Why no generic DVRs?

There is at least one.

 

The DTVPal DVR is another: http://www.dtvpal.com/

Although it's made by Dish Network, it's OTA.

 

CNET review of the DTVPal DVR from March this year

 

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Official AVS DTVPal DVR Thread

This 2009 thread has almost 600,000 views, compared to 165,000 views for the 2007 TivoHD thread and 370,000 views for TCF's Drive Upgrade and Expansion FAQ. Many of the posts in the DTVPal DVR thread are about various problems, but the view count shows that there is a lot of interest in a relatively low-cost, feeless DVR.

At release, this product was plagued with stability issues. Dish Network has done an excellent job of making it more stable / usable with firmware updates.

 

Isn't that what Media Center PC is? Get a tuner (I've got the SiliconDust HD Homerun on the way), fire up MC, and you're done. There are actually a multiple of HTPC options out there and it's fairly easy if you don't need CableCARDs. You'll also get more functionality than you currently have with a TiVo if you all want is OTA. Do a Google or Wikipedia search for HTPC.

 

And it's important to note that there is absolutely no clear QAM support for this. If you have basic cable, this is not a DVR for you - it's ATSC only.

 

Since the OP said this thread was about OTA-only units ("why there are no DVRs out there made ONLY for OTA"), a unit's not doing QAM is less than a moot point.

 

Since the Dish/Echostar units have their own digital tuners, they wouldn't need to get a feed off a digital OTA converter box. They even actually record in High Def, if I understand right.

 

It was never released. It became the DTVPal DVR just as the TR-40 became the DTVPal CECB.

 

exactly! every Vista Home Premium or Ultimate machine is a generic DVR if you add a tuner or already have one.. (Vista Business doesn't have the Media Center) Can't get any more generic then that in my book.

Diane

 

The Dish Network DTVPal DVR is the TR-50. TR-50 was the prerelease designation.

Once again, see the Official AVS DTVPal DVR (TR50) thread.

 

As others have mentioned, they decided to call it something else when they created the marketing plan.

A good question is, "Why is there only this one?" (Media Center PCs aren't comparable in price; they may do a lot more, but if all you want is what the DTVPal DVR does, then alternatives to consider would reasonably cost somewhere in the same range.) The answer, I believe, is that these devices simply cost far more than would support a healthy competitive market for them. Normally, volume production reduces costs to a level where enough profit is forthcoming that several suppliers jump into the fray to make offerings. It is not working in this case. Our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. The technology is so costly, and less technologically-costly mitigating alternatives are so plentiful, that there isn't enough money to be made.

 

The DTVPal DVR has no Season Passes, no show based recording, incomplete Guide data, no networking of any sort, clock drift and reliability problems - all for the 'low' price of $250. No thanks - I stick with my 'expensive' $225 (Amazon) TivoHD plus yearly service charge.

 

The Magnavox H2160MW9A is a DVD recorder with a 160 GB HDD; not a DVR but similiar in many ways. The primary differences are that while it has a digital tuner it can only record in standard-def. It doesn't provide an EPG; and can't control a connected STB through an IR emitter.

It has an NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuner so can tune most sources of available TV programming and two line inputs which can be supplied from a cable/OTA STB via either composite or S-video. Muliple scheduled recordings can be programmed manually. A connected outboard source must be tuned manually. (A few do have the capability to change channels automatically from a timer setting.)

The 2160 automatically records a 6 hour long buffer, which survives channel changes from either digital sources or analog sources but not a mixture, any part of which can be edited and turned into a recording. It also can play back either from the buffer or a recording at 0.8 x FF or 1.3 FF with normal pitched audio.

It has a few consistent software glitches which, depending how you use it will either be a non-issue or annoying.

Available from Walmart it's relatively cheap and requires no additional fees! It's also available from Target and other sources.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10104532#ProductDetail

Everything you might want to know about it can be found at AVS Forums:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940657
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1054933

 

The DTVPal DVR is certainly not comparable to a TivoHD. But then, people who don't watch much TV may not care if the DVR periodically misses their shows due to an incorrect clock or program scheduling change.

People who find missed shows unacceptable buy a TiVo.

 

TivoHD is v good to excellent at finding/recording your shows. At virtually everything else it is fair to incredibly poor. Even an old ReplayTV blows it away in 90% of DVR functionality (never mind the ads and DRM). I use my Tivo to record HD cable channels only. The rest of my recordings are via SageTV with 4 tuners. Most shows I offload from the Tivo and process in the background to remove DRM and commercials. I don't understand how people sit there watching ads and more importantly hitting skip 50 times an hour. I freq. start watching and then move to another room (kitchen --> office ---> bedroom). Tivo is near useless doing what is near instantaneous with Replays.

If I miss something, I have to sit around scanning for 5 minutes instead of instantly going to the 23rd minute of a program for example. You people are lucky if you've never experienced anything but a Tivo.

Tivo is the only game in town. Being a one product company, it was forced to sell its sole to content providers. No other company will make the required investment for so little gain. The only hope is that as FIOS gets bigger (it is classed as "cable") the penetration of percentage of households will allow regulation by the government, ie: you are allowed to buy your own receiving equipment and the cable companies must standardize. When that happens, Tivo better change rapidly or be out of business virtually overnite.

Imagine a DVR with Replay navigation and networking, QAM cable card tuners, etc.