Can I turn my PC into a TV or PVR?

[Jim Helfer]

Isn't a pc as pvr cheaper than say Tivo or replay as you don't have to
pay monthly fees or lifetime fees. (I think they are like $299
lifetime vs 12.95/monthly). Right there you are close to half of what
a computer pvr could cost to build and you aren't even including the
cost of the tivo.

On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 16:20:33 -0500, Gary Tait

Here's one way to look at it.

Tivo + 1 yr service = 149 + 12x12.99 = $304.40

ATI AIW 9600 Pro + 80 GB HD = 259 + 80 = $339.00

I calculate on the basis of one year, because what with the speed of
cahnge with these products, I can't imagine going for much more than one
year without spending more money on an upgrade to either one of these
technologies.

With Tivo or Replay. You're done unless you want to pay for lifetime
service or some other specail feature. With your PC, you may need other
upgrades (faster Mobo, More Ram, quieter fans, DVD burner, networking).
Also, if your PC is a Win XP/Linux dual booter, you have to assure
that the HW&SW setup will work (the same!) with either OS, or risk no
being able to record depending on what OS you happen to be running?

Plus, my large TV with the home theatre and comfy couches is in the
living room. My good computer is in the den. Am I supposed to move my
good PC into the living room, or watch all my TV in the den? What if
I'm doing something demanding with my computer. Will I have problems
recording, or will I have to stay off while is

My longer range goal is to meld my comptuer equipment and
entertainment equipment into a true "home network (i.e. a network that
does a lot of home-type things, rather than my office network that
stores files and shares printers and delivers mail). On paper, though.
, it sure looks like Tivo is the current winner in terms of price,
features and convenience. Perhaps a good plan would be to look for a
good deal on a TV, (maybe get the lifetime service to create resale
value) while at the same time experimenting with lower cost PC-PVR
solutions. When you build a PC-only solution that you really like, you
can get rid of your Tivo. Hopefully before the Tivo folks thing of
something really nefarious to do with your user data . <g>

Jim H
Pittsburgh PA

 

[Jim Helfer]

That would be Your job. This would depend On your preferences. (and
who said that used equipment won't record media?) I could go into a
PAWN shop and do it for next to nothing. Cause a million people have
sold their TIVO setups cause they couldn't afford the monthly....

Seems to me that _you_ made the challenge. It sounds like you
aren't willing or able to provide pricing support for your assertion.
Also, if the pawn shops are full of Tivos, that means to me that I can
get a tiVo even cheaper!

Like I said before, YOU find it HARD, YOU find it costly, YOU find it
noisy, YOU can't figure it out... then YOU don't use it.... pretty
simple.
Its not likely that somebody interested in TIVO -VIVO - or recording
media of any type, would start out from nothing. If they have gotten
this far (to a NG) they have been 'dabbling' in the least.


You can't just come in and say ' I ' find it noisy/hard/not
practical so, therefore its not a good way of doing something.

Umm. Of course you can. It's called forming an opinion of future
expectations from hands-on life experience. Adults do it all the time.

Jim H
Pittsburgh PA

 

[JAD]

challenge!? I need not prove anything...I use a PC to TIVO - I have
no problems with it, it records perfectly, I have all the equipment I
need, so therefore It would cost me NADA. The subject - as far as ' I
' am concerned, is moot. As far as the 'adult' bullshit....respect
your elders, sonny.

You can't cook, so then cooking should not be done by anybody?

That would be Your job. This would depend On your preferences. (and
who said that used equipment won't record media?) I could go into a
PAWN shop and do it for next to nothing. Cause a million people have
sold their TIVO setups cause they couldn't afford the monthly....

Seems to me that _you_ made the challenge. It sounds like you
aren't willing or able to provide pricing support for your assertion.
Also, if the pawn shops are full of Tivos, that means to me that I can
get a tiVo even cheaper!

Like I said before, YOU find it HARD, YOU find it costly, YOU find it
noisy, YOU can't figure it out... then YOU don't use it.... pretty
simple.
Its not likely that somebody interested in TIVO -VIVO - or recording
media of any type, would start out from nothing. If they have gotten
this far (to a NG) they have been 'dabbling' in the least.


You can't just come in and say ' I ' find it noisy/hard/not
practical so, therefore its not a good way of doing something.

Umm. Of course you can. It's called forming an opinion of future
expectations from hands-on life experience. Adults do it all the time.

Jim H
Pittsburgh PA

 

[gothika]

Here's one way to look at it.

Tivo + 1 yr service = 149 + 12x12.99 = $304.40

ATI AIW 9600 Pro + 80 GB HD = 259 + 80 = $339.00

I calculate on the basis of one year, because what with the speed of
cahnge with these products, I can't imagine going for much more than one
year without spending more money on an upgrade to either one of these
technologies.

With Tivo or Replay. You're done unless you want to pay for lifetime
service or some other specail feature. With your PC, you may need other
upgrades (faster Mobo, More Ram, quieter fans, DVD burner, networking).
Also, if your PC is a Win XP/Linux dual booter, you have to assure
that the HW&SW setup will work (the same!) with either OS, or risk no
being able to record depending on what OS you happen to be running?

Plus, my large TV with the home theatre and comfy couches is in the
living room. My good computer is in the den. Am I supposed to move my
good PC into the living room, or watch all my TV in the den? What if
I'm doing something demanding with my computer. Will I have problems
recording, or will I have to stay off while is

My longer range goal is to meld my comptuer equipment and
entertainment equipment into a true "home network (i.e. a network that
does a lot of home-type things, rather than my office network that
stores files and shares printers and delivers mail). On paper, though.
, it sure looks like Tivo is the current winner in terms of price,
features and convenience. Perhaps a good plan would be to look for a
good deal on a TV, (maybe get the lifetime service to create resale
value) while at the same time experimenting with lower cost PC-PVR
solutions. When you build a PC-only solution that you really like, you
can get rid of your Tivo. Hopefully before the Tivo folks thing of
something really nefarious to do with your user data . <g>

Jim H
Pittsburgh PA

\

Actually the cost of setting up a computer based PVR isn't that
costly.
Tv tuner/capture cards are pretty low cost these days and will work on
just about any computer.
I have an old celeron 650 computer that sits in a slot in my
entertainment center. Cost of this unit was less than 50 bucks,
combined with an ATI tv tuner card that I paid 40 bucks for and an
80gig hd that cost me about 70 bucks and I've got all I need to record
video straight to a hd.
I run the s-video from my cable box into the s-video of the ATI card
and get high quality video that I can burn back to dvd later if I want
to keep the program.
Tivo's are so limited in what they can do and to even try a hack or
work around is a pain.
My computer is networked throughout my house and gives me video and
digital hifi at every computer I have.

 

[Jim Helfer]

challenge!? I need not prove anything...I use a PC to TIVO - I have
no problems with it, it records perfectly, I have all the equipment I
need, so therefore It would cost me NADA. The subject - as far as ' I
' am concerned, is moot. As far as the 'adult' bullshit....respect
your elders, sonny.

You can't cook, so then cooking should not be done by anybody?

For a second time, you flatly refuse to back up your claims. Why
should anyone believe you?

 

[Jim Helfer]

Actually the cost of setting up a computer based PVR isn't that
costly.
Tv tuner/capture cards are pretty low cost these days and will work on
just about any computer.
I have an old celeron 650 computer that sits in a slot in my
entertainment center. Cost of this unit was less than 50 bucks,
combined with an ATI tv tuner card that I paid 40 bucks for and an
80gig hd that cost me about 70 bucks and I've got all I need to record
video straight to a hd.

What TV capture hardware are you running specifically?

are you running a dedicated PC just for this purpose?

 

[Jim Helfer]

challenge!? I need not prove anything...I use a PC to TIVO - I have
no problems with it, it records perfectly, I have all the equipment I
need, so therefore It would cost me NADA. The subject - as far as ' I
' am concerned, is moot. As far as the 'adult' bullshit....respect
your elders, sonny.

Your choice and use of language pretty much nails your age, kid.
Care to back up your boasts with facts?

 

[Seth Brundle]

And from experience with both, I can tell you the TiVo is a freaking

your personal preferences mean nothing to a well versed PC user.

Well, I have built over 30 PCs in my lifetime (the first being a
286-20, last being a 3.2 GHz P4), half Windows boxes and half Linux
servers, and have been a UNIX developer in Silicon Valley for 7 years,
so I guess you could call me a well versed PC user.

I also reviewed and handled deals with mobile and consumer device
manufacturers for a major internet portal for 2 years, and had
pre-launch versions of TiVo and ReplayTV provided for me.

The reason why I built this new box was to see if PC software and
hardware had reached the point where a Windows PC was a better choice
then seperate componants - it isnt.

At least for SnapStream/BeyondTV (which I also Beta'd, and has been
plagued with issues since its launch), it still has some bugs to work
out, the biggest being that it does not use video hardware overlays
and causes picture tearing on many users systems. Control of live
video and frame by frame is poorly implemented.

But the big issue for the PC is that there is not yet a quality
all-in-one use-it-from-across-your-room interface which is designed to
be used completely with a remote control, except for Windows Media
Edition, which I refuse to pay for to experiement with.

 

[gothika]

What TV capture hardware are you running specifically?

An ATI all-in-wonder pro card with software bundled with it.
There are better cards on the market these days though.
What I have works for my need so why spend more?

are you running a dedicated PC just for this purpose?

Yep. Just a small tower unit loaded with video and audio
software/hardware(The ATI card as well as a 5.1 sound card).
I could have used a newer computer but this one worked and was very
quiet.(The later computers have noisy cooling fans)