DVR Options

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comstar

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Topic # 29903 22-Jan-2009 22:41

Hello

I am looking for a simple solution for our standard definition television. I have decided the MySky is not for us and am looking at other DVR solutions. What are the best options and what are the scheduling options like? Also is their any solution available to schedule recordings of different Sky channels. I assume not.

Thanks for the help.

lchiu7

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Reply # 191414 22-Jan-2009 23:52

There are many options out there and some can schedule Sky recordings. All they do is interact with an IR emitter so at the appropriate time, the program will start recording via its video and audio jacks (output from the Sky box) and the IR Emitter will send the control codes to the Sky box to select the right channel.

gbpvr is a good local solution. Others will have their views.

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Nety

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Reply # 191418 23-Jan-2009 00:14

Can you tell us why you dont think mysky is for you? As stated above there are other options however they tend to not be plug and play in fact most are far from it.

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Jaxson

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Reply # 191458 23-Jan-2009 09:28

Yeah given you seem to have sky already, I'd go mysky, unless you're thinking that down the line you might want to dump sky.

Other box options are to go the freeview way, but that's new (=probably buggy like my sky way initially) and expensive. Freeview shop does the Hyundai sat/uhf freeview combo which looks good, but is also expensive as you need sat dish + add on your own hard drive cost too.

PlayTV coming (anybody have ANY insider info on where this is at?!!!) for PS3 will be cool, but will only accept input from over the air, so can't record an external source like a sky box etc. As I understand it it's hit a problem with freeview chosing to only broadcast their MHEG5 EPG package on the UHF (HD) freeview flavour, and not the raw EIT data as well like they do on the Satellite version. Sony wants to use their own great EPG format but can't get access to the raw data to fill this with.

There's always a VHS but fairly low quality. No EPG either. Your options really are either any of the above or the many satellite based freeview recorders, of which there are some good options available. Oh, and the build your own HTPC etc, of which there are many here using this option.

sbiddle

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Reply # 191470 23-Jan-2009 10:04

Jaxson:
PlayTV coming (anybody have ANY insider info on where this is at?!!!) for PS3 will be cool, but will only accept input from over the air, so can't record an external source like a sky box etc. As I understand it it's hit a problem with freeview chosing to only broadcast their MHEG5 EPG package on the UHF (HD) freeview flavour, and not the raw EIT data as well like they do on the Satellite version. Sony wants to use their own great EPG format but can't get access to the raw data to fill this with.

The number of companies blaming MHEG5 is the world's lamest excuse. The reality is MHEG5 is the future - Freeview in the UK uses MHEG5 for their EPG, Freeview in Australia used MHEG5 for their EPG, Ireland's DVB-T will be solely MHEG5.. The list goes on. EIT is very much a legacy standard that many new networks are chosing not no support.

The MHEG5 specs are available and there is nothing to stop people implimenting them in their products. For those who want to access the MHEG5 EPG your options are to either extract the MHEG5 data to your own EPG format or use the MHEG5 PVR calls to display the MHEG5 EPG.

Jaxson

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Reply # 191484 23-Jan-2009 10:57

Just to be clear I'm not blaiming MHEG5 for anything.
Just slightly more involved to extract raw info if you want to populate your own EPG design is all.

bazzer

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Reply # 191561 23-Jan-2009 14:10

Jaxson: Just to be clear I'm not blaiming MHEG5 for anything.
Just slightly more involved to extract raw info if you want to populate your own EPG design is all.

Says who? Having not seen the standard I can't make a judgement, but I'd have thought that would be the least of their worries.

SepticSceptic

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Reply # 195156 10-Feb-2009 17:22

Alternatively, a localised TiVO Series 1 box could be an answer.

picks up local EPG no probs.

And from what I read in the mySky postings, it appears that the scheduling, and season passes seem to be superior on the Tivo than any of the PVR offerings from Sky.

Only drawback it can only record one thing at a time, but most things are repeated eventually, so have never really been at a loss as to what to view. The Tivo is almost running at max HDD capacity, but most of it is Tivo "suggestions" (based on your viewing habits) that the tivo schedules during times that you havent expicitly chosen to record anything.

Perfect for SD Television, and aint too bad on HD TV's either.

Now if Sky had decent quality SD transmission for their sports channels, instead of the overly compressed mush that we currently have, I wouldnt have to be fighting a hankering for the MySkyHDI offerings.

Grr...

My thoughts are no longer my own and is probably representative of our media-controlled government