Sat TV, DVR, DVD for a Dummy

[lifeline]

I would like to use an inexpensive Satellite TV service and an inexpensive Digital Recording Device to record sporting events and view at my convenience (inexpensive eliminating UBC as an option)but I have several uncertainties:

One is: if I use a Sat TV service that does not use a scramble box, connects directly to TV, can I have confidence that, if I purchased a DVR, I could use it in the way described or are there other considerations.

Two: Do some recent technology DVD players include DVR capability? I saw one box that had DVR in large letters and smaller letters that said DVD.

Three: Many DVD players have a USB port? I would like to know the uses of the USB port.

 

Lastly, what stores (Lotus, Power Buy, ...) carry DVRs (I friend had told me he had purchased an LG at BIG C - but, I checked recently at the local BIG C and didn't see any (I am presently in Khon Kaen).

 

Thanks in advance for any help. :content:

[Mekong]

You may want to check out TVU Networks not sure what sporting events you are interested in but their is a wide choice.

 

I just use if as free online viewer, mainly UK channels and Cricket but their is the paid option for online Personal Video Recorder.

[manaomaiminam]

USB on DVD players:

 

Before, if you downloaded a movie or tv programs (or porn) from the internet (say by bit torrent) and you wanted to view that material on TV, you would have either convert to mpg1 and burn a VCD or convert to DVD format (sometimes requiring double conversion) and the appropriate VOB files. This took time, energy, computer cycles, the appropriate programs (there were/are many), and a hard media (DVD or CD). DVD players of that generation could only play these formats.

 

Technology changed and DVD players came out that could play formats that previously could only be played on computers such as divx, xvid (divx spelled backwards), some .avi formats, .mpg, .wmv, .mp4, .mov, .rm, .mkv (and other formats on youtube and youtube-like porn and non-porn sites). But how could you get that data into the DVD player:

 

1. Burn it onto a DVD/CD as simple dataâ€â€no conversion, formatting as before, essentially just a backup

 

2. Copy it to a flash drive and put it into the USB slot in question and let the player read it as the data input. This approach was more desirable since you didn’t have to burn read-only discs and you could reuse the flash drive ad infinitum as an input device.

 

3. Attach an external hard disk to the USB port (either self powered or powered by USB port hard drive) and let the DVD player read from the hard drive. In case 2 and 3, the DVD players were sometimes very fussy and could only read FAT32, having a problem with NTFS. Some could read NTFS format, some could not.

 

In all the cases above, the DVD players were fussy with the different codecs they could play. It all depended on which codecs were installed in the DVD player. Some could play many formats, some just a few. That is still the case. You will find that some HD TV’s have a USB input as well to play the above-mentioned input.

 

Finally, newer technology allows you to have a “media center†which is a box, not a DVD player, that attaches to standard 480PTV via component cable (red, white, yellow cable) and HD TV via HDMI cable. You will also find a variety of digital audio attachment capabilities on many of these boxes as well (DTS for example). The units will have input via USB and/or eSATA ports for flash drives and external disks just like the example above with the DVD players. However the new wrinkle is that they will participate in the house network via LAN connection or wifi. You will be able to see disks/directories and files on all your home computers that allow sharing and play them directly from those computers rather than copying them. Some of the units also allow connection to the internet to sites such as youtube, flickr, etc The players play some combnation of the file formats mentioned above (some play more, some play less), and mp3, .wav, .ogg audio formats, and you can also browse your photo directories and look at your photos or create slideshows. I enclose a URL that has a lot of different vendors models:

 

http://www.iboum.com/artkill/tablesort.p

 

I personally am running an ASUS O’Play. You can check these out and see what you like. These are generally not expensive and sell at around $100 (more or less), very easy to install and upgrade (via firmware on flashdrive). They give you access to all the multimedia you might collect on your computer without the need to copy the files,burn the files, or convert and render the files.

 

[pasathai1]

is fta ( free to air) easy to get in thailand?

[Mekong]

is fta ( free to air) easy to get in thailand?

 

Most FTA Channels are available Online now

[lifeline]

Thanks very much for the detailed, informative explanation.

 

Wow! Things have really changed since I last purchased a DVD.

[lifeline]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give it a try but, I fear my internet access speed may be insufficient.

[manaomaiminam]

The URL was incorrect in my earlier post. Here is a URL that compares features on various brands of media center units:

 

http://www.iboum.com/artkill/tablesort.php

[lifeline]

Thanks very much.