42 replies to this topic

[ChipShot]

OK, bought a 37" flat-panel 1080p HDTV...have a Samsung DVD recorder now, but it doesn't record (at least I don't think it records) the local subchannels (I have standard cable), which are in HD (like local channels 3-1, 10-1, 13-1). Should I just upgrade to the single-tuner DVR? Would that mean I would have to upgrade to the full HDTV package too...is there an addition box for that? My wife records "All My Children", but other than that, we don't record much else...and we do watch an occasional DVD movie. If I go with a DVR, is that all I would need? Does it play DVD's? If not, I guess I'd have to keep the DVD player attached to the TV? Is anything else required (someone told me a phone line, but that doesn't sound right). What is the additional cost?? Again, we're not huge TV people, but I would like to have the new TV do as much as it can for our needs. Any other advice would be appreciated, too. Thanks in advance.

[Darthvader]

OK, bought a 37" flat-panel 1080p HDTV...have a Samsung DVD recorder now, but it doesn't record (at least I don't think it records) the local subchannels (I have standard cable), which are in HD (like local channels 3-1, 10-1, 13-1). Should I just upgrade to the single-tuner DVR? Would that mean I would have to upgrade to the full HDTV package too...is there an addition box for that? My wife records "All My Children", but other than that, we don't record much else...and we do watch an occasional DVD movie. If I go with a DVR, is that all I would need? Does it play DVD's? If not, I guess I'd have to keep the DVD player attached to the TV? Is anything else required (someone told me a phone line, but that doesn't sound right). What is the additional cost?? Again, we're not huge TV people, but I would like to have the new TV do as much as it can for our needs. Any other advice would be appreciated, too. Thanks in advance.

I'm not quite sure I understand your issue but all the HD channels on Comcast are in the 900 channel range: 903, 906, 908, 913, etc.

[Darth Lefty]

The Comcast HD-DVR is a steaming pile of manure. If you decide to go that route, get the Series 3 Tivo. It came out about 3 weeks after I signed up, which made me very stabby. It works with Comcast though they don't push it for some reason, maybe embarassment.

None of these things play DVD's.

[ChipShot]

The Comcast HD-DVR is a steaming pile of manure.

Why?? I thought I read here somewhere that is was great....what are the issues with it?

[mando]

OK, bought a 37" flat-panel 1080p HDTV...have a Samsung DVD recorder now, but it doesn't record (at least I don't think it records) the local subchannels (I have standard cable), which are in HD (like local channels 3-1, 10-1, 13-1). Should I just upgrade to the single-tuner DVR? Would that mean I would have to upgrade to the full HDTV package too...is there an addition box for that? My wife records "All My Children", but other than that, we don't record much else...and we do watch an occasional DVD movie. If I go with a DVR, is that all I would need? Does it play DVD's? If not, I guess I'd have to keep the DVD player attached to the TV? Is anything else required (someone told me a phone line, but that doesn't sound right). What is the additional cost?? Again, we're not huge TV people, but I would like to have the new TV do as much as it can for our needs. Any other advice would be appreciated, too. Thanks in advance.

How do you have this hooked up? Where is the DVDR getting its signal from? From the TV or direct from cable? Does it have it's own tuner? Is it a digital/HD tuner?

[Darth Lefty]

It was programmed by an infinite number of monkeys. When you delete a program it goes back four menus instead of one. When you have an HD channel on one tuner, the video on the other tuner goes choppy. Occasionally it gets a wild hair and records thirty copies of one night's Letterman show, obliterating everything else on the hard drive. It sometimes takes ten seconds to respond to you pressing a button. If you hit the first level of fast forward, it will go ahead about ten seconds of program, then freeze up. When you are ff'ing through commercials and then press play, it starts back about a minute ahead of where you wanted to be. The guide doesn't get updated except on big channels so it's pretty likely you will record monster trucks when you thought you were getting F1. There doesn't seem to be a way to "hide" the four hundred channels you'll never watch so you don't have to page through them. Comcast's inserted commercials cause a giant electronic spike that sounds like it's going to blow out all the transistors in the TV and the receiver... dunno if that's the DVR specifically.

There is exactly ONE feature I like, which is if you go to live TV from a recorded show, and hit the "last" button, it will go back to your recorded show.

[ChipShot]

How do you have this hooked up? Where is the DVDR getting its signal from? From the TV or direct from cable? Does it have it's own tuner? Is it a digital/HD tuner?

The DVDR is getting it's signal from cable....has it's own tuner, but the signal it's getting is analog. The local channels (3,10,13) are in HD, but not the subchannels. If I upgrade to HDTV ($8/month), will that improve the channels that aren't in HD now since I will then get the digital signal?

[ChipShot]

It was programmed by an infinite number of monkeys. When you delete a program it goes back four menus instead of one. When you have an HD channel on one tuner, the video on the other tuner goes choppy. Occasionally it gets a wild hair and records thirty copies of one night's Letterman show, obliterating everything else on the hard drive. It sometimes takes ten seconds to respond to you pressing a button. If you hit the first level of fast forward, it will go ahead about ten seconds of program, then freeze up. When you are ff'ing through commercials and then press play, it starts back about a minute ahead of where you wanted to be. The guide doesn't get updated except on big channels so it's pretty likely you will record monster trucks when you thought you were getting F1. There doesn't seem to be a way to "hide" the four hundred channels you'll never watch so you don't have to page through them. Comcast's inserted commercials cause a giant electronic spike that sounds like it's going to blow out all the transistors in the TV and the receiver... dunno if that's the DVR specifically.

There is exactly ONE feature I like, which is if you go to live TV from a recorded show, and hit the "last" button, it will go back to your recorded show.

Yes, that is a mess. I wonder if that's typical.

[mylo]

It was programmed by an infinite number of monkeys. When you delete a program it goes back four menus instead of one. When you have an HD channel on one tuner, the video on the other tuner goes choppy. Occasionally it gets a wild hair and records thirty copies of one night's Letterman show, obliterating everything else on the hard drive. It sometimes takes ten seconds to respond to you pressing a button. If you hit the first level of fast forward, it will go ahead about ten seconds of program, then freeze up. When you are ff'ing through commercials and then press play, it starts back about a minute ahead of where you wanted to be. The guide doesn't get updated except on big channels so it's pretty likely you will record monster trucks when you thought you were getting F1. There doesn't seem to be a way to "hide" the four hundred channels you'll never watch so you don't have to page through them. Comcast's inserted commercials cause a giant electronic spike that sounds like it's going to blow out all the transistors in the TV and the receiver... dunno if that's the DVR specifically.

There is exactly ONE feature I like, which is if you go to live TV from a recorded show, and hit the "last" button, it will go back to your recorded show.

[mylo]

Yes, that is a mess. I wonder if that's typical.

Perhaps typical in this FCC controlled market. I've been in software development for 15 years, and it's completely atypical of reasonable development projects to be this shoddy.

If anyone ever dares argue that the Comcast HD-DVR is "okay", I tell them to go try MythTV or Freevo. One look at either of those *amateur* products and it's clear to see that Comcast spent exactly 200yen on programming their piece of slime seasoned with vomit.

[mrdavex]

The DVDR is getting it's signal from cable....has it's own tuner, but the signal it's getting is analog. The local channels (3,10,13) are in HD, but not the subchannels. If I upgrade to HDTV ($8/month), will that improve the channels that aren't in HD now since I will then get the digital signal?

Setting the Comcast HD-DVR debate aside.

Okay, so if I can understand, you have analog only cable from Comcast. Or you have Digital Cable, but do not subscribe to the HD channels.

You might want to check if your DVD-R can even receive digital signals. And if can pick up digital TV, is the tuner ATSC or QAM? If it's ATSC, the only HDTV signals it will receive are through an antenna. If it's QAM, in theory you should be able to receive HDTV local channels through your Comcast cable without subscribing to the $8 a month service.

But if your DVD-R does not have a digital tuner, then you can only receive analog signals and you will need to get some kind of DVR with a digital tuner. I'll defer to Mylo and Lefty for recommendations.

[mylo]

Remember, Channels 1 through 100 on Comcast are ALL Analogue.

[ChipShot]

Setting the Comcast HD-DVR debate aside.

Okay, so if I can understand, you have analog only cable from Comcast. Or you have Digital Cable, but do not subscribe to the HD channels.

You might want to check if your DVD-R can even receive digital signals. And if can pick up digital TV, is the tuner ATSC or QAM? If it's ATSC, the only HDTV signals it will receive are through an antenna. If it's QAM, in theory you should be able to receive HDTV local channels through your Comcast cable without subscribing to the $8 a month service.

But if your DVD-R does not have a digital tuner, then you can only receive analog signals and you will need to get some kind of DVR with a digital tuner. I'll defer to Mylo and Lefty for recommendations.

Yes, I have analog only, yet I do receive the local channels in HD. But if I subscribe to the $8 a month for the HDTV box, I will then receive many more channels in HD and have a digital signal which should improve the reception of the channels that won't be in HD (if I'm understanding this right). I am tempted to get the HDTV box with the DVR ($13.95/ month) so I can get rid of the DVDR (except to watch movies), but Mylo and Lefty have me a little worried. Am I finally understanding this??

[mylo]

Yes, I have analog only, yet I do receive the local channels in HD. But if I subscribe to the $8 a month for the HDTV box, I will then receive many more channels in HD and have a digital signal which should improve the reception of the channels that won't be in HD (if I'm understanding this right). I am tempted to get the HDTV box with the DVR ($13.95/ month) so I can get rid of the DVDR (except to watch movies), but Mylo and Lefty have me a little worried. Am I finally understanding this??

If you upgrade to a "digital package", that does not make your analog channels less analog. You get higher number channels, some in HD.

Also to take note: Comcast digital channels are compressed, so having "Digital" is not necessarily better. Reception doesn't change either, the only difference is you lose entire "blocks" of the image, instead of it getting "fuzzy".

Personally, I prefer Comcast analogue over their Digital for quality.

[mrdavex]

Yes, I have analog only, yet I do receive the local channels in HD. But if I subscribe to the $8 a month for the HDTV box, I will then receive many more channels in HD and have a digital signal which should improve the reception of the channels that won't be in HD (if I'm understanding this right). I am tempted to get the HDTV box with the DVR ($13.95/ month) so I can get rid of the DVDR (except to watch movies), but Mylo and Lefty have me a little worried. Am I finally understanding this??

For $8 /month, you don't really get many more channels. You will get local channels ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC, and PBS in HD, plus a few of the sideband channels such as KVIE2 and KCRA Weather Plus. You will also get A&E HD, TNT HD, and ESPN HD. But the A&E and TNT only seem to show reruns of "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case." You also get a digital set top box which allows you to get On-Demand programming as well, but HD on-demand programming is very limited.

As Mylo said, the reception of your analog channels will not change. The HD channels will look a whole lot better than analog, but are subject to jitters, pauses, and momentary losses of sound. If you want to record the HD channels, but don't want to pay extra for a DVR, you can run the S-Video and audio output from the HD box to your DVDR. You won't record the picture in true HD, but instead 480p letter box. It will look better than directly recording an analog channel, though.