HDTV recorder as DVR recorder?
HDTV Recorder Hub
So, as I mentioned in my last post, there ARE some options for you if you don’t want to use TiVo or cable-box style DVRs (which I will explain in a subsequent post) as a HDTV recorder. Here’s a little more information about what they are.
At this point, you’ve gone to {insert your favorite big box store here} and you’ve selected an HDTV that suits your needs. You get it home, set it up and realize that the stuff you record off of your new HDTV just doesn’t look as sharp as it does live. Why would that be?
That’s because most standard recording devices – including DVRs – aren’t capable of recording signals in as high a resolution as you need. (I explained HDTV resolutions and HDTV recorder briefly earlier). You need a recording device that’s capable of recording not just the picture, but also the HDTV resolution along with it. That’s where we come in.
Just a few years ago, when HDTVs were first introduced to the market, HDTV recorder were nonexistent. Now, luckily, there are several options. This post will list just a few, which I will review in more detail in later posts.
D-VHS
One option for a HDTV recorder, although they’re increasingly difficult to find, is a mainstay of the 1980s and 1990s: the VHS. That’s right, a good old VCR. Digital VHS has been around for some time, and D-VHS was one of the first recording options for HDTV. It was never widely adopted because it was extremely expensive. Most models are no longer in production, although there are still a few, including JVC, Mitsubishi and Panasonic.
It may also be possible to trick out your computer well enough for it to become a HDTV recorder. With the right software, you can set up your computer to become a HDTV recorder. However, your computer will be limited to recording HD programs from a terrestrial (non-satellite or cable) antenna. Additionally, another drawback to using a computer as an HDTV recorder is the fact that it can be difficult to play the recording back at HD quality; how many people do you know who can interface their TV with their computer systems?
Blu-Ray
As I mentioned in an earlier post, some manufacturers do make a DVD recorder that can record in HDTV quality. However, they are few and far between and so far only marketed outside the United States. For instance, Toshiba makes a DVD recorder that can function as a HDTV recorder, but it is only sold in Japan. Additionally, as of Feb. 2008, Toshiba has stopped selling their HD-DVD recorders, making them likely rather difficult to obtain.