Recording cable TV programs

Get a DVR from your cable provider.

Digital Video Recorder...

Many options: I have one (Sadly lost remote) that records to DVD
I have two (With Remotes) that record to hard disk
Some do both

TiVo is one popular brand but there are many others.

Just in at a Thrift Shop I spend time at (Work/Voulenteer) is a box that turns a Windows Media Edition computer into a DVR..

Hauppauge makes the Win-TV Replay Edition (My first choice in USB devices) couple that with a 500 Gig or multi-Terrabyte hard drive compuer (As little as 250 dollars,,,,possibly less) and you have one.. "Heck" of a DVR.

Most modern laptops have HDMI out as well.

Is this what you are looking for? I have two of the earlier versions and they are great for recording OTA and cable.



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JQOQCD0/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687642&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B003DPKOKK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=09V1VPCTSWPEX5RMSS1Y

When my cable still included analog, I used a DVD recorder with a built in cable tuner. To DVD-R for keeps, to DVD-RW for time shifting. Bought 5 DVD-RW discs, never used more than two. I think the last pavkage of DVD-R I bought came to about 12 cents a disc.

In the age of digital-only cable, and recording HD to watch HD, the DVR from the cable. company works for me. Rent is $10 a month, vs $5 for their digital tuner that does not record, or for use of a decoding card for a card-ready TV.

i have a Home Worx DVR but it only records OTA HD signals, not cable hdmi or component video from a cable or Sat box

for recording in HD , from digital cable, their DVR box is the simplest and easiest

if you don't mine recording analog SD signal, you can buy a tivo etc. style DVR

HDMI signals are copy protected, it part of the requirements of mfg
there is no "inexpensive" equipment (that i know of) that will accept and record an HDMI output from a cable or Sat box

you did not specify if you wanted to record std 4:3 definition video
or full screen 16:9 HD video

It's fairly easy to record OTA TV with units such as the Home Worx DVR. The problem arises when dealing with cable TV. Many cable companies used to deliver some basic channels unencrypted. These channels can be recorded on units such as the Home Worx. Most cable companies are now encrypting all channels. To record encrypted channels requires a unit that will accept a CableCARD. The cable company can provide a card to plug into a unit that accepts one.

The simple answer as stated previously is to use the cable company's DVR. Tivo is one option but it is expensive and requires a subscription for the program guide.

My recent experience with cable in campgrounds indicates that more and more are upgrading to digital. Because you normally use a cable box to view these channels, many are lead to believe that they are "encrypted".

I have found that not to be true. The channels are actually there, and viewable, but they don't appear on the guide channel. For example, if you normally tune channel 7 to see digital channel 7 on the cable box, you may be able to see that programming on channel 502.4 or something like that using your generic ATSC tuner.

I am working under the "ASSUMPTION", that the OP wants too record cable at the stick house to watch in the RV later, he has not stated the exact details of what he wants to do

I record OTA channels using Simple.TV. It's a small box connected to a USB hard drive. It uses a browser interface to interact with and requires a wired network connection.

Cool part is I can record a show and view it via the network connection. That's the only way to view the recorded video... It also has a program guide - I can view a live program if wanted. AND, since I'm using a network interface I can be anywhere in the country viewing my recordings... Just depends on the bandwidth available to upload from home, and download at my iPad!

MrWizard wrote:


if you don't mine recording analog SD signal, you can buy a tivo etc. style DVR


you did not specify if you wanted to record std 4:3 definition video
or full screen 16:9 HD video

Current Tivo models record all cable channels in full 1080p HD resolution. Up to 6 tuners to record 6 programs at a time. They also handle all the major streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and Vudo and integrate the available streaming programming into your shows directory. ONLY box on the market that can do all this.

Cable company DVRs don't come close.