Why do you have to pay a monthly fee to own a DVR? Bring back the VCR!?

Question

Why do you have to pay a monthly fee to own a DVR? Bring back the VCR!?

Answer 1

Technically, you aren't paying a monthly fee for the DVR. You're paying a fee for the service. And you aren't required to pay anything. You can build your own PC and use it as a DVR and use a free program to record any show.

Edit:

Basically you take an old PC (or build a cheap one) add TV capture card and run your TV through that. (If you want HDTV, you'll need to find a decent Tuner Card.) Then just use any PVR program you want; there are several to choose from.

It costs some money to do this, but depending on how much you pay now, it may be worth it after a few years.

"Build Your Own DVR" from LifeHacker:

http://lifehacker.com/software/dvr/hack-...

BuildYourOwnPVR.com

http://www.byopvr.com/

"Build a better DVR out of an old PC"

http://www.makezine.com/extras/4.html

Answer 2

Hi ImRizzo40,

We think the monthly fee is worth it. We prefer TiVo because of simplicity of use. The schedule is always correct because it is updated every day. I can program TiVo to record from out of town over the Internet. TiVo learns what you like and recommends shows that you might like. Often times we never would have known they were on. You can program an entire season of a given series with a single click and TiVo never forgets. You can tell TiVo you like someone or something and it will locate shows for you. For example if you tell it you like John Wayne it will watch for and record anything he is on.

With my series 2 and series 3 TiVo’s I can transfer recordings to my computer, edit them if desired then record them to a DVD.

You can also allow TiVo to share pictures and music from your computer. It will play the music and slide shows on your TV.

I could go on and on about TiVo. There is one downside and that is the monthly (you can pay yearly if you want) fee.

To learn all about TiVo check their web site here - https://www3.tivo.com

Check the TiVo user forum here - http://www.tivocommunity.com

The TiVo Community Store often has good bargains for TiVo’s or accessories. Check them for current pricing along with your local Best Buy - http://store.tivocommunity.com/merchant....

You need either a phone line or internet connection for TiVo to download software updates and program information.

Check it out and I think you will realize you do get benefits for the monthly fee.

Remember too you can buy a combination DVD/DVR that you use manually like an old VHS and there is no monthly fee for it. Here is an example of one, there are many others - http://www.amazon.com/Philips-DVDR3575H-...

Norm