Are there any good (reasonably priced) ways to record TV any more?

[dr.technical]

Are there still any good options for devices that record over the air TV that aren't too expensive? Recently, I started getting no signal from my 11 year old DVD recorder. I talked to a TV repair person. He said it sounds like it needs parts, which are not available.

I would like a recorder with which I can set a timer to record specific shows every week, and be able to save them to a hard drive. My impression is that there aren't any good DVD recorders that aren't expensive any more. I read about a DVR that got a fair number of complaints.

Are there any devices out there that would meet my needs?

[dannyboy48888]

The dtv converter boxes usually have passthrough and HDMI out. They can same to a USB drive and cost ~$50. My Walmart had the RCA one for a while but haven't checked recently

[dr.technical]

The dtv converter boxes usually have passthrough and HDMI out. They can same to a USB drive and cost ~$50. My Walmart had the RCA one for a while but haven't checked recently

I'm not familiar with this. Can you tell me how this works?

I just read a bit about these converter boxes. Some customers have had problems with saving the shows and complained about the software.

[dannyboy48888]

No software, you set up the box, you format a USB drive and you set it to record at times. It save the transport stream so no encoding needed hence the price.You can also watch and record he same show if needed. Look up ctcb105 as a example box. Which one is the best I can't say as I haven't tried them all lol

[dr.technical]

No software, you set up the box, you format a USB drive and you set it to record at times. It save the transport stream so no encoding needed hence the price.You can also watch and record he same show if needed. Look up ctcb105 as a example box. Which one is the best I can't say as I haven't tried them all lol

Thanks!

[simon744]

You can set up a Channels DVR, or a TVHeadend Server and have the server make scheduled recordings from whatever source you manage to set it up with. This is especially true with the TVHeadend approach. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of TV signals transmitted over the air are unencrypted, which means you can record them in their original codec without having to capture both audio and video as RAW and LPCM, and potentially miss out on stuff like DVB/Teletext Subs and CC.

[dr.technical]

You can set up a Channels DVR, or a TVHeadend Server and have the server make scheduled recordings from whatever source you manage to set it up with. This is especially true with the TVHeadend approach. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of TV signals transmitted over the air are unencrypted, which means you can record them in their original codec without having to capture both audio and video as RAW and LPCM, and potentially miss out on stuff like DVB/Teletext Subs and CC.

I don't really understand the technical stuff that you're telling me. Is this software I download to my PC? Can it be used on a TV? I only watch TV from my TV, not my PC.

[simon744]

You can set up a Channels DVR, or a TVHeadend Server and have the server make scheduled recordings from whatever source you manage to set it up with. This is especially true with the TVHeadend approach. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of TV signals transmitted over the air are unencrypted, which means you can record them in their original codec without having to capture both audio and video as RAW and LPCM, and potentially miss out on stuff like DVB/Teletext Subs and CC.

I don't really understand the technical stuff that you're telling me. Is this software I download to my PC? Can it be used on a TV? I only watch TV from my TV, not my PC.

TVHeadend, specifically, is a server that you set up on a PC, preferably running Linux. I haven’t configured it myself, but the process should be fairly straightforward assuming you are technically fluent to a moderate extent. You usually need a USB or a PCIe TV tuner to be able to pick up the TV signals and feed them to the server. However, other options like IPTV should work also.

Once set up, you can access the server along with the channels on a third-party app like Kodi, or you can grab the raw M3U8s for playback using VLC. You may then schedule recordings. There are tons of better explained guides out on the Web to get you started.

[cholla]

I have 4 of these & I bought them new. magnavox h2160mw9
I did upgrade mine with a 500GB HDD but that is not easy to do.
So unless you are technically skilled I would not recommend doing this.
Even 160GB will record a lot of TV shows.(Unless you use the highest setting.Which you usually do not need for a TV broadcast.)
The link is for a used one from ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/p/77288350

There are newer models as well but I have not used them.
Transferring recordings from them can be done with a DVD RW if you need to transfer them to a PC.
I have not found another way.

[dr.technical]

I have 4 of these & I bought them new. magnavox h2160mw9
https://www.ebay.com/p/77288350

.

Does it have a TV tuner? How old is this model?

The new DVD recorders that I have read about either don't have a hard drive, or tuner, or are expensive.

[dr.technical]

[/QUOTE]
TVHeadend, specifically, is a server that you set up on a PC, preferably running Linux. I haven’t configured it myself, but the process should be fairly straightforward assuming you are technically fluent to a moderate extent. You usually need a USB or a PCIe TV tuner to be able to pick up the TV signals and feed them to the server. However, other options like IPTV should work also.

Once set up, you can access the server along with the channels on a third-party app like Kodi, or you can grab the raw M3U8s for playback using VLC. You may then schedule recordings. There are tons of better explained guides out on the Web to get you started.[/QUOTE]

So, can you watch the recordings on a TV?

I don't understand the technical stuff you've written, sounds complicated.

[cholla]

My apologies & I should read ebay ads better.
I thought the price was very low.It is only the manual for this DVR.

Mine were manufactured in 2009 & are still in daily use.
The tuner receives both DTV & analog tv signals.
This is the same model & comes with a remote.
You need to make sure it has a remote.
I have a good universal remote that works mine but the original is needed to set up the learn functions on my universal remote.
This is what you can usually find a used one on ebay for:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/196665122075?_skw=magnavox+dvr+recorder&itmmeta=01JJQ5S28RWCV...3ABFBMxKTk5ZVl

[dr.technical]

Mine were manufactured in 2009 & are still in daily use.
_l[/URL]

I wonder how long these old models will keep working. Mine is a Magnavox MDR533H from 2013 and no longer functions properly.

[cholla]

Mine were manufactured in 2009 & are still in daily use.
_l[/URL]

I wonder how long these old models will keep working. Mine is a Magnavox MDR533H from 2013 and no longer functions properly.

IDK
The only problem I had with one was the cooling fan went out.
I replaced it & it works fine.
Maybe I have been lucky but all 4 still work.
If you wonder why I have this many it is to time shift multiple channels that are broadcast at the same time.

[dr.technical]

Mine were manufactured in 2009 & are still in daily use.
_l[/URL]

I wonder how long these old models will keep working. Mine is a Magnavox MDR533H from 2013 and no longer functions properly.

IDK
The only problem I had with one was the cooling fan went out.
I replaced it & it works fine.
Maybe I have been lucky but all 4 still work.
If you wonder why I have this many it is to time shift multiple channels that are broadcast at the same time.

You mean record multiple programs at the same time?

[usually_quiet]

Mine were manufactured in 2009 & are still in daily use.
_l[/URL]

I wonder how long these old models will keep working. Mine is a Magnavox MDR533H from 2013 and no longer functions properly.

IDK
The only problem I had with one was the cooling fan went out.
I replaced it & it works fine.
Maybe I have been lucky but all 4 still work.
If you wonder why I have this many it is to time shift multiple channels that are broadcast at the same time.

You mean record multiple programs at the same time?

The Magnavox MDR867H and MDR868H models are the only models that I remember with the ability to record up to 2 channels at a time -- but they were never cheap.

As far as I can recall, all of the other Magnavox HDD and DVD recorder boxes could only record one channel at a time. So, multiple units were needed to record more than one channel at a time.

[Edit] Tablo makes 2-tuner HDD recorders and 4-tuner HDD recorders for recording over-the-air TV. Internet access is required. They include internal storage but an additional USB HDD drive can be added to increase storage capacity. It looks like they can be connected to smart phones and most smart TVs via a home WiFi network.

I have never used a Tablo recorder and don't know if they require a subscription to the guide service to schedule recordings or can also work with simple timer settings.

[cholla]

You mean record multiple programs at the same time?

Yes.
To me it means the same thing.
A program is what would be recorded .
A channel is where the program would be recorded from.

I remember reading about the 2 channel recording DVRs but I have never used one.

[dr.technical]

[QUOTE=usually_quiet;2765468][QUOTE=dr.technical;2765457][QUOTE=cholla;2765456][QUOTE=dr.technical;2765454]

[Edit] Tablo makes 2-tuner HDD recorders and 4-tuner HDD recorders for recording over-the-air TV. Internet access is required. They include internal storage but an additional USB HDD drive can be added to increase storage capacity. It looks like they can be connected to smart phones and most smart TVs via a home WiFi network.

I have never used a Tablo recorder and don't know if they require a subscription to the guide service to schedule recordings or can also work with simple timer settings.

I don't think Tablo requires a subscription. I read some customer complaints about it. That doesn't make me anxious to buy one.

[aramkolt]

The cloner alliance box pro can record on a schedule, but it'll need an HDMI feed of whatever it is you're wanting to record. 12voltvids did a video showing how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83E3VXZibBw

The other option you might look into is the HDHomeRun which can have up to 4 tuners inside a single device to stream those to your local network and I believe there is software that can actually record the streams.

[dr.technical]

The cloner alliance box pro can record on a schedule, but it'll need an HDMI feed of whatever it is you're wanting to record. 12voltvids did a video showing how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83E3VXZibBw

The other option you might look into is the HDHomeRun which can have up to 4 tuners inside a single device to stream those to your local network and I believe there is software that can actually record the streams.

I don't know if your message is for me. I just want to record one over the air TV program at a time and watch it on my television. I just want a device that does what my old DVD recorder did.

I'm not sure what HDHomeRun does.

[usually_quiet]

I don't know if your message is for me. I just want to record one over the air TV program at a time and watch it on my television. I just want a device that does what my old DVD recorder did.

I'm not sure what HDHomeRun does.

Silicondust/HD Homerun's over-the-air TV Tuner products are supposed to be excellent, although I haven't tried them. I can't receive most of my local broadcast TV channels due to living in an apartment where reception is poor due to distance and living on the wrong side of the building. However I do know a little about their over-the-air TV product line. Their Flex line has a USB port to attach an HDD for local storage but I don't know if there is any DVR software that supports using that configuration for recording TV other than Silicondust's own DVR Software, which costs $35 per year and includes guide service.

You could probably get by with the Cloner Alliance box for recording a single channel of over-the-air broadcast TV if your reception is good.

You probably don't care but I for the past 10 years I have used an HDHomeRun Prime CableCARD to record digital cable TV, and think highly of the company. (My cable provider still supports CableCARDS and most linear channels can still be recorded. I record TV using a PC running NextPVR's server software. Android devices, including my Android Phone, Sony TV, and onn Google TV box are used to run the NextPVR client software to watch live TV and recordings inside my home.)

[dr.technical]

Silicondust/HD Homerun's over-the-air TV Tuner products are supposed to be excellent, although I haven't tried them. I can't receive most of my local broadcast TV channels due to living in an apartment where reception is poor due to distance and living on the wrong side of the building. However I do know a little about their over-the-air TV product line. Their Flex line has a USB port to attach an HDD for local storage but I don't know if there is any DVR software that supports using that configuration for recording TV other than Silicondust's own DVR Software, which costs $35 per year and includes guide service.

You could probably get by with the Cloner Alliance box for recording a single channel of over-the-air broadcast TV if your reception is good.

Thanks! I'll have to research these devices. I have pretty good reception with my indoor antenna. I don't have cable TV.

I'll have to find out more about the Cloner Alliance box. I skimmed their website. I didn't notice anything about recording TV shows.

$35 per year might not be too bad for HDHomeRun's product. Will look into it more.

[usually_quiet]

Yes, a Cloner Alliance box may not be the answer after all.

I also decided I should take a look at the Cloner Alliance product with a TV tuner for recording over-the-air TV since I had never seen anyone mention those before. However, I couldn't find any recording devices made by them that included a TV tuner for recording over-the-air television.

All I could find were the well-known Cloner Alliance video capture devices that could record from outgoing HDMI and analog video connections on game systems or cable boxes. Those won't work as stand-alone solutions for recording over-the-air TV broadcasts in the USA since they lack a tuner.

[dr.technical]

[QUOTE=usually_quiet;2765525]Yes, a Cloner Alliance box may not be the answer after all.

I also decided I should take a look at the Cloner Alliance product with a TV tuner for recording over-the-air TV since I had never seen anyone mention those before. However, I couldn't find any recording devices made by them that included a TV tuner for recording over-the-air television.

All I could find were the well-known Cloner Alliance video capture devices that could record from outgoing HDMI and analog video connections on game systems or cable boxes. Those won't work as stand-alone solutions for recording over-the-air TV broadcasts in the USA since they lack a tuner.[/QUOTE

Thank for checking that.

I read that some LG smart TVs allow recording onto a hard drive. I don't know if mine does. I'll have to check.

[jagabo]

We used to use the CableCard HDHomerun for watching and recording cable TV (in lieu of a cable box). In those days one used Windows Media Center as the front end. If the ATSC version (with whatever front end software they now support) works as well you'll probably be very happy with it.

[usually_quiet]

I read that some LG smart TVs allow recording onto a hard drive. I don't know if mine does. I'll have to check.

No TVs sold in the USA have a feature that allows recording over-the-air television. Plus, since they only have one tuner, it would not be possible to watch one channel while recording another.

Mediasonic and Homeworx make cheap "ATSC converter boxes" with one ATSC tuner that allow recording one digital channel at a time using a USB flash drive for storage. The timers that control recording work much like those of a VCR. They have quirks and sometimes don't last long but some people here like them.

[dr.technical]

I read that some LG smart TVs allow recording onto a hard drive. I don't know if mine does. I'll have to check.

No TVs sold in the USA have a feature that allows recording over-the-air television. Plus, since they only have one tuner, it would not be possible to watch one channel while recording another.

Mediasonic and Homeworx make cheap "ATSC converter boxes" with one ATSC tuner that allow recording one digital channel at a time using a USB flash drive for storage. The timers that control recording work much like those of a VCR. They have quirks and sometimes don't last long but some people here like them.

Thank you for the information!

[dr.technical]

We used to use the CableCard HDHomerun for watching and recording cable TV (in lieu of a cable box). In those days one used Windows Media Center as the front end. If the ATSC version (with whatever front end software they now support) works as well you'll probably be very happy with it.

Can over the air TV be recorded with it?

[usually_quiet]

We used to use the CableCard HDHomerun for watching and recording cable TV (in lieu of a cable box). In those days one used Windows Media Center as the front end. If the ATSC version (with whatever front end software they now support) works as well you'll probably be very happy with it.

Can over the air TV be recorded with it?

No, the HDHomeRun Prime CableCARD tuner is only for US cable TV.

The HDHomeRun products sold in the USA for recording over-the-air ATSC TV broadcasts are the HDHomeRun Flex models. The least expensive model has two ATSC 1.0 tuners.

[dr.technical]

We used to use the CableCard HDHomerun for watching and recording cable TV (in lieu of a cable box). In those days one used Windows Media Center as the front end. If the ATSC version (with whatever front end software they now support) works as well you'll probably be very happy with it.

Can over the air TV be recorded with it?

No, the HDHomeRun Prime CableCARD tuner is only for US cable TV.

The HDHomeRun products sold in the USA for recording over-the-air ATSC TV broadcasts are the HDHomeRun Flex models. The least expensive model has two ATSC 1.0 tuners.

Thank you!