jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

They work very hard to make things difficult. With my new arrangement, I was supposed to receive a faster modem and a DVR. After almost two weeks, I've received nothing, so I called.

Nothing has been sent, but the modem will be sent today. As for the DVR, that's almost funny. Although I'm being charged $4.99 a month for Cloud DVR, it's virtually worthless, so I dropped that. If I want a DVR from Spectrum, I'd have to pay $10.99 a month rental plus $12.99 a month for service, plus tax, of course. That would be close to $300 a year to record TV. I declined that offer.

I asked about using my own DVR. She was uncertain, but she thought the $12.99 monthly service fee would still be charged. After half an hour on the phone, I saved $5.00+ a month, and I'm getting a modem.

Looking on Amazon, I don't see regular, name brand DVRs. What happened? There are over-the-air recorders and security recorders from companies I never heard of.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

All that sort of thing is a pain. Spectrum NY and Spectrum CA must be run differently on the opposite coasts. Spectrum here seems too anxious to send equipment and before I am ready to set up and use it. But they charge me while it is still in the boxes.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

I was hoping Spectrum would get to my are soon and I could unload ATT. Tried T-Mobile wireless since I have T-Mobile phones, didn't work, poor reception. Cox, Verizon, whom I don't care for have no service in my zip code. I don't have many options until some other provider provides access to my area. If Spectrum is that complicated and nickels and dime you to death, maybe I'll pass.

Good luck on DVR's

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It looks like no one is making the traditional TV DVR. I hope I have one in the garage. Progress is working backwards.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

I presume you are wanting to record video w/out the DVR from the service provider. I have absolutely no knowledge on that because I'm just a sucker and use the providers DVR for regular TV, plus like you Jerry, I would prefer to have someone fix the problem immediately. ...My wife has already used 25% of T-Mobiles DVR recording storage with her programs, I might have two recording on the 128 recordings we/SHE have stored. Stop by if you want to watch 5 straight days non-stop of Perry Mason or Murder She Wrote.

I see there are online recorders and desktop programs, and both are free to use with the desktop version having more advanced recording features. However, I presume you want to record your providers streaming services... Good Luck.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I want a physical box (DVR) that lets me record TV, preferably automatically, week after week.

My online recording experience isn't very good. Regardless which service I tried, I can't record very many shows. Some shows have a "RECORD" button, but many don't. I can watch it, but I can't record it. Spending $300 a year to do that is kinda pricey. I don't know if Spectrum's DVR would record shows whenever they are on or if I would have to program it every day.

What I would like to do is what I've been doing for the past eleven years - tell the machine to record a show whenever it's on.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

I haven’t had an issue recording the TV I get on the regular channels, network TV. I don’t need to record streaming shows because they’re always online and you can select them anytime. Currently with Dish TV DVR, about $10/month, I can record up to ~300 to 400 shows even up to a month in advance or even program them while I’m away.

Only problem with Dish, or any other satellite provider is here in Florida, we get summer thunderstorms all the time and at 4 o’clock you can bank on one arriving. That’s the point in which it ‘might’ interrupt the satellite signal and lose your recording….Cheers.

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

We have Spectrum. They're a PITA, but not too real bad.
We got new phones, and with them new plans. Dropping the "Premium" channels I'd save @$100/month!
Two months later, they called. All that was for new Customers only. I'm now saving only $30/month.
To get that original deal, I'd have to cutoff service and return all equipment, wait two months, and re apply. ?
Tempted... But the fiber folk and that 5g tower are coming.
And we were limited to occasional 80 to 100mb Internet. after midnite.
AT&T put up a fiber junction box on the wall. Magically, suddenly we were over 200.

We had Dish, who were bought out by Direct then both bought out by AT&T here.
Who then replaced various History, Tech and Science channels with OTA channels of Spanish speakers.
We had a few days when the satellite was eclipsed by the sun for @ 20 minutes, mid day. And a few by the blimp.
Otherwise, great reception. Always..

Until new apartment managers came in, decrying the "trailer trash" look of a half dozen dishes.
The workers they hired couldn't figure out how to just move them to the middle of the roof.
The workers from Dish didn't have ladders that could reach the roof to fix that fiasco. So
Two weeks later we got Spectrum. HUUGE amounts of crap channels.
We took a few hours, went thru and made a "Favorite" list. 54 channels, half were OTA anyway.
I needed a phone line for my hearing assisted box. A year later we got a discount for non service.
I want that 5G Tower!

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

There was a discussion about lawyers and advertisers.
The advertisers paid for that particular episode So, if you recorded it and played it later,
That advertiser received free airtime, and the advertisers that paid for the new showing got none.
THAT said ...
There are ATSC DVRs available. Most I've seen require HDMI input.
https://www.ebay.com/ has quite a few ...

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

I dropped Att U-verse internet TV for Dish, got tired of being nickel and dimed to death by U-Verse. However as of this month, discussions about a merger of satellite TV providers Dish Network and DirecTV have apparently stalled, according to a new report published last Friday.

Unfortunately, I still have ATT Internet which I use for the internet and streaming on the smart TV's. If I have the option to go to another internet provider, I'll go in a second.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I had Dish before cable became available here. Between the trees and the precipitation, reception wasn't great.

Interesting fact - I have two Dish units, but I cannot sell them or give them away. They are "paired" with me and no one else on planet Earth can use them. I got that firsthand from Dish itself.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Had Dish years ago in Virgina and various providers since then. I have had so many cables, boxes, antennas, and all sort of associated hardware over the years, I just boxed them up and introduced them to the landfill. Dish has been great down here in Florida even with the T-storms now and then. It still beats ATT for me though. Good luck on your quest Jerry.

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Jerry, if you use your own DVR how would they even know you are using it....... and no, there should be no DVR fee of any sort. With several hundred channels of stuff that is played over and over and over, I can't imagine the need for a DVR (but that's just me).
We have had Spectrum for years (after Brighthouse, who were a little better at customer service) and I can agree with them being "Charge Happy" for everything, and for legacy customers (Brighthouse to Spectrum) trying to reduce cost/cancel services/downgrade to save money on all the stuff I don't need requires quiting their service for a month, then purchasing new. Since I live just far enough into the country to be service provider limited....they must feel they have us over the barrel. Not for long if I can help it........

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Years ago, they gave me a Cisco STA1520 box so I could use Tivo. Looking online, I see that I can buy a refurbished one for $4,700. Ridiculous? Definitely.

LDB415 Loc: Houston south suburb

Buy a Tivo? $400 on tivo.com site.