HDTV Almanac - No-Disc NetFlix Subscription

[alfredpoor]

Roger, it's true that bandwidth is getting pinched at various bottlenecks in the system. I suspect that it has a lot to do with how your bandwidth is delivered. I watch a lot of Netflix and Hulu content, and cannot remember the last time I had a buffer overrun problem. We have a viber optic service which gives me my own connection to the provider's routers, as opposed to most cable arrangements where everyone in the neighborhood shares a connection.

Granted, the streamed content that I watch is not HD, but most content watched by Americans is not HD, so I don't think most of them notice. I also expect that improved compression algorithms (such as H.264) will help us effectively double our capacity or better before long. Even so, I expect that the bottlenecks will get worse before it gets better, especially as more "smart" televisions are sold and people hook them up to watch Netflix. I think it is solveable, but probably not before it gets to the point where more people complain. Ultimately, I expect we'll pay more for the content and for the network connections.

As for the DVR problem, I don't think that there are enough of us who get our content over the air to attract the manufacturers of DVR equipment. I still have the Panasonic unit that has analog tuners that we loved dearly, but I have not found a suitable replacement. Instead, I rolled my own using a computer in the living room and a Hauppauge dual-tuner card. It's not perfect, but it works pretty well.

Alfred

[BillRussell]

I bought a Magnavox H2160MW9 DVD and DVR player/recorder from Wal*Mart a couple of years ago for $240+tax. Works well, although it doesn't do HD recording. Doesn't have all the program info of a subscription service but doesn't have its monthly cost either. User manual is poor but there's lots of tips on www.avsforum.com.

[alfredpoor]

Bill, Walmart no longer has that model in stock, but does show two other Magnavox models: MDR-513H/F7 (320 GB, $200) and MDR-515H/F7 (500 GB, $250). They appear to be SD machines that will upconvert to 1080p, but I want to record in HD when it's available. It's a lot of money to spend on a limited feature set, in my opinion, and would rather apply that toward a compact PC model that I can add a tuner card to, and get it to do much more (such as access content on the Internet). With 2 TB drives selling for under $100 these days, these prices just don't make sense.

Alfred