By Edward McKellen
Many TV stations have made the switch to HDTV, and many more are planning to, which means you’ll have to make some changes yourself. For some, this means buying a brand new HDTV while for those who prefer to stick to their old television, it means getting an HDTV tuner and antenna. If you love recording television shows, you might want to get an HDTV recorder, as well.
One of the most popular types of HDTV recorder is the DVD recorder with ATSC tuner, also known as an HD tuner. Just as televisions are mandated to have a built-in HD tuner to allow them to receive digital and high definition broadcast signals, many DVD recorders have been asked to include one as well so that viewers can record their favorite HDTV shows.
Even if you are able to record HDTV shows, though, you have to keep in mind that they won’t be played back in HD format. In fact, they have to be downscaled into standard definition format in order to be recorded on your DVD. Sure, they can be upscaled to appear in a better video format if your DVD recorder has an upscaling feature, but they still won’t appear in true HD.
High Definition Digital Video Recorders or HD DVRs are also popular, and are usually easily purchased from your satellite or cable TV company along with your subscription, although they can also be bought at electronic retail stores. These boxes also act as HDTV tuners, which means they can receive HDTV broadcast signals in addition to the analog signals, and naturally, record them. You won’t be able to store them on a disc, though, due to copyright issues and agreements.
When shopping for an HD DVR, you have to consider what you want to be able to do with it. If you want to automatically record every episode of your favorite show, even when it changes its time slot, or be able to pause, rewind and fast-forward live TV shows, you might want to opt for a TiVo HD DVR. On the other hand, if recording is all you plan on doing, you can go with Sony HD DVRs or other HD DVRs which can store more hours of programming, although they are usually more expensive.
An HDTV recorder can also come in the form of an HDTV tuner card, also known as an internal HDTV tuner, PC tuner card or video capture card. Although it is called by many names, all these devices have the same function – to receive high definition signals and record them on the hard drive of your computer. Some can pause live HD content like DVRs, too, and are even cheaper than set-top-boxes, although they are also more difficult to install and consume more energy since using one means you’ll need to keep your computer on.
Still, if you’re planning to use an HDTV tuner card as your HDTV recorder, you might want to install a Blu-Ray Writer, as well. This way, you can store your favorite shows on a disc in their original format. You will need Blu-Ray discs, though, such as Bd-R discs for single usage or the re-writable BD-REs if you don’t plan to keep the shows you record. Also, you can only play these discs on a Blu-Ray player or reader.
You can also preserve the high definition format of your favorite shows if you use an AVCHD recorder, although AVCHD recordings, like Blu-Ray discs, cannot be played back on a standard DVD players, even if they are stored on a standard DVD. Therefore, when you choose an HDTV recorder, you have to keep in mind what equipment you currently have so you will know which type is the most convenient one for you.
About the Author
Edward McKellen is an HDTV expert who writes HDTV reviews and other helpful articles about HD television, such as tips about finding the best HDTV accessories. To learn more, go to HdtvReviewLab.com.
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) since the Blu-Ray disk can store 25 GB (1 layer) or 50 GB on a 2-layer disk.
