Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Need a digital (HDTV) VCR... Suggestions?

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 02-01-2005, 10:52 AM:

I'm looking to add a digital VCR to my home theater setup. Anyone have one? Anything specific I should look for, or watch out for?

Thanks!

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-01-2005, 01:55 PM:

You are looking to record HDTV, right? They can be quite pricey at the moment..

Marantz MV-8300P

This model is in the $1,100.00 range.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 02-01-2005, 02:57 PM:

Thanks, Steve...

Do you have one? If so, any complaints, or praise?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 02-01-2005, 06:04 PM:

That is only expensive because it is Marantz. The JVC D-VHS machines are cheaper (around $400). But as with anything made by JVC, they are extremely unreliable and very cheaply made. You can check the AVS Forums for all the horror stories about D-VHS. Unfortunately JVC D-VHS machines are the only ones that can play D-Theater tapes, I believe. D-Theater is a high definition videotape format for movies. There are almost a dozen, maybe two dozen movies available for the format by now. It's library is pathetic. Also D-VHS cannot record straight off the air. Not even the Marantz has an ATSC tuner. So what you'll need is a TV that has an HDTV tuner built in, or a set top tuner with firewire out. The Firewire goes to the VCR which does the recording. This can make setting the timer to record a show near impossible, especially if you want to record one channel at 7:00pm and another at 8:00pm. D-VHS is a format that I think will not last very long at all, especially with DVR's and high definition DVDs becoming available soon.

Just get an HD-DVR, like HD Tivo or some such device. Tape is a foolish and slow format anymore, anyway.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-02-2005, 05:34 PM:

There's nothing wrong with tape in principle. The Sony HDW-M2000 HDCAM machine does a very nice job of recording and playing back HD content. You don't want to see the price, however. TIVO isn't really useful for long-term storage of material and DVD-R isn't yet reliably interchangeable among machines....

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-02-2005, 09:32 PM:

Scott,

If yo want to compare Tivo to Broadcast HD...then you need to use the Sony MAV777.

Steve

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 02-06-2005, 09:33 AM:

After reading this thread I started looking into a DVR too. So far the PANASONIC DMR-E95HS ($463) has my vote http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.asp?ref=streetprices&sku=PNDMRE95HS

But I was wondering why you couldn't just get a dedicated computer with a DVD burner and do the same thing? The reason I'm wondering is that the Panasonic plasma screen I have has a VGA input on it. It has no built in tuner, but it has three input selections RGB, VGA and S-video.
Would this work?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-06-2005, 10:52 AM:

quote: Greg Mueller
But I was wondering why you couldn't just get a dedicated computer with a DVD burner and do the same thing?

Gerg, That may be a bit more expensive route but its the route I would go. I have yet to be impressed by any of one box DVD recorders, you're stuck with what you get! The best part about going the computer route is that you can repair it and do upgrades yourself. In the near future you should also be able to burn HDTV onto DVD as well and today there are already HDTV tuner cards available so you could do two things from one box. So the computer route will allow you to upgrade as this stuff evolves.

Mark

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 02-06-2005, 11:49 AM:

The optimum situation for my setup would be to be able bring in signal from my Dish Network receiver, into the computer. If there were such a thing as a card that allowed S-video pass through, that would be ideal. That way the signal could continue on to the TV, even if the computer were off. Then if I wanted play a recording I had made, I could switch to VGA input on the TV and play the computer.
I wonder if they make a video card like that?

Posted by Don Cross (Member # 2980) on 02-06-2005, 02:59 PM:

Would the lateest version of Windows XP Media Center work when used with a very large hard drive? If so, it would certainly work to fill up the hard drive quite rapidly. But it also may be a way of saving money over a new hardware investment.

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 02-07-2005, 10:11 PM:

quote: Joe Redifer
Just get an HD-DVR, like HD Tivo or some such device. Tape is a foolish and slow format anymore, anyway.

I think that would be the best route. There is a Tivo model that is HD and has a built in DVD-R drive. The cost is somewhere over $600, not sure exactly.