Wanted: info on DVR systems

Peter Cooper Jr.
Imported From Livejournal

We got a large-screen TV for Christmas, and now we seem to do more TV watching. I’ve been timeshifting stuff with a VCR, but I’ve been thinking that I want something with a bit better quality. Also, eventually I hope Charter will start carrying WSBK-DT so that we can watch our Jeopardy in high-def, and VCRs don’t really deal with that.

So, I’ve been looking into DVR-like technologies, and there seems to be quite a mix of possibilities. I don’t want to spend too much, since we don’t watch TV that often. While a small recurring fee isn’t completely out of the question, something like TiVo or Charter’s $13–$15/mo. is much more than I’m willing to commit at this time. (Charter’s plan would also require us to get their Digital Cable package, which may be nice, but would also add significantly to the cost.)

I think I would ideally like a settop box that doesn’t require a large monthly fee, but I’d be okay with modifications to a computer I already have, moving the computer out to the living room, and getting a DVI-to-HDMI adapter to connect to the TV.

Requirements:

  • Able to read both Analog Cable as well as Clear QAM digital cable.
  • Automatic scheduling of recordings, pausing/rewinding/etc. live tv, and other typical DVR features, all available for both standard and high definition.
  • Controllable via a remote (rather than, say, needing to use a wireless mouse/keyboard all the time).
  • I’ve set an arbitrary budget of $150 setup, with minimal recurring costs (such as electricity usage). That’s flexible if there was really a compelling reason to spend more, but it’d have to be a pretty compelling reason. Cheaper would generally be better.
  • If a computer is involved, Windows would be preferred since I’ve got the most experience at administrating it, but something Linux-based would be fine if that would be better.

So far, I’ve looked at some TV tuner computer cards, but there’s a lot of options both in hardware and software. So, I’d appreciate any suggestions/knowledge/feedback people may have.