How to Build a Digital Video Recorder

A DVR lets you watch television whenever you want.

Digital video recorders offer the convenience of watching your favorite television programs whenever you want. DVR units are readily available through various retailers, but building your own DVR allows you to customize it to your own needs. The easiest way to build a DVR is to build a computer and install a TV tuner and DVR application. This allows you to add a fully functional desktop as well as a DVR to your home theater system.

Things You'll Need

• Computer Case
• Motherboard
• Hard drive
• Optical drive
• Video card
• TV tuner card
• Operating system
• DVR application

Instructions

1. Assemble the components you will need for your computer: computer case, motherboard, processor, memory, hard drive, optical drive and video card. While all components are necessary, the video card, memory and hard drive are the most essential. The video card will do the majority of the work when it comes to rendering and recording video, while the RAM will help this process run smoother. The hard drive size determines how much space you have to store encoded video files. Video file sizes differ according to DVR application, show length and encoding quality, but sizes can range from 500MB to over 2GB.

2. Install an operating system. When building your own DVR, you have a choice between Windows and various Linux distributions. Windows 7 allows you to create a DVR using utilities already included in the operating system, eliminating the need to download extra software, though DVR applications for Windows are also available. Linux installations require extra software to turn them into a DVR but have the advantage of being free.

3. Install a TV tuner card, a specialized video card that allows your computer to receive over-the-air digital signals and a necessary component for a DVR computer. Some TV tuner cards are USB-based, which simplifies installation and setup, though internal models are also available.

4. Install a digital recording application. Windows 7 comes with Windows Media Center preinstalled. Other Windows-only options include BeyondTV, a commercial application that retails for $99 as of January 2011; and GB-PVR, a free, open-source application. SageTV is a commercial DVR application compatible with Windows and Linux. MythTV is a free, open-souce DVR application compatible with various versions of Linux. Configure your DVR application according to your application's documentation.

Tips & Warnings

• For optimum storage capacity, consider installing two physical hard drives in your computer, if the case and motherboard allow. One hard drive can be used for the operating system while the other hard drive can be dedicated to storing DVR files.

• Home theater PC cases and mini PCs offer suitable alternatives to the standard desktop tower if you are concerned about your DVR computer's aesthetics. Home theater PC (HTPC) cases are designed for use in home-theater settings and offer ample room for all the necessary computer components. Mini PC cases are also a popular alternative for DVR usage as they are small and compact but, unlike the HTPC, mini PC cases have very little room for extra components.