# Sony DHGHDD500



## stexraider (Oct 9, 2005)

Sony has a DVR that says will record via digital cable/HD with a cable card - you guys heard about this as a viable TiVo replacement?

I love my TiVo - it's being re-located to the "workout" room - where I don't plan to have HDTV - but I just fear the "cable company" DVR - my Dad has it and complains about it's lack of space all the time...

Stex.


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## CCourtney (Mar 28, 2006)

I have a Sony DHG-HDD500 and an SA8300HD (will likely get a Series 3 when the come out) also have an HTPC w/ two tuners and have played with TiVo S2's but never owned one.

The space on the DHG-HDD500 is awesome. I had 60hrs of the Olympics in HD set at the highest quality level on it. The image quality is awesome.

The Guide is a bit clunky (slow navigation going back in forth in time or you have to go through the menu system to jump ahead), search features are pretty good (put in names and it'll hunt them down and you can leave them in the system - i.e. you put in a name now for a movie comming out on video but won't be out on cable for a few months and it stays in there), programming features are Ok. No ability to prioritize or guess what you want. It's only a single tuner so I use my SA8300HD as my primary HD-DVR. That said it's been very reliable and has tons of space. Good Jump Ahead options, 3, 9, 30, 90x FF RW speeds.

If space is the only concern you may also want to consider getting a eSATA drive. I bought my DHG-HDD500 because I got it for $250 when Tweeter was closing them out.

CCourtney


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## stexraider (Oct 9, 2005)

You're using it with Digital Cable as well???

I just want to be sure this thing's gonna work before I buy it...

And since it's a single tuner - I could watch a recorded item while it records - but I couldn't record two shows simultaneously like a cable company box?? Correct?


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## CCourtney (Mar 28, 2006)

Yes, I'm using Digital Cable and CableCARD, sorry I should have made that clear. 

Yes, you can watch a pre-recorded show while recording a show, but you can not record two shows simultaneously like the Moxie and SA8300HD can (two most comon Cable Company DVRs)

CCourtney


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## fastep (May 22, 2004)

More info on sony HD dvr here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=537711


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Word of warning on the Sony DHG units....I went through three defective units in a row. The last one completely locked up on me and was useless (despite numerous reboot/reset attempts). Yes, it was magnificent when it worked, and, yes, TVGOS is horrible (epsecially when you've been spoiled on TiVo!).


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## bgtimber75 (Jun 2, 2002)

Like was said previously. The interface is not very good. I still haven't figured out how to delete a show without starting it and clicking through to the end. It also turns off everynight and doesn't buffer when it's off so when I turn it on in the morning I can't see what has been on for the past half hour. 

The recording quality and space are huge bonuses on the unit. I don't get HD thru DTV so I can't compare it to there TiVo unit but for what I want it to do, record HD shows, it works wonderfully.


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## Rosenkavalier (Nov 9, 2001)

And, just in case anyone doesn't click through to the AVSForum link: both the 250GB and 500GB versions of this unit have been discontinued by Sony. Tweeter stores were closing out the 500GB versions, but I believe most stores are now out. I've seen remaining stock of the 250GB version in Best Buy, but not for that much of a discount. Units are all over eBay.


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## CCourtney (Mar 28, 2006)

bgtimber,

I agree it's one of the least intuitive interfaces I've seen on a STB DVR. A number of the features I've had to figure out by playing around with controls.

To address your issues though.
Select the show and hit the menu button. It'll pull up a side menu 'episode options' you can change the 'keep until' option, recodring options, delete the episode, etc. If you have the show running hit 'stop' and it'll pop up a menu and you can delete the show from there too (or bookmark, play from beginning, and a couple other things.)

You can also turn the 'Auto Off' to off from the System menu. But you won't be able getting the TVgos guide overnight as it only downloads it when it's off. You cold have it record whatver you want in the morning (it's as good as a buffer  )

CCourtney


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## CCourtney (Mar 28, 2006)

Rosenkavalier said:


> And, just in case anyone doesn't click through to the AVSForum link: both the 250GB and 500GB versions of this unit have been discontinued by Sony. Tweeter stores were closing out the 500GB versions, but I believe most stores are now out. I've seen remaining stock of the 250GB version in Best Buy, but not for that much of a discount. Units are all over eBay.


The unit's sold out within day's ($999 MSRP going for $250 gets peoples attention.) I caught it a couple days after they went all sale. I got one of the last units in Houston, that morning they had ~50 units in there systems, when I picked mine up, it was the 2nd to last unit in Houston according to there computers. That was the week before the Winter Olympics started.

Apparently a lot of people snapped them up to sell them on E-bay, where they were selling for ~$500.

The box is definetly not worth $999, not even $799 they were charging. May be worth $500 because of the space. Definetly worth $250 (especially when I e-bay'd my Accurian 6000 HTS ATSC OTA Tuner for $200 to offset the cost.)

CCourtney


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## Royster (May 24, 2002)

I have an HDD500. 

Some people have had guide problems. I had to add an external antenna to get guide data as my cable provider (Cablevision) strips out the TV Guide data sent in the VBI.

I've had a few odd glitches and reboots, but largely it works as advertised and gives awesome PQ. I have a few HBO HD movies waiting to view. I records all my top shows in HD on it and use my Series 1 as a backup tuner and for my daughter's shows.


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## bgtimber75 (Jun 2, 2002)

CCourtney said:


> bgtimber,
> 
> To address your issues though.
> Select the show and hit the menu button. It'll pull up a side menu 'episode options' you can change the 'keep until' option, recodring options, delete the episode, etc. If you have the show running hit 'stop' and it'll pop up a menu and you can delete the show from there too (or bookmark, play from beginning, and a couple other things.)
> ...


Well I'll be, the menu button does bring up delete options.


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