# Retire VCR. Now what?



## dougp23 (Sep 20, 2011)

My brother has decided to give up his VCR. He's copied over to DVD what he wants to keep. 

He gets his TV over the air, with a little converter box. He still wants to be able to record shows. But I think whatever he picks, needs to be able to talk to that analog to digital box. What wold you recommend he goes to? In thought maybe a TiVo, but I know so little about it, I'm practically dangerous, lol!


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Channel Master and a few others make OTA dvr's. You could get a refurb computer off of tigerdirect.com and build him a HTPC for playing back dvd's or store te images on a NAS, so that he does not have to get up or down when changing shows.


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

Tivo are brain-dead simple to use and rock-solid reliable. Even my in-laws in their 80's can make effective use of it. 

We've been Tivo customers for quite a while, having gone through several generations of the hardware and different cable providers over the years. All have been reliable and equally easy to use. They do have a monthly subscription fee for the box itself. That gets you very detailed guide data and online scheduling. This includes OTA (over the air) channel guide info. With that you can search for just about any facet of programming details and set up recordings. As in, search by actor, director, title, just about anything, and the box will keep that as a recording 'wish list' for any future recordings.

The Tivo would act as it's own tuner. There's no need for anything else. Just hook the antenna or cable straight into it and then to the TV.


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## TheBobmanNH (Oct 23, 2012)

So not only did he still have a VCR, but he still used it? Wow. WOW. My grandfather was in his late 80's when he died almost ten years ago, and even HE had gotten rid of his VCR by then


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## dougp23 (Sep 20, 2011)

TheBobmanNH said:


> So not only did he still have a VCR, but he still used it? Wow. WOW. My grandfather was in his late 80's when he died almost ten years ago, and even HE had gotten rid of his VCR by then


LOL! Well I have to plead guilty, I have been known to go to a Goodwill store so I can buy another VCR, lol! I have a bunch of tapes and converting them is a pain, and recording OTA is so easy with a VCR. I am going to have him (and me, lol) try the device gregzoll talked about.

Thanks.


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## TheBobmanNH (Oct 23, 2012)

Can I ask, what kind of stuff do you record? It's possible you don't even need a TiVo or recording device anymore, but a good Internet connection and, say, Hulu+.


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## dougp23 (Sep 20, 2011)

Mostly PBS stuff (Masterpiece and other specials) and the occasional NFL game.


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## RWolff (Jan 27, 2013)

I remember the first VCR we had, it was huge, heavy and had large mechanical buttons like portable casette players did. VCR tapes and players are essentially dead, I think there's only one company even making them any more if they still are and mostly for the crowd who wants them to convert old tapes on.

I bought a new Toshiba VCR last winter to do just that with.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

RWolff, all you can finde are combo units, and even then they are super cheap. You can still find professional units out there, just like Betamax players/recorders, but they are not cheap.


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## RWolff (Jan 27, 2013)

Yeah that's what mine is a combo VHS/DVD. Still have more to transfer but its a pain in the behind as you can imagine, there's no way to fast copy a VHS tape it's real time, 6 hour tape is 6 hours of sitting, monitoring.
So glad VHS is a dead thing of the past, I always hated that rewinding garbage along with the ordeal of trying to find one segment on a 6 hour long tape!
SO much easier on DVD!!!


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## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

With Tivo, you have to pay a monthly subscription....

If your brother knows anything about computers....get a cheap Win7 machine with MS Mediacenter....nice 1 TB drive....and this...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116028

Hauppauge tv tuner for the PC....home grown DVR....


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## TheBobmanNH (Oct 23, 2012)

ddawg16 said:


> With Tivo, you have to pay a monthly subscription....
> 
> If your brother knows anything about computers....get a cheap Win7 machine with MS Mediacenter....nice 1 TB drive....and this...
> 
> ...


He's still using a VCR. HAVING a computer seems like a pretty big stretch, let alone building one 

(just teasing... kinda)


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

ddawg16 said:


> With Tivo, you have to pay a monthly subscription.....


Yes, and for that you get a rock-solid, easy to use and RELIABLE way to record and watch programs. 

I've had several home theater PC setups over the years. Including ones using built-in tuner cards and network tuners. Fed into mythTV, Windows Media Center, XBMC and the like. Yes, they can be "made" to work, but not without considerable fiddling just to get them running. Let alone stay running given the range of problems a PC can encounter (both hardware and software). 

Do not underestimate the value of accurate guide data and sensible management of series and search recordings. With the Tivo when you ask it to record a series... it does. When you ask it to fine-tune to just new showings, it does. Including conflicts and repeats overnight. Like if the tuners are tied up recording shows off network TV it's smart enough to recognize that the cable show repeated later than night IS the same thing as the first airing of it during the conflicts. You wouldn't think this would be hard but cable DVRs and HTPC setups regularly can't do this properly. Meanwhile you miss your show. Then there's whole ability to do recordings based on searching across titles, actors, directors and a number of other values. While still managing conflicts and series properly.

Then there's the WAF (wife acceptance factor). Likewise, do not underestimate the value of a system that's predictable and consistently easy to operate by all members of the household, across all ages. The menu and remote interfaces on everything else always ends up falling apart somewhere... the Tivo never has this problem. 

And note they do sell units with a lifetime subscription. It's usually the equivalent of 3 years monthly service, but paid up front and then nothing after that. It's really a great deal. The price here ends up being comparable to a fully equipped HTPC but with all the reliability and convenience of Tivo. 

It really is worth the subscription. I've got no vested interest other than I've been a very happy subscriber for quite a while.


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## SquishyBall (Mar 19, 2013)

I love my TIVO. We have the same one we bought what was it - 8 years ago? We got the lifetime subscription when we bought it, and it worked great ever since. Now tho we don't even use it, since we have UVerse. So not sure what to do with it... I feel bad tossing it cuz we have the lifetime - but it doesn't record in HD. I would def recommend a TIVO to anyone. Incredibly easy to use.

Regarding building something out of a PC - that's great if you're a techy-pc-builder-guy. But if he's just now ditching the VCR then that's probly not what you're looking for, and a box that you stick there and plug in would be better. Go w TIVO. It can even pull its content via phone line so you don't need an internet connection.


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

A lifetime unit has value, mainly as a key for getting new one with lifetime. Tivo has offers now and then for it. Sell it on ebay or post in the tivocommunity forums.

I would disagree on the content via phone line. Yes, you can get guide data but that's about it. Getting any kind of video would be horribly slow. Even a DSL line really isn't enough to get anything close to HD quality video. But once you get above 2-3mbps service (cable, fios, etc) then you're good to go for HD over the internet.


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## operagost (Jan 8, 2010)

TheBobmanNH said:


> So not only did he still have a VCR, but he still used it? Wow. WOW. My grandfather was in his late 80's when he died almost ten years ago, and even HE had gotten rid of his VCR by then


I used my VCR to record stuff until I got an HD DVR from Comcast back in 2010. It wasn't very convenient because Comcast had already stopped sending analog down the line. I needed to use one of the chintzy little converters, tuned into the one channel that had the one show I wanted to record. Pretty embarrassing for a techie guy that I was behind a couple of octogenarians  It's mostly because I hate getting fat bills every month.


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## operagost (Jan 8, 2010)

RWolff said:


> Yeah that's what mine is a combo VHS/DVD. Still have more to transfer but its a pain in the behind as you can imagine, there's no way to fast copy a VHS tape it's real time, 6 hour tape is 6 hours of sitting, monitoring.
> So glad VHS is a dead thing of the past, I always hated that rewinding garbage along with the ordeal of trying to find one segment on a 6 hour long tape!
> SO much easier on DVD!!!


My thoughts exactly. Yet, my father in law is only in his 50s and he prefers VHS. Heck, he prefers cassette and vinyl to CD. I really don't understand, because DVD and CD greatly resemble vinyl records in concept-- you just have a little pixie inside that moves the "needle" to each track for you when you press a button :laughing: Somehow, he can't make the leap.


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

"Old dog, new tricks" comes to mind. Ya stick with what ya know. 

That and sticker shock. It's hard for someone that grew up with the prices paid for records and their players buying into what seems like much more expensive solutions for "the same thing".


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## operagost (Jan 8, 2010)

DVD players are $30, Blu-ray players are $50, and the discs are $10-30.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Before we get too excited piping a digital signal directly to your brother's set is he still working with an analog television or is it newer and digital?

New game in town is about to hit Chicago. Aero will capture OTA signals via tiny antennae and monthly service will be as low as $9/month on up to $18/month for more or less unlimited TiVo type recording of two shows at a time. 

Cable is not happy! Consumers feel not at all upset to soon be able to tell them thanks for all the great customer service and fair rates over the years. 

Aereo will be internet delivered so the computer becomes the control for the television. 

I saw somebody was playing with a Rasberry Pi to provide a dedicated computer for $35. Meanwhile you could use any other device with internet capability and output to the television to manage it all.


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

With an HD Tivo you can still feed an analog signal to an older TV. Yes, you can watch an HD channel on an old TV. Yes, the picture is down-scaled to work. Yes, this does reduce the quality of the picture (but not the recording, that's still in the original format). We had just such a setup for a while with a bedroom TV. It actually did a great job of down-res on the signal. The upside was any recordings made on that Tivo will still in HD and when transferred to another Tivo or PC came over with the original level of quality.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

We have two tivos, both with lifetime membership, we pay
no monthly fee. They are extremely user friendly.

The tivo in our family room -- I bought with two remotes, his and hers.


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## johnd393 (May 12, 2007)

HomeWorx HW-150PVR
These thing are about $46. It records off the air HDTV to a USB connected recording device. I tried it out with USB memory stick. I'm not crazy about it but it's the cheapest OTA no fee dvr I know. I like the DTVpal DVR's if you can find one. I bought several when they were clearanced by Sears.


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## 747 (Feb 11, 2005)

I have still use my vcr all the time to record shows i miss. I'm not a dvd expert only have one player. But i don't think you can set record a show on it.

ps. I'm not really happy with my cable company medicom. Just about every other town in my county gets comcast.


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## operagost (Jan 8, 2010)

johnd393 said:


> HomeWorx HW-150PVR
> These thing are about $46. It records off the air HDTV to a USB connected recording device. I tried it out with USB memory stick. I'm not crazy about it but it's the cheapest OTA no fee dvr I know. I like the DTVpal DVR's if you can find one. I bought several when they were clearanced by Sears.


What don't you like about it?


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## johnd393 (May 12, 2007)

operagost said:


> What don't you like about it?


I think my DTVpal dvr's are easier to use. I don't want to sound negative about it.The Homeworks DVR is available, relatively inexpensive, and appears to work. It's easier to use than a VCR. I did not think the picture as as sharp on a big screen. I tested it with a projector and a 92" wide screen. I did not spend a lot of time with it. There so few products that record HDTV, without a fee, that anything that works is worth a try. As an upgrade from a VCR it's a giant step forward.


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## av-geek (Jan 15, 2012)

Not sure if they are still avaliable, but about 5 years ago, I purchased a DVD recorder that has an OTA ATSC tuner in it. I like it because it works like an old-school VCR in the fact that you can take the recording media out. If you want to archive TV shows, that's the way to go. Just record them onto a DVD and stick them on a shelf. I also use the deck frequently, as many friends and family members ask me to transfer old VHS tapes to DVD for them, and it's just a matter of plugging the old VHS deck into the AUX jack and pressing record!


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## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

I'm getting my HTPC going.....so far it's pretty slick.

Windows Media Center is actually pretty powerful. It downloads the programming from the internet so it's easy to brows for program names and times. works pretty much like a DVR plus more.

Not only will it record while I watch another program....I can surf the internet....and download content from the net....

One thing that is obvious....our 40" LCD is not big enough.....I see the need for a 50" or bigger real soon....and the 40" can up upstairs to the master bedroom


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

gregzoll said:


> Channel Master and a few others make OTA dvr's. You could get a refurb computer off of tigerdirect.com and build him a HTPC for playing back dvd's or store te images on a NAS, so that he does not have to get up or down when changing shows.


My parents have the latest ChannelMaster over the air DVR and it works great. Comes with 16gb of built in flash memory but really requires the additional purchase of an external hard drive. They bought a 1 terabyte hard drive and can now record a bazillion shows. :laughing: They love it.


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## mbender2004 (Mar 19, 2014)

I have a TIVO and it isnt that hard. You may delete a few recordings accidentally but we all do, hah.


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

ddawg16 said:


> One thing that is obvious....our 40" LCD is not big enough.....I see the need for a 50" or bigger real soon....and the 40" can up upstairs to the master bedroom


Have you ever considered a front projector? Nothing beats a 100" diagonal HD image. :thumbsup:

This budget projector can be had for just over $700 on Amazon.

http://www.optomausa.com/products/detail/HD131Xe


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