Digital PVR?

[crashwg]

For those not in "the loop," PVR=PersonalVideoRecorder

Is there anything available when it comes to PVRs and digital cable?  I'm considering getting digital, but with plans of maybe building my own PVR in the not-so-near future... I'd rather not get used to the digital and then have to go back to analog, know what I mean?

[Valiam Arkais]

There are several solutions to this problem and they all depend on how much time you want to spend, and what your digital cable box supports.  

Solution 1:
Use a serial connection between the PVR and the cable box (but this only works with certain kinds of cable boxes).

Solution 2:
Use a IR blaster to transmit the IR signals that your remote would send to your digital cable box.

There's a forum over at BYOPVR, that might be able to give you some more information.

Obviously, digital cable is much harder then analog, but it's possible to get it to work....  Oh, and don't forget, you will require a digital cable box for each TV (including the PVR).

-VA

[Alucard90]

Dont get one! The FCC  is going to ban them next year unless they are "flag compliant"

[rampy]

Dont get one! The FCC  is going to ban them next year unless they are "flag compliant"

VA hit it on the head (as usual)

I'm not sure "don't get one" is quite the answer =)  Yes broadcast flag is more than little uncool, and there is some legislation coming into effect... but

a. stuff manufactured prior to that date is grandfathered in
b. I'm sure cable companies have the ability to update the firmware on the digital cable boxes right over the line

see eff's page on DTV and broadcast flag

-- crash,  the main reasons to go to digital cable are PPV movies, and getting the movie channels...  I've got digital cable, and use it in conjunction with my TiVo but I never watch a channel "higher" than 73... (i just use analog cable for my homebrew PVR upstairs)  some of the other bells and whistles of digital cable, are moot with a PVR (the guide data, etc)

*shrug*  It's much easier to just put the coax into the back of a TV tuner card for analog cable, but you can control an external digital cable box via serial/IR blaster (as VA mentioned) it's just a little more effort.

good luck!

rampy

[TheTick]

Both Comcast and WideOpenWest offer DVRs for digital cable.

I just had Comcast install their HDTV version of their DVR about two weeks ago (just returned it today).
Its able to record lossless HD content, for perfect playback. Digital channels (channel #s over 100) are recorded in digital format and take up much less room than analog recordings. Everything under 100 is broadcast analog and uses some retarded compression.

Why did I return it? There is nothing to watch in HDTV!? Come to think of it... I don't watch any of the digital stations either. I'm back to basic cable and my ReplayTV. Comcast's DVR is not even close to the features that Tivo or ReplayTV offer. It doesn't even tell you how much is left of the program you're watching. I've found VCRs to be more convienent (that's stretching it a bit). They did a half-ass-job on it. But... looks awesome thru a DVI cable. (Found it funny that they installed it with a cheap component video cable, that wound up making the screen go black every couple minutes).

[GamingGreg]

I have one of Dish Network's PVRs (or DVRs [Digital Video Recorder] as they like to call them now) and I love it.  Does this "Broadcast Flag" thing mean that Dish Network might update my "firmware" next year on my box and then disallow me to watch or record some shows?  That stinks!

Hollywood is playing "Big Brother" again!