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Non-Armstrong DVR

Windows 7 Media Center offers a great solution if you're looking for more functionality. You can have one Windows 7 machine serve network connected Xbox 360's and see all your recorded content across the network, and you can stream live tv from your tuners. You can get a cable card from Armstrong to receive HD and digital channels. This is really considered the ultimate DVR (imho).

reply to tim_k
Not bad, but $400 for the card, I'd have to build another computer, and I'd have to sit it next to the TV to run HDMI.

reply to tim_k
If you care about digital/HD channels beyond the locals, you need CableCard support. On the provider side this is easy, all decent sized providers including Armstrong have been mandated to offer them by the FCC for years, so you shouldn't have any problem requesting one.

The second part of the equation is a CableCard-compatible DVR. There are three major options:

1. TiVo
The Series3, TiVoHD, and Premier boxes are all CableCard compatible.

The S3 is out of production and AFAIK hasn't even shown up on TiVo's refurb page for quite some time, so this would likely be a used-only purchase. It does have a display on the front which shows the currently tuned programs, where the HD and Premier just have LED indicators for recording.

The HD is also out of production but went out more recently, so you can still regularly find it on TiVo's refurb site for fairly cheap. It is basically a simplified Series3 and gains support for M-Card CableCards, allowing one card to operate both tuners. This saves $5/mo on cablecard rentals if you can get an M-Card out of them.

The Premier is the new model, it has a faster CPU and a new user interface, but is otherwise similar. It is exclusively single-card, so if you can't get an M-Card you only get one tuner rather than two.

If the monthly fee is a concern, look for used models with lifetime subscriptions.

2. Windows Media Center

Vista gained the ability to support CableCard, but only in OEM installations with a special key. That has since been hacked away, but it's still a pain to deal with if you didn't buy a machine with a CableCard tuner installed.

Windows 7 unlocks this feature, so anyone can buy a CableCard compatible tuner and add it in. There are currently two in existance, but neither are on the market. The ATI OCUR was the old tuner used in Vista OEM machines, and is available in both internal and external versions. Both use USB for connectivity and are the same hardware. The Ceton tuner linked above is not yet on sale.

A Windows machine has no monthly fee, but since no tuners are currently in production you'll have to go hunting for used or leftover stock ATI OCURs, which are also single tuner devices. Windows can support up to four of any one type of tuner by default, larger installs require an OEM-only enhancement pack.

3. Moxi

I don't know much about Moxi other than that they're the third CableCard option and the reviews are pretty decent. Google is your friend here.

Basically at the moment it sucks to be a DVR fan. The cable company DVRs are universally terrible, TiVo is expensive and underperforms, homebrew PC DVRs are hard to find parts for, and the only remaining option is a relatively unknown entity.

Of course, if digital cable is something you can do without, there are a number of analog cable and digital OTA tuners which you can throw in a PC running Windows XP MCE, Vista (Premium and Ultimate only), or 7 (all above the basic version) and watch all the unencrypted TV you have. Some tuners even offer clear QAM support which may pull a few HD channels off the cable line depending on your local node's configuration.

So you're saying that the Ceton tuner mentioned above won't get me all the digital and HD channels Armstrong provides? I don't get premium movie or sports channels.

The Ceton tuner will, but it's not out at the moment. It was supposed to ship months ago but was delayed due to a part shortage.

Once it comes out it will give full CableCard functionality, meaning all non-VOD channels and support for SDV where cable providers offer tuning adapters.