the 6 tv tuner medusa pvr

posted Nov 9th 2004 5:54am by Phillip Torrone
filed under: pcs hacks

6 pvrs

some pvrs like tivo let you record up to 2 different shows at the same time, which is okay, but if you’re not satisfied with that and don’t want to pay $4,000 to Sony for their version of more–for around $1,200 you can record up to 6 shows at the same time with this how-to from the folks at snapstream. sure, they’re pretty much just showing off what they can do with their own stuff, but it’s a pretty amazing–the worst part is the realization that there aren’t 6 things worth recording at the same time.

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Comments [16]

Reader Comments

umm… guys, this is cool and all, but is it really a hack to piece together a system? The hard drive window thing, yeah thats a hack… or a mod, but they’re close enough. I’m just tired of seeing so many things labeled a ‘hack’ when they really arent’…

Posted at 3:06 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by Alex

I agree, if you can go buy a few things at a store and put them together like they are supposed to be and it does what it is expected to do that is called “following instructions” … I know, I know, not many people read them but you get the idea… On the other hand if you get something to do that it isn’t supposed to do, and the product of that action is deemed worthy… especially because it crumples theories from the creators that were never tested or approved… well then that sir is a hack.. and a good one at that!

- live the hack that hacks all!
Israel Torres

Posted at 4:38 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by israel torres

I appreciated this post. I knew that one could use a computer to build a pvr but a 6 input one? Not so much. I consider this a hack because although it is still a computer based pvr it has had a healthy dose of steroids.

A note to above posters:
Instead of complaining about the site, try to improve it by submitting what you consider to be true hacks.

Posted at 5:17 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by jeff

“…the worst part is the realization that there aren

Posted at 5:31 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by crumb

Contrary to the belief of the above poster stating that this is infact a hack, it is not.

As per dictionary.com, Hack “To alter (a computer program)”

The posted article does not alter the hardware other than putting more than one of the same items in a computer.

The article doesn’t even alter the software! See “We used all of the defaults as configured by the setup wizard”

If they cannot come up with real hacks on a daily basis, perhaps the site should be called “hack a week”

Posted at 5:42 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by Jordie

well, since i write a lot of hack articles and the posts for this site, i think a hack is something that is done, that normally isn’t. putting 6pvrs is pretty cool, someone requested this post to go in the pc hack area, and there it is. if you look at books like google hacks and ipod hacks and the oreilly hack series, a hack a pretty broad term, but the spirit is all the same, learning and sharing about all these things.

Posted at 6:04 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by phillip torrone

Trust me, to get more than 1 card running on this software is a hack. I couldn’t get 2 to work properly with this software, using preferred hardware. After a week of troubleshooting a plethra of other issues, I gave up when the recording that started first always lost sound when the second recording started and starting live TV was sluggish compared to the previous version. The 3.4.4 software was perfect for what it did, but the 3.5 with multi-tuner still needs a lot of work.

Posted at 6:36 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by Whitewolph

If a hack is something that is done, that normally isn’t, should those who donate to charity be called hackers? :P
If you’re posting articles to things that are cool, should this not be “cool geeky stuff once a day”?

Google hacks are true because they are not widely documented.
IPOD hacks may be documented but you are doing things which the manufacturer never intended.
Snapstream developed their software to allow multiple tuners. Computers have had the ability to have multiple cards of the same type for many years.

MythTV(Snapstream open source equivalent) has had the ability to use multiple cards for years.

Posted at 6:50 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by Jordie

Yeah, thats cool and all, until you realize that the signal loss that comes with splitting a line 6 ways at 1 point completely screws the quality.

Posted at 6:50 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by kaffine

In the article they mention signal loss, and even go so far as suggesting a $50 signal booster from RadioShack.

Posted at 6:52 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by Jordie

You can add up some idea to this six channel… Why not add up six or seven hard drive for each channel to recording, the last hard drive is for programming to each drive and take control to those hard drive… Like for example One for kid, two for screen saver, three for the simpson (will recording at exact time from networking cable time) Those kinda idea is to recording the channel, Althrough, you can use just ONE cable.. not SIX!? it can separate the channel frequency to each different hard drive or even to each television…

Keep on a good search…
deaf

Posted at 7:53 pm on Nov 9th, 2004 by Deaf

This investment will be wasted when the fcc decides to reclaim the analog part of the television spectrum,(next couple of years) and everything is digital. These won’t work then. Unless you have a Digital box for every card.
OH… and jordie, don’t you have something better to do.

Posted at 1:52 am on Nov 10th, 2004 by randy

I think the name “Hack a Day” fits. One of the definitions of “hack” given at Merriam-Webster (www.m-w.com) defines a hack as “a person who works solely for mercenary reasons”. What do mercenaries do? They hurt people. What are you guys who criticize the site doing? You’re hurting people. So since we can expect one of you each day, there truly is a Hack a Day.

Posted at 6:45 pm on Nov 10th, 2004 by dial-Up

Look, irregardless that this probably isn’t the dictionary definition of a hack, or lots of stuff on this site might not meet the true definition, it’s still some awesome stuff.

Keep up the good work man, and keep delivering us hacks , that may or may not be “real” ones, to amuse and inform the deary internet masses.

Posted at 8:20 pm on Nov 10th, 2004 by Champthom

“Look, irregardless that this probably…”

Champthom,

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=irregardless
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=irregardless+&x=11&y=14

… since we are using dictionaries and all…
Israel Torres

Posted at 10:42 am on Nov 11th, 2004 by Israel Torres

You guys might as well just put up a post that says:

“IF YOU BUILD IT YOURSELF… IT COSTS LESS”

-Jon

Posted at 2:57 am on Jan 3rd, 2005 by Jon Ivy