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January 25, 2006

Standalone HD DVR

Looking for an option besides the soon-to-be-not-so-compatible HR10250 for recording HD content from both DirecTV and off-air sources. Currently have an integrated DirecTV/Tivo for standard-def with a 160 gig drive, but considering getting an HD set and want to do it ONCE. While the previous relationship between Tivo and DirecTV is history, there are those of us who like the Tivo programming system and would like something as close to that as we might find without having to wait until fall for a unit that is Mpeg4 compatible. Do any of the CE manufacturers have anything coming out (SOON!) that might fit the bill?
--Dan

January 25, 2006 in DirecTiVo, DVR, TV & HDTV

Answers

If you need to record HD from DirecTV, then the HD10-150 is your ownly option, period. To be able to record the HD signal you need to be able to record the raw satellite signal, and only an integrated DVR can do that for DirecTV - and that is the only model at this time.

Any other DVR you could get would need an external satellite receiver, and all standalone DVRs can only record SD content from an external source. The few HD DVRs out there only do HD from ATSC or digital cable, and not satellite. And there is unlikely to be any such product for the foreseeable future, since encoding an HD signal realtime is expensive - too much so for consumer products.

Posted by: MegaZone at Jan 31, 2006 1:04:59 AM

So why can't you get the DirecTV HD Tivo ($399 at CircuitCity after rebate)? It can record dual SD and HD from the DirecTV's satellite and over the air. The OTA programs are even merged into the guide.

Am I missing something?

Posted by: Lutz at Jan 31, 2006 8:53:40 AM

As I understand it, integrated DVRs don't encode on the fly. Rather, they copy the already encoded data to the hard drive as they receive it. They get compressed video off of their feed directly, so all they need to do is copy it to the hard drive as it comes instead of (or while) decoding it for live TV.

The problem with a standalone that could work with a normal HD reciever/cable box is that after the cable box decodes the signal and puts it to the compoenent, it then needs to be re-encoded on the fly by the DVR to record it. While this is workable with a standard TV signal, the amount of processing power required to do this with a 1080i signal and 5.1 channels of digital sound would put the cost of the unit over what most are willing to spend.

Can anyone confirm this?

-Byshop

Posted by: Byshop at Feb 8, 2006 3:37:42 PM