ReplayTV 5504: An Alternative To Tivo?

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/ZDM/ReplayTV5504_review_pcmag_040308.html' target='_blank'>http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/ZDM/ReplayTV5504_review_pcmag_040308.html</a><br /><br /></div>"ReplayTV has a solid product line in the new 5500 series, and the 5504 is a good DVR that should interest those looking for progressive-scan output. But you'll need to add $299 — the cost of the lifetime mandatory service fee — to the selling price to get the true cost of the system, which is much less useful without the on-screen program guide. You'll also probably want more capacity than our test 5504's 40GB hard drive."<br /><br />ReplayTV made an early dent in the DVR (Digital Video Recorder) market a few years ago, but it is clear that Tivo has taken over that niche. Recently, several cable providers, including Time Warner cable (who use the Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000) have begun providing DVRs to their customers, for minor monthly charges, perhaps in an attempt to catch up with Tivo. And ReplayTV certainly doesn't want to be left behind. It turns out that the ReplayTV 5504 is a first-rate, networkable DVR with easy recording, multiple ways to jump within programs, and progressive scan output. Although, as this article points out, ReplayTV is better for people with cable connections than satellite.

[OSUKid7]

I have a Replay TV 5040 (40 hour model...not sure why they changed the numbering system :roll:) and it's been fairly good. I got it a year ago for $150 after rebates...great deal 8) only thing I don't like is that you can only record one show at a time (as opposed to two shows with the Time Warner DVR), and of course the $9.95 monthly service charge.

I'm thinking about getting Time Warner Digital cable - I'm on analog cable now - but am unsure how easy it is to setup the Replay TV with a digital set-top box (have no set-top box now). Does anyone know for sure? Would I have to use the IR blaster? (assuming I haven't lost that :oops:)

I'm not sure I would ever buy a Replay TV again...it's not that it's bad or anything, it's just that there are better products today than there were a year ago. I would probably buy a Media Center PC or use the Time Warner DVR box so I could record two shows at once. The TW DVR is cheaper than the Replay TV, and the Media Center PC could be used for so many more things than a DVR.

Replay TV's are good, but you can do better.

[Suhit Gupta]

I haven't used the ReplayTV, but I definitely recommend the Time Warner DVR. My biggest peeve with it is it being awfully (ridiculously) slow :roll: . I ranted about this another thread so I will spare everyone ;-).

Suhit

[OSUKid7]

My biggest peeve with it is it being awfully (ridiculously) slow :roll: .
lol how could I forget...guess after a year of putting up with that it doesn't seem so bad. Yeah, even live TV on my ReplayTV is 3-4 seconds delayed from another TV. :roll: well, I live with it lol.

[Jason Dunn]

I have a ReplayTV, and I like it quite a bit, even though it's quite crippled. Because ReplayTV doesn't offer service in Canada, I can only use it as a digital VCR - everything is manually programmed in, I can't tape entire seasons of shows, and if a show changes, I'll end up recording the wrong one.

Still, the ability to get rid of the VCR and the crappy recording quality made me so very happy. :D

[Neil Enns]

DirecTivo is the way to go. :)

Not only is it *insanely* cheap, around $69 installed including the unit, but you can record two shows at once and all the programs come down from the dish pre-encoded in MPEG so you can store more on a drive than a regular TiVo. Oh, and the monthly fee for TiVo guide service is only $5, so they don't even offer a lifetime dealy. It'd take five years to pay that much!

Neil

[Jason Dunn]

DirecTivo is the way to go. :)

Then tell those buggers to get it up here in Canada! :bad-words:

[OSUKid7]

:bad-words:
(off topic) lol that's strange...I can't see the word bubble that emoticon has unless I highlight it...wonder if that's because of the white background, or cause of my LCD screen, or something else...strange. :?

[Neil Enns]

Then tell those buggers to get it up here in Canada! :bad-words:

Why do you think I moved south? :lol:

Neil

[James Fee]

The biggest reason I think Replay isn't a good choice is the lack of stability of the ownership of the company. They have been passed around like a (hmm, better not post what I was going to write here).

[Deemo]

Anyone interested in this thread may want to view this link as well.
It was on The Screensavers:

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/howto/story/0,24330,3635552,00.html

[mrkablooey]

DirecTivo is the way to go. :)
[...]
Oh, and the monthly fee for TiVo guide service is only $5, so they don't even offer a lifetime dealy. It'd take five years to pay that much!

The COOL thing about that $5 is it is for ALL DirecTiVo receivers. I have two, and it's still only $5, covering both. It's not $5 each.

:way to go: