Some Questions about DVRs and PVRs

[planet_tv]

I am asking these questions because I will no longer have a DVR at the end of the year just a cable box and it would be nice to have something.

Are there any PVRs or DVRs that you can get where you can hook it up to a cable box and be able to record one thing and watch another?

Would the "be able to record one thing and watch another" work with a digital antenna type device?

If not, is there something I could get that would do this?

[Annoyed]

I am asking these questions because I will no longer have a DVR at the end of the year just a cable box and it would be nice to have something.

Are there any PVRs or DVRs that you can get where you can hook it up to a cable box and be able to record one thing and watch another?

Would the "be able to record one thing and watch another" work with a digital antenna type device?

If not, is there something I could get that would do this?

I suppose you could probably find something that does this, but here is how I am going to be cutting the cord from the cable co.

If you're able to do so on your own, build yourself a home media server computer. If not, consult a local PC shop and contract that part out. Be sure you include a TV tuner card in your build, such as (http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/produ...ta_quadhd.html) and plenty of storage space, several large capacity hard drives, depending upon your needs.

Install Linux (I suggest Ubuntu for Linux novices). and then install Plex media server software on that. (https://www.plex.tv/)
This computer can live in the basement or any other out of the way location, you won't be physically interacting with it directly very often.

Put this computer on your home ethernet network. Mine also serves as my head end/firewall/file/DNS/NTP & whatever else server, so it is the functional equivalent of what most people consider to be their home router.

Put an ethernet switch on the "output" of this box, and run ethernet cables to your various TV's.
Get a Roku box (with ethernet port) for each TV, run the cables from the server to the Roku's and install the Plex app on the Roku boxes.

The TV tuner in the server box provides you with the capability to tune and record all local channels that you can get, and for the basic cable tier channels, you can subscribe to Sling TV, or use Netflix, Amazon or whatever.

PS: You will notice that I specify ETHERNET for connections. Wireless sucks.

PPS: Get a set of rabbit ears or whatever you have for an antenna and see how many and what channels are available to you over the air. This will very depending upon where you live. If you're in the US and out of range for digital broadcasting, this won't work for local channels.

If you can't get OTA reception, or want to keep your cable subscription, you can also buy tuner cards that have cable card slots, so you can get a card from your cable provider, stick in in the tuner card and get your incoming signal that way, subject to the limitations imposed by your cable provider, of course.

[planet_tv]

My Mom did find something called Freedom TV Antenna but it didn't say what channels it has because it would have been helpful to know what channels it would pick up, so it would give me a general idea of what I would get. I did look into Sling TV, but if my Mom and I were to do that I would really have to make a case for it. I would totally do both of these if I knew what channels Freedom TV Antenna would pick up. Like, for example, if Freedom TV Antenna picked up MSNBC and CNBC and I knew I was going to get those channels then I won't need to get the news extra package with Sling. The other 2 things I would need to know are these: Is the 50 hours DVR service you get with Sling per TV or overall for the entire household and can you DVR something with Sling but watch stuff on the antenna and vice versa.

As for your TV tuner suggest, I do have a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 (8851) in my Windows 7 PC, and it was put in there so I could video cap off of VHS tapes but it doesn't seem like it's meant to work with VCR/DVD combos, well any tv tuners since my other one is an ATI, but I could be wrong. As for using it in the way you are suggesting, I would rather use something that would not require me to have my computer on in order to record.

As for DVRS/PVRs, something like this but not it because this would be the eaiser route to go. A box that would for the most part act like a DVR you would get from a cable company but that would be yours to owns and work with the cable box you get from a cable company as well as any digital TV Antenna so when do you do cut the cord you can still use the box.

One quick question OT to the thread: Now with a cable box, if channels are available in HD will they be auto-tuned to HD by default provided that the TV works with HD?

[Annoyed]

My Mom did find something called Freedom TV Antenna but it didn't say what channels it has because it would have been helpful to know what channels it would pick up, so it would give me a general idea of what I would get. I did look into Sling TV, but if my Mom and I were to do that I would really have to make a case for it. I would totally do both of these if I knew what channels Freedom TV Antenna would pick up. Like, for example, if Freedom TV Antenna picked up MSNBC and CNBC and I knew I was going to get those channels then I won't need to get the news extra package with Sling. The other 2 things I would need to know are these: Is the 50 hours DVR service you get with Sling per TV or overall for the entire household and can you DVR something with Sling but watch stuff on the antenna and vice versa.

As for your TV tuner suggest, I do have a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 (8851) in my Windows 7 PC, and it was put in there so I could video cap off of VHS tapes but it doesn't seem like it's meant to work with VCR/DVD combos, well any tv tuners since my other one is an ATI, but I could be wrong. As for using it in the way you are suggesting, I would rather use something that would not require me to have my computer on in order to record.

As for DVRS/PVRs, something like this but not it because this would be the eaiser route to go. A box that would for the most part act like a DVR you would get from a cable company but that would be yours to owns and work with the cable box you get from a cable company as well as any digital TV Antenna so when do you do cut the cord you can still use the box.

One quick question OT to the thread: Now with a cable box, if channels are available in HD will they be auto-tuned to HD by default provided that the TV works with HD?

An antenna is an antenna, no matter whose name is on it.
You can't really predict what you'll be able to watch with it, as it depends entirely upon your location and distance from the transmitting antenna tower.

This web site can try to give you some idea, but the only way to really see is to try it.

I doubt you would find MSNBC and CNBC OTA, though, they are basic cable tier channels, if I understand it.

[mad_gater]

An antenna is an antenna, no matter whose name is on it.
You can't really predict what you'll be able to watch with it, as it depends entirely upon your location and distance from the transmitting antenna tower.

This web site can try to give you some idea, but the only way to really see is to try it.

I doubt you would find MSNBC and CNBC OTA, though, they are basic cable tier channels, if I understand it.

not to mention a good thunderstorm can foul up the transmission too

[planet_tv]

I did some more searching on DVRs/PVRS and find this which basically tells me what I was wanting to do is not possible. I did come up with idea and it's one I hope My Mom will find doable. If I have anymore questions about DVRs and PVRs and what I have been asking I will come back to the thread.

Thank you for you help.

Edit: I just thought of another question. Out of all the DVRs and PVRs out there for use with digital antennas, what would be the top 5 (if there is such a list)?

[Annoyed]

I did some more searching on DVRs/PVRS and find this which basically tells me what I was wanting to do is not possible. I did come up with idea and it's one I hope My Mom will find doable. If I have anymore questions about DVRs and PVRs and what I have been asking I will come back to the thread.

Thank you for you help.

Edit: I just thought of another question. Out of all the DVRs and PVRs out there for use with digital antennas, what would be the top 5 (if there is such a list)?

I disagree about you not being able to do this, but it will require a computer of some sort, and you will have to do the work to set it up. A cable co's DVR is really a computer anyway, so you have one running all the time anyway. With my home network setup, it makes sense for me to do it at the head end machine, which runs 24.7 anyway, but you could do this on any computer that has the umph to do the video encoding/decoding and the storage, just get that computer on your network.

If you are going to keep your cable company for a signal input, you will need a tuner card or device that will take their cable cards (Legally, they have to provide you with one, it's not legal to force you to rent their hardware). You would then use the computer's data storage to record content. If you have multiple TV's, it is easier to do the tuning/recording at a single point & distribute the output to the various TV's using ethernet.

Regarding DVR's, I've got two of these that I found at garage sales over the years

http://www.us.jvc.com/archive/video/...ers/dr_mv150b/

They record to optical media, so that's kind of a pain if this is to be your record solution. But I just have them as DVD/VCR's that put out a very nice signal. They can tune digital OTA broadcasts, too, so that is nice. I can get about 30 channels OTA, including some that aren't on the cable system.

[planet_tv]

Thanks. I will look into that.