TiVo alternative & TVs

[smokedog2]

Well, our very interesting discussion of tequila and tents appears to have fallen off the page. How about discussing the not so inexpensive hobby of TV?

My wife went on a furniture buying spree the only thing I got out of it was an entertainment center that will only fit a flat panel display (SCORE!).

I’ve heard that plasma screens suffer from burn in and someone recommended something called DLP. I am also moving the TiVo downstairs with the kids and either need a second TiVo or a suitable substitute.

My questions are what type of flat screen TV would you recommend? The entertainment center will fit a 50 inch model.

Second, has anyone used a computer instead of TiVo as their primary recorder and how big a pain was it to get that working?

My understanding is that you can still buy a lifetime TiVo subscription up until April 15. I plan to go check that out next week. I’m paying far too many people every month.

If you have TiVo, you cannot go back to regular TV.

This is boating related. I need it resolved and installed before the water temp gets too high. I’ve also been working until well after dark in the yard cus I am not doing anything come boating weekends. I bought a new mower for my son, the joys of training a 10 year old. This year he learns to drive the boat!

Cub Scouts today - model rocket launches. I’ve never launched a model rocket and neither have they, it should be interesting. Almost as interesting as tequila.

SD2

[JoeTechie]

The chores of HAVING to get a new flat panel... you are so pained we can tell.

First, DLP is a PROJECTION technology for rear or front projection screens, not flat panels. It involves millions of tiny mirrors, and I'm not a fan... yet.

Plasma offers much faster pixles and much greater color depth, and offers true black so contrast is amazing... however they have very short lives, and are very expensive. Not ready for prime time IMHO.

LCD's - VAST array of possibilities and lots of minor technologies inside the larger LCD banner. The long and short - so much changes so quickly - think of buying a set that you wont mind replacing in 3-5 years (vs 6-10 for more TV's)

My first check is for inputs. If a flat panel does not have DVI, or HDMI, forget it and run away. You sohuld always be feeding a flat panel a digital signal. Conversion from or to analog is a complete loss of a generation of signal (like dubbing a cd to tape then burning a cd from the tape)

Next look at contrast, brightness, and anagle of view. All are slightly important (and all sales people will throw them at you so try to understand that they are simply throwing numbers that mean very little and move on - all while nodding apporpriatly)

Black level is to me one of the most important points for a flat panel LCD tv. By their nature - an lcd is lit with a backlight, so they are never black unless they are off (and even then they are sometimes strangly grey) so no "true black" to reference too. This makes contrast a problem - some new sets are actually switching off and on during darker passages thus creating a blacker black.

Higher Refrsh rates will improve ghosting.

When comparring "dot pitch" - use a diagonal, not vertical or horizontal number - diagonal cannot cheat.

Higher angles of view can decrease the clarity of the actual picture (they use oddball fresnel lenses that cloud the picture)

Find a DVD you like and know well - and take it with you. Like people always said to take a cd with you when testing speakers. One with a high contrast and lots of reds (the hardest color to reproduce well)

Ok, I have lots more, but I have rambled long enough. I need to go clean up the boat - had a great day on the lake yesterday (till a bayliner came and kept screwing it up with his wake) - today: all rain - perfect for doing taxes!

Hope this helps,

-Joe

[JoeTechie]

Oh, DVRs - yes, currently the price you are paying is for the guide. Tivo, all the cable companies, and the 2 sat companies now charge for that guide. There is a public domain guide on the internet that people that build HTPCs (home theater PC's) use for free. So if you get a pc for this it will need a high speed internet connection. Ususally easy to access or put in wireless.
I've built some very HTPCs that perform as a DVRs and also CD jukeboxes w/ onscreen guides, etc. Not a fan of the DVD jukeboxes yet - just not as good ripped as on the dvd, and take up way too much space.

-Joe

[Smrtz]

Hey guys this unit is really awesome! if you are looking for PVR with satellite.

pansat 6000

Dont know if any of you guys have had experience but there are truely lots of alternatives!

[JoeTechie]

I prefer my ViewSat.

-J

[zabooda]

Better to be a toastee eighteen times than a toaster just once.

Ben Franklin (???)

[lowdrag]

I thought about doing the lifetime subscription when I got our TiVo. The only thing that steered my away from it was when I saw that it was only good for the machine you currently have. If you upgrade your box or it goes bad you just lost you lifetime subscription. At least that's the way it was when I looked into it.

[smokedog2]

Copper wire on a rocket – you should have seen the fiasco with the string on an arrow for putting up a rope swing at the lake.

Yep life time TiVo is for the box but the hard drive is really the only part that will die. I can fix that.

I'll get this worked eventually.

SD2

[Smrtz]

what does the Tivo service cost?

[JoeTechie]

Note to self : Do not let Ed play with the Tow Missle again.

-J