Re: DVR questions

erilar <drache@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I have cable and intend to keep it. They will feed me a signal my two
VCRs and old analog TV can deal with for some time to come. My TV set
is showing signs of age, however, and I'm going to have to replace it
with a digital one ere long. I'm not interested in HD, as, if I
understand this correctly, I probably wouldn't notice any difference
because I'll still be on cable from a fairly small distributor.

Oh my goodness, no. Tv scripts are so much better in HD. No more lame
plots. The acting and directing are improved, too.

As far as I know, all digital tvs are HD tvs. New tv means HD.

(I live in a pretty rural area far from big cities and there's only one
other cable company around). I presume such a set will not deal happily
with my ancient and venerable VCRs. Play, yes. Record???? Somehow I
doubt it.

Tvs typically have multiple inputs for other devices. The tvs I use have
two inputs just for RCA jacks: video plus stereo audio. So I could hook
up two VCRs. If your VCR has S-Video, use that hookup instead.

When that day comes, must I immediately buy some kind of DVR?
When my cable company finally upgrades the cable in my area to digital,
I suspect I'll need to do that anyway. They may or may not offer me
some kind of DVR.

I have no doubt that the cable company will happily rent you a DVR at a
high profit margin to themselves.

Based on past experience, it will probably only bring in one channel
at a time--or in other words, I don't expect to want their service
if that's it.

My cable company offers me a choice of four digital set-top boxes:

Standard definition
High definition
Standard definition, dual tuner with DVR
High definition, dual tuner with DVR

Also, I'm in an area that's made a full conversion to digital, although
they are also supplying analog signals on a handful of channels. That
means that those handful of analog channels are also supplied as
standard definition digital channels. But if I have an analog
cable-ready tuner in a tv or VCR, it will still tune in any remaining
analog channels. But the digital set-top boxes need not also have analog
tuners.

In a few areas, there are digital boxes that include analog tuners
because the cable area hasn't made the full conversion to digital yet.

What do I need to record two programs at the same time?
What do I need to record one and watch another?

For both of these, a rented dual tuner digital set-top box with DVR will
do the trick.

Is it possible to record two and watch a third?

If your tv has the appropriate tuner, yes.

Note well: A cable-ready digital tuner is called QAM. Only some digital
channels will be unencoded; these you'll be able to tune in with the tv
tuner. Most of the channels will be on fractional digital channel
positions that you'll have to let your tv discover when it does its
autotune sequence, and the cable company won't tell you what the
positions are.

Any channel they charge extra for will be encoded. For that you'll need
a set-top box.

However, there's a device called a CableCARD you get from your cable
company that plugs into the back of the tv that allows you to decode any
channel you subscribe to. Channel positions will be the same as with a
set-top box, so no fractional digital channel positions. This device is
one way only. You will not be able to use any service requiring you to
make a choice via a menu, like the on-screen guide or On Demand programming.

Starting last year, the tv manufacturers and cable companies finally
made a deal so that digital tvs can tune in all channels a subscriber
pays for and interact with services via menus. The technology is branded
"Tru2way". Panasonic VIERA 42 or 50 inch plasma has it, for example.

I can do all of the above with my two VCRs.

As long as analog channels live, yes.
.

Relevant Pages

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