Comments on: Seeking DVR & cable-spliter recommendations… http://huddledmasses.org/seeking-dvr-cable-spliter-recommendations/ You can do more than breathe for free... Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:17:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: seaJhawk http://huddledmasses.org/seeking-dvr-cable-spliter-recommendations/comment-page-1/#comment-209819 seaJhawk Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:34:11 +0000 http://HuddledMasses.org/?p=731#comment-209819 Hey Jaykul,<br>I've got some experience with this that I'm happy to share. I've used a Tivo (and hacked it to add a larger hard drive), a Comcast DVR, a Windows XP Media Center with an extender and a Windows Vista MC with an XBOX 360 extender.<br><br>Hands-down, the Vista/360 combo that I'm currently using is the best. <br><br>The PC is a Core 2 Duo 6600 with 4GB (ran for a long time with 2GB, but I got a great deal on the extra 2GB) and oodles of disk space. It has dual standard def tuners because I don't want to mess with trying to control a set-top box or deal with encrypted channels, etc. I'm waiting for high def until I can get a cable card tuner for a reasonable price.<br><br>So aside from the fact that it's not HD, here are the things I love:<br>- DVRMSToolbox - best add-on EVER - automatically sets up every show I record to skip commercials automatically. Also lets me convert DVRMS files to WMV if I want to store them long term.<br>- XBOX 360 Extender - connects to the MC very quickly (~20 sec or less) and just works - seriously, it just works! (computer stuff that just works was never as important as when I changed my family's TV viewing habbits)<br>- XBOX 360 - sometimes I like to play games too<br>- NetFlix - not really Media Center, rather XBOX Live, but I'm looking forward to this this fall. I already download movies periodically through XBOX Live and they look and sound great - I'm just looking for a larger variety<br>- Performance - I can be watching a show on the XBOX, recording another show and my kids can be playing Flight Simulator X with the graphics cranked up and everything works great. Talk about multi-tasking.<br>- DVD Archive- again, not necessarily MC specific, but I rip all of the DVDs that I own to the MC and I can watch them from the XBOX. I don't have to worry about my kids scratching the DVDs any more.<br><br>There are probably some other things, but my wife wants some input on something so I've got to run.<br><br>l8r<br><br>-Chris Hey Jaykul,
I've got some experience with this that I'm happy to share. I've used a Tivo (and hacked it to add a larger hard drive), a Comcast DVR, a Windows XP Media Center with an extender and a Windows Vista MC with an XBOX 360 extender.

Hands-down, the Vista/360 combo that I'm currently using is the best.

The PC is a Core 2 Duo 6600 with 4GB (ran for a long time with 2GB, but I got a great deal on the extra 2GB) and oodles of disk space. It has dual standard def tuners because I don't want to mess with trying to control a set-top box or deal with encrypted channels, etc. I'm waiting for high def until I can get a cable card tuner for a reasonable price.

So aside from the fact that it's not HD, here are the things I love:
- DVRMSToolbox – best add-on EVER – automatically sets up every show I record to skip commercials automatically. Also lets me convert DVRMS files to WMV if I want to store them long term.
- XBOX 360 Extender – connects to the MC very quickly (~20 sec or less) and just works – seriously, it just works! (computer stuff that just works was never as important as when I changed my family's TV viewing habbits)
- XBOX 360 – sometimes I like to play games too
- NetFlix – not really Media Center, rather XBOX Live, but I'm looking forward to this this fall. I already download movies periodically through XBOX Live and they look and sound great – I'm just looking for a larger variety
- Performance – I can be watching a show on the XBOX, recording another show and my kids can be playing Flight Simulator X with the graphics cranked up and everything works great. Talk about multi-tasking.
- DVD Archive- again, not necessarily MC specific, but I rip all of the DVDs that I own to the MC and I can watch them from the XBOX. I don't have to worry about my kids scratching the DVDs any more.

There are probably some other things, but my wife wants some input on something so I've got to run.

l8r

-Chris

]]> By: Jaykul http://huddledmasses.org/seeking-dvr-cable-spliter-recommendations/comment-page-1/#comment-209425 Jaykul Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:24:53 +0000 http://HuddledMasses.org/?p=731#comment-209425 Yes, but it's a rather expensive choice ... Yes, but it's a rather expensive choice …

]]> By: Darin Pendergraft http://huddledmasses.org/seeking-dvr-cable-spliter-recommendations/comment-page-1/#comment-209149 Darin Pendergraft Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:05:07 +0000 http://HuddledMasses.org/?p=731#comment-209149 Have you looked at using a slingbox to move the shows around your network? <a href="http://www.slingmedia.com/">http://www.slingmedia.com/</a> Have you looked at using a slingbox to move the shows around your network? http://www.slingmedia.com/

]]> By: Doug http://huddledmasses.org/seeking-dvr-cable-spliter-recommendations/comment-page-1/#comment-208676 Doug Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:00:26 +0000 http://HuddledMasses.org/?p=731#comment-208676 Checkout the HDHomeRun from Silicon Dust<br> <a href="http://www.silicondust.com/">http://www.silicondust.com/</a><br><br>dual tuner via Ethernet Checkout the HDHomeRun from Silicon Dust
http://www.silicondust.com/

dual tuner via Ethernet

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