Maybe not a question on a quad site, but it is "off topic." Reason for asking is the known fact there are many smart people with knowledge of electronics on this site. Some may remember, or even still own, a Sony DHG-HDD-250 or 500 HD recorder. It did and still does a fantastic job of recording OTA digital TV. Playback is in HD because it was recorded in HD. Since the signal from broadcast TV providers ended some time ago, this unit ended up with a BIG problem. No way to set the clock/date. That made scheduling a recording a little of a problem. The closest unit I have seen on the market today is from Magnavox, MDR557H/F7. The only problem with this unit is what I call an error by the manufacturer. It takes the HD signal and records it to the hard drive in standard definition. Playback is upconverted to 1080P to "try" to get back to an HD picture. Well if your older HDTV can only go up to 1080i, it just does not look very good. I know many would say just stay with your satellite or cable provider and continue to pay the high cost of that service. Can not do that.
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So has anyone come up with "parts and things" to make a good HDTV recorder using their laptop or desktop and be able to play it back on their big HDTV???
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So has anyone come up with "parts and things" to make a good HDTV recorder using their laptop or desktop and be able to play it back on their big HDTV???