We’ve added a new device to Nat’s TV… it’s a DVD recorder. Picked up for $70-after-rebate at one of the Black Friday sales. This will likely replace the VCR for recording things that should be stored, or things that conflict with something else already being recorded on the ReplayTV.
Nat's TV expands
The URI to TrackBack this entry is: http://natstv.wordpress.com/2005/11/25/nats-tv-expands/trackback/
How ’bout a review at some point?
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve been curious about these newfangled contraptions ever since I bought a VCR/DVD player combo earlier this year. At the time the combo units seemed like the “going” thing and was exactly what I wanted—still is, really.
I first tried a comparable Sony model, but it seemed to have a recording/playback glitch and a too small remote for my Dad to handle, so I returned it and ended up with a Toshiba SD-V392. I have issues with it as well, but I’ve learned to deal/workaround since it was easier than going back to the store five times to try each model in turn and finding out that each one might have certain “features” I didn’t like.
The DVD recorders on the other hand were too pricey at the time and I was dubious about their quality and reliability. Now however, it does seem as if the DVD recorders are being “pushed” in the print ads I see moreso than the combo player units.
I’m not planning on getting a DVD recorder anytime real soon, but I’m just curious as to whatever you discover with yours. Naturally I know it’ll take a while to work out the kinks and get used to it, but whenever you get around to it (assuming you do) would be fine. Thanks.
I’ll try to remember to do a review once I’ve put some practical miles on it. I haven’t had anything I’ve had to record yet! (Actually, I’ve got to see if I can copy some 24 Hour Comics-related stuff sitting on the ReplayTV onto this. It’ll be a digital-analog-digital transfer; I have hopes that I won’t lose much quality.)
I’m still reworking the wiring of it. The low-grade component video input of my TV won’t handle the DVD recorders output, so I had it hooked up to the stanrd video jack. Then I thought I saw some advantage to hooking it up to the coax input (including that I could then put the standard audio output to our stereo, so that we could listed to audio CDs through it.)
However, once it was wired up, I had a bit of a surprise. While the unit does have coaz-in and coax-out connectors, the coax-out is only for passing through everything that comes in on the coax-in to the next device in the chain; you can’t play a DVD out to channel 3 or 4, like you can with a typical VCR. I guess they reckon that anyone who has a DVD recorder has a TV with standard-in ports. (Also, it doesn’t support S-Video, which my TV can handle; it’s either standard or composite for this machine. I suppose S-video is now consiered a mid-range solution that’s on its way out.)
One nice thing about a DVD recorder – buying 100 recordable DVDs for $15 after rebate. Admittedly, they aren’t rewritable, but for 15 cents, you fill them up, and you either keep them or you toss them.
Well, there’s no rush on the eventual DVDR review—whenever will be fine. Thanks.
Now this little typical TV tidbit: Nat’s TV expands, but TV itself shrinks…
Well, not literally, but early indications are that CBS is giving Threshold the axe.
Now I know it’s not on the Nat TV schedule and I can’t say it was a wonderful or “don’t miss” show on mine (although I haven’t). However, it was up my TV alley just as far as general SF tastes go and so I was giving it at least the season to see how it might develop.
What bugs me, though, is the way networks so often treat such shows: “Let’s take the show off the air completely for a couple weeks, bring it back in a different time slot that we think it might do better in, but give it only one chance and then cancel it when it turns out it actually gets lower ratings the one time in the new slot.” Sounds like a plan. Network execs—Sheesh! Sigh.
There should be a rule in TV that if execs change a show to a new time, they should be forced to leave it on for at least three consecutive weeks with new episodes to allow a little time for the current viewers to find it again and new viewers to discover it.
Now I think most shows that are struggling enough for execs to do the old time slot shift would probably not be saved by the change anyway, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask for a three week run to see what happens. Just my own stupid opinion, but then I’m not the one losing advertising revenue.
TV in general may expand. These three USA Today headlines/articles came up on my ISP’s home page today:
FCC: Let users set cable TV lineups
A la carte cable could be a tough sell
TVs turn into vending machines for programs
The first two are about the potentials and pitfalls of a la carte channel availability. The third (the longest) is about video-on-demand and how it may affect programming strategies. I doubt the a la carte availability will ever come about (especially because I’m in favor of the concept!).