Best Non-Subscription DVR? 153
ngc5194 asks: "I'm thinking about joining the 21st century and purchasing a Digital Video Recorder. However, I DO NOT want to subscribe to any services. I understand that this will limit what my DVR can do, and I'm fine if it just acts like a solid-state VCR. Given the constraint above (no subscription services), which would be the best DVR to purchase and why?"
Clarify your question (Score:2, Insightful)
I know all about Myth / ATI MMC / Beyond TV etc, but I too would like to know about STANDALONE boxes, which have nothing to do with a PC.
What's out there? Whats good?
Hmm, tough choice... (Score:5, Insightful)
Decisions, decisions.
no subscription takes out the advantages (Score:5, Insightful)
If you buy a DVR without a subscription, and use it as a solid state VCR, you take away everything that's remotely advantageous of having a DVR, in my opinion.
Season Pass (or the equivalent) makes recording all new showings of your favorite programs hassle free. If you're using it as a VCR, and the show ends up swapping time slots without your knowledge (you're probably ffwing through commercials that would warn you...) you risk missing the show in it's new time slot. Or if it's pre-empted by another program, or delayed, etc.
If you're not looking to pay a subscription, just download the shows off bittorrent or usenet.
Re:If you're worried about artificial limitations. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Hmm, tough choice... (Score:4, Insightful)
$1000 PC?
Who pays 1000 dollars for a PC? I paid less for my gaming rig! All you need for a MythTV is a 1 GHz pc with 256MB of ram. I could find that in the garbage these days. All you need then is a 80 dollar PVR-150 and a video card with an S-video out. Storage is about a gig an hour for mpeg2 files. Besides Tivo costs 20 bucks a month for the subscription. Once I pay for the computer I'm done.
Re:If you're worried about artificial limitations. (Score:2, Insightful)
* WMC is really nice
* I don't have to learn to use another OS to use it