On the verge of meltdown ... and buying a DVR

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 2:14 pm

Boys:
 
 I´m still in the Stone Age, using a VCR to tape programs on digital cable.
 
 So I go to Staples earlier this week and buy a four-pack of tapes so I can tape the entire World Rally marathon today on Speed. I set the VCR last night, remind my wife that the kids can´t watch the downstairs TV because I´m taping. I can only tape the channel the digital box is on with this excellent VCR, which Jackdog and his family graciously gave me!
 
 Anyways, taping started at 7 a.m. today. I go downstairs this morning about 10:20 a.m. just to see that the VCR is running, and it is whirring along just fine. I figure, "Hell, why not watch some of Rally New Zealand over coffee?" so I flip on the TV.
 
 I hear kid clown sounds. Must be a commercial, I thought. But Speed doesn´t show kid-oriented commercials!
 
 I look at the channel indicator on the digital cable box. STOP. FREEZE FRAME. SHOCK. HORROR. DISGUST.
 
 My wife let the kids watch Disney Channel this morning, so my VCR was recording the f*cking Wiggles and instead of Tommi, Marcus, Petter and the gang slicing through the Swedish slush.
 
 F*CK. The whole plan is ruined.
 
 Well, now I´m just taping my boy Petter Solberg´s four victories for me, and six hours of random action for a dear friend of mine from high school whom I´ve turned on to the WRC. He lives in West Virginia now and doesn´t even have cable.
 
 Oh, and I´m also leaning toward taking $60 of my slush fund and ponying up for a year´s worth of DVR when I get Dish Network. Today is the first day I´ve seen even a sliver of merit for a DVR.
 
 F*cking up my World Rally taping orgy was an honest mistake by the frau, so I didn´t blow a gasket toward her other than expressing stern, yet measured, disappointment. But I´m seething inside.
 
 With apologies to Billy Corgan, despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a low-tech cage.
 
 Take care,
 PK [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 01-01-2004 10:17 ]

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 2:29 pm

What´s a DVR ?
 
 I bought a DVD recorder over Xmas (Panasonic EBR-50), and I can now safely consign my VHS to the attic.
 
 The best thing out over in the UK is Sky+, which is a TiVO like box, with a 20hr HD capacity. From what I´ve heard of TiVO, this thing way outclasses it..

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 2:55 pm

Dave:
 
 DVR is a digital video recorder, the same thing as TiVo. It´s the generic name, sort of like facial tissue is to Kleenex or foam insulating material is to Styrofoam.
 
 Take care,
 PK

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 3:35 pm

PK - If it´s anything like Sky+, then I´d go for it. These things revolutionise your viewing habits, particularly if they can do things like automatically linking series together. Once you can record one sat channel and watch another, those x million channels finally seem worth it.

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 4:53 pm

pk,
 You need a Tivo. I just bought one from Amazon, a 40 hour unit for $215.00, which is a great price since these units usually go for $299. They ship it free, too.<A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846" TARGET="_blank">Look here.</A>

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 5:05 pm

You can get em with your Dish Satalite too...aren´t you looking to upgrade to that eventually PK? If so, you can probably get one thrown into a 2 or 3 room package for maybe 100 bucks. That´s what I had to do with DirecTV anyway.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 5:50 pm

I´m curiouis about the Dish DVR too. Like PK said a while ago Dish is much cheaper and when I reassess my Sattallite plans in a for months I would like to go the Dish route but I don´t want to spend $300 on tivo if the Dish DVR is crap.
 
 Anyone have the Dish DVR and have any impressions.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 6:12 pm

Yeah, I´m just going the straight DVR route -- no TiVo. No way I´m paying extra so some computer can set my DVR -- I can do that manually.
 
 I´m probably going with the DVR for $5 extra per month when I get Dish Network. Yeah, yeah, it´s not TiVo equipped, but I don´t care. I can set everything manually. That´s not a problem.
 
 I don´t watch a ton of TV, but there are certain things I don´t want to miss, like the damn World Rally Marathon all day.
 
 I´ll tell ya, the DVD-recorder, hard-disc recorder combo units by Panasonic look groovy. You can record stuff on your hard drive and then record it to DVD permanently. That would be ideal for something like the World Rally Marathon today.
 
 Yeah, the units aren´t TiVo-ized, but again, that doesn´t bother me. I can set the unit when I want it to record.
 
 Take care,
 PK [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 01-01-2004 14:14 ]

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 9:12 pm

PK,
 
 The "PVR" as Dish calls it, is exactly the same as the "DVR" on DirecTV...they just have a different interface. Functionally they are exactly the same, including the 5 dollar a month charge.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 1:35 am

About the Sky DVR, Direct TV customers may find out what that´s about as there´s some speculation that Murdoch may boot Tivo and go with the DVR made by NDS, which is a company he owns.
 
 As for PK´s dilemma, a satellite DVR may not necessarily have prevented the taping of the wrong channel. If you have a recording scheduled at 8 PM on channel 10 and someone happened to be watching channel 20 at the time, Tivo will ask if it can switch channels. I´m not sure what the default behavior is if you don´t answer either way.
 
 As for the Dish DVR, make sure to get the model with dual-tuners. I think some of their older models only have a single tuner. And you probably want to get an integrated satellite receiver/DVR unit so that you don´t have to mess with an IR blaster (if you bought a Tivo or Replay at the store and used it with a cable box or a satellite box, that´s the setup you´d have).
 
 I´m not sure how the Dish DVR is set up but I would guess it offers more options than recording a specific channel at a specific time. It may not have Season Passes like Tivo but it should be more intelligent than VCR programming.
 
 Oh and Direct Tivo through Direct TV is $5 a month (compared to $12.95/month for the stand alone Tivo boxes).

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:27 am

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-01-01 14:12, pk500 wrote:
 Yeah, I´m just going the straight DVR route -- no TiVo. No way I´m paying extra so some computer can set my DVR -- I can do that manually.
 
 I´m probably going with the DVR for $5 extra per month when I get Dish Network. Yeah, yeah, it´s not TiVo equipped, but I don´t care. I can set everything manually. That´s not a problem.
 
 I don´t watch a ton of TV, but there are certain things I don´t want to miss, like the damn World Rally Marathon all day.
 
 I´ll tell ya, the DVD-recorder, hard-disc recorder combo units by Panasonic look groovy. You can record stuff on your hard drive and then record it to DVD permanently. That would be ideal for something like the World Rally Marathon today.
 
 Yeah, the units aren´t TiVo-ized, but again, that doesn´t bother me. I can set the unit when I want it to record.
 
 Take care,
 PK
 
 [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 01-01-2004 14:14 ]
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 pk, I understand what you´re saying about programming your own recording, but Tivo is much more than that. If you´re a big Denzell Washington fan, you can set it to record everything he´s in for as long as you want. The same holds true for the racing programs that you want to watch. Give Tivo the name of the program, it will search your program guide and you will never miss a show.
 
 Hell, I´ve got 6 vcrs in my house, and I still forgot to watch or tape CSI Miami Monday night. If you´re on the go a lot, have a hectic schedule, and your brain stays rattled a lot, Tivo is for you. Everyone I´ve talked to that owns one has said that Tivo not only changes the way you watch tv, it changes your life.

Cincinnati_Kid · Post by **Cincinnati_Kid** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:30 am

dave dont pack up that vcr yet i sent you a few videos with pgr2
 
 NFL Greatest Ever series 1 & 2
 
 merry christmas and enjoy

Cincinnati_Kid · Post by **Cincinnati_Kid** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:37 am

pk i had tivo for a year before i switched to my digital cable dvr through brighthouse
 
 its about time you switched i never use my vcr nor have i in the past couple years except for that soccer soap you wanted
 
 funny thing is how many tapes i have of sporting events , wrestling events , movies etc
 
 i just started giving them out randomly too friends over the holiday too enjoy rather than have all that stuff anymore
 
 dvr are simply the best way too go and have been for awhile now
 
 its fantastic especially on weeks like this when im at work and want too record many football games a day and some playing at the same time
 
 40 hour worth and being able too record shows simutaneously...and save them if need be for later viewing is just blissfull

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:10 pm

>>>pk, I understand what you´re saying about programming your own recording, but Tivo is much more than that. If you´re a big Denzell Washington fan, you can set it to record everything he´s in for as long as you want. The same holds true for the racing programs that you want to watch. Give Tivo the name of the program, it will search your program guide and you will never miss a show. Everyone I´ve talked to that owns one has said that Tivo not only changes the way you watch tv, it changes your life.<<<
 
 Badgun:
 
 Thanks. I´m not a fan of enough television where I want to see every movie made by a certain actor or every race on TV.
 
 And as for a TiVo changing my life, it will be a frightening day for me when any device related to television alters my daily life. No offense, but that´s a sure sign that my mental apolcalypse has arrived, when TV has that much of a grip on me! <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 Cinci, I´m lucky if I watch 40 hours of TV every month to six weeks, let alone need the uber-room provided by a hard-disc recorder.
 
 Now I´m slowly talking myself out of getting one of these things, which is a good thing. Remember, I´m the cat who thinks personal cell phones -- not those issued by or used for work -- are a waste of money for most people, too. <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 Take care,
 PK [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 02-01-2004 08:13 ]

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 1:52 pm

pk, I think you´re missing my point. Tivo, if used correctly, will make every minute that you watch tv count. It doesn´t chain you to the tv, it actually frees you up more so you can do the other things you want to do, but you won´t miss that ONE show you want to see on Tuesday night.
 
 By changing your life, I meant making your tv watching time more efficient so you don´t have to worry about spending time flipping through the guide or even wasting time programming a vcr or dvr. Again, what good are those things if you don´t remember to set them.
 
 The people that I know with Tivo, never watch live tv anymore.
 
 Anyway, I´m going to stop before I begin to sound like a walking ad for Tivo. I´m really looking forward to getting mine next week. I understand where you are, man...just thought if you had an extra 200 bucks in your pocket, you might be interested.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 2:11 pm

Bad:
 
 Thanks. I appreciate your zeal. I´m one of the few people who don´t see the merit of TiVo, I guess.
 
 Honestly, I don´t buy the "TiVo frees your life so you don´t have to watch TV as much" argument. By buying TiVo, you´re admitting that you watch a lot of TV and must see certain shows.
 
 If anything, I think people with TiVo watch MORE TV than before they had it because the machine allows you to watch TV more efficiently and store WAY more to watch in the future than a VCR.
 
 That´s a trap into which I don´t want to fall.
 
 Thanks,
 PK

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 2:51 pm

PK,
 
 You may not buy into the "Tivo makes TV better" theory...and I would agree with you in my pre-Tivo days. I never saw the need to be able to do what Tivo can do...and you don´t see that until you experience it.
 
 It isn´t a coincidence that most people don´t see the ´real´ advantages to Tivo until they actually have one for themselves. While it is true that no one uses the system the same way, the benefits can still be the same.
 
 What Badgun might think about the system might be similar to what I think, it´s probably going to be different. Everyone uses it different so the advantages to some people, might be a moot point to others.
 
 All this rambling leads to one point...you don´t know how effective Tivo is, until you try it. One thing I do know, is that you can always get all, or most of your money back on the system so why the hell not give it a try?
 
 I bought my first Tivo (a standalone) off ebay, refurbished for 130 bucks. I used it for a few months, but the infared (sp?) sensor didn´t work all the time and it was kind of annoying. One thing I did learn from that experience was that Tivo was going to be a fixture in my house.
 
 I sold the system on Ebay for 100 bucks. I figured the 3 month ´rental´ was worth 30 bucks to me. Not to mention the price drop in the DirecTV DVR to 100 bucks. I made the switch without losing a penny (well maybe shipping). I also cut the monthly cost from 13 to 5 bucks per. So it was a no brainer after the price drop.
 
 I continued to use the DVR with only one of the tuners because I knew I was moving soon and I didn´t want to waste the money on dropping another line for the 2nd tuner.
 
 When I moved, I got a 3 room DirecTV system installed WITH another DVR (with 2 tuners this time) and all is good. The fact that you can record something and watch something is great, as well as not having to worry about the system not changing the channels correctly with infared.
 
 Also, I gave my OLD DirecTV DVR to my roommate (for 100 bucks of course) because he ´thought´ he might use it. Now he´s in love with it. He´s not much of a TV guy but the few shows he likes, he always seems to miss them. Now, instead of just missing them he Tivos them.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 2:54 pm

DB:
 
 Good points, and I´m considering the Dish Network DVR. No way I´m shelling out cash for a TiVo.
 
 One other thing: I´m one of those anal fools who hardly ever misses taping something I want. Granted, it´s easier for me because I don´t want to watch a lot. But I still rarely miss taping something.
 
 My problems usually are technical, or spouse or kids messing with the remote! <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 I think the best place for my Christmas money right now is ... the bank or a mutual fund. Oh, and I left some at the Beer Store in Canada and at Duty Free on the way home this week ... <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 Take care,
 PK

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:13 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-01-02 10:54, pk500 wrote:
 Oh, and I left some at the Beer Store in Canada and at Duty Free on the way home this week ... <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 No surprise there. LOL.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:03 pm

Hey, just a 12-pack of Alexander Keith´s India Pale Ale for the two-day trip, and a bottle of Jameson´s Irish Whiskey for a buddy and a 12-pack of Molson Brador on the way out at Duty Free for the Frau and I.
 
 Small hops and barley, mate ... <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 I may be tighter than tree bark, but not when it comes to beer and cigars. Life´s too short to drink s*** beer and smoke dogrocket cigars.
 
 Out,
 PK [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 02-01-2004 12:04 ]

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:23 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-01-02 10:54, pk500 wrote:
 DB:
 
 . No way I´m shelling out cash for a TiVo.
 
 
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 You can get a directv Tivo receiver for $99 and the tivo service is only $4.99 per month. I never knew how awesome Tivo was until I purchased mine a few months ago. It´s great!
 There is no shelling of the cash to get a tivo DVR up and running. With the money you save you can pick up a 12 pack of Budweiser and Jim Hughson´s greatest goal calls cd!
 
 Tim

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:27 pm

Tim:
 
 What? Is there a shortage of lab rats to drink Clydesdale piss in the name of science?
 
 Jim Hughson´s Greatest Goals Calls? Isn´t that an oxymoron?
 
 <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_wink.gif">
 
 Take care,
 PK

TheMightyPuck · Post by **TheMightyPuck** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:36 pm

PK. I hardly ever watch TV. Sports is it. And the occasional show if I remember. I still cannot say enough about my TIVO. Greatest invention since the blow job.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:39 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-01-02 12:36, TheMightyPuck wrote:
 PK. I hardly ever watch TV. Sports is it. And the occasional show if I remember. I still cannot say enough about my TIVO. Greatest invention since the blow job.
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 The BJ was invented?? <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_eek.gif">
 
 It´s funny didn´t we have this same arguement with PK over an Xbox and looked how things turned out. Give PK about 8 months or so and there will be a Tivo in his house!! <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_biggrin.gif">

TheMightyPuck · Post by **TheMightyPuck** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:33 pm

A search of the internet leaves no clues as to the invention/creation of the bj. Nevetheless there had to be a first time when some long forgotten cavegirl started the oral tradition.