Do it yourself DIY HDTV recorder
HDTV Recorder Hub
Here’s an article from US News and World Report I ran across entitled “5 Things to Consider When Tackling DIY DVR.”
The article basically discusses the merits of making your own HDTV recorder by using a PC. However, it notes that this ultimately isn’t likely to be any cheaper than buying a TiVo. But, the end result, according to this article, is that you’ll have a lot more functionality and probably a lot more space to store recordings.
Here’s the article, and an excerpt.
First, be prepared for at least some futzing. Putting together a DVR, or digital video recorder, involves numerous pieces. And the initial cost for new hardware will likely exceed the $300 price of a TiVo HD.
But the result is a more powerful recorder, and it can cost less in the long run. A home-made recorder usually isn’t hard to put together, and it can capture TV as reliably as a TiVo or a DVR from the cable company or a telco. Better than a pre-made DVR, it can have unlimited capacity by just adding another hard drive. It can have added capability, such as saving shows to DVD or portable devices. It can also mean never paying a monthly fee.
Attaching a PC to the family room set also enables downloadable Internet TV and movies, YouTube videos, and E-mail. But those are side benefits to having a flexible TV recorder.