halb

This is the info on the Zenith HDR230 list $999 from CNET: The first product of its kind, this HDTV DVR contains an over-the-air high-definition receiver and an 80GB hard disk. It can record up to 8 hours of full-bandwidth high-definition programming, along with Dolby Digital multichannel audio.

Specs: HDTV receiver with integrated 80GB hard drive; component and RGB HDTV outputs; live TV pause; PSIB-based program guide.

CNN New gear page

spaceman_spiff

Zenith Review in S&V
It can record 9 hours of HD material and 27 hours of SD material.
How can 80GB hard drive record 9 hours of HD material if the bitrate is 19.4 Mb/s ? Do they compress the data ?

57U

19,400,000 b/s, divided by 8 bits/byte, times 3600 seconds per hour = 8.7 GB/hr or 9 hours on an 80 GB HDD.

(I usually keep the number 9 GB/hour in my head - it's easier)

No compression, it's a bit for bit (lossless) recording.

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57U - Toronto, Rogers Cable, SA8300HD, 500GB HDD & Hitachi 61UWX10B HDTV, Yamaha RX-V1 A/V Receiver, Martin Logan Speakers. Photos --> 57U's HT

SA8300HD, 250GB HDD & KDL40W3000 (Upstairs)

Please don't PM me with questions that can (and should) be asked in the forum, thanks. Personal Question? Fire away.

spaceman_spiff

Forgot about that part, havent had to use it in a long time. Thanks for the clarification again.

FullBandwidth

Tell me again why I'd want to record anything HD that came over the air? Movies with commercials, sitcoms or PBS specials aren't what I call compelling reasons to invest $1K.

57U

I never watch live TV, only recorded or commercial free. I usually record about 40 hours a week. I can watch those 40 hours in about 20 hours by "skipping" commercials and not watching portions of programmes that I thought would be interesting but weren't. I can watch a typical car race in less than half the time (those yellows take up half of some of the races these days).

If I save 20 hours per week, that's 1000 hours a year, that's $1 an hour - well worth it. I get paid a lot more than $1 an hour.

Granted, all programmes are not yet HD, but in a year or two, many will be.

With a PVR you can even "watch live". Turn on the PVR, go away for an hour (or watch something else on the PVR), then start watching the original programme 1 hour after it started and catch up by the end of they 2 hour programme. 2 hour programme watched in one hour. Great for those programmes where you don't want to hear the results, but don't want to sit through all the commercials and "waste of time" stuff. You can also spend some more time if you wish by reviewing a certain play once or several times, or watching a certain detail or special effect in slow motion or frame-by-frame.

I've trained myself not to listen to radio for "sports results" since I've been using a VCR to do this for 25 years, but with a PVR, even that won't be necessary all the time.

I can understand how some people prefer to "veg" in front of the TV and digest what's provided, but I'm the type of person who's far more "active" watching TV, than passive. Different Strokes...

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57U - Toronto, Rogers Cable, SA8300HD, 500GB HDD & Hitachi 61UWX10B HDTV, Yamaha RX-V1 A/V Receiver, Martin Logan Speakers. Photos --> 57U's HT

SA8300HD, 250GB HDD & KDL40W3000 (Upstairs)

Please don't PM me with questions that can (and should) be asked in the forum, thanks. Personal Question? Fire away.

FullBandwidth

Yes, but how much of that time is recording channels that you could get OTA? I use the DVR feature of my (SD) DirecTV receiver all the time but have never recorded anything from a local channel. What I record is from Discovery, OLN, Speed, etc.

If the $1K box was an HD DVR DirecTV receiver that would allow me to record from HDNet, Discovery HD, etc. I would definitely get it. Then I could get rid of two STBs (the SD DVR box and the HD non-recording box).

The only OTA HD program I've watched this year was the Superbowl, and that's the one program where you don't want to miss the commercials!

57U

The new HD DVRs due out later this year for Sat or Cable will allow you to record anything that you can watch on Sat or cable. They will also offer features such as

POP
Stretch modes
Several tuners to record one signal, while watching another.
"Pause" live TV.
Etc.

__________________
57U - Toronto, Rogers Cable, SA8300HD, 500GB HDD & Hitachi 61UWX10B HDTV, Yamaha RX-V1 A/V Receiver, Martin Logan Speakers. Photos --> 57U's HT

SA8300HD, 250GB HDD & KDL40W3000 (Upstairs)

Please don't PM me with questions that can (and should) be asked in the forum, thanks. Personal Question? Fire away.