Random Terrain's Tetraternarium

The other option is a TiVo. (Although the TiVo monthly subscription will be higher.)

 

For analog cable (i.e. you get all channels when you plug directly into your TV), the S2DT will record two channels at once (or record one channel while you watch another "live").

 

Then there's the TiVo HD. It will also record two analog cable channels at once. It will also record any unencrypted digital cable channels (both standard def and HD), or encrypted channels (SD & HD) with a CableCard (rental) from your cableco. Or, you can see (via tvfool.com) what channels are available in your area via antenna and get your HD TV from there.

The other option is a TiVo. (Although the TiVo monthly subscription will be higher.)

 

For analog cable (i.e. you get all channels when you plug directly into your TV), the S2DT will record two channels at once (or record one channel while you watch another "live").

 

Then there's the TiVo HD. It will also record two analog cable channels at once. It will also record any unencrypted digital cable channels (both standard def and HD), or encrypted channels (SD & HD) with a CableCard (rental) from your cableco. Or, you can see (via tvfool.com) what channels are available in your area via antenna and get your HD TV from there.

Yep, as you said, TiVo is more expensive. My DVR can record two channels at once or record one while I watch another channel live or semi-live and the DVR I just got seems to have more recording space than the DVR I returned, so that's nice. My new remote is better than the old one too. The buttons light up and I can turn off my DVR and TV at the same time by pushing the power button only once. Probably won't have an HD TV for another year or two or three or four, so I won't have to change anything for a while.

The big advantage of the TiVo is it's search and scheduling capabilities. Although it can record by time of day, you typically either record a given show title from a given channel (season pass) or set up a wishlist which uses a search string (i.e. an actor's name, part of an episode title) to find shows to record.

The big advantage of the TiVo is it's search and scheduling capabilities. Although it can record by time of day, you typically either record a given show title from a given channel (season pass) or set up a wishlist which uses a search string (i.e. an actor's name, part of an episode title) to find shows to record.

My DVR can't search for things yet, but it can record a show or a manual time slot of any size using these options:

• First Run only on this channel
  
• On this channel this day in this time slot
  
• On this channel at any time
  
• On this channel any day in this time slot
  

The advantage with the TiVo is it will catch schedule changes (within limits, if a show runs over or gets pre-empted, it doesn't catch it). The wishlist is also cool to record single episodes - like the Lady Heather CSI episodes. I also have a wishlist for the AFI top 100 movies, so I have 20+ movies to watch.

The advantage with the TiVo is it will catch schedule changes (within limits, if a show runs over or gets pre-empted, it doesn't catch it).

That would be nice. Since I don't have that ability, if it's one show, I almost always record 30 to 60 minutes beyond and if I'm recording more than one show in a row on the same channel, I record all of them in one chunk and go an hour beyond so I don't miss anything. When I first got a DVR, I got sick of missing the last or first minute of a program, so I learned to never trust the official DVR time slot for any show I want to record.