Getting Into DVRs

Besides HDTV itself, we think that the rise of the DVR (Digital Video Recorder — some folks call them PVRs, or Personal Video Recorders, too) is the single biggest thing to happen to TV in our lifetimes. Yeah, we know that sounds like an exaggeration, but trust us — using a DVR is almost a life-changing experience. Once you start using a DVR, you’ll never (never ever) think about TV the same way again! In this article, we give you a good dose of DVR background and information, then cover the (few) DVRs that can record HDTV signals. We also discuss DVRs more generally — after all, most features and “goodies” found on today’s standard-definition DVRs will eventually appear again in high-def versions of the same units. Finally, we cover some interesting DVR variants (such as the DVR/DVD recorder combo that Pat finds so compelling). Most DVRs in this article (and most DVRs you can buy today) can’t record or play HDTV content. A very small number of HDTVcapable DVRs are available, but we expect that very soon HDTV DVRs will be common.

DVR 101 A DVR is, at the most basic level, a digital replacement for your VCR. Just like a VCR, a DVR can record TV programs — instead of using a tape for this purpose, a DVR records TV digitally, on a computer hard drive inside the DVR. Learning the benefits If the only benefit of a DVR were the replacement of the tape with a hard drive, we’d be sold on it. But as they say in the Ginsu knife commercials —“Wait, there’s more!” DVRs can also

-  Pause live TV: Usually, DVRs automatically record about an hour’s worth of the show you’re currently watching. So you can hit the pause button, run to the bathroom or kitchen or answer the phone, and pick up later where you left off.

-  Rewind live TV: You can rewind a scene that you missed. This was done a lot during a certain halftime show (with a certain “wardrobe malfunction”).

-  Record a show you’re watching with one touch: If you must leave the room suddenly, just press a single button on the remote to save the whole show (including the part you’ve already watched).

-  Record an entire series: You don’t have to set up separate recordings for each episode of a series. Just select one episode and turn on series recording. Your DVR automatically finds every episode of that show on the programming guide and records it for you. All DVRs have a few common elements: -  The hard drive for storing video -  A GUI (graphical user interface) that lets you control the DVR with your remote control -  An on-screen programming guide for scheduling recordings (no more need to manually enter dates and times!) -  A telephone or Internet connection for updating the programming guide The best-known DVRs come from a company called TiVo (www. tivo.com) and its partners. In fact, the name TiVo is widely used to refer to DVRs in general — it’s even used as a verb as in, “I didn’t watch it yet, but I TiVo’d Deadwood.” Making the connection Connecting a DVR to your HDTV system is simple. You want your DVR to be inline with (connected between) your TV source (antenna, cable or satellite) and the HDTV itself. -  This is incredibly easy if the DVR is part of the TV source (either a satellite receiver or cable set-top box). -  If you have a standalone DVR, you connect it to the standarddefinition outputs of your satellite or cable set-top box (or to your antenna cable) before those signals reach your HDTV. Today, there aren’t any HDTV standalone DVRs on the market — so you have only standard-definition signals on your DVR. That’s because the common self-contained DVRs that are most popular today have not yet been converted to handle HDTV — manufacturers aren’t yet convinced that there’s a big enough market for HDTV viewers using over-theair antennas. You could use one of the DBS satellite HD DVRs we discuss in the section of the article that immediately follows to record over-theair HDTV signals. In this case, the DVR is also your HDTV tuner. If you’re not subscribing to a DBS service, this is a really expensive ($1,000) way of getting an HDTV-capable DVR just for broadcast channels. HD DVRs If you own or plan on owning an HDTV (and we assume you do, since you’re reading HDTV For Dummies), your ultimate DVR records and displays HDTV programs in their native HDTV resolutions (720p or 1080i). After all, your favorite HDTV shows deserve the deluxe DVR treatment as much as your standard-definition favorites. As we write, there are few HDTV-capable DVRs on the market. Making a high-def DVR is a cost-engineering challenge, not a technical challenge. Today, a high-def DVR isn’t easy to build at prices consumers will pay, because a high-definition DVR requires -  A much bigger hard drive -  A more powerful graphics chip -  More expensive connectors (like DVI-D or component video) The prices of high-def DVR components are coming down rapidly. We expect that HDTV DVRs soon will be common and affordable. If you want an HDTV DVR today, you have a few choices:

-  From your cable company: A few cable companies offer digital cable/HDTV set-top boxes that include HDTV DVR features. One example of this is Scientific Atlanta’s Explorer 8000HD, which you can look into at the following site: www.sciatl.com/products/consumers/Exp8000HD.htm You can’t buy one of these for yourself, but if you’re lucky, your cable company will rent you one for a monthly fee. The Explorer 8000HD contains a 160 gigabyte hard drive that can record up to 20 hours of HDTV programming. Not all cable-company “HDTV” DVRs actually record in HDTV — some combine an HDTV tuner with a standard DVR. This DVR is better than nothing, but know what you’re getting for your money.

-  In your satellite receiver: Each of the major satellite TV providers have announced deals to provide their customers with set-top boxes that can record HDTV — for the low, low price of about $1,000. We talk about the satellite service providers (DIRECTV, Dish Network, and Voom).

Standard DVRs If you are one of the lucky few with the budget, the right HDTV service provider, and the right alignment of the stars, you might be able to get an HDTV-capable DVR right now. For the rest of us, a standard-definition DVR is the only option until HDTV DVRs become more widely available (and affordable!). What to look for DVRs are made by many manufacturers, and are available at a wide range of prices. Here are the key things we look for when deciding which DVR is right for us (these criteria can apply to an HDTV DVR, too):

-  Purchase or rent: Your main question probably is, “How much is this thing going to cost me?” The answer depends upon where the DVR comes from. Some units are offered to consumers for outright purchase; others are rented from a cable company or other provider on a monthly basis. Do the math on this — rental is initially cheaper, but may be more expensive if you keep the DVR for a long time.

-  Programming guide fees: Many DVRs require a monthly service fee to access the on-screen program guide (it makes the DVR work, and you should consider it mandatory). Some, like those rented from a cable company, may not charge for this, or include this cost in the equipment rental fee. In some cases, you can save money by purchasing a “lifetime” subscription. Lifetime subscriptions only are a good deal if the company that sells them stays in business for the lifetime of your DVR. DVR manufacturers have gone bankrupt — folks with lifetime subscriptions weren’t affected, but for a while it wasn’t clear what would happen. If your DVR vendor goes bust, you and your subscription could be out in the cold.

-  Hard-drive size: The main technical specification to check in a DVR is hard drive size — often described as hours of programming that fit on the hard drive. Hours can trick you — they depend on video quality. Compare the same video quality when comparing time. Check whether the PVR allows for adding external hard drives to add capacity in the future. Look for a DVR that includes either FireWire (also called 1394) or USB 2.0 connectors for this purpose. Read the manual (the fine print!) — some DVRs have these connectors, but they aren’t “turned on,” so you can’t use them for this purpose.

-  Number of tuners: We recommend a two-tuner DVR, so you can either record two programs at once or watch one while recording another. Some DVRs only have a single TV tuner built-in. You can only record one program at a time — if this single-tuner DVR is built into your cable or satellite set-top box, you might be able to watch only the program you’re recording.

-  Hardware features: The most basic DVRs simply have connections for TVs and TV source signals. Others can connect to home networks (via Ethernet) or even wireless LANs for sharing content between DVRs within the home. We recommend Ethernet connections so you can share!

-  Software features: Some DVRs (like those made by TiVo or ReplayTV — www.replaytv.com) are built around very sophisticated GUIs that can do things like recommend shows you’d like (based on your viewing habits), display pictures or play music that’s stored on your PCs, or even incorporate Internet content. Others (for example, some of the DVRs incorporated into cable set-top boxes) are more basic. If you want all the fancy interface stuff, you’re probably best off with either a TiVo or ReplayTV-powered DVR. Finding a DVR that fits When buying a DVR, you need to consider how it fits into the space you want to put it in — its form factor. Some DVRs are selfcontained units — in other words, a chassis with a DVR inside, and nothing else. Others are incorporated into other devices, providing a multipurpose device that takes up less room on that equipment rack under your HDTV. Among your choices are the following:

-  Standalone DVRs: The most popular DVR is a standalone unit, like the traditional TiVo and ReplayTV models. These DVRs are best suited for connecting to over-the-air broadcast TV or analog cable systems, though they can be used with a digital cable set-top box or satellite receiver.

-  Cable and satellite DVRs: If you connect your HDTV primarily to digital cable or satellite service, you should consider a DVR that is built into your receiver or set-top box. These DVRs save space and receive the digital signals used by these services (which standalone DVRs can’t do). Note:

• Satellite users usually buy the DVR/receiver.

• Cable users usually rent equipment from the cable company.

-  DVR recorder DVRs: Our favorite standalone DVRs have a built-in DVD recorder. A DVD recorder solves the biggest issue most DVR owners run into — what to do with all those back episodes of your favorite show when your hard drive starts to get full. With a DVD recorder, you “burn” a DVD archive and clear your hard drive for new recordings.

-  Using your PC: There are a couple of ways to use a PC:

• If you have a Windows XP Media Center PC, you have a DVR. These PCs already have the hardware and software to record TV programs; the stuff works just like a regular DVR.

• You can turn a standard PC into a DVR by adding some inexpensive hardware and software. Article 16 covers the equipment you need if you want to use a PC as a DVR. One way TiVo is fighting back is by turning to the Internet. TiVo has announced that it will offer a new service to its broadband (cableor DSL-modem-equipped) customers — an Internet service will allow customers to download movies, video, and music directly to their TiVo DVRs. Basically, this service is designed to both supplement and to bypass regular TV sources — providing TiVo with a compelling service of their own to keep people buying TiVo DVRs (and to keep them subscribing to TiVo services). Check whether it’s available at www.tivo.com.