anyone know of a good basic OTA DVR

If you haVe a spare windows computer lying about you can use WIN-TV by Hauppauge, This is a plug in (USB 2.x) device you can also add say half a terrabyte of storage on a 2nd USB port so you can record like 450 hours of programming.

Or there is a new device Antenna Box I think it's called 20/month for the EPG (I pay 25/year for my EPGs)

What do I use
Spare Windows box running WiRNS (Windows Replay Network Server) and XML-TV

Two Replay TV DVRs (no longer made) these are older NTSC only devices
Two Digital TV converters (One Echostar DTV Pal one Zenith/Insigna/LG that I keep working by frequent channel changes)

Rube Goldburg antenna and cable network

This works with both Park cable (Analog) and digital OTA with the DVR's auto selectring the source.. now that's hard to beat.

But for you I'd go with either the WIN-TV (Best buys, micro Center, computer store of your choice) or the Antenna Box device (As advertise on TV)

if you have computer skills you can get a cheap windows box (under 200 at Wal-Mart, there is one beside me just now) The WIN-TV device (About 100) and a big Drive (The 179 HP Stream has almost no drive) like my Toshiba 500 Gig for like 50-70 bucks and you are good to go.. Do not know how WinTV does the EPG but if it can snag 'em from XMLTV well the service I use is 25/year.

magnavox dvr-amazon

to simplify a bit: what if i use one of the popular converter boxes of the 2008 era (zenith, rca, radioshack) where the tivo might easily have an IR code?

i would have to redo my 2004 analog tivo series 2 guided setup and tell it i am using an IR cable box (even if it is actually OTA digital). i would need the IR code for tivo to mate with the converter box.

so tivo gets EPG from internet, and via the IR blaster cables positioned above and below the box's remote sensor, it changes the DTV tuner, and either coax or composite cables from DTV to tivo would work?

maybe?

i don't think so
because of the way the menu system works the Homeworx PVR
you select the channel, then look at whats comming up and select record

or you hit the program button and and put in the date, channel, time
you would have to check with tivo to find out if there is an ouput setting for this

it not as simple as record now / stop now
because the PVR has to select the channel

burlmart wrote:
is it possible to use this Mediasonic HomeWorX HW150PVR as the signal i put to my tivo and then get the tivo to change its ATSC tuner?/

please say yes and tell me what i would need to do.

This won't work because the only input for the HomeWorx is from an antenna or cable TV. It has no composite or component video inputs and no audio inputs.

The HomeWorx has a built in HD digital tuner so this would give you excellent recordings.

Edit: Sorry, my brain is working backwards. I see you want to record on the Tivo. You would have to figure out if the Tivo has codes that are compatible with the HomeWorx.

thanks guys!

yes, that's the unit i remember all of you talk about in the past on this forum.

as i am starting to go a little in the weeds w/ this, and as i read the product description, i got an idea flash.

my analog 1 tuner tivo needs a way to change the OTA digital tuner channels in order to schedule recordings. basically the same thing i need it to do w/ the cox DTA, right.

tivo has lifetime EPG and gets data daily from my broadband.

is it possible to use this Mediasonic HomeWorX HW150PVR as the signal i put to my tivo and then get the tivo to change its ATSC tuner?/

please say yes and tell me what i would need to do.

I have that very same one
Paid $ 49 two years ago, I love that thing works great
You need an external USB hard drive..use any size you want up to 2 terabytes
No internet connection, no phone line connection,
the programming guide/list comes from the broadcaster
So you can only see up coming programs from the channel you are tuned too
No scrolling list of all programming on all channels like you get with cable or Sat TV

See if this would do what you need.