Why is a multi-room DVR something worth crrowing about?

They are using media services. My direct tv dvr shows up on my other devices as a media server. It a lot more sophisicated than simply cabling the output of a recorder to another room. You can browse and play the content on the other equipment in your house. Using the remote controls of the device you are viewing from. I think some of the regular receivers can share content from the dvr as well as other dvrs. It also expands your stored capacity as each dvr can record different shows yet they all can be viewed from anywhere.

Unfrtunately while they are using standard media services, just like 'sharing' from windows media player on your pc, the format is only recognized by their devices. Since they use standard formats for video I can only assume that they intentionally defined the properties as a format no one else understood. That's unfortunate because if they served it identified as mpg3 or 4 then other devices like pc's etc could also play the content. I can "browse" the content of my direct tv dvr from my ps3. But I can't play any of it. Because the dvr is telling the ps3 it's a format that the ps3 does not recognize.

For me, the appeal is that I can record 4 programs at the same time with 2 boxes-- then watch any of the 4 wherever I want.

I'm on a TimeWarner system, and though the DVR's have the hardware- TW hasn't implemented it yet.

Another benefit might be if my son or I happen to record something on one TV- we can watch it on another. I don't have to go to his lair to see his show- and he doesn't have to join the world to see mine.

If you're making the argument that a VCR is just as good as a DVR- then I disagree with that whole premise entirely. The DVR wins hands down on picture quality and navigability.

Jim

You have to use one to appreciate the difference. With a VCR you are constrained to doing one thing at one time with manual intervention required to change the tape. A DVR records onto a hard drive and can record multiple programs and playback multiple programs at the same time without any need to load or monitor a tape. Also it catalogs what it recorded and since a hard drive can almost instantly seek to a location you simply need to review what is in the catalog and press play without having to sort through a stack of tapes and then needing to advance the tape to the start point.

I think his point was not about DVR relative to VCR, but getting multi- room capability with either. I think he's proposing that you can extend one of either device to other rooms via an amp and cable. But as James pointed out, the Verizon and similar offerings are a lot more sophisiticated than that. If you do it mm's way, you have to start the movie in the main room and then while it's playing on that TV, you can also see the same recording simultaneously on other TVs. However, you can't control it, start, stop it, back it up, choose another recording, etc, from the other rooms and you're limited to the one recording playing everywhere.

My understanding of the Verizon product, you could be watching a live or recorded show on the one TV and then watch different recorded program in any of several other rooms that are equipped with the service.

I barely use my VCR anymore, but when I started having remote tvs in

Yes, exactly.

But their commercials and the webpages don't mention those other things, so at the very least they are stupid commercials.

Like I say, the commercials don't mention any of this. When they had the famous football player walking from room to room for months, he didn't say a word about it.

And it's a separate thing. I've had that set of features too, going back about 15 years, using a Leapfrog IR-45 transmitter and that clips on in front of my remote control and has a receiver/IR-transmitter in the room with the equipement. For some reason, the range has finally decreased, even with new batteries, a new-in-box transmitter, and new-in-box receiver** (this model that needs only one transmitter, that sticks to the remote, is not sold retail anymore), so I'm switching to the Powermid pyramid***, or a competitor, which requires an IR-receiver/RF-transmitter in each room where one is, but it's 45 dollars for the first set, and 20 additional for each IR/RF-transitter, a total of 105 dollars for 4 rooms, no rental charges. They've sold these things for 15 years or more I think, and yet Verizon and Time-Warner are crowing about their johnny-come-lately features.

That too, their advertising and those and other webpages don't mention.

wrote

Exactly. When in bed at night I can watch a show I recorded last week with the click of the remote. He has to bet his ass over to the vcr, put in the correct tape, and every room of the house has the same show at the same time. The sophistication of the DVR and remote scheduling is far superior than any single VCR. Series recordings, quick ability to change, multiple recording and playing, not to mention the quality of an HD picture.

The OP is either very naïve is is getting a chuckle from the clamoring of the DVR crowd.

Here's a link to Verizon's description of their multi-room DVR offering:

It's pretty clear there that you can watch and control different recorded programs from 3 different rooms. I did have to do a bit more looking for it than you'd expect. First few pages at Verizon were not clear, so I agree they could do a better job of explaining it. For some reason, they seem to like to focus on the fact that you can start a program in one room, like the living room, then continue to watch it in the bedroom.

Does the verizon one require network connections?

The direct tv solution uses your home network. I don't think it is capable of using the coax connections. The splitters in satelite tv have to be able to swap the different frequency bands from the dish on each line to a reciever. I think that may make it difficult to backfeed signal through them to another receiver.

The Dish setup uses an RF remote for the second receiver in each box and outputs all of the tuners you have on separate TV channels in the RF out port. I have 2 boxes, 4 tuners and 2 are DVR capable. I combine all of them on the "house" cable so I can see all 4 from any TV (Channel 73, 75, 77 and 79). I also put my Replay TV (DVR) on channel

The newer set up with direct tv and verizon and maybe the att uverse the receivers talk to each other and transfer the recorded content to each other. Then the receiver that is "local" to you outputs it to that tv/monitor. That way all your tv's can be hd with hdmi connections to the receiver.

I only have one HD TV and it is with the two receivers. The rest are NTSC so the cable is fine for them. All you need to run the other TVs is one of the RF remotes. Each remote runs one of my in house channels. You can also switch over to see what any of the other tuners is doing.

Why would anybody want to do that?

HB

Why not? My wife sometimes goes to bed early and watches her preferred show, I watch How It's Made and my grandson watches Top Gear. All recorded and FF past the commercials.

What channel and when is How Its Made still showing on? I haven't tripped across it in the last year or so. I love that show.

the discovery station

"aemeijers" wrote

Science channel has it at various times of the day/night I think Discovery may still be running some.

Guess I need to tell my DVR to search for it. I don't get science channel. :^(

I used to watch it every day after work on Discovery. Saw most of the episodes several times, so I'm probably only about a season behind. Other than them speaking Canadian, which was confusing at times, it was delightful. Reminded me of those similar segments on some kid's show I can't remember the name of.

Maybe it is half, or almost.

Yes.

Well now I'll have to see that movie.

Thank you.

P&M, though your email address doesn't quite look real :)

Why would you have two recievers at one tv?