ok, i want to get tivo, but i am also looking into the sony DVR that also burns dvd's.

i am aware of the tivo and how it works but am not so happy with the connections. the one my mom just got has s-video at best.

the sony dvr has hdmi and component, but i don't hear much about it. it costs way more, but when u factor in no fees it is pretty competetive. i also went to the sony store and they did not have one hooked up so i was wondering about its tvguide option vs the tivo interface.

 

Having sold these for a living and installed them myself, I can give you a little insight into your dilemma.

- The Sony standalone DVR's, in either 250gb or 500gb sizes, are very appealing in several ways. First, they have more storage space than many TiVo's and nearly all cable boxes. Second, as of the present time, TiVo is not able to record high definition TV from a cable source. Yes, they have DirecTV versions (I own 2 of them, and they're awesome!), but you have no solution for cable TV. Another nicety of the recorders is the high quality video outputs. Sony has long had some of the best consumer grade video scaling products you can buy. The video quality out of either analog component video or HDMI to a high definition display is simply the best video quality available in a standalone box. The video quality of nearly every cable box on the market pales miserably in comparison. Lastly, the Sony interface is much nicer than any other one I've used to date. I love my TiVo's, but the TV guide on the sony is fast and easily understood.

-There are few negatives to these recorders, but they're very significant. In order to receive digital or high definition contentl, they must be equipped with a cable card. The cable card effectively replaces the cable box and allows the provider's signal to be decoded by the ATSC tuner in the Sony recorder. The main problem I've had with that issue is that some cable companies simply don't offer cable cards yet. It is pointless to hook one of these devices up to regular analog cable, so I'd say look elsewhere. Second, even if your cable company does offer the cable card, there are issues with getting the two to work together. I suspect it's the fault of many of the crappy installers working for cable companies simply not posessing the knowledge to program the card for this particular device. I've had many a client return them because "the cable guy said it won't work."

I hope this helps you in your search!

 

Clayman, you make me want to go try this thing out.

but cnet reviews are less than spectacular. i think people were saying it had to be off at night otherwise they were having trouble getting the programs refreshed for the week. also, i found out the dvd-r scales down the movies(i can live with this) and the dvr function is fine though.

maybe i should get it from circuit city cuz they have a no hassle return policy.

 

Yeah, it's been kind of hit or miss with these things. You can always go forward with your plan and go get one from CC or Best Buy and just take it back if it doesn't work. I'm not sure if the stores are in your area, but I used to work for Tweeter and they have the same policy, plus their salespeople actually understand how these things work (hence this conversation).

Yes, the DVD-R will downconvert either 720p or 1080i images to 525p resolution, but I can say that they are some of the best looking DVD's you will ever see. I've done this a few times with some prerecorded HD content, and the results have been nothing short of amazing. When dealing with video, you will ALWAYS have better picture when you down-, rather than upconvert the native resolution of the program.

Why not try this?: go get the sony box, and if it turns out to be a dud, swap it for one of their DVD recorders, which are also the best on the market. The one I like the most is their new RDR-HX715. It is the first DVD-R I've seen with an HDMI output and a component video INPUT. Retails for about the same as the 500gb DVR, so your transaction would be a financial wash.