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djbogue's avatar
djbogue
Explorer
Aug 17, 2013

Recording cable channels

We will be staying in a Florida campground this winter that furnishes cable. My question is how do you record the cable channels? What device do you use?

18 Replies

  • Thanks for the replies. I do have a Magnavox HDD & DVD Player/recorder with digital tuner that I thought about taking but not sure how it will work with cable.

    They have 48 channels but not sure what they are.

    I do have Directv but did not want to take it since the cable is available.
  • wgriswold wrote:
    I have a Motorola recorder that records to an internal hard disk. I believe that it is the only one on the market. All the rest come from a signal provider or Tivo. It is available only at Walmart for about $200. One must disable all automatic functions of the clock because when it expects to get a signal from PBS, that they no longer send, it crashes.

    It works very well and has a QAM tuner and finds all my non encrypted cable channels; at this point that is all of them. I suspect that it will not work for me in fall because Charter is switching to all digital and also encrypting all the channels. They told me that the feds required them to encrypt the signals but I think the real reason is to make me rent a DVR from them.


    - can you please provide make and model number?
    - can you schedule recordings?
    - can you record from one channel and watch another simultaneously?
  • I have a Motorola recorder that records to an internal hard disk. I believe that it is the only one on the market. All the rest come from a signal provider or Tivo. It is available only at Walmart for about $200. One must disable all automatic functions of the clock because when it expects to get a signal from PBS, that they no longer send, it crashes.

    It works very well and has a QAM tuner and finds all my non encrypted cable channels; at this point that is all of them. I suspect that it will not work for me in fall because Charter is switching to all digital and also encrypting all the channels. They told me that the feds required them to encrypt the signals but I think the real reason is to make me rent a DVR from them.
  • did you check the channel 'line up'

    what programming is on that free cable
  • ken burke wrote:
    djbogue wrote:
    We will be staying in a Florida campground this winter that furnishes cable. My question is how do you record the cable channels? What device do you use?


    It depends on how much you value your TV viewing. I would recommend Direct TV (or dish). We have had Direct TV for over 12 years. They have come a long ways to accomodate the full time viewers.
    We are full timers, and move several times a year. I have a regular, portable, satellite dish, with 100 feet of cable. It works out great. With a good view of the southern sky, I can have a signal in minutes. When getting a signal through the trees, it takes awhile, but I am getting used to it.
    Call them up and they will come to your site and hook you up.

    ken


    :h

    That would work IF the OP already HAS Direct or Dish.

    I personally would not want to get Direct or Dish if I didn't have it at home (IE had cable at home) since with both of those "services" you WOULD be LOCKED INTO A TWO YEAR CONTRACT :S

    Direct and Dish are like cell phone plans when it comes to a contract so READ THE FINE PRINT BEFORE SIGNING ON.

    Besides the campground in question HAS CABLE for FREE (IE as NO EXTRA CHARGE and the campground is not going to lower the price just because you don't use the cable).

    If it is FREE then why not USE IT?
  • djbogue wrote:
    We will be staying in a Florida campground this winter that furnishes cable. My question is how do you record the cable channels? What device do you use?


    we have a DVD/VHS player/recorder in the MH and record OTA and cable programs to it. I usually use the DVD side as it's easier to find recorded programming. our combo unit allows us to set a recording time by date/start time/stop time/channel.
  • djbogue wrote:
    We will be staying in a Florida campground this winter that furnishes cable. My question is how do you record the cable channels? What device do you use?


    It depends on how much you value your TV viewing. I would recommend Direct TV (or dish). We have had Direct TV for over 12 years. They have come a long ways to accomodate the full time viewers.
    We are full timers, and move several times a year. I have a regular, portable, satellite dish, with 100 feet of cable. It works out great. With a good view of the southern sky, I can have a signal in minutes. When getting a signal through the trees, it takes awhile, but I am getting used to it.
    Call them up and they will come to your site and hook you up.

    ken
  • Your choices are from easiest to hardest..

    1) rent Cable system PVR

    2) Buy a TIVO

    3)VCR or DVD recorder

    4) DVD/PVR recorder (stand alone DVD recorder with built in hard drive)

    5) Buy a TV tuner card for your PC

    The problem with #2, 3 and 4 is most of these devices do not have digital ATSC or QAM tuner which means with cable you would only be able to record the FEW analog channels available.

    The problem with #5 is you lose the usability of your PC for other things, would have to keep PC powered up and connected to cable 24/7 and if the digital channels are encoded (AKA scrambled) you would need a tuner with a "cable card" or rent a tuner from the cable co. Plus you would be stuck with having to play back all recordings on your COMPUTER.

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