No more DVR :( too expensive

kiki02

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
with our cable provider.

what do other people use that might be more affordable? thank you.
 
You can subscribe to Netflix (the online streaming only) for $7.99/month I think. We have Netflix but I can't remember how much it is. It's no replacement for cable or DVR but it does have some good shows & movies. They don't have any current seasons of shows, though.

There is also Hulu & Hulu Plus you could look at.

Other than that, there isn't much out there that is affordable. We only have basic cable which doesn't have any of the good channels so we just deal with it. I do wish I could watch AMC, HGTV, and TLC though.
 
That might depend upon what cable service provider you have. I recently got rid of a lot of channels and our dvr. Can you believe the DVR box cost $25 per month and the box without the dvr cost $5 with Charter?

Now that we do not have recording capabilities, we use on demand when we can. On demand includes some channels we already pay for and offers some programs. Not all channels are available and not all shows are available.

Netflix is $8 per month, but we purchased a Roku for a one time $50 to stream it to the TV. I found that streaming Netflix does not have as much as I thought it would. My DD15 likes to watch some of the TV series and when she has had her fill, we will switch over to Hulu Plus which is known to have more movies and is also about $8 per month.

With phone, cable and TV, our bill should now be about $100 per month.
 


I use Tivo, so I do not pay my cable provider for DVR service.

Some of my Tivos have lifetime service, so no more fees, and they last for years and years.
 
I think my actual DVR fee is less than $10 / mo with Direct TV -- and we have 3 DVR's in the house.

and I can't believe someone still uses a VCR -- do they still sell blank tapes for them??
 
We got rid of satellite completely! The bill got up to $100/mo with Directv with 3 DVRs.

We now have Roku boxes and an antenna!
 


I think my actual DVR fee is less than $10 / mo with Direct TV -- and we have 3 DVR's in the house.

and I can't believe someone still uses a VCR -- do they still sell blank tapes for them??

DirectTV does only charge 1 fee no matter how many DVRs you have. We also have 3, and just pay that one small fee.
 
They still sell vcrs so they still sell tapes. I think dvrs suck you spend all that money and you don't really have anything. You can't take your dvr copy to a friends house and watch it over there. I'm sticking with vcrs until the last tape is gone
 
I think my actual DVR fee is less than $10 / mo with Direct TV -- and we have 3 DVR's in the house.

and I can't believe someone still uses a VCR -- do they still sell blank tapes for them??

I have some in my garage. My neighbor was very grateful last year!
 
They still sell vcrs so they still sell tapes. I think dvrs suck you spend all that money and you don't really have anything. You can't take your dvr copy to a friends house and watch it over there. I'm sticking with vcrs until the last tape is gone

We still have a VCR/DVD combo. Haha. I buy VHS Disney movies at Goodwill for 10 cents a piece and we have pizza and a movie night with the kids. And I'll be recording a Jake and the Neverland Pirates special tomorrow night on a tape that I've been using for about 20 years...lol.

OP, if we miss an ep of one of our faves, we watch it on the network website or buy an episode from amazon.com. Like, for instance, Breaking Bad. But for most things, if it isn't a show we are going to be able to see religiously then we wait until it comes out on DVD and get it from netflix. We have so much going on we don't mind being a season behind.
 
They still sell vcrs so they still sell tapes. I think dvrs suck you spend all that money and you don't really have anything. You can't take your dvr copy to a friends house and watch it over there. I'm sticking with vcrs until the last tape is gone

You can pull the file off and burn it to DVD.....I do it with my Tivo.

Jill in CO
 
They still sell vcrs so they still sell tapes. I think dvrs suck you spend all that money and you don't really have anything. You can't take your dvr copy to a friends house and watch it over there. I'm sticking with vcrs until the last tape is gone

Truse me...DVR's dont "suck".

I suppose in general you can't take a DVR to a friends house, without some extra effort....but you also:

don't have to find a blank tape.....find the spot of the tape you're looking for...have all sorts of tapes around the house taking up space.

My DVR's store probably a hundred hours of programs....organize them by program so if I have 5 episodes of X recorded, they are all grouped together and put in date order so they are easy to find.

You can skip commericals in seconds....forget to set a program to record...no problem, I can do it by my iPhone.

Watching a show "live" and the phone rings...want a snack...have to go pee...no problem, just pause it. Couldn't hear what they said, just rewind. Watching live tv without a DVR and you can't do any of those things.

I've had a DVR since around 2001 -- I can't imagine watching TV without one.
 
That might depend upon what cable service provider you have. I recently got rid of a lot of channels and our dvr. Can you believe the DVR box cost $25 per month and the box without the dvr cost $5 with Charter?

Now that we do not have recording capabilities, we use on demand when we can. On demand includes some channels we already pay for and offers some programs. Not all channels are available and not all shows are available.

Netflix is $8 per month, but we purchased a Roku for a one time $50 to stream it to the TV. I found that streaming Netflix does not have as much as I thought it would. My DD15 likes to watch some of the TV series and when she has had her fill, we will switch over to Hulu Plus which is known to have more movies and is also about $8 per month.

With phone, cable and TV, our bill should now be about $100 per month.


We have charter for years and never paid $25 for our DVR. We pay $15 for the DVR. Of course every year I make sure I get a new promotional package. We pay $101 including all the taxes, internet, cable, dvr, and HBO and I think is cinemax or showtime.
 
We just disconnected our satellite. We have a wifi tv downstairs, a roku box upstairs. We have added Hulu plus and Netflix. Im using amazon video on demand for the walking dead, whn it starts.

I just bought a TiVo box off of eBay as well.

All told, our bill will drop from 150 a month (for satellite & Internet) to about 80 a month (Internet, Hulu plus, net flix, a few movie rentals).

I will probably pay for the lifetime service for TiVo. Mainly so we can pause or rewind and record Monday night football and shows on CBS (which doesn't stream).

I'm also looking at getting an apple tv box so we can watch videos from the iPad on the tv (food network shows online and other stuff).
 
We just disconnected our satellite. We have a wifi tv downstairs, a roku box upstairs. We have added Hulu plus and Netflix. Im using amazon video on demand for the walking dead, whn it starts.

I just bought a TiVo box off of eBay as well.

All told, our bill will drop from 150 a month (for satellite & Internet) to about 80 a month (Internet, Hulu plus, net flix, a few movie rentals).

I will probably pay for the lifetime service for TiVo. Mainly so we can pause or rewind and record Monday night football and shows on CBS (which doesn't stream).

I'm also looking at getting an apple tv box so we can watch videos from the iPad on the tv (food network shows online and other stuff).


i have to say, i don't really understand tivo. so i buy it (and how much is that) and i also buy monthly service?
 
I can't imagine watching TV without one.

Me either.

I just tell it to record X show, new new episodes only and I never have to miss a show again. I have dozens of shows set this way.

I can search for a show or series and then record in a few clicks.
 
It is an independent DVR. I bought a box off of eBay, with the wifi receiver, for about 100.00.

On the TiVo website, the clearance section had the same items for a total of over $150.

I'm waiting for them to be shipped so I haven't connected yet. The monthly fee is 14.99 or you can pay for lifetime service (on that box) for 400, I think.

There are different models depending on what you use. I made sure to get a box I could use with an ota (over the air antenna).
 
It is an independent DVR. I bought a box off of eBay, with the wifi receiver, for about 100.00.

On the TiVo website, the clearance section had the same items for a total of over $150.

I'm waiting for them to be shipped so I haven't connected yet. The monthly fee is 14.99 or you can pay for lifetime service (on that box) for 400, I think.

There are different models depending on what you use. I made sure to get a box I could use with an ota (over the air antenna).

OK< thanks. i was trying to stay away (budget) from the 14.99 a month just to record. that's what we almost have now. that plus the moveis, plus the cable, plus plus plus! :(((
 
Yep, even with a TiVo, we'd still save at least 50 a month if I dont do he lifetime service.

I got ticked off one day last week when I was home during the day and there was absolutely nothing on any of the 200 channels we had.

We get a great signal for the local channels and the HD picture is so much better with the antenna than with cable or satellite.
 

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