I'm looking to build something that similar to a DVR. I don't know what I'd call it exactly. How about.... DVDVR ... (DVD Video Recorder) What I want it to do is to be able to insert a DVD and it automatically detect that a DVD has been inserted (and even CDs along the line). I then want it to copy the disc (movie part) onto the device. I'm sure this would be a huge project, hardware wise. But I've had the idea for about 6-9 months. So needless to say, it's something I've been racking my brain on. Does anybody have any ideas on where to get started? Everything I've looked for has DIY DVR's. But they're all the typical Video Card with RCA outputs to TV. I want to have the box as a stand-alone device that can be plugged into any TV. That way it's universal and not tied down to just a computer. Functionality to a wide array of people is always a plus for me, not just the modding/computing community. All replies are welcome and appreciated. Thank you for your time. Ryan.
Okay. I'm not familiar with one of those acronyms. So lemme guess.... Digital Video Recorder = Personal Video Recorder = 2STB?? + HDD I'm pretty sure on 3 of those. But what in Sam Hill is 2STB, if I may ask?
I'm a little confused. Two set-top boxes: Why two? How would I go about building those, hardware wise? Any help would be great.
I think he means that you get a TV Tuner with 2 tuners, quite common. Would be quite cool to have a DVDRHDDFR (DVD/HDD Freeview Recoder)
I believe the archos products will do what you want with the dvr addon. But there is a need for a pc involved along the way see this. If I had the money I think i would purchase an archos.
Could the actual unit be the PC in question? That's all a game console or DVR is, right? A computer, right?
The hard part as I see it is firmware wise. I now spotted you're in the USA so the acronyms could be unfamiliar, sorry about that. A UK PVR/DVR has a couple of digital tuners so it can record a TV broadcast to hard drive while you watch another station; some (like my Humax) can record two stations while you watch a third, or record two stations to hard drive and a third to an external DVD recorder if you already have a digital TV. What it can't do is record a DVD to hard drive; the decoding is one-way only, broadcast -> storage or TV; optical storage to HDD storage is a no-no. To get round that you'd need to write a lot of software and program a uPC to run it, or use a standard computer-based system.
What Humax have you got cpemma? My parents were looking at getting a PVR at the weekend and ended up with one of those Vestel (Branded Wharfedale in the Argos catalogue) 250DTR's. Twin tuner only, no ability to output a third freeview channel.
