Home Theaters

While I think that most who read this column will agree with the above sentiment, yet many will not agree on which DVR is the one to use.

Several have come and gone over the past few years, including the failed effort by industry giant Microsoft - Ultimate TV, and the lesser known Replay TV.

Those who have cable or satellite television at their home are usually predisposed to having the offering by the content provider, as the ease of using those products is a major part of the choice, as is the relative difficulty of using another product that hasn’t been given the ‘official blessing’ of that same content provider.

There is another choice for those who wish to put an effort into their project.

Building a personal video recorder, from parts, and getting seamless integration into a home theater system is possible, but it requires diligence and perseverance.

The choices of operating system for the recorder are simple. If using a Microsoft solution, Windows XP Media Edition is simple enough to set up. The system will work well if sufficient care is taken in choosing parts. Careful attention to the Hardware Compatibility List will give a good result, but with the restrictions Microsoft has put on the project.

Also available for your Windows-equipped computer  is SnapStream Media’s Beyond TV. The ability of the software to work with a much wider variety of hardware is the strength here. Another nice thing is a comfort zone for those used to the TiVo interface. While the interface is not identical by any means, it does work with a similar feel.

On the other side of the table, using Linux is a good choice for those unafraid to learn a new way of doing things. With the choice of Linux, very careful component choice is needed, as in many ways, using Linux for this purpose is like traveling through the Old West - danger could be behind the next rock in the path.

SageTV Media Center for Linux does most of what Media Edition for XP does, with less concern for the troubles of the operating system that sits beneath. No viral attacks or trojans will have to be searched for on this machine, due to the more secure nature of Linux. Sage also offers Media Extender capabilities, and the ability to load onto a laptop any content on the main machine for viewing anywhere.

For those who really like the Wild West experience, and are willing to substitute some more effort and time taken to get things just right, there are the totally free, open source projects called Myth TV and Freevo. Both of these are viable solutions, but the care taken from the start to read, understand, and follow the directions is important. If you aren’t given to patience, and following directions is something you thought you left behind in high school, the best course is to steer clear of these.

Everyone of these choices has the benefit of no-monthly fees for guide service, and all but the Microsoft offering allow much greater freedom concerning what you do with what you have recorded. For many, stealing content is something, by far, not in the back of the mind, but archiving a series for personal use is something very much desired.

All of these programs allow the original idea of personal viewing freedom to be extended beyond what the pre-packaged solutions offer.