Timed Recordings with FTA Reciever

[partyharty]

Gotta question,

I have been using a computer as a DVR for a while now, however the card I have (twinhan 1025) has a tendency to drop frames (and pretty much screw up the mpeg2 feed). So I am trying to decide what to do.

I am looking towards the Poloroid+DRM-2001G to do the recording (it has a 80GB Drive but I will be swapping that with a 300GB drive to give me more room).

Now the only problem is how to schedule the recordings. I am thinking about getting another FTA reciever. I currently have a satworks 3618 which does not have timers (if it does someone please point me in the right direction as I havent found them).

What I think I am going to do is setup the timers on the FTA reciever, then set a corresponding timer on the DVR and all should be well. We only have about 10 shows that we tape (per week) so the programming will not be too aweful tedious.

To do the above I am looking at $220+$80 for a drive (so $300)+ the cost of another reciever.

Any problems with the setup above? My other option is just to say to heck with it and get a different FTA card?

Is there a FTA card that outputs normal mpeg2 streams? Do the USB2 systems do any of the decoding onboard (is the usb 2 interface good enough to keep from dropping frames/stuttering)?

Our setup @ the house includes a complete network (with a computer setup in each room of the house). We have TV's in 2 rooms so it makes more sence ot use another FTA card (or get this one to working correctly). The problem I have is I want good output and so far I haven't seen it with this card (I have a lot of dropped frames, malformed mpeg2 streams, and stuttering).

So there it is, should I go with option #1 or option #2?

 

[Mr Tony]

I have a HDD/CD Bruner that I got at Rat Shack (80GB HD) and thats hooked up to a couple of my FTA boxes. I just set the timer on the FTA box and the same one on the HDD.

The Fortec Classic has a bang on clock (doesnt lose time)

 

[rdel]

Hi partyharty
I have a fortec classic and the time is perfect, watch out for the fortec ultra lifetime the time isn't right. (allways fast or slow)
I bought a dvd stand alone burner from walmart and it works great as my vcr.

emerson dvd burner from walmart $100 (you may want to look into the ilo brand dvd burners, they have one that will burn music to a CD from the music channels on IA5. That way you can make CD's for you car and the kids CD players)

fortec classic $100 to $125 plus shipping

rdel

 

[partyharty]

Hi partyharty
you may want to look into the ilo brand dvd burners
rdel

No thanks, I have one right now (the Ilo dvr04 model) and it was great for the first 5 or so months, then the drive died. I went looking throughout the net and drives burning out quickly is a very common occurance (so much so that there is several hundred post's that I have found on how to swap out the drive).

Walmart has since dropped that one and got a new supplier (I believe the dvr05 is a cyberhome) and it is a bit better. I just cant bring myself to buy another Ilo burner though.

Incindently I also have a cyberhome burner (that I got on clearance) and it has a bum drive in it also (I have only had it a bit over a month). It will be going back as soon as I find my receipt.

It is funny because I really dont burn that many disk's (approx 2-3 a week). I know heat got to the cyberhome (they did not even have a fan on it and it got H-O-T). The Ilo had a good fan but they just used shoddy drives. My computer has a dvd burner that has burned 20-25 a week (automated backups) for the past 5 years without a problem. *of course I paid probably 10 times what I paid for the stb dvd burners also*

I am bouncing between getting a new receiver or just finding out what the deal is with the card/computer. Thanks for the heads up on the recievers (difference between the fortec classic and the other). knowing my luck I would have bought the wrong one