Analogue DVR - Keep or throw away?

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muzzal

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Topic # 204475 3-Oct-2016 11:24

I have bought a Panasonic DMR-PWT550 to replace an analogue DVR (Pioneer DVR-660H).

I was about to send the Pioneer to the recyclers but thought I'd check to see whether it was still of any use. The hard drive will be destroyed before going to the recyclers.

Your opinions appreciated.

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Reply # 1644622 3-Oct-2016 11:45

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kiwifidget

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Reply # 1644625 3-Oct-2016 11:50

I have decided to keep my old Sony DVR for now as it is my only region-free DVD player.

But I must confess I have not needed to turn it on for many moons now.

Life is too short to remove USB safely.

wellygary

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Reply # 1644628 3-Oct-2016 11:53

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Bin it.... Also, why are you destorying the HDD, its only got publicly aired TV on it?

richms

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Reply # 1644634 3-Oct-2016 12:01

Unless you see yourself needing to get video off a composite source at some stage then it would be of no real use going fowards. Perhaps if you were content with SD and had a non mysky box then it would have a limited amount of use.

Also without a HDD they are typically useless, not sure what you have put on it that warrants destroying it? Dubbing your own stuff over might warrant it, but if its just crap off TV then meh, who cares.

Richard rich.ms

cb1

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Reply # 1644662 3-Oct-2016 12:36

Guess you could use the hard drive for some other purpose - install in a desktop pc, use in an external usb enclosure.

muzzal

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Reply # 1644666 3-Oct-2016 12:47

Thanks for all your thoughts. Going to bin it.

Reason why I'm destroying the HDD is it has some home videos on it.

Rikkitic

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Reply # 1644671 3-Oct-2016 12:50

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I would keep it on general principles, the principle being you never know what might come in handy one day. Every time I throw something away, I end up needing something exactly like it a month or so down the track.

I reject your reality and substitute my own. - Adam Savage

richms

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Reply # 1644675 3-Oct-2016 12:53

Rikkitic:

I would keep it on general principles, the principle being you never know what might come in handy one day. Every time I throw something away, I end up needing something exactly like it a month or so down the track.

There was a TV show about people with that way of thinking.

My attitude is that if I can buy another one then it can go out in the trash.

Richard rich.ms

Rikkitic

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Reply # 1644696 3-Oct-2016 13:06

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Eww, throwaway society!

I reject your reality and substitute my own. - Adam Savage

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Reply # 1644709 3-Oct-2016 13:42

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Rikkitic:

I would keep it on general principles, the principle being you never know what might come in handy one day. Every time I throw something away, I end up needing something exactly like it a month or so down the track.

Our garage is full of things-that-might-come-in-handy-one-day.

Unfortunately, there is no room for our car, which is parked in the drive.

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richms

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Reply # 1644715 3-Oct-2016 13:52

I have a shed of that. And things bought on sale that I will need "soon" and can never find when I need them, so now I just buy things for the house as I am ready for them. Clearance sales can GTFO

Richard rich.ms

wellygary

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Reply # 1644737 3-Oct-2016 14:32

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Rikkitic:

Eww, throwaway society!

Not really, in this case it is techologically obsolete as the network needed for most of its function has been discontinued,

Do you still have your analog mobie phone around at home, on the chance it "might still be useful"?

I susepct that once the Networks were switched off you got rid of it.... same here

B1GGLZ

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Reply # 1644807 3-Oct-2016 16:41

I'd keep it. Might be handy if you ever want to record something off external device. More and more of the latest models don't have inputs for external recording. Also why destroy the HDD. Just Format it. That will wipe all dat and it could be used on your PC with an external USB adaptor. I just got an external USB HDD interface from eBay which accepts IDE and SATA HDD and was only NZ$35. Works well too. They're also available locally.

Rikkitic

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Reply # 1644813 3-Oct-2016 16:55

Just because the tuner is outmoded doesn't mean the recorder isn't still useful. I can't recount how many times obsolete technology has saved the day for me. Sometimes it is the only thing that will work in a particular situation.

I reject your reality and substitute my own. - Adam Savage

JimmyH

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Reply # 1644868 3-Oct-2016 18:49

I still record off analog (Sky box) using a DVD recorder (admittedly more modern that yours and with a digital tuner as well), and will keep doing so until I can convince the GF to dump Sky completely. Most Freeview boxes also have analog outputs.

Keep it, as it's still fit for purpose if:

there is a chance you will want to record something in SD at some point in the future
have a spare room that you want a DVD player in for occasional use, or
have anything SD that you might want to transfer to disk (eg old home VHS tapes).

Otherwise, biff it. I'm a an old equipment hoarder as well. But if it's obsolete and you have no plausible use for it, then you need to bite the bullet.

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