How to Build Your Own DVR Recorder
You can build your own DVR recorder with some reasonably inexpensive PC hardware. DVR recorders allow you play, pause and record all of your favorite television and movie programming. In fact, this a great way to repurpose the old PC you have lying around the house.
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Instructions
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1
Procure a PC to build your DVR recorder. You may have a PC lying around that you can use, or you can purchase a reconditioned PC. For standard definition it is recommended to use a 1 GHz processor and 1MB of RAM. For high definition get at least a 2 GHz processor and 2MB of RAM. Also since this PC will be sitting in your living room the quieter the better.
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2
Add storage space. You are going to need to add additional storage; 80GB at a minimum. High definition will require about 1GB to 2GB per hour of recording space, so plan accordingly.
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3
Get a video card. The video card sends the video signal to your TV set. You will need a video card that has a TV Out feature. Most video cards have this already built in. Also, a lot of PCs have this built into their motherboards. Note how you will cable the video card to your TV. There are several options such as SPDIF, component cable, RCA jack or HDMI. Check which type of cabling best suites your TV.
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4
Purchase a TV tuner card. The tuner card receives the TV signal from your TV source. Your source could be cable, satellite or over-the-air. Make sure that you get a tuner card that is capable of getting digital signals. All new tuner cards have the digital signal capability. When purchasing a TV Tuner Card notice the adapter slot for your PC. Usually these are PCI or PCI-Express. Notice what type you will be using, as some older PC's maybe limited in the types of adapters that can be used.
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5
Assemble your PC, adding the memory and hardware discussed in Steps 2 through 4. Ensure the computer is operational and has recognized all of the new hardware. Download the latest drivers and updates.
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6
Download DVR recorder software. The DVR recorder software is the brains behind the system. There is a lot of different software to choose from for your DVR. Some simple choices are Windows MCE or SageTV that must be purchased. There are also some free software alternatives, such as MythTV, LinuxMCE or XBMC.
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Hook up your computer's TV tuner card to your cable, satellite or over-the-air TV feed. Open your DVR recorder software and follow the instructions to complete your DVR set up.
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