ReplayTV 5040 $149 @ Best Buy after mirs

[rugby]

I just picked up a ReplayTV 5040 at Best Buy for $299. Best Buy has 2 rebates for $50 each, however if you use only the one that requires the copy of the UPC code you can then use the 2 SonicBlue rebates that are $50 each. So $299-$50 BB rebate-2($50) SB rebates=$150. I"m not sure if BB will PM the internet deal that had the 5040 listed at $249 before rebates, but I wasn't going to wait in the CSR line at BB today as there was about 50 happy looking individuals there already waiting.

link to 5040 @ BB Linky here

Link to SB rebateslinky here too

 

[nealr]

I have one that I'm returning this weekend. It takes 5 seconds to change channels.

 

[Snuffaluffaguss]

get a tivo if you want faster channel change

 

[SuperShaz]

Yeah. I got one last weekend and my one complaint is that changing channels is extremely slow. Its not really 5 seconds (its probably 2) but it feels like 5. Everything else is very cool though. I'm going to keep mine and use it mainly as my VCR. I'll still use my normal TV remote to flip through channels.

Hopefully they can fix the channel changing lag with a software update. It seems to me that the reason it takes so long is its trying to buffer the feed (much like when streaming a video or audio file on the web, it takes a few seconds to start because its buffering it for an uninterrupted feed). If they could change that so that the video feed goes straight to output until the recoder is buffered and ready, it would be much faster.

I was surprised they haven't fixed this problem already. I thought that by getting a 50xx model instead of a 45xx model that the annoying things like this would be fixed.

- Shaz

 

[exit88]

I have had the old panasonic replay tv for quite a while, and it really is the best thing ever for recording and watching shows. However it is true that it is not good at channel flipping. Partly I get around this by using the channel guide to find shows instead of flipping, and partly by having it set up so I can use my regular tv remote when I want to quickly go from channel to channel. I would advise giving the replay more of a chance before rushing to return it.

 

[NutBucket]

Good Deal!!

<-- Very tempted.

 

[NutBucket]

Does the box have two UPC's? The rebates from SB both require original UPCs.

 

[alluu]

I am so tempted but the monthly fee is holding me back.

 

[faZZter]

I was told that the ReplayTV still has the one time fee of 250.00 available where as the TIVO only does subscription month to month now.

If that is true that suxx. I'd rather pay 250 bucks once than a subscription for the life of the product, which could end up being ALOT more.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: alluu
I am so tempted but the monthly fee is holding me back.

If you want to use it like I do as a VCR then there's no need for the service. I figure I watch enough TV without the service

 

[Agamar]

Both of the Sonic rebates say that only the original UPC code is valid.....How do you get around that?

 

[SuperShaz]

Originally posted by: Agamar
Both of the Sonic rebates say that only the original UPC code is valid.....How do you get around that?

You send them both in the same envelope and put both rebate codes on the outside of the envelope.

- Shaz

 

[rugby]

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: alluu
I am so tempted but the monthly fee is holding me back.

If you want to use it like I do as a VCR then there's no need for the service. I figure I watch enough TV without the service

With the 45xx series and above service is mandatory for any functionality of the unit.

For both SB rebates you just mail them in together with both rebate headers on the envelope.

 

[alluu]

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: alluu
I am so tempted but the monthly fee is holding me back.

If you want to use it like I do as a VCR then there's no need for the service. I figure I watch enough TV without the service

Yeah, these things are getting so cheap that it is almost the same price as a high-end VCR. I wouldn't mind paying the $250 but I am a little weary as to the company going belly-up or at least some form of Chapter 11 where they could decide not to honor the one-time subscriptions.

 

[psxjunky]

Originally posted by: faZZter
I was told that the ReplayTV still has the one time fee of 250.00 available where as the TIVO only does subscription month to month now.

If that is true that suxx. I'd rather pay 250 bucks once than a subscription for the life of the product, which could end up being ALOT more.

You should be happy to know that you are wrong ... TiVo still offers the product lifetime service for $249.

I got my Tivo product lifetime for $200 when they offerred it the last time

 

[masul0100]

So what is the deal do you not have to buy the service but if you do it is like an interactive TV Guide? The service fee is the only thing slowing me down.

Masul

 

[rugby]

Originally posted by: masul0100
So what is the deal do you not have to buy the service but if you do it is like an interactive TV Guide? The service fee is the only thing slowing me down.

Masul

You have to buy the service period. It's either $9.99/month or $250 lifetime. Without the service you've got yourself a nice paperweight. Pausing live tv rocks btw. We were watching a movie last night and the phone rang. Hit "pause", answered the phone, came back hit pause again and continued watching. At the end of the movie hit "Return to Live" and it went back to where it should be. Very sweet.

 

[SuperShaz]

Another thing that upsets me about these things is when they say 40 hours they mean 40 hours at crap quality. You can record at high quality, which i am VERY impressed with, but you only get 9 hours or so. If you want a lot of hours at high quality you'll have to buy the 5080 or 5160 or upgrade the harddrive on your 5040.

Which brings up an interesting debate. I would have assumed that its cheaper to buy a 5040 and upgrade the hard drive yourself, but I just checked prices at Dell and it seems that a 160GB 5400rpm harddrive will cost around $260. Meanwhile, the 5160 only costs about $250 more than the 5040. Once the double rebate on the 5040 ends and it goes back to a single $50 rebate, the 5160 will only cost $200 more than the 5040. So it might be best to consider purchasing the 5160 or 5080 if you wan't more recording capacity right away. I don't need the capacity right away, so I'm going to wait a few more months and see what kind of good HD deals come along.

- SuperShaz

 

[ir0nw0lf]

Originally posted by: SuperShaz
Another thing that upsets me about these things is when they say 40 hours they mean 40 hours at crap quality.

No different than buying a "40 GB" hard drive, formatting it out and finding out it doesn't have "40 GB" of free space on it. *shrug* When I got my TiVO, I too was mad that they advertise/sell it time-wise at crap quality, my 20 GB TiVO is 6'ish hours best quality, which thankfully is good enough for me right now.

 

[sat4fun]

Originally posted by: ir0nw0lf

Originally posted by: SuperShaz
Another thing that upsets me about these things is when they say 40 hours they mean 40 hours at crap quality.

No different than buying a "40 GB" hard drive, formatting it out and finding out it doesn't have "40 GB" of free space on it. *shrug* When I got my TiVO, I too was mad that they advertise/sell it time-wise at crap quality, my 20 GB TiVO is 6'ish hours best quality, which thankfully is good enough for me right now.

The maximium capacity is totally unwatchable. It is best to use these things as a VCR and for pause/replay features, not for archives. I have had every PVR out there, DishPlayer, DirecTivo, ReplayTV and UltimateTV and I have never had a capacity over 40Gig and capacity is never an issue. These things work well when you delete or transfer off the program off of the HD.

Every one is similar in its slow channel changing, which is worse when you are using a SA unit with DirecTV through an IR blaster. This changed me from being a surfer to a guide watcher.

These things will change your TV watching life, I will never go back. The ability to watch a program while it is still recording is remarkable. There are illegal ways around the fee, so I have heard, but this is not the correct forum for that.

 

[SliderBob]

I have an UltimateTV. My 120gb HD gives me ~105 variable hours at EXCELLENT quality-better than the BEST quality on the TiVo(I know, I had a TiVo before), I also HAD a replay tv....EGADS...that's the WORST DVR I've EVER had.

 

[sat4fun]

Originally posted by: SliderBob
I have an UltimateTV. My 120gb HD gives me ~105 variable hours at EXCELLENT quality-better than the BEST quality on the TiVo(I know, I had a TiVo before), I also HAD a replay tv....EGADS...that's the WORST DVR I've EVER had.

I agree, but to be fair you cannot compare the picture quality of a direct stream record machine (UTV, DirecTivo) with a stand alone Replay or Tivo. The recording of the digital stream yields much better capacity and picture.

 

[huesmann]

Can you dump the video from one of these bad boys over a network onto a PC?

 

[rugby]

Originally posted by: huesmann
Can you dump the video from one of these bad boys over a network onto a PC?

Yep, there's software out there to dump the video files off over a network. I recorded Apollo 13 at high quality and the movie file was 6gb. Pulling that over a network took a LONG time as the ReplayTV's ethernet isn't very fast for some reason. I'm mainly using this replaytv to record and dump tv shows I watch and then I'll burn them to dvd.

 

[redban]

Originally posted by: rugby

Originally posted by: huesmann
Can you dump the video from one of these bad boys over a network onto a PC?

Yep, there's software out there to dump the video files off over a network. I recorded Apollo 13 at high quality and the movie file was 6gb. Pulling that over a network took a LONG time as the ReplayTV's ethernet isn't very fast for some reason. I'm mainly using this replaytv to record and dump tv shows I watch and then I'll burn them to dvd.

How long would you guess a 2 hour movie took to dump onto a PC? ..and how did you record a 6gb file onto a 4.7 gb dvd?