DVRs

[badseed1980]

I'm sort of idly considering the idea of getting a DVR at some point, since it seems like my old VCR is probably going to be museum material soon. I'm looking for people who have one, and I'd like to know what they see as the pros and cons of the particular hardware and service they have. I've only just realized how little I actually know about these things, even though I've used my parents' TiVo before. Does a DVR service through TiVo or a cable provider actually change available content? Or would I just have the same options I ordinarily have with my digital cable service, but also have ways of recording that stuff? I'm assuming the latter, but am not positive. Does it change my on-demand options, or no? I have no idea about this. Utterly clueless, here. Help? Oh, and yes, I've looked at TiVo and Comcast websites.

Comments

General overview

[meadmaker.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine declared that TiVo will change the way that you watch television. He was right. We bought it so that it could be more intelligent about remembering recording times than we were, but when you get the DVR proactively recording things for you, then you effectively never need to channel surf again. You just go look at what has been recorded and choose something.

That said... the DVR service gives you two things. First, it gives your DVR the current schedule of shows, so that it can know what time to record a given show. Second, it gives the DVR its database of usage trends ("People who like Battlestar Galactica and Dr. Who also tend to like Torchwood.")

Your on demand will still be there, but I'd be surprised if you use it much. You'll always have a library of content stored.

There are DVRs that will allow you to create a DVD of recorded content, but it's not a universal feature. At least, it wasn't when we bought a couple of years ago. So, the VCR does beat it there - the DVR has limited space. Most will purge the DVR-thinks-you'll-like-it shows in order to make room for new ones, and most will also let you specify a retention policy.

[the-gadgetman.livejournal.com]

With either a TiVo or the cables co's DVR you'll be able to record the entire lineup (for TiVo you'll need a series 3 or HD unit and a CableCard from Comcast). TiVo won't get you on-demand content though, you'll need the Comcast one for that.

Generally cable company DVRs get bad reviews in terms of usability, but Comcast is moving to using TiVo's software on their units, so that's becoming moot. Also, the Comcast DVR is probably a rather cheaper option.

[leenah.livejournal.com]

i asked the_gadgetman to drop by w/ a reply if he could.

and, we're all employed by the same organization. we're like family, yeah? :)

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Ah, sweet! So that was how he found me. :)

Comcast DVRs, and how it changes your life.

[mohnkern.livejournal.com]

We have two comcast dual tuner DVRs in our house (don't ask, you wouldn't think there would be four things on at one time we'd want to watch, but there have been those cases).

1. IF you get a comcast DVR, it doesn't increase what's available to watch, but it does allow you to record everything but ON Demand stuff.

2. With DVR and Comcast On Demand it drastically changes the way you watch. Unless it's important to watch it live, we almost always record it, and then zoom through commercials. It's also true since you can be recording one thing while you're watching another (in fact, you can be recording two things while you watch another).

3. My understanding is that the Verizon FIOS DVR actually serves as a "media server" (meaning you can watch something you recorded from any TV in the house, but it does require FIOS, and I haven't looked it it to see how true that is yet.