TIVO or RePlayTV recorder?

[FLPilot]

I am looking to to one or the other. It will not be hooked up to DTV, but instead to regular Comcast cable. What would be better in your opinion better as far as their capabilities and value?

[robrecht]

Do you already have or want a DVD player/recorder/burner?

Some people prefer to burn their DVDs from a computer, but I like to have this capability as part of my TiVo unit. If you might like this, Pioneer now makes a couple of combo units, with an 80 GB model in the upper $600 range. Price has been coming down consistently and will do so more drastically when the HDTV units start coming out.

Hope that's helpful.

[jay]

A friend at work had TiVo and just raved about it. ReplayTV may be a good choice, too, but TiVo is the market leader, and while neither company is profitable, ReplayTV hasn't been very stable. I think it's been part of at least 3 different companies in the last two years.

[kadiir]

Tivo, but then I'm biased - I have 2

Go over to tivocommunity.com - lots of info on Tivos there.

Also, there is at least one sponsor over there (weaknees.com) that sells OEM and 'upgraded' (bigger & hard drives) if you need more hours than 40 or 80.

I haven't tried ReplayTV (I don't recall what it was now, but there was something about ReplayTV that turned me off, as it were), but Tivo is great.

Check out the DVD Recorders thread, too - quite a few opinions and ideas (e.g., one poster recommends using a PC w/ an ATI All-In-Wonder card as a cheaper, yet effective, alternative to a Tivo or ReplayTV box).

kad

[jay]

Originally posted by kadiir
Tivo, but then I'm biased - I have 2

...snip

Same here, and they're on my wireless network. With the Home Media Option, I can play music or show photo slideshows on my home theater system through the TiVo, all from my easy chair. Great stuff!

[ramirami]

Originally posted by robrecht
Do you already have or want a DVD player/recorder/burner?

Some people prefer to burn their DVDs from a computer, but I like to have this capability as part of my TiVo unit. If you might like this, Pioneer now makes a couple of combo units, with an 80 GB model in the upper $600 range. Price has been coming down consistently and will do so more drastically when the HDTV units start coming out.

Hope that's helpful.

dont forget the panasonic DMR-E80 with 80GB hard drive and a street price of < $500

[boilerhoops10]

Originally posted by jay
Same here, and they're on my wireless network.

Can you point me in the direction of home theater products that have wireless capability. I have had a wireless netwrok for some time now. I also have a PC with an ATI All-In-Wonder video card. I've never really used it much for digital recording as our computer is not by our home theater. I did not realize that home theater equipment exists with Wi-Fi capability.

[jay]

Originally posted by boilerhoops10
Can you point me in the direction of home theater products that have wireless capability. I have had a wireless netwrok for some time now. I also have a PC with an ATI All-In-Wonder video card. I've never really used it much for digital recording as our computer is not by our home theater. I did not realize that home theater equipment exists with Wi-Fi capability.

The TiVo is the first product that I've experienced that does this. I've not seen or read of others.

[robrecht]

Originally posted by ramirami
dont forget the panasonic DMR-E80 with 80GB hard drive and a street price of < $500

But no TiVo, right? Is there a third option: TiVo, RePlayTV, and TiVo-like hard drives in DVD recorders?

It seemed like you were talking about TiVo-like functions of this Panasonic model on another thread today.

While I'm certainly not an expert on all this stuff, TiVo shore is easy to work with for technologically challenged guys like myself. Based on the links you posted elsewhere, I'm not sure if the Panasonic TiVo-like stuff is nearly as easy in terms of season pass, recording programs from multiple channels, copying videos, remote programming via Internet, displaying *.jpg slide shows, etc.

[ramirami]

Originally posted by robrecht
While I'm certainly not an expert on all this stuff, TiVo shore is easy to work with for technologically challenged guys like myself. Based on the links you posted elsewhere, I'm not sure if the Panasonic TiVo-like stuff is nearly as easy in terms of season pass, recording programs from multiple channels, copying videos, remote programming via Internet, displaying *.jpg slide shows, etc.

yes to everything ...but no .jpeg compatibility

[kd2pm]

OK, so I am the oddball here. I do have a Replay TV and have had no problems with it. I have the 160gig HD so it can hold 160 hours of normal resolution video. It has an ethernet interface that I use with a wireless bridge (too lazy to hook it direct into the cable router since I would have to run cables in the basement).

I purchased the lifetime usage for $299 so I never have to pay again. It does a great job of recording either new, new/repeat episodes. So that way I only record what I want.

Use it mainly to hold my South Park collection...Can never get enough of those guys.

[kadiir]

Originally posted by jay
Same here, and they're on my wireless network. With the Home Media Option, I can play music or show photo slideshows on my home theater system through the TiVo, all from my easy chair. Great stuff!

Ditto!

Have you tried javaHMO? Although I haven't really fiddled with it, I like being able to use ShoutCast radio or any MP3 stream (via URL).

kad

[robrecht]

Originally posted by ramirami
yes to everything ...but no .jpeg compatibility

But is it as easy as TiVo? That link you posted earlier today looked really hard. I don't think you realize how stupid I am!

[kadiir]

Originally posted by robrecht
But is it as easy as TiVo? That link you posted earlier today looked really hard. I don't think you realize how stupid I am!

The Panasonic is a DVR (digital VCR), so you still have to program it like one (I don't have one nor have I seen a manual (I just looked for one)).

Tivo with basic service (i.e., no monthly dues) is similar although it still has the guide (3 day's worth) that you can browse through & pick out programs to record.

I imagine the Panasonic does VCR+, though (Tivo does, too), so that would make it pretty easy to record programs provided you get a tv guide (either TV Guide itself or the guide that comes in the many newspapers) has the VCR+ codes in it. Or, you could use tvguide.com or zap2it.com to get the codes (and manually look for programs).

Tivo (and it sounds like ReplayTV) has a feature in the "plus" service ($12.95/month or one-time $299) called Season Pass that lets you tell it what programs you want (and how often, etc. - see the DVD Recorders thread or tivo.com for more) and it is *very* easy. I have never been able to get my wife to program a VCR right even when I'm walking her through it & she could do it.

kad

[ramirami]

Originally posted by robrecht
But is it as easy as TiVo? That link you posted earlier today looked really hard. I don't think you realize how stupid I am!

that link was to burn DVDs....recording is sort of like on aVCR