My DVD recorder is on it's last leg

[kshavo]

I see the days of buying a new DVD recorder are gone so I am considering my options. My google searches are just confusing me so I came hear to get some advice. One thing I was wondering is; if there is a stand alone recorder that you can attach an external hard drive to and set it to record mpg files? Is this a DVR? I have never owned or used a DVR. I don't mind giving up DVD's but I am not sure what type of recording devices are out there. I hope my post makes sense to everyone. Thanks for any help.

[usually_quiet]

What are you recording with the DVD recorder? Is it the analog output from some other device such as a cable box or satellite receiver or are you recording ATSC TV broadcasts with the DVD recorder's digital tuner?

[kshavo]

I record OTA broadcasts mainly and from Amazon at times. I use a converter box as my digital tuner.

[usually_quiet]

I record OTA broadcasts mainly and from Amazon at times. I use a converter box as my digital tuner.

I know of a couple of stand-alone solutions for recording OTA broadcasts but not for something like Amazon. VideoHelp's AUP also forbids discussions about recording paid streaming services.

TiVo Edge for Antenna with included lifetime service: https://www.channelmaster.com/products/tivo-edge-antenna-dvr-500gb-with-all-in-service-rd6f50ls
Tablo: https://www.tablotv.com/tablo-tv-connected-dvrs-how-they-work/
Guide data and firmware updates for both of the above are delivered via wifi. There is third-party software available for offloading recordings.

At one time I used an HTPC with a PCTV tuner for recording OTA TV, so I don't have personal experience with either TiVo or Tablo. (Today, due to iffy OTA reception, I have a digital cable tuner for my HTPC that accepts a CableCARD from my provider.)

If you decide that you want to have an HTPC, I recommend a SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex 4K or a Silicondust HDHomerun Flex Duo, with NextPVR as your PVR software. I get guide data for NextPVR from Schedules Direct for about $25 per year but it is possible to use PSIP data from broadcasts or timers to schedule recordings instead. Note that even if you have ATSC 3.0 broadcasts available in your area, they will be in HD resolution not 4K.

[kshavo]

Thanks. I looked at your links and I'm considering a simple tuner/DVR that I can plug a Hard drive into. Is there one that records in simple mpg2 format?

[jjeff]

Yes my Avermedia 310 will do what you want but it's only an HDMI recorder, you need to hook up say a digital tuner with HDMI out to record OTA and your PC again with HDMI out to record something like Amazon, assuming it's not CP'd. Note probably unlike your DVDR the Avermedia is just a push-and-record device, you can't set unattended events and again it will only record the channel or event you have outputting on what you want to record.
If you just wanted to record OTA then any of the cheap Chinese HD tuners like iView or Medsonic will record to external HDDs and those you can program events like a DVDR or VCR before that. I believe a iView or similar are <$50 while an Avermedia is well over $100 and both you have to supply the portable USB HDD.

[usually_quiet]

If you just wanted to record OTA then any of the cheap Chinese HD tuners like iView or Medsonic will record to external HDDs and those you can program events like a DVDR or VCR before that. I believe a iView or similar are <$50 while an Avermedia is well over $100 and both you have to supply the portable USB HDD.

As is often the case, you get what you pay for if you buy the iView, Mediasonic, and similar converter boxes that have a recording feature. For one thing, they only provide the option to schedule recordings using a timer and some of them require using a FAT32-formatted USB stick or HDD, which limits file sizes to 4GB or less. The reviews I have read for some of these units indicate that they have an annoying bug or don't last long. All of these limitations are acceptable for some people because these devices are so cheap. They simply buy multiple boxes as insurance.

[Edit]As a side note, I mistakenly posted a link for a TV instead of a link for the TiVo model that I recommended. That is now corrected.

[jjeff]

Usually_quiet,
I don't disagree with you in the least. Before getting my Tivo that has been rock solid for 5? years, I played with several of those cheap Chinese DVRs and while they were cheap and basically worked, I'm so glad I no longer use them. They all had issues with events that spanned midnight and occasionally would miss other events. As their only source of time was PSIP supplied by your local TV stations, it was chronically inaccurate and you had to pad events to make sure you got everything.
In theory, they were great but in reality, as you said, you get what you pay for, and they were cheap

[usually_quiet]

If for some reason an HTPC was no longer a viable option, I would be inclined to buy a TiVo. I record a lot of television so I need something reliable.

However, I just went to the KMTTG page at SourceForge and was shocked to discover that development has ceased and KMTTG might not work anymore. So what software does work for transferring recordings marked copy-freely from a TiVo Edge to a PC in 2023?

[kshavo]

I'd like to stay away from using a computer. Thanks for the information. I am going to take it slow with this decision.

[usually_quiet]

I'd like to stay away from using a computer. Thanks for the information. I am going to take it slow with this decision.

Silicondust has a stand-alone solution but it is not as full-featured as a TiVo or Tablo. Read a review here: https://www.disablemycable.com/blog/hdhomerun/

You need an HDHomerun Scribe 4K tuner, which has 150hrs of storage built-in. There is also a 2-tuner Scribe that is ATSC 1.0 only. If purchased new the DVR service is free for the first year. After that, you need to pay a $35 per year subscription for the DVR app. A wired Ethernet connection from the HDHomeun to your router is required. You need to use a PC to offload recordings from the Scribe tuner to keep a permanent copy. The Scribe tuners are discontinued by the manufacturer but can sometimes be found for sale used on eBay.

You can add a NAS or an HDHomerun Servio to your network for additional storage. Both devices need a wired Ethernet connection to your router.

Never mind. I missed something. The HDHomerun Scribe tuners are not actually stand-alone devices. I see that it is necessary to run the DVR Service on another device -- a PC, Mac, or Android device that meets the DVR Service's requirements.

An NVidia Shield TV box would work. They run an Android version that meets the DVR Service's OS requirement and have a sufficiently powerful processor. From what I read some Android Smart TVs might also work. I'm not sure about a cheap Android TV box. The Scribe tuner, optional network-attached storage device, and Android device would all need to be connected to a router via wired Ethernet connections.

[HarpMaster]

In the UK it is possible to buy Panasonic DVD recorders with the ability to record to and from integral hard drives. And also record from DVDs to the hard drive.
https://www.richersounds.com/panasonic-dvd-recorder-hdd-500gb-freeview-hd.html . Of course this may not be suitable for the US, but there may be an eqivalent over there.

[kshavo]

In the UK it is possible to buy Panasonic DVD recorders with the ability to record to and from integral hard drives. And also record from DVDs to the hard drive.
https://www.richersounds.com/panasonic-dvd-recorder-hdd-500gb-freeview-hd.html . Of course this may not be suitable for the US, but there may be an eqivalent over there.

This is what I am looking for. Thanks!

[usually_quiet]

In the UK it is possible to buy Panasonic DVD recorders with the ability to record to and from integral hard drives. And also record from DVDs to the hard drive.
https://www.richersounds.com/panasonic-dvd-recorder-hdd-500gb-freeview-hd.html . Of course this may not be suitable for the US, but there may be an eqivalent over there.

This is what I am looking for. Thanks!

Panasonic stopped making DVD recorders for the North American market over a decade ago. None of their final US models had a hard drive. The last DVD recorders made for the USA were made by Funai and sold under the Magnavox or Funai label but Funai stopped making them several years ago. Funai also made some HDD-only recorders in later years but they are no longer available.

Panasonic DVD recorders made for the UK definitely won't work here in the USA. The UK uses a different standard for digital broadcast TV (DVB-T) so the tuner is incompatible with the ATSC system used in the USA. Analog video in the UK uses the PAL standard, while NTSC is used here in the USA, so analog video recording is very unlikely to be successful. Mains electricity is also different in the UK so the power supply may be incompatible as well.

[kshavo]

In the UK it is possible to buy Panasonic DVD recorders with the ability to record to and from integral hard drives. And also record from DVDs to the hard drive.
https://www.richersounds.com/panasonic-dvd-recorder-hdd-500gb-freeview-hd.html . Of course this may not be suitable for the US, but there may be an eqivalent over there.

This is what I am looking for. Thanks!

Panasonic stopped making DVD recorders for the North American market over a decade ago. None of their final US models had a hard drive. The last DVD recorders made for the USA were made by Funai and sold under the Magnavox or Funai label but Funai stopped making them several years ago. Funai also made some HDD-only recorders in later years but they are no longer available.

Panasonic DVD recorders made for the UK definitely won't work here in the USA. The UK uses a different standard for digital broadcast TV (DVB-T) so the tuner is incompatible with the ATSC system used in the USA. Analog video in the UK uses the PAL standard, while NTSC is used here in the USA, so analog video recording is very unlikely to be successful. Mains electricity is also different in the UK so the power supply may be incompatible as well.

I'm not going to do anything hastily. Thank you for the info!

[bithead9]

looks to me like there are SOME still available with HDD
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Magnavox-MDR513H-HDD-and-DVD-Recorder-with-Digital-Tuner-AV...Used/686731637

[usually_quiet]

looks to me like there are SOME still available with HDD
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Magnavox-MDR513H-HDD-and-DVD-Recorder-with-Digital-Tuner-AV...Used/686731637

Read the listings carefully. Like nearly every other DVD recorder currently available for sale in the USA today, it is used and the price they are asking is significantly more than it cost when new. I still have that model of DVD recorder that I purchased new in 2012. It still works and it's a good product but it ain't worth $550. A brand new TiVo with lifetime guide service costs less.