The digital video fipple pipe ( DVR ) is a wonderful piece of modern applied science . While the videocassette recorder may have freed us from the set schedules of television programming , the DVR has freed us from having to learn how to program our videocassette recorder , not to remark trying to figure out what ’s on that pile of unlabelled video tape .
But DVRs have two major flaws – you have to pay for the perquisite of using one , and you ’re stuck with whatever capabilities the DVR you leverage happens to derive with . If you want to expand the blank space on your DVR for storing extra programs , or want to pluck your substance abuser interface , there is n’t much you may do about it .
If you build your own DVR , you duck both problem . You wo n’t have to purchase the hardware or sign up for a contract with your orbiter or cable company for the gadget , you wo n’t have to pay for the divine service , and you’re able to alter and amplify your DVR all you want . And it turns out a DVR is n’t very complicated – you could easy work up one with off - the - shelf technology . That ’s because a DVR is basically ahard drivewith a way to interface with yourTVsignal , plus some software to control it . If you have an old desktop computing machine lying around , you ’re already halfway there .
In this article we ’ll direct you through the steps of building your own DVR . It does n’t take too much technical knowledge , and when you ’re done , you ’ll have a flexible , expandable DVR that wo n’t add to your monthly transmission line posting .
Laying the Foundation for Your DVR
The most basic element of a homemadeDVRis a reckoner . You could technically use any computer for this , but you ’ll be installing some novel internal components , include a newhard driving , so a desktop is a better bet than alaptop . You could use a Mac , but you ’ll generally recover that you have more options with a PC .
How potent of a computer will you need ? Well , that calculate on what you require to do with your DVR . If you ’re just recording TV shows and movies in standard definition , then you do n’t want anything very powerful . If you ’ll be recording and playing back in high spirits - definition ( HD ) computer programing or want to watchBlu - beam of light discs , then you ’re proceed to need a computer with a little more horsepower . There are five thing to see for when buying or set up the estimator that you ’ll use for your DVR :
Processor- You do n’t need a top - of - the - line quad - gist processor to run a DVR . In fact , for basic DVRing , older and slower processors will work fine , especially since the encoding will be handled by a freestanding component ( the television receiver capture menu ) . The bottom course here is that the processor should be sinewy enough to run a modernoperating system . If you ’re stuck go Windows 95 or earlier , you may have a hard meter finding compatible software .
Hard Drive- You ’ll be surprised how rapidly hard drive space gets eat up by recorded TV show . A exclusive moving-picture show in HD can use up several gigabytes of drive space by itself . tough drive Mary Leontyne Price have drop considerably in the last five years , so if you ’re repurposing an old computer , you ’ll want to swop out the old ride for something larger . Remember , you ca n’t have too much strong drive space , so buy as much as you’re able to yield . You ’ll require a speedy drive to avoid problems with video timber . Keep in mind that you may always expand later by adding an extra crusade .
Video Card- It ’s sound to take a fairly powerful video recording placard to work the video signal and send it to your goggle box . If we ’re talking about HD and Blu - ray , the telecasting scorecard will take even more mogul . This is the part of the DVR that ’s going to matter most to what you actually see on - screen , so if you ’re going to splurge on any part of your task , this should be it . There are many telecasting cards to select from , with new ones coming out all the metre , so your honest bet is to check out audio / visual content boards for tips on which placard is best suit to your purpose .
Memory- A lower limit of two gigabytes ofRAMwill help your DVR guide smoothly , although elevate to four gigabyte wo n’t hurt ( and , again , might be necessary if HD is involved ) . Memory is cheap these days , and more RAM is almost always respectable .
superpower Supply- A high - end video card and an surplus toilsome drive can pull a lot of business leader , so you ’ll involve a tycoon provision that can supply it . A good fashion to get a jolty idea of how much power you ’ll postulate is with an online mightiness supply calculator likethe one Journey Systems provides .
Next , we ’ll opt and instal a TV seizure add-in .
TV Capture Cards
A typicalcomputerdoesn’t have a video recording remark that can live with a signal from a antenna or a set - top overseas telegram or satellite box . You ’ll demand a television set capture card , which has its own tuner to receive television system sign , to take the incoming signal and take it . near capture cards have onboard processors that deal the encryption of the signaling into the digital data format the show will be save as . A capture visiting card that does its own encryption takes a lot of emphasis off the computer ’s principal central processor . In fact , if you use this eccentric of bill , you wo n’t take a powerful main C.P.U. .
One significant affair to look for in a picture capture card is the ability to accept an MPEG-2 transport stream in both DBV and ATSC , sometimes referred to as digital computer hardware card . That technical jargon simply bear on to the data format that boob tube shows are transmitted in overdigital broadcastingnetworks . With the United States and many other countries switching to all - digital broadcast medium , you ’ll want to quash older seizure card that only accept analog signals . Many cards can handle both analog and digital signals .
A distinctive seizure card will allow a user to record up to two programs at the same time while watch a third . If you require to memorialise even more syllabus simultaneously , you ’ll need to put in an additional gaining control card . But call up to make indisputable your baron supply can handle the supererogatory load .
Installing a video capture card is n’t difficult . Most cards arePCIorPCI - Expresscards – they fit into slots on the motherboard of your computer . After removing the screening of your information processing system , the card is installed by press it firm into the appropriate time slot . The card is then secure with a unmarried gaoler . There are also picture capture devices available that are even easy to install . They plug into to any availableUSB2.0 port .
In the next incision , we ’ll observe out what computer software you’re able to use to take in and record idiot box computer program .
DVR Software
There are severalDVRsoftware packages usable , and some of them are even loose . Some video capture cards come package with free DVR computer software as well , so if you like the program your card follow with , you wo n’t have to corrupt any extra software .
The specific software package you choose comes down to personal preference and theoperating systemon your DVR computer . If you ’re running Linux , you could utilise Freevo or MythTV , which are free , or SageTV , which is a commercial app – that is , you have to pay for it . SageTV is a pop choice because in addition toLinux , it also runs under Windows , along with GB - PVR ( spare ) and BeyondTV ( commercial ) . Mac user can try Elgato ’s EyeTV or Miglia ’s EvolutionTV ( both commercial ) .
The main differences between the programs lie down in their user interface and how customizable they are . Some programs use a dedicated server to send computer programing information to your DVR computer ( which will have to be plug in to the cyberspace , of course ) , while others apply a entanglement internet browser to access political platform data . Additional feature admit on-line services , weather report and the power to change over TV file to portable format .
There is one other interesting selection : you could use Microsoft Windows Media Center to melt down your DVR . You could even integrate a computer incline Windows Media Center with anXbox 360using Windows Media Extender . This way , you control the on - screen functions through the Xbox , which solves the distant control job ( which we ’ll address in short ) . you’re able to even buy a special Media Center remote for use with the Xbox , but newer universal remotes can be programmed to work with the Xbox just as well . It ’s even potential to have your DVR electronic computer in another room , as long as both the computer and Xbox are connected to your home web .
Once all the intragroup constituent have been touch base and the software is installed , it ’s meter to soak your DVR computing machine to your TV . First , confiscate your cable length connection or artificial satellite cable to the telecasting capture card ’s input .
Next , link up the DVR calculator ’s television card to your TV . If you project to watch HD , you ’d probably use anHDMIconnection , although part , S - Video or VGA are also possibilities , count on your exceptional system .
To get profound , you ’ll have to connect the audio output of your computer to the inputs on your dwelling theater system , or your TV if you do n’t have a home dramatics scheme .
Finally , colligate the computing machine to the Internet , turn everything on and lease the program inclination load . You should be ready to watch and record TV shows with your own home - build DVR .
For more info on DVRs and other related to topics , skip on over to the next page .
