PCs & TV Storage For A Dummy

GAK

Member
Hi

This isn't strictly a specialist PC question, but here goes anyway: I would very much like to know whether it is possible to record/store/preserve HD TV programmes, using a PC, or failing that, an external hard-drive. I ask this because I recently lost some 50 hours of treasured TV recordings, due to a malfunctioning PVR.

Ideally, I would like something that could 'externally' burn TV programmes on to a DVD/Blu-ray disc. I realise that copying HD programmes by such means is still a fraught issue, certainly as far as TV media is concerned. Which is why I wonder if PC technology could step in here. I am PC literate - albeit at a forever primary school level - but have no experience of external hard-drives and the like. Are they capable of storing HD programmes, for instance? I have no idea and because of this I am reluctant to throw money at something I don't understand in the hope it may affect a solution.

I have searched the web in an effort to gain some insight into this matter. Unfortunately, as is so often the case in my experience, especially concerning PCs, the assumption is that I must be a number-crunching techno-wonk and that consequently I know miles more about the subject under discussion than I actually do. . . or ever will. So, what I really seek with regards to the above question, is some plain advice, or else one or two helpful directions that will enable me to further aid my investigations.

Many thanks,

GAK
 

steaky360

Moderator
Moderator
Hi and welcome to the forums!

Firstly, yes hard drives can store HD content as your original PVR probably had a hard drive in it, PCs with the correct hardware can record TV and as far as preserving the recorded data should last as long as the hard drive (quite a while with modern drives typically).

If you had a TV card in your PC you could digitally 'record' the feed and store it on your hard drive / burn it to disc etc. Or getting a PVR which you can connect to a PC is probably the best option, although I'm not convinced this is entirely legal to do (burning to disc specifically I mean).

USB TV Card type of thing http://www.amazon.co.uk/Energy-Sistem%C2%AE-recorder-EnergyTM-MPEG-2/dp/B0054O3AEK/ref=sr_1_75?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1349177879&sr=1-75
This seems to be able to connect to a PC http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hauppauge-Capture-Definition-Hardware-Encoders/dp/product-description/B001M0MY10/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=340831031&s=computers

In my experience however, chances are that DVD's/Blu Rays will get damaged / lost etc. far quicker than a hard drive (which is what the PVR will use). If you can find a PVR that either lets you connect to a PC (as I said above) or lets you use an external hard drive is the best way to go if you've lost faith in them.

Maybe something like this would help expand your original/new PVR's storage? http://www.rogers.com/web/content/personal-about/HDPVRextender
 
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GAK

Member
Hi

Many thanks for the helpful advice. It's certainly given me food for thought. With reference to your warning about the tendency of DVDs/Blu rays to become damaged over time, I tend to store backups, certainly when I'm burning rare or hard to obtain audio discs. That aside, I will now either take up the external Hard Drive option (my TV is blessed with a USB connection), or else consider buying a new laptop with a TV card and the necessary wherewithall, enabling me to record/burn on to disc HD TV programmes. Thereafter, the hope is that I will then be able to watch any such DVD/Blu ray recordings on my TV - though I know there are hardware/software/legal complications here too. I don't wish for a return to VCR days, but things were simpler back then - or at least they seem so in hindsight. Still, if you wanted to record something on the telly, why, all you had to do was pop in a blank video cassette, and away you went! GAK
 

donegal

Bronze Level Poster
I've come in late on this but would like to add - If your tv has a usb and you can record to it, that is your PVR. You can then transfer what you record to a hard drive and copy it back when you want to watch it on your tv.

My tv doesn't have a usb but my PC has a Hauppage tv usb dongle (£32 about three years ago) and it has a record function to my hard drive. You can get dual tuner tv cards (PCS do them) and dongles which means you can watch one and record another channel. I watch most of my tv on my pc.

Hope this helps.
 
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