Can I record seven TV channels simultaneously & digitally?

[Nords]

Interesting. I have been considering adding a VCR to my A/V mix for a while now, and there are about a dozen VCR's at the nearest thrift store, all between $10 and $15 each. Most look to be in perfectly fine shape.

Thanks, I appreciate the offer, I think we're good for a couple more years. I don't want to keep legacy tech alive much longer than that.

The (only?) advantage of a cable signal is its multiplexing into multiple DVRs. IIRC both DirecTV and Dish (which I believe are both available in Hawaii) require as many satellite-receiver tuners as I wanted simultaneous channels to record. I have room on the roof for three dishes but I'd have to see how that fee compares to cable.

Probably the easiest setup (so far) is three dual-tuner DVRs off the cable signal with some way for each to direct its output to a single TV for playback. A remote-controlled ABC switch would be an unexpected bonus.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

IIRC both DirecTV and Dish require as many satellite-receiver tuners as I wanted simultaneous channels to record. I have room on the roof for three dishes but I'd have to see how that fee compares to cable.

Nooo...with Directv you only need one dish, two wires from that and a multiswitch. The multiswitch allows 'n' separate tuner drops from that single dish. The multiswitch is a box about 4x8x2" and can either sit outside the house or inside the house.

So one dish, two wires to the back of your rack of stuff, multiswitch, as many wires as you want from there, depending on the size of your switch.

Directv charges you the basic fee (about $30-100) for the programming set and one dual tuner receiver, then $5 extra per month per dual tuner receiver. $5 flat fee per month for DVR use, regardless of how many receivers.

Comcast charges you the basic fee, plus $10 a month per dual tuner receiver.

Nice part about the cable is as you noted, splittable signal and use of existing cable in the walls. Directv might have to drill a few holes and will likely require some new cable.

 

[Kwirk]

Probably the easiest setup (so far) is three dual-tuner DVRs off the cable signal with some way for each to direct its output to a single TV for playback. A remote-controlled ABC switch would be an unexpected bonus.

The Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD DVR that we have from Comcast has limitations.

The internal hdd is 180 GB, which holds only ~20 hours of HD recording or 90 hours of standard definition (yuck). An external hdd (up to 500 GB?) can be added to increase storage to ~70 hours of HD but is not officially supported by Comcast. The hdd cannot be switched to a computer nor even to a different 8300HD.

There's no convenient way to save programs to DVD or other medium. If you have to return a machine or have a serious glitch everything recorded is lost.

I'm not aware of any way to select an alternate control code set so it may not be possible to set up 2, much less 3, different remotes.

The machine has HDMI and component outputs so there's a good chance of connecting 3 of them to one (well-equipped) TV or AV amplifier.