flat-screen tv recommendations

chaz wrote:
I always found the comcast dvr to be pretty craptastic.  Why they can't just give that thing an overhaul is beyond me.  It hasn't changed a lick in years.  I have fios and like the dvr just fine.  More storage would be nice, but as long as I'm diligent it's usually fine.  I don't store much, and usually delete right after I watch.  And no, you can not add your own drive to it.  Won't work.

You're right about Comcast.  It is absurd, and even though FiOS uses the same hardware as Comcast, they've at least claened up the OS.  But serisouly, the 160GB harddrive in the Motorola and SA DVRs is ridiculous.  FiOS has been talking about upgrading for years and hasn't done it.

The problem with the eSata port is that not all eSata drives work with the linux kernal that runs the DVRs.  That's why TiVo made it work with one eSata drive (Western Digital's My DVR Expander) and that was it.  DirecTV on the other hand, is trial and error and huge PITA, in my opinion.  Motorola/SA should just do what TiVo did and choose one vendor and make that an option for those that have their DVRs.

godsshoeshine wrote:
i go back and forth on the external. on one hand i'd like to keep some things that i delete, but on another i record too many things as it is. i dont mind the directv dvr's that much, just a few menu complaints

I never used the external on the DirecTV DVRs because they had good sized hard drives (320GB being thier smallest).  What I loved about DirecTV's DVRs was that they were constantly improving them - every week I would have something new to try out.  Most companies don't pay that much attention to their equipment.

I need way more than 20 hours for recording though.  I probably record 20 hours of sports on any given weekend.  My plan for the TiVo now though, is to record HD movies and store them on my Home Server.  Since I'm completely skipping Blu-Ray, this will give me HD movies without having to buy/store a bunch of dics.  I can simply access them on either TiVo through the server.  Tangible media is really dead in Smackies house…

in case people were wondering what i ended up with: after much research and exchanges on forums (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/ is a pretty good one), i decided on the Samsung LN46C630 (46" LCD, matte panel, 120 Hz, 4 ms, 80,000:1, blah blah blah).  folks who aren't putting the set in an overly-lit room should consider the LNxxC650 series - it has the glass "Ultra Clear Panel" which improves contrast (and color according to some), at the expense of potentially more reflection.  then again, you should also consider plasma at that point.

samsung appears to be getting out of the LCD game: despite improved specs over last year's model (the B630), the new C models are cheaper.  i got mine for $890 ($989 with $99 cash back from bing.com). 

right then, off to find a bluray player so i can watch those gorgeous discovery channel nature specials…

Julian, wrote:I was uaware of TiVo Premiere. What's that run?

Just an update - the Premiere has been a bit of a nightmare for us in the first week.  I would recoomend holding off on one.  TiVo has clearly not finished creating this UI and it's constantly causing problems.

So unless you're up for being an unpaid beta tester, the version that has made it to market is wholly unreliable.  Very disappointing from a company I once held in very high regard.

Anyone here using the Netflix player from Roku?

A friend uses it and swears by it. I was rather surprised as her taste is pretty obscure, but she seems to always have plenty of things to watch.

chaz wrote:
Anyone here using the Netflix player from Roku?

chaz wrote:
Anyone here using the Netflix player from Roku?

Never needed one because I have four other devices that act as Netflix players (Xbox, TiVo (2), HTPC), but I can't imagine it acting any differently than my devices.  I LOVE mine and it really depends on two things:

(1) Internet connection speed (greater speed=greater quality)
(2) If netflix "watch Instantly" has enough titles to satisfy your needs.

Otherwise it's a CBA of Roku stand alone vs other multifunction devices (game consoles, blu-ray players, home theater setups) that also stream netflix/your home collection/pandora etc.  Here's a list.

While we're at it, anyone using mlb.tv on any streaming devices?  My gf is white sox fan, and the roku is adding this channel, so that makes it more interesting.  Plus, for only $99 it's not much to shell out for the hardware.

vansmack wrote:

Julian, wrote:I was uaware of TiVo Premiere. What's that run?

Just an update - the Premiere has been a bit of a nightmare for us in the first week.  I would recoomend holding off on one.  TiVo has clearly not finished creating this UI and it's constantly causing problems.

So unless you're up for being an unpaid beta tester, the version that has made it to market is wholly unreliable.  Very disappointing from a company I once held in very high regard.

Thanks for the update. We were literally buying one this upcoming weekend, but not now.

Allow me to elaborate a little more here.

The problems I'm having really stem from the new HD interface, but it can be turned off (which I have done until they get it worked out).  Essentially, I'm left with a Series 3 Tivo (or TIvoHD) with a faster processor and larger hard drive.  The SD UI is nearly identical to the S3 UI, only with a faster processor. 

So if you have a Series 2 Tivo, like it and want to record in HD then by all means, upgrade to a Premiere (and you should do so through Tivo.com for a discount - I upgraded a series 2 for about $220).  Just be prepared to turn off the HD UI.

If you have a Series 3/TivoHD and like it, then the only reason why you would want to upgrade is because you find it too laggy or you need/want more recording space (and you should do so through Tivo.com for a discount).

If you have a cable co DVR and want to replace it with a TiVo, then by all means grab a premiere.  It's still cheaper than the Series 3 when it came out and is more powerful.  Just be prepared to turn off the HD UI.

This thing will get better, but if you're buying it for all the cool stuff TiVo showed off at the big press conference, forget about it for at least a month, and I don't think I'm making a stretch here when I say wait 3 months.

And special note to Julian - you should buy a new one through Tivo.com to get the discount.  They even offered me the ability to keep my exisiting TiVo for $10 a month and add the Premiere so an "upgrade" should be read as "add additional."  I saved about $70 on the first Premiere vs the retail price I paid for the second one at Best Buy, plus $3 off the monthly service.