case and that redundant and off topic posts can and should be reported by this method? Or are the considered "problematic"?

You should only report posts which are off topic and belong in another forum. Redundant posts should just be ignored if you don't care to respond with helpful information. Posting rude comments about using the search button, or reading the FAQ, only breed hostility and lead to fighting.

Dan

[bidger]

Dan is the man! :up:

[feerlessleadr]

And yet you now know it's not the appropriate forum (you know damn well that saying that you have tivo but want to build your own DVR and then asking questions about building that dvr is not a discussion of anything tivo related at all) and yet you've done nothing to correct the situation ('mods please move' is not how things work here). Instead you sit here in your own ignorance (and defending it no less) waiting for other oblivious members to help you.

ahh well i will absolutely take your advice, i am going to move this thread myself....wait for it....wait for it.....

oh wait i cant because im not a mod...hence why i said if a mod felt the need to move it (or delete it) i would have absolutely no problem with that and i apologized...so again thanks for your help.

anyhoo, for those who want to know why i am trying to build a dvr instead of buying another (ive purchased 5 over the last 6 or so years but am only using 2 for myself at the moment) tivo is that i am already going to build a sort of medai server for all of my movies and tv shows and what not and i figured if it could record some HD in the process that would be great.

and as far as OTA HD how would i go about doing that with my cablevision set up....the only tv in my house right now that receives over channel 100 is the one with the digital cable box.....and i was hoping to avoid using the cable company dvr so that i would have the ability to watch the show anywhere in my house over my home network.

and to be honest i am not looking to get a s3 just yet for a few reasons, 1) because early adopters always get screwed somehow (not saying that you have, but there is a good possibility eventually), 2) the price is pretty steep for around 600 at the moment, and quite honestly i really dont want to pay that much more in price when i could just go with the cable company DVR for a fraction of it....yea i know about the clunky interface but i could deal with that if i cant get all of the interoperability features that i want from a pc dvr without having to spend 600 up front then monthly fees for the s3, and finally 3) if all i have to add to my "media server pc" is some sort of handy dandy tuner card and some instructions then why not?

[feerlessleadr]

Try this forum out: http://forum.byopvr.com/dvr/index.php it's title is "Build Your Own PVR Forum" You should be able to get all your questions answered there.

Good Luck

thanks so much, i think thats exactly what im looking for


you rock!!! :up: :up: :up: :up: :up:

[GoHokies!]

You should only report posts which are off topic and belong in another forum. Redundant posts should just be ignored if you don't care to respond with helpful information. Posting rude comments about using the search button, or reading the FAQ, only breed hostility and lead to fighting.

Dan
Thanks for clearing that up - suggest that the language on the "report post" page be changed to reflect this guidance.

[kb7sei]

the requirement from the OP though was to record HD from the cable company. To do that you need cable cards and the only PC solution I am aware of is some OEMs using Vista and I think those are not available for sale yet. If they are available for sale I am sure they will start at $2,000. Over the Air HD is another story.

Open source solutions will get left in the dust on HD unfortunately as more of the cable and DBS offerings go HD and digital will be problematic without cable cards as you will need to control a set top box. Welcome to the digital lockdown :mad:


Well, there is unencrypted QAM on many cable networks for at least locals, but you are correct about other channels. I'm using OTA for my setup. The setup will still be useful for media serving if I get locked out. I'm irritated at the current state of things as well. For now, my DTivos will handle "cable" channels, at SD. HD will be OTA for now. S3 costs too much (upfront, monthly is fine), and doesn't have MRV and such on top of that. That makes it a no-go in my house. The wife would kill me if I spent that and it couldn't work with the existing Tivo network we have. Even if it were receive-only for the SD stuff on the other Tivos, that would be acceptable, but nothing at all won't cut it. Add in the SDV crap the cablecos are pulling, and I'm not interested.

If things keep getting locked down I may have to move to bittorrent for my stuff. At least then I can watch it. And the irritating DRM crap will be removed. Or just not watch at all. I've been watching less and less lately, and I don't really miss it. I could get most everything I want from Blockbuster online and be happy. I don't mind waiting for the few things I care about.