debugging the TV room

[cellio]

My TiVo is reporting that it's not seeing any input. This happens from time to time with the Series 1 TiVo, but this time rebooting it didn't fix the problem. I checked all the connections and power-cycled the DTV box (just in case), but no luck. (Also changed channels "blind" using the remote; no effect.) Next up was to test whether TiVo is the problem; connecting the input to first a VCR and then the TV did not make the bits flow. Swapping cables did not make a difference either.

The only things I can't isolate for testing are the antenna and the DTV box; I only have one of each. Apparently one of these is failing, but how do I tell which? My guess is that it's the DTV box; Google has served up some complaints about reliability there. But it's just a guess. Have any of you seen that happen?

Before I go buy a new DTV box, let me tap into the collective wisdom of the LJ brain trust. My goal is to watch, via time-shifting and on my TV (not computer), occasional TV shows, inexpensively. "Occasional" means one or two current-run shows at any given time. I am not interested in cable or satellite services.

I currently have the following ingredients: (1) an amplified antenna that had been serving my reception needs (and may still be for all I know). (2) That DTV box. (3) A Series 1 TiVo, which does not have a digital tuner card in it (hence the DTV box). (4) A VCR (ditto). (5) A 10-year-old TV (does not speak DTV, HD, or the newest connectors). (6) Wireless internet, but running ethernet cable to the TV room would be hard. (7) A Roku box.

Options:

• I could replace the DTV box or, if that's not it, the antenna. Short-term this is the cheapest (if it's the DTV box, anyway); is it the wisest longer-term?
  
• I could get a new DVR with digital tuner card (eliminating the need for the DTV box). TiVo + lifetime subscription is too expensive (new, anyway); word on the net is that I can't use the TiVo for recording without the service plan. I don't mind recording manually; I don't need the smarts that the TiVo software comes with. "Record channel 3 at 8PM on Thursdays" is fine. There are, of course, other DVRs; most seem to come bundled with cable service. Pointers to DVRs that I can just plug an antenna into and use would be most welcome.
  
• I could buy individual episodes from somebody using the Roku box and forget about getting live TV, relying on the internet for breaking news that I might actually want to follow. Feels sub-optimal, and my test run (Big Bang Theory) didn't turn up anybody selling the current season (including Hulu Plus).
  
• I could do something with a laptop, some new connector, and wireless internet. I think my iBook is probably not up to that.

Opinions? Other options?

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Know anyone with a laptop with digital tuner in it? (Small chance, but should be asked).

You might, if you want a project, look at MythTV, which is in part assisted by my (our?) friend DSR.

[alienor.livejournal.com]

A new DVR could be the Channel Master (http://www.channelmasterstore.com/HD_DVR_receiver_for_antenna_p/cm-7000pal.htm). It's the only one I know of that works with an antenna. It cost about as much as 1 year of TiVo service + hardware.

I've been playing with some of the freeware DVR programs for installing on a PC, and don't recommend that option. We're paying for basic cable ($20/month; but we got a $20/month discount on internet) and I still haven't gotten it working well. We're streaming CBS shows from their website and it's awful. If you watch anything from CBS, forget the laptop plan.

In fact, the only way I can figure out to buy current CBS shows is on iTunes, and it's $60 for a season of NCIS (for example). CBS is really tight with their licenses. Fox and USA can usually be found on Hulu (regular; since we have the PC in the living room that's fine). I think N watches some NBC and scifi shows from Hulu as well. We had to buy last season's Doctor Who from Amazon, but it wasn't terribly expensive ($10 or $15 for the season). I'm hoping the new season will be a similar price point.

Clicker.com is a good place to look up the availability of your shows on the internet.

ETA: Oh, and if you go a route where you want internet at your TV, we really like the PowerlineAV adapters. I can point you at the ones we have, but I think since then they've come up with 500 Mb/s upgrade (which is likely faster than your internet, but if you move files around locally it may be useful). We have a router device in the living room (HTPC, PS3, and TV), a single device in the bedroom (Blu-Ray) and the source device in the library (goes to the switch and then router).

[http://users.livejournal.com/merle_/]

I don't mind recording manually; I don't need the smarts that the TiVo software comes with.

For me, that was the main highlight of a DVR (well, that and having random access rather than serial). I don't want to keep track of what slot a network moves things into or whether they are skipping several weeks or if it is a random off-season period. And I don't watch the trailers for the next episode (spoilers!), so would never hear them saying "next week, at an all new time!".

Currently I'm doing cable/TiVo (news plus convenience) + Roku (netflix/streaming) + laptop/LCD (hulu and, erm, other stuff). From what I can tell I could probably get by with the latter pair, but pre-recorded morning news is very nice when you can barely blearily look at the screen. If you wake up well, the laptop would provide better news without having to click so much.

[cellio]

Thanks for the tips. No luck on laptop + tuner so far, but it was a good suggestion.

Building my own MythTV is more of a project than I want to take on, and buying one already assembled is even more expensive than TiVo. I realize that MythTV brings much additional functionality, but those aren't my itches. Someday I may have more time to tinker with such things for the fun of it, but now is not that time. :-)

[cellio]

Thanks for the pointers! That does look like a promising DVR if I decide to go the DVR route.

I hadn't realized that CBS was particularly problematic. Big Bang Theory is on that network.

[cellio]

Oh! You're right; the "follow this show around the schedule" feature would be really useful. I was thinking of the "recommend shows I'll like" feature, which would fail for lack of data. :-)

I read rather than watch my news except for very rare events, and wait until after the first dose of caffeine to try. :-)

Do you watch TV on your computer screen, or are you feeding it to your TV somehow?

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Why don't I have one? :-)

[http://users.livejournal.com/merle_/]

I've weaned myself off of caffeine, so get to wake up the hard way. Yay. Mostly I want to know local weather and traffic, which seems more parsable and realtime on cable.

The TV is for everything cable, DVD, or Roku. Yeah, I'm a Comcastic sucker. The laptop is for Hulu and other content (although it could play DVDs I find laptop drives to be a bit loud). In theory I could do Netflix via the laptop but their app isn't at all as good. In better theory I could get a LCD that has a tuner in it (they don't cost too much more) and have one shared visual source, but since I have one of those ancient "entertainment centers" it would look strange.

[alienor.livejournal.com]

CBS is horrible. It was Big News when they gave Netflix the okay for some of their off air shows (Family Ties, the Twilight Zone, Hawaii Five-O). Big news, and a bunch of the shows are several decades old.

I'm considering waiting for DVD on my CBS shows (NCIS and NCIS:LA). They're crime procedurals, though, so not a big deal to catch them late.