Digital Tuner

Digital Tuner

What would be the advantage, if any, to getting a dvd/vcr player recorder with a digital tv tuner?

I have a tv with a cable card but may get the dvr cable box and want to know what would a dvd player/recorder with digital tuner allow me to do that one without a tuner would?

What would be the advantage, if any, to getting a dvd/vcr player recorder with a digital tv tuner?
I have a tv with a cable card but may get the dvr cable box and want to know what would a dvd player/recorder with digital tuner allow me to do that one without a tuner would?

If you already have cable TV service and a HD-DVR, then the DVD-recorder with digital tuner will not be as useful to you. However, there are still a few things that you can do with a DVD recorder with a digital tuner .. I'll explain.

For the record, you would want a DVD recorder with a QAM tuner in addition to the ATSC. The QAM tuner will be able to tune into the digital channels that the cable company does not encrypt (i.e. in the clear).

If you have a HD-DVR from the cable company, they do not allow you to record VOD (Video On Demand) shows/movies to the DVR. So if you wanted to record some shows to play on another TV, you're out of luck ... well, not so if you also have a DVD recorder.

Here's something that not everyone knows. Most cable companies pass VOD unencrypted. So any device with a QAM tuner will be able to tune into VOD shows. It's pretty neat to be able to watch what your neighbors are watching, but you're at their disposal in terms of the FF/REW.

Let's say that you want to record a few episodes of SpongeBob off of the Free OnDemand "channel". What you can do is order it on the DVR. Tune into that channel on the DVD recorder (it might take a little searching). Then cue up the DVR and DVD recorder and record.

Now, is this "feature" worth the additional money to step up to the digital tuner model? Depends on you, I guess. Personally, I wouldn't buy any recording device that didn't have a digital tuner.