Recently, when faced with replacing my lightning-damaged 1st-generation TiVo? digital video recorder (DVR), I tried out (and subsequently bought) Toshiba's new combo unit, the SD-H400. In addition to its intelligent hard drive recording capabilities, the SD-H400 packs a full-function DVD player in its sleek, compact chassis.
Another lightning lesson learned
My trusty Sony SRV-2000 TiVo recorder was taken out by a lightning strike near my house back in August. It could (should!) have been avoided by fully protecting the unit with a surge suppressor (as I recommend others do). The Sony was connected to a 20" TV in the bedroom. While I had connected its AC power and cable TV cords through an APC surge suppressor, I had neglected to protect the phone line connection (a TiVo recorder should be connected to a phone line at all times so it can download program information).
So, when lightning struck, a surge sneaked in over the phone wire and fried the Sony's internal modem. (Many experts consider phone connections to be the most vulnerable to lightning. Don't learn the hard way like me — be sure every path coming into your equipment is protected, not just the AC power line.) The repair quote was surprisingly high, and when I looked at replacement options, the Toshiba SD-H400's 80GB hard drive was more than twice as large as the Sony's 30GB drive, and DVD playback would expand movie-viewing capability.
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Setup and first impressions
The first surprise was that despite the Toshiba's bigger-capacity hard drive and built-in DVD drive, it actually weighs a few pounds less than the Sony. For starters, I simply unplugged the Sony box and connected the Toshiba exactly the same way, using composite video connections. A JVC VHS VCR, which I occasionally use to dub material from the hard drive, sat on top of the Toshiba.
Because I had been in touch with TiVo's tech support people while trying to pinpoint the problem with the Sony, I had already informed them that I would be replacing it with another recorder. TiVo assigns every recorder a unique "service number" (basically an account number), which can be found in the manual or on the unit's back panel. If TiVo doesn't recognize your recorder's service number, you won't be able to access TiVo services or download program information. So, before beginning the TiVo setup procedure, I called their tech support and gave them the service number for the SD-H400.
Because I was going from the Toshiba's composite video output through a VCR on the way to the TV, I thought I might have trouble viewing DVDs, because often a VCR in the signal path — even one that's turned off — triggers the DVD's copy-protection system. When that happens, the picture takes on an alternating shadowy look that can be pretty annoying. When I did try watching portions of a couple of DVDs, however, picture quality was always crisp and clear.
My setup was pretty straightforward, since I don't use a cable box in the bedroom system. Anyone planning to use the SD-H400 with a cable box or DBS receiver would probably want to plug in the supplied IR (infrared) "blaster" to enable cable or satellite channel changing for timer recordings.
 The SD-H400's remote places TiVo and DVD controls within easy reach. It also operates most TVs. |
Obviously, I was already a TiVo subscriber, but for folks who aren't, the SD-H400 offers a couple of ways to go. This is the first DVR to include built-in TiVo Basic? Service: a "lite" version of TiVo with no monthly subscription charge. With Basic, you can do unattended timer-controlled recordings, but not nearly as easily as with TiVo's subscription service, now called TiVo Plus? Service.
Basic Service limits you to setting up for timer recordings by channel and time, and the electronic program guide covers just 3 days. TiVo's Plus Service extends the program guide coverage to 14 days, and provides more flexible recording features, such as Search by Title, and Season Pass? (the ability to automatically record every episode of a program, no matter when it airs).
If you don't record many shows, Basic may be all you need. Its program guide alone places it several notches above a garden-variety VCR. And of course, in addition to the rudimentary timer-recording features, you get the life-changing ability to manipulate live TV: pause, rewind, slow-motion, etc. Having these features was a blessing during the baseball playoffs. Several times, I left the room for a couple minutes and returned to find I'd missed a key hit or play. With the touch of a button I was able to rewind and see what I'd missed!
My wife has become an even bigger TiVo fan than me. She works at home a lot, and likes to have one of her favorite shows playing in the background while she's tapping away on her laptop. She loves TiVo's goof-proof tapeless recording, and really missed it after lightning zapped the Sony. In fact, we were recently going over our monthly bills, and thinking that our phone expenses were getting out of hand, what with paying for traditional "landline" service and cellular service. My wife suggested maybe it was time to consider giving up the regular phone line. I pointed out that it would mean no more TiVo. Her expression morphed from puzzlement to comprehension ... to pure panic. The subject hasn't come up since!
An all-in-one entertainer
One of the coolest things about the SD-H400 is being able to control the digital video recorder and the DVD player from a single remote. Though since the remote pulls double duty, the TiVo-related buttons aren't quite as "thumb-friendly" as those on the Sony SVR-2000's remote (a really intuitive design that deserves a place in the Remote Control Hall of Fame). The Toshiba's remote includes multibrand TV functions, so it also controlled my several-years-old Sony TV after I punched in the appropriate code. The DVD player appears as another source in the TiVo menu, but once you're actually watching a DVD, you see typical DVD player menus. My TV is the conventional (non-HD) type, so I wasn't able to take advantage of the SD-H400's progressive-scan output (but the capability is nice to have for when I upgrade to an HDTV-ready TV). Still, picture quality for both DVD and DVR was sharp and clean.
Take 2 - Series2, that is
Because this is a TiVo Series2? recorder, it offers flexibility and future-readiness that were not available on earlier TiVo recorders. The SD-H400's Series2 designation means that it can be used to access digital music and photo files stored on your computer. To make it happen, you have to first sign up for TiVo's Home Media Option (currently $99), as well as purchase a USB network adapter (there's one designed for wired networks and one for wireless networks). I recently set up a wireless network using Apple's AirPort, and I plan to report on these features in a future article.
Conclusion
The new options and functionality of TiVo Series2 recorders like the SD-H400 should help these devices finally achieve the kind of mass popularity that has been predicted for them since their introduction several years ago. Once you've experienced this level of control over TV viewing, it's difficult — very difficult — to go back to the old way.
One of the coolest things about the SD-H400 is being able to control the digital video recorder and the DVD player from a single remote. Though since the remote pulls double duty, the TiVo-related buttons aren't quite as "thumb-friendly" as those on the Sony SVR-2000's remote (a really intuitive design that deserves a place in the Remote Control Hall of Fame). The Toshiba's remote includes multibrand TV functions, so it also controlled my several-years-old Sony TV after I punched in the appropriate code. The DVD player appears as another source in the TiVo menu, but once you're actually watching a DVD, you see typical DVD player menus. My TV is the conventional (non-HD) type, so I wasn't able to take advantage of the SD-H400's progressive-scan output (but the capability is nice to have for when I upgrade to an HDTV-ready TV). Still, picture quality for both DVD and DVR was sharp and clean.
 User-friendly menus make it simple to choose from three playback options — live TV, the "Now Playing on TiVo" list of programs you've recorded, or a DVD. And picking a show to record is just as easy. |
Take 2 - Series2, that is
Because this is a TiVo Series2? recorder, it offers flexibility and future-readiness that were not available on earlier TiVo recorders. The SD-H400's Series2 designation means that it can be used to access digital music and photo files stored on your computer. To make it happen, you have to first sign up for TiVo's Home Media Option (currently $99), as well as purchase a USB network adapter (there's one designed for wired networks and one for wireless networks). I recently set up a wireless network using Apple's AirPort, and I plan to report on these features in a future article.
Conclusion
The new options and functionality of TiVo Series2 recorders like the SD-H400 should help these devices finally achieve the kind of mass popularity that has been predicted for them since their introduction several years ago. Once you've experienced this level of control over TV viewing, it's difficult — very difficult — to go back to the old way.