Help with DVR/PVR models

[BobbyDown]

Hello,

I am new to the world of video capturing. I am not a technology savvy person by any means but would love to learn about it.

I have been an Xfinity customer for over a decade and have used their DVR to record shows to watch at a later date but due to my current financial situation, I just cut off Xfinity. I now have only broadcast local channels and a smart TV.

My question is if I want a DVR/PVR to record shows to keep, play on my computer and stored in my own hard drive, what is the most up to date, reliable and cheapest model that I can get at the moment?

The requirements that I am looking for are:
- No subscription plan
- 1 TB storage space (built in)
- 1080p HD quality
- Could programmed to record for more than a week
- Could record multiple programs at the same time
- Could record without the TV being turned on

Besides the actual DVR/PVR, are there any additional equipment that I will need for that specific type of DVR/PVR that is recommended?

I would greatly appreciate your feedback.

Thank you for your time.

[jwillis84]

Avermedia ER310 with HDMI to Component adapter
- No subscription plan
- 1 TB storage space (built in)
- 1080p HD quality

Used TiVo with a Lifetime Subscription
- Could programmed to record for more than a week
- Could record multiple programs at the same time
- Could record without the TV being turned on

Time based recordings are possible with the tunerless ER310, but not without an Tuner to Component source, due to Copy Protection on most broadcasts. Since Component is meant for TV or Projectors prior to HDMI its the most CP free connection available. ER310 is HDMI or Component source compatible. ER310 has an internal compartment for a user provided SATA drive. Files can be offloaded to a USB stick for playback on a PC, or the SATA drive can be removed and files copied to the PC from its NTFS file system.

Subscription"less" can be eliminated by making sure to buy a Lifetime subscription, or buying a used TiVo with a Lifetime subscription at a lower cost. Certain models of TiVo also included multiple tuners and can upload recordings from the TiVo to a PC or Mac using TiVo Desktop or Roxio TOAST, or opensource programs.

The requirements as stated are somewhat contradictory, you either have to accept a complex single channel at a time recording scenario.. or A used device that includes a Lifetime subscription which allows multiple simultaneous recordings.. with potential problems regarding copy protect broadcast flags.

Since TiVo isn't an option outside North America, only the AverMedia ER310 option "may" really be available in your market. In which case you should consider purchasing additional ER310 units for redundancy and to be prepared to cover as many broadcast sources (tuners) as you have available.

Old School Legacy DVR recorders with Subscription based services have long been discontinued.

Recent PVR systems with Blu-ray recording capability have been recently discontinued outside North America.

The normal situation now is for PVRs to record direct to CPRM protected hard drives internally which cannot export their recordings due to CP copy protection requirements.

There are some computer card and computer usb devices which can be connected by legacy CVBS and SVideo connection to some tuners which still have those ports, from AverMedia C039 and Hauppauge USB-Live2, but they are not convenient to use.

Internal PCI and PCI express cards like the Avermedia TVTuner cards and Hauppauge Collosus cards are also options.. but diverge further from common use cases.

All around the AverMedia ER310 is the best option, but only the model with the Component Inputs, it can record from a non-HDCP protectected HDMI source.. but those are so rare.. that path is useless. Its far safer to use an HDMI to Component and L/R audio adapter to bring the source into the ER310 without complications.

The ER130 (is NOT) the same model as the ER310, the ER130 does not have Component inputs. It is a faster fps capture device, but primarily targeted at Game capture, not broadcast capture.

The ER310 is targeted towards Home use, but only the Component Input path makes sense for most people. Since most TV Tuners and TVs are now built with HDCP and its almost impossible to get the signal in a form the ER310 can record without a device designed to defeat the HDCP protection. It is also (NOT) intended for Digital Audio Capture (5.1, 7.1, Dolby ect..). Digital audio requires a more sophisticated capture path in addition to the copy protection decryption.. high quality audio capture requires something like a custom PCI or PCI express capture card system setup.. or something that already breaks the encryption down into unprotected paths and then recombines them.. not something a common user is going to have the equipment to do.

There are myriad lessor known companies at lesser cost producing combo tuners with usb port PVR systems. They suffer a lot from heat problems and reliability problems.. and complicated setup menus which leave a bit to be desired. Homeworx makes some of the more popular ones.

The AverMedia ER310 is not without fault, but the company behind it is in Taiwan and has been bringing things to market for a number of years. They also have a large presence on Amazon and a semi major support site. This is like their 3rd or 4th generation product for this space and they continue to support it as a viable product line. The ER310 remote is universally disliked, but its serviceable. The unit itself has a single on/off button to begin recordings and stop recordings if you want to by-pass timer based recordings and using the remote. It does have an IR blaster for controlling external tuners. - I would further caution it comes in a smallish square (plastic) box about the size of a mac mini. It can feel like a toy and setup can be frustrating. But once you've learned to use it. It does a good job. The Power supply is an external wall adapter. "Cheap" was my first impression, and I continued searching for something else.. but there is nothing else currently on the market like it. You'll (become) impressed with it once you search a long time.. the days of old DVRs is long gone.

Hauppauge is their primary, most like them, competitor.. though at substantially lesser costs. Hauppauge is basically a US importer of customized products from China, which has similar if not marginally lessor quality products than AverMedia.

Both AverMedia and Hauppauge are the best brands in my opinion to buy these types of products from. They will not be perfect.. but you can usually find what your looking for from either one.. and it will work with your PC or Mac after a fashion.

There are nearly an infinite number of other companies and legacy products on the used market.. but mostly the home market for reusable recordings and archival use of video has dryed up. AverMedia and Hauppauge however continue to support this market.


Personally, I use an old TiVo HD (single tuner single channel recorder) with a lifetime subscription, and TiVo Desktop or Roxio Toast to get the recordings to my PC or Mac for editing and burning to DVD. I bought the Tivo used with a Lifetime subscription. It does all that I could ask easily, with Season passes to automate recordings if I want to use that.

If I did not have that option, I might look at using Windows 7 and Windows Media Center with a TV Tuner card, but the subscription service is long gone and I'd have to sign up with some other subscription company to provide channel program information.. or use it by timer only. - This is a lot more complicated. Windows 10 .. eh.. I'd never try to record TV from Windows 10.. its just too unstable a platform.

On the Mac Genitech in Asia is still supporting EyeTV for the Mac.. but Apple is changing over from Intel to Arm processors next year and they are dropping support for Quicktime and all 32 bit programs.. so that platform is basically de-supporting 'Everything' not made by Apple in the next twelve months. Buying anything new would be foolish right now.. it might stop working tomorrow.

Amazon FireTV has a bolt-on Over the Air PVR solution called 'ReCAST' which requires you buy a box, provide an external hard drive.. and you have a PVR.. but I don't think the files are accessible from a PC or Mac.. so they may be locked to that hard drive and you wouldn't be able to save them to a DVD or Blu-Ray.. for me its just not an interesting option.

HomeRun still makes their ethernet network tuners and has an HD PVR solution.. which I think is compatible with Plex.. but again I do not know if those files are accessible from a PC or Mac. I think the rules are if the broadcast flag for copy protection is there (as it so often is) then the programs for viewing the broadcasts has to encrypt the files stored on the hard drive.. which.. makes it useless to me.

So .. full circle..

The AverMedia ER310 with an HDMI to Component and L/R stereo adapter.. is the simplest, safest option at the moment.. other than an old used TiVo with Lifetime subscription.

And even then.. the TiVo might refuse to allow playback of the CP files.. in which case I would have to re-record them through the Component RGB cables to the ER310.. if I wanted "fully" accessible video files for PC and Mac.

The tuner + PVR + USB stick offload options with heat problems and reliability problems seem to be convenient. But the tuners never live up to expectations, the quality is low. The software is glitchy and hard to learn and never "feels complete".

The ER310 feels incomplete since it doesn't have a tuner.. but that may also be why it appears to be more reliable. If the built in tuner on a combo device fails.. the whole device is junk.

The ER310 also formats and writes video files to an NTFS drive either connected to its internal SATA connector, or the USB port. The internal SATA port is far more reliable and faster. The USB port is really only good for offloading a few recordings after they have been made.

The ER310 Component RGB inputs are tailor made for avoiding problems with HDCP. The HDMI in and out options are there, and you can pass-thru Component for simultaneous viewing of shows while recording or for playback or accessing the onscreen menus.

In a lot of ways the ER310 fills a nice niche in the market that nothing else I've seen fills.

The video files are h.264, so they aren't uncompressed raw 4K or anything, but they are very good for normal viewing. VideoRedo can also reformat them for editing and make it easy to burn them to disk or sharing with other types of video editors.

The ER310 is not a Prosumer, or Pros toolbox.. there is a lot not to like for a demanding customer.. but I've found it a very safe reliable bet.

I would also caution the ER310 tries to be much more than what it claims to be, it has a built-in onscreen video editor.. but its nothing like the ones in old DVR recorders from years ago. I can use it after a lot of practice.. but the manual is very minimal and not very useful in learning to edit video.

Its also "interesting" that the USB port will also let you upload video back to the internal hard drive.. if you want to do that, but its range of playable video files is somewhat restricted.

[dellsam34]

Check out Tablo

[usually_quiet]

The Avermedia ER310 is only useful for recording the HDMI output from a set-top, which you no longer have, and it is limited to a maximum resolution of 1080p29.97 for recording, not 1080p59.97. For what it's worth if you still had Comcast service, they don't broadcast anything at 1080p. Comcast's HD channels are all provided at either 720p59.97 or 1080i29.97.

Channel Master sells a TiVo with guide service included https://www.channelmaster.com/TiVo_Edge_OTA_DVR_p/rd6f50ls.htm Other than that I can't offer any additional options for stand-alone OTA TV recorders that fulfill all your requirements. The Amazon Fire TV Recast over-the-air DVR comes close but it won't allow users to transfer recordings from its hard drive.

I have an ATSC PC TV tuner for recording over-the-air TV from an antenna, and store recordings on my PC. However, the PC must be on at the time of recording. The no subscription requirement limits your options for recording with a PC because of the need for accurate guide data covering more than a few hours at a time to easily schedule recordings in well in advance. The broadcast signal for the channels themselves can include guide data but the availability of data and the number of hours provided varies greatly from one channel to the next. I use NextPVR for recording and subscribe to Schedules Direct for guide service at a cost of $25 per year.

By the way, no over-the-air HDTV channels are broadcast at 1080p. All HD content is broadcast at either 1080i29.97 or 720p59.97 and most PC TV Tuners and DVR software record the broadcast transport stream as is.

[jagabo]

So you're watching over-the-air broadcast TV in the USA now? Something like:

https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HOMEWORX-HW130STB-Converter-Recording/dp/B01EW098XS/

and a big flash drive or external hard drive may be suitable. The broadcast guide doesn't go very far into the future though. Typically less than 12 hours. I believe most such devices only have one tuner. So you can't record one show while watching another. Or record two (or more) shows at the same time.

[Eric-jan]

Can only be done for for Freeview or FTA, FTA over satellite that will have most amount channels, USB or known SSD/HDD readout to PC should be figured out.
Otherwise you should go for the hacking forums, which is not here.
You need to do research, and aquire knowledge to know what is possible with decoding ecryption, ecryption is on a very high level these days.
You should look for a (Passthrough?) device, with component video output in progressive mode,(and capture device with component video input, which can capture also in progressive mode at the available frame rate) forget about HDMI, it S***S
You should not put much energy in it, torrents are way more easier to get, (are avalable fast) but depending your local law most of this is forbidden.

[dellsam34]

Local over the air channels in the US called OTA not FTA, It uses a scheme called ATSC unlike FTA satellite uses DVB. He needs Tablo or ChannelMaster DVR, Capturing degrades an already compressed format, DVR is the best way to go.

[usually_quiet]

Can only be done for for Freeview or FTA, FTA over satellite that will have most amount channels, USB or known SSD/HDD readout to PC should be figured out.

We have nothing that is comparable to Freeview satellite service in the USA, where BobbyDown and I both live. Some people here (including one or two VideoHelp members) use FTA receivers to evesdrop on the broadcast network satellites that have unencrypted feeds but it isn't a popular activity.

[orsetto]

The truthful answer, BobbyDown, which you may have gleaned from the responses so far: pretty much forget it. The era when a variety of simple dedicated devices for recording broadcast TV were available from normal vendors with brand names at reasonable pay-once price points ended roughly a decade ago (R.I.P., DVD and BluRay recorders). In our modern technology-obsessed culture, once a trend is adopted by 60% of the population it becomes a tipping point, after which the remaining 40% of the population either gets on board with the trend or is left in the dust with zero options. We reached the tipping point with subscription TV (i.e. ComCast) and (esp) streaming services (NetFlix, Hulu, Amazon) long ago: they completely obliterated the "recorder that can make permanent copies"" market. Free off-air broadcast TV is no longer something accommodated for easy and 720/1080 and permanent-copy recording. Tell most anybody today you want to make permanent recordings off TV, and their response is likely to be a baffled "Why would you ever do that, when anything you would want to see can be streamed on demand whenever you want?"

And theres the rub. The current attitude of electronics mfrs (and most of the consumer market) toward "Free TV" is polarized: its pigeonholed as either something the elderly watch in a daze in real time, with no need or interest of recording, or that younger Einstein-level nerd geniuses record with inexplicably confusing no-name generic Chinese black boxes (or PC-based hardware/software combos that even Bill Gates would be horrified by). IOW, it can be done, yes, but not in the manner you were probably hoping for and not with a single self-contained device you are likely to enjoy using at all.

Thats the dirty little secret about "saving money by cutting the cord" - its kind of a lie. You can't really cut the cord completely and regain all of the money in your budget, unless you have the mind of a 25 year old MIT graduate and are willing to patch together a hodgepodge of cables, adapters, generic boxes with no instructions, hard drives, and/or PC modules/software. If you find the thought (and appearance) of such a hot mess appalling, and would prefer the familiar operation of your ComCast PVR, budget for a TiVO that includes both a lifetime subscription bundle AND ability to transfer recordings to a PC via a special utility. Note the latter requires additional processing on your PC before you end up with a "normal" file that is compatible with most traditional playback devices and hardware. TiVO made a dizzying array of models, if you go this route it might be best to consult a TiVO enthusiast site to narrow down your best choices.

The AverMedia is more nuts-n-bolts versatile, but requires you separately buy and install a hard drive in it, and you must have or purchase some sort of external HDTV tuner box that can connect to it in a way that will allow it to record broadcasts that are often copy-protected (carry a "no recording allowed" signal that deactivates recorders). The easiest connection is via HDMI, but unfortunately thats the connection most likely to carry no-record signals. So one must use the obsolete analog component video connection, which is difficult to find now in an external 720/1080 HDTV broadcast tuner box. Usually you need to employ an HDMI to component converter adapter between the tuner source and the AverMedia, but most affordable converters have video quality issues, and good converters alone can cost more than a new 4K television. Even if you get all this sorted, you can only record one show at a time: no possibility to record competing shows on different channels unless you buy two complete setups. Then theres the timer difficulties to contend with...

TL;DR: get a TiVO, typically the newest model compatible with PC archiving is the Roamio series. If buying a used Roamio, check the fan and HDD for excessive noise (indicates a failing unit). The current new Edge models don't allow transfer of recordings to a PC. Models slightly older than Roamio are better built, but you don't want to go too much older.

[usually_quiet]

Local over the air channels in the US called OTA not FTA, It uses a scheme called ATSC unlike FTA satellite uses DVB. He needs Tablo or ChannelMaster DVR...

The current Channel Master DVR is called the Stream+ (CM-7600). It has 2 tuners and runs Android TV as its OS. The Android TV Live Channels app is used to schedule recordings and includes free guide data for 2 days. The Stream+ can be purchased by itself or bundled with an external HDD for use for external storage. However, unlike the previous Channel Master DVRs, from what I have read, I don't think that DVR recordings can be exported from this model. That is why I did not recommend it.

At one time kmttg had problems with exporting recordings from the Channnel Master TiVo Edge, but it is supposed to be working now. See post #13 https://www.tivocommunity.com/community/index.php?threads/edge-tivo-to-pc-transfers-an...update.573923/

[orsetto]

If the promising link usually_quiet posted is reliable, and the Edge model can indeed now be coaxed to export to PC, its probably the best no-monthly-fee TiVO option since you can still buy them brand new for $349. I'd originally recommended it in a much shorter reply, before revising it heavily after realizing BobbyDown did in fact say they didn't just want a PVR but to make permanent recordings for their archives as well (which seemed to eliminate the Edge).

https://www.channelmaster.com/TiVo_Edge_OTA_DVR_p/rd6f50ls.htm

[usually_quiet]

I should also mention that SiliconDust/HDHomeRun makes 2 standalone DVRs. The HDHomeRun SCRIBE DUO is the two tuner model, and the HDHomeRun SCRIBE QUATRO is a 4 tuner model. Both contain a 1 TB internal hard drive rated for 24/7 video use. Recordings can be copied to the PC over a home network connection. However, the SCRIBEs are networked streaming boxes with no video or audio connections. They require a smart TV that can run the HDHomeRun View App or a FireTV Box, Roku or PC connected to the TV to watch recordings. The SCRIBEs run the HDHomeRun DVR app to schedule recordings, which is free for the first year and costs $35 per year after that. Unfortunately, the HDHomeRun DVR app is a somewhat buggy and less full-featured than some DVR software for computers or a TiVo's software.

[dellsam34]

What is it to record from OTA nowadays anyway? 24 hours commercials occasionally interpreted by useless shows. The recording era has passed, Rewind 15 years back when I was streaming commercial free 1080i movies to my PC using a dishnetwork subscription and a modified VIP211 satellite receiver with USB mini output add-on, at the time where there was no HD contents available for purchase yet on physical media, this was before Blu-ray and HD-DVD, Those are the happy days of recording TV programming. I still have those movies till today on DVD-R DL discs, some are MPEG-2 others are MPEG-4 files after DN migrated from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4.

[usually_quiet]

What is it to record from OTA nowadays anyway?

It all depends on one's interests. Personally, I record some PBS programming and a few series on commercial-supported channels. Others have written about collecting sports broadcasts.

[usually_quiet]

I received this message via PM and I'm repying here to benefit those following the thread.

The Avermedia ER310 is only useful for recording the HDMI output from a set-top, which you no longer have, and it is limited to a maximum resolution of 1080p29.97 for recording, not 1080p59.97. For what it's worth if you still had Comcast service, they don't broadcast anything at 1080p. Comcast's HD channels are all provided at either 720p59.97 or 1080i29.97.

...

By the way, no over-the-air HDTV channels are broadcast at 1080p. All HD content is broadcast at either 1080i29.97 or 720p59.97 and most PC TV Tuners and DVR software record the broadcast transport stream as is.

Hello,

Thank you for the head's up. I really appreciate it.

Because I realized that what I wanted is impossible, I would like to revise my new requirements. All I want are:
- No subscription plan
- At least 720p
- Could programmed to record for more than a week
- Could record without the TV being turned on
- Could record while I watch another channel

Could the Avermedia ER310 do all of this?

Secondly, someone suggested that I get this splitter (https://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Powered-Splitter-1080P-Model/dp/B004F9LVXC/) and this HDMI to component converter adapter (https://www.amazon.com/RadioShack-HDMI-Component-Converter-Adapter/dp/B01DE66ZNW/) for the Avermedia ER310. Are they necessary if I go with this DVR/PVR model? If you could elaborate on it, I'll appreciate it.

The majority of what my household is going to record is the local news since my brother-in-law started working there as a reporter. Our family just wants to archive all his on air segments since the news doesn't let him have their footage. I hope the Avermedia ER310 is able to let us record the local news without any copyright protections.

Thank you.

Ideally, a DVR/PVR for free over-the-air TV in the USA should have one or more ATSC tuners and be able to record ATSC broadcast streams as-is. This provides users with recordings in the best possible quality since they contain a bit-for-bit copy of what was broadcast. The recordings can be played with many devices if the DVR/PVR allows recordings to be exported since free over-the-air TV broadcasts are by law provided unencrypted,

The Avermedia ER310 is not a good choice as a DVR/PVR for recording over-the-air TV because it doesn't have any ATSC tuners. The Avermedia ER310 is actually a video and audio capture device. People who use it to record TV attach the ER310 to the HDMI output of another device, usually a cable box, satellite receiver, Roku, FireTV, or something else that receives broadcasts from a paid service as encrypted streams and does not allow recordings to be exported. Since the video and audio are re-encoded by the ER 310 some quality will be lost.

In my opinion, none of the DVR/PVR devices suggested so far meets all your requirements other than a TiVo with lifetime (of the device) program guide service included.

If you did not need a DVR/PVR with HDMI out and were willing to record via timer settings like a VCR or pay up to $35 per year for guide service then you would have more options.

[BobbyDown]

If you did not need a DVR/PVR with HDMI out and were willing to record via timer settings like a VCR or pay up to $35 per year for guide service then you would have more options.

In that case, what options do I have? (Preferably no subscriptions)

As long as it's at least 720p, I can keep and play the files on my computer (without decoding any copyright encryption), and it's affordable and reliable, I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Is this model (which have been suggested by a few posters here) a reliable choice?
https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HOMEWORX-HW130STB-Converter-Recording/dp/B01EW098XS/

Thank you for your time.

[jagabo]

With ATSC boxes you don't have any option on what resolution is recorded -- they just download whatever is being broadcast. Your main TV channels will be 720p60 or 1080i30. Some of the side channels may be standard definition.

The Homeworx boxes are cheap enough that you can buy two. One for recording your brother-in-law's news broadcast, the other for watching live TV. Both can be used to record other stuff when otherwise not in use. I recommend you buy one and see if it works for you.

The devices with one or two week guides usually have subscription fees because the guide data isn't free. As noted, the free OTA guide data may be as little as a few hours to a few days.

[usually_quiet]

If you did not need a DVR/PVR with HDMI out and were willing to record via timer settings like a VCR or pay up to $35 per year for guide service then you would have more options.

In that case, what options do I have? (Preferably no subscriptions)

As long as it's at least 720p, I can keep and play the files on my computer (without decoding any copyright encryption), and it's affordable and reliable, I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Is this model (which have been suggested by a few posters here) a reliable choice?
https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HOMEWORX-HW130STB-Converter-Recording/dp/B01EW098XS/

Thank you for your time.

I don't have one. but Tablo makes PVR/DVR devices that can be operated with timers like a VCR after the complimentary trial subscription for its program guide expires. Tablos have no video or audio outputs, They are networked streaming devices that connect to your home network via Ethernet. The cheapest model is the Tablo Dual Lite DVR which requires users to supply a USB 3 .0 hard drive for storage. Tablo records the broadcast in its original resolution, whatever that may be. i.e. a 1080i broadcast is recorded as 1080i, a 720p broadcast is recorded at 720p, and a 480i broadcast is recorded at 480i but it re-encodes to lower the bitrate and reduces the audio to 2 channels for storage and easier streaming and the video quality is not as good as the original. There is a review for the Tablo Dual Lite. Review here: https://www.techhive.com/article/3268934/tablo-dual-lite-dvr-review.html Recordings can be transferred to your PC with Tablo Ripper. See https://www.techhive.com/article/3273709/tablo-dvr-tips.html#:~:text=Fortunately%2C%20...0as%20MCEBuddy.


If you want better quality recordings, get the HDHomeRun SCRIBE DUO and pay $35 per year, for the DVR app after the first year. The SCRIBE has its own internal storage so you don't need to supply it. The SCRIBEs are streaming devices like the Tablo with no video or audio connections. I don't have a SCRIBE but I do have a different HDHomeRun tuner for my home theater PC to record Comcast cable and I have been very pleased with it. Review for the 4 tuner version of the SCRIBE: https://www.techhive.com/article/3434524/hdhomerun-scribe-quatro-review.html

[BobbyDown]

If you want better quality recordings, get the HDHomeRun SCRIBE DUO and pay $35 per year, for the DVR app after the first year. The SCRIBE has its own internal storage so you don't need to supply it. The SCRIBEs are streaming devices like the Tablo with no video or audio connections. I don't have a SCRIBE but I do have a different HDHomeRun tuner for my home theater PC to record Comcast cable and I have been very pleased with it. Review for the 4 tuner version of the SCRIBE: https://www.techhive.com/article/3434524/hdhomerun-scribe-quatro-review.html

This HDHomeRun model really caught my attention especially since it sounds very similar to the Xfinity DVR, which I had for a number of years. However, after doing my research on this Scribe Duo model, I did not come across anything about how you can extract your recorded files from the 1 TB internal hard drive and transfer it to other devices like a computer or your personal hard drive storage space. Am I correct on this?

If that is the case, I'm actually looking for a DVR/PVR model that allows me to transfer my recordings wherever I want. For my case, what I intend on doing is recording the local news. Each news broadcast is about 7 hours a day on two different local channels. Out of those 7 hours, my bro-in-law only appears for about an hour on average per day. There are a lot of non significant materials that we have to sort through as a result. The reason why I want to transfer the files is so I can edit out all the materials that I don't need. Our family then uses these clips for highlight reels, bloopers, and etc. during special gatherings.

And for everyone else who contributed in this thread, thank you for all the wonderful suggestions.

[usually_quiet]

If you want better quality recordings, get the HDHomeRun SCRIBE DUO and pay $35 per year, for the DVR app after the first year. The SCRIBE has its own internal storage so you don't need to supply it. The SCRIBEs are streaming devices like the Tablo with no video or audio connections. I don't have a SCRIBE but I do have a different HDHomeRun tuner for my home theater PC to record Comcast cable and I have been very pleased with it. Review for the 4 tuner version of the SCRIBE: https://www.techhive.com/article/3434524/hdhomerun-scribe-quatro-review.html

This HDHomeRun model really caught my attention especially since it sounds very similar to the Xfinity DVR, which I had for a number of years. However, after doing my research on this Scribe Duo model, I did not come across anything about how you can extract your recorded files from the 1 TB internal hard drive and transfer it to other devices like a computer or your personal hard drive storage space. Am I correct on this?

From https://info.hdhomerun.com/info/scribe_servio_faq :

Can recordings be transferred over the network?
Both the HDHomeRun SCRIBE and HDHomeRun SERVIO will be able to have their recordings downloaded to other devices.
Options for transferring programs to the internal hard drive of HDHomeRun SCRIBE or HDHomeRun SERVIO is being evaluated.

You could also register at the HDHomerun forum and ask how to transfer recordings https://forum.silicondust.com/forum/

[Edit]The SCRIBEs are DLNA/UPnP devices, which makes it likely that a Windows PC would be able to see recordings as files on the SCRIBE's internal hard drive and copy them over the network to one of its own hard drives.

[usually_quiet]

If none of the more technologically advanced suggestions that are a closer match to your requirements fit in your budget, 2 Mediasonic HW-150PVR ATSC digital converter boxes (as recomended by jagabo) will still work for what you want to do. They include a DVR function to schedule recordings using the broadcast EPG data or manual timers like a VCR. They can record to a USB flash drive up to 64GB or an external hard drive up to 2TB. Even though they have only one tuner, they are fairly popular among forum members as an inexpensive recording solution. Amazon currently sells them for about $40 each.

[Edit] The Mediasonoc HW130STB is another option with fewer analog video connections and costs about $30.

[BobbyDown]

I went with the HW130STB model for now after seeing several reviews on YT. I figure that I can just get two, if it works.
A model that I will probably get down the road is the Tablo Dual Lite when I am more financially secure.
Thanks. Your descriptive suggestions definitely helped. I appreciate it.