May 02, 2005

How to Make a PC DVR?

Ken Sharp gives us the low down on how to create your own DVR using an old PC you have around the house. It's not rocket science, but he put together a quality setup at a low price.

But I wanted something more versatile than a normal TiVo, ReplayTV, or Ultimate TV system. I envisioned an all-purpose media server that would function as a full DVR, but would also work as a music server and play console games. It would have an easy remote-control interface, just like a commercial DVR, and a way to program it through the internet. Finally, I wanted to avoid the monthly fees that many DVR owners pay to keep their machines' schedules up-to-date.