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What's the cheapest HDD tv recorder?

  • 08-01-2004 4:06pm
    #1
    carryo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22 ✭


    I'm looking for a HDD recorder that can record analogue tv signals. The cheapest that I can find that does the job are combo DVD players (eg. JVC XVDDV1 DVD Player and HDD Recorder for STG£500) or combo DVD recorders (eg. Toshiba RD-XS30 HDD & DVD-RAM/R recorder for STG£550). I don't need the combo option as I already have a DVD surround system and I don't need DVD recording.
    There is a stand-alone HDD recorder from Pace (Puma / Twin DTT-HDD for STG£178) but unfortunately this only records Digital Terrestrial channels currently only available in the UK and it has no capability to record from analogue RF, Scart or S-video inputs so it's no use in Ireland at the moment although the price would be just right for me.
    Does anyone make a HDD tv recorder in this price range (<£200) which would be suitable for Ireland?
    (Don't even think about suggesting 'sky-plus': I'm not gonna pay a €700 a year subscription for this!!!)


Comments

  • #2
    ShaneOC
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭ShaneOC


    Originally posted by carryo
    (Don't even think about suggesting 'sky-plus': I'm not gonna pay a €700 a year subscription for this!!!)

    You should get Sky+. Only €300 for the kit and free subscription* :D:D:D

    * Terms and conditions apply.


  • #3
    carryo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22 ✭carryo


    Originally posted by ShaneOC
    You should get Sky+. Only €300 for the kit and free subscription* :D:D:D

    * Terms and conditions apply.
    Free sub? Yeah if you pay €60 a month for 2 premium services. Is that as good as it gets? I'm thinking that I've spotted a gap in the market. OK how hard could this be?
    HDD €60, TV card €60, PSU €10, Box €5, Conectors €10, bit of software (1 hour) and I'm in business. There must be a market for this out there: so why are the big boys not doing it already?


  • #4
    Phibsboro
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,352 ✭✭✭Phibsboro


    I'll buy one!

    Unfortunately it ain't that simple. The TV card quality will be sh*t for a start - u need something like a Hauppauge PVR 350 card to get the right quality capture and (especially) TV output. Thats €200 for starters. Then u need the computer to put it in! Then you need to figure out how to get the listings (short of typing them in yourself)...

    The software would actually take u years, but fortunately some people have already started - have a look at www.mythtv.org. You can use it, a computer and the bits you already mentioned to get a basic PVR up and running on a computer. To get anything like Sky Plus, u need the PVR 350, a pretty big HD and a fair bit of messing round in linux. Its great fun tho :)

    As for why the big boys ain't doing it - they are, there are a number of (expensive) HDD recorders available. The key thing lacking imho is Irish EPG listings (which SKy and Myth have).

    Colm


  • #5
    rymus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,819 ✭✭✭rymus


    Windows XP Media Centre Edition... saw it on TV running on a HP box with all the bells & whistles, media card readers & so on. Fairly pricey but a nice setup to be sure.

    edit: actually... not as bad as I thought. Theres one on the HP site for $939.99


  • #6
    TCP/IP
    Subscribers Posts: 3,703 ✭✭✭TCP/IP


    Dont mean to barge into the thread but I am selling a Thomson DTH7000 intergrated DVD player and 40gig hard disk recorder on reason I fancy a new sim free mobile I am looking €350 for it. Only six months old used the recording once. Maily just store photos and MP3 on it.


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  • #7
    carryo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22 ✭carryo


    The Mythtv and the Windows Media center look great for an integrated solution but as you both indicate the cost is gonna be close to €1200 if you want reliable performance (real-time mpeg de/encoding uses so much resources). Then to be completely integrated I'd have to figure out how to get them to operate my various set-top boxes automatically - probably with an IR blaster. So for now the PC as HDD recorder is out of my price range and not quite what I need. Even Skyplus won't record itv, ch4 or 5 if I have the irish one or else none of the irish channels if I get an english one.

    All the HDD options available at present are at the very pricey end of the market as you say because they all have extra features - satelite/DTT decoders, DVD or EPGs. I suppose more basic models will become available once the manufacturers have skimmed the market with the early adopters. VCRs are not going to be around in a few years so I suspect there will be a mass-market HDD solution comming very soon. Perhaps this will even be part of the next iPod funtionality !


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