Old Blevins
Well-known member
Long post, and if you don't want to wade through it, you can get most of the info in the 4 points listed below and by reading an online review of the Channel Master DVR+.
I like the convenience of a DVR and I've missed it when we've traveled in our TT. So I've been looking for a simple, portable DVR that I can use to 1) record shows at home and take with me when we travel, and 2) record and play back my favorite shows when we travel to places with available stations.
After a bunch of research I bought the Channel Master DVR+. I'll note I'm not affiliated in any way with Channel Master. But for those of you who travel and like the benefits of DVRs, I thought this might be of interest. Frankly (and surprisingly, at least to me) there aren't a lot of choices out there. Most of the alternatives require a broadband internet connection.
I got my DVR+ yesterday and the setup was quick and easy. Unlike cable, OTA broadcasts are not compressed and the picture looks great. To my 62-year-old eyes, it's not better than my cable picture - but it's every bit as good.
It's a simple concept ? plug an antenna into the DVR+, connect via a HDMI cable to your TV and you can record and play back any OTA station available to you. I have about 30 of them here 10 miles north of Seattle using a tabletop non-amplified antenna.
Add the optional Wi-Fi adapter and the basic program info guide becomes much better with access to the free Rovi guide. You don't need the Wi-Fi to get a program guide ? it's just a better program guide. You don't need a broadband connection to get that. Even RV Park Wi-Fi should work ? though it will take longer to load the guide info. I have read review comments of owners who said they had difficulty maintaining the Wi-Fi connection. Since I have an iPad Air, my Plan B is to use it as a hotspot and get the guide info through my 4G/LTE data plan. But even if for some reason I can't get the Rovi guide, the basic OTA guide will get me through.
You can get the DVR+ either with an internal 1TB drive, or get one that you connect to a USB drive. I opted for the latter, liking the ability to easily expand my storage space. A 1TB drive cost me $70 and will hold about 150 hours of HD TV.
You can find some fairly thorough reviews of the DVR+ with an internet search. Here's some info specific to using it in an RV, most of which I could not find online.
1. Power Supply ? the DVR+ comes with a 120VAC cord that converts the power to 12VDC. I bought a power plug at Radio Shack for the DVR+ and connected it to a 12V plug which I bread-boarded to a spare RV battery I had around. The DVR+ ran fine off this. So it looks like it'll be good for boondocking. If you decide to do this, I hope you are better at soldering than I am. Alternatively, you could simply plug the supplied cord into an inverter, but the inefficiency of inverting 12VDC to 110VAC and then converting it back to 12VDC irked me. Plus, some inverters have fans and I wanted to avoid the noise. The DVR+, by the way, has no fan. I do plan to use the supplied cord when I have shore power.
2. Power Consumption ? the specs for the supplied power cord say 1.46A at 12VDC. My USB drive, which plugs into the DVR+, uses about 0.5A. Since it's being powered by the DVR+, that probably falls within the 1.46A output rating of the power supply. But even if it didn't, it would still be pulling less than 2A. So two hours of TV an evening will use only 3-4 AH of my battery capacity.
3. Orientation ? The DVR+ is about the size and shape of an iPad Air. The instructions say to mount it on it's tiny little feet ? that is, horizontally. I didn't want to take up the counter space and asked Tech Support if it could safely be run on end. They said yes, but don't let it fall over. I believe it has no moving parts inside, so any orientation should be fine.
4. Location ? You can get an optional IR extender from Channel Master, which means you have a lot of latitude in where you place it. The manual, like all manuals, likes well-ventilated areas. I did, however, read one review by a user who put it under a fairly close cover to see how it would run as the heat built up. It didn't get very hot and it ran fine.
If you like the convenience of having a DVR (and if you read all this, you must) this is an option worth looking at. It's not cheap - about $360 for the DVR+, the 1TB HD, and the Wi-Fi adapter. But there are no monthly fees or other ongoing costs and over the long run I believe I'll like what I got for the money.
I like the convenience of a DVR and I've missed it when we've traveled in our TT. So I've been looking for a simple, portable DVR that I can use to 1) record shows at home and take with me when we travel, and 2) record and play back my favorite shows when we travel to places with available stations.
After a bunch of research I bought the Channel Master DVR+. I'll note I'm not affiliated in any way with Channel Master. But for those of you who travel and like the benefits of DVRs, I thought this might be of interest. Frankly (and surprisingly, at least to me) there aren't a lot of choices out there. Most of the alternatives require a broadband internet connection.
I got my DVR+ yesterday and the setup was quick and easy. Unlike cable, OTA broadcasts are not compressed and the picture looks great. To my 62-year-old eyes, it's not better than my cable picture - but it's every bit as good.
It's a simple concept ? plug an antenna into the DVR+, connect via a HDMI cable to your TV and you can record and play back any OTA station available to you. I have about 30 of them here 10 miles north of Seattle using a tabletop non-amplified antenna.
Add the optional Wi-Fi adapter and the basic program info guide becomes much better with access to the free Rovi guide. You don't need the Wi-Fi to get a program guide ? it's just a better program guide. You don't need a broadband connection to get that. Even RV Park Wi-Fi should work ? though it will take longer to load the guide info. I have read review comments of owners who said they had difficulty maintaining the Wi-Fi connection. Since I have an iPad Air, my Plan B is to use it as a hotspot and get the guide info through my 4G/LTE data plan. But even if for some reason I can't get the Rovi guide, the basic OTA guide will get me through.
You can get the DVR+ either with an internal 1TB drive, or get one that you connect to a USB drive. I opted for the latter, liking the ability to easily expand my storage space. A 1TB drive cost me $70 and will hold about 150 hours of HD TV.
You can find some fairly thorough reviews of the DVR+ with an internet search. Here's some info specific to using it in an RV, most of which I could not find online.
1. Power Supply ? the DVR+ comes with a 120VAC cord that converts the power to 12VDC. I bought a power plug at Radio Shack for the DVR+ and connected it to a 12V plug which I bread-boarded to a spare RV battery I had around. The DVR+ ran fine off this. So it looks like it'll be good for boondocking. If you decide to do this, I hope you are better at soldering than I am. Alternatively, you could simply plug the supplied cord into an inverter, but the inefficiency of inverting 12VDC to 110VAC and then converting it back to 12VDC irked me. Plus, some inverters have fans and I wanted to avoid the noise. The DVR+, by the way, has no fan. I do plan to use the supplied cord when I have shore power.
2. Power Consumption ? the specs for the supplied power cord say 1.46A at 12VDC. My USB drive, which plugs into the DVR+, uses about 0.5A. Since it's being powered by the DVR+, that probably falls within the 1.46A output rating of the power supply. But even if it didn't, it would still be pulling less than 2A. So two hours of TV an evening will use only 3-4 AH of my battery capacity.
3. Orientation ? The DVR+ is about the size and shape of an iPad Air. The instructions say to mount it on it's tiny little feet ? that is, horizontally. I didn't want to take up the counter space and asked Tech Support if it could safely be run on end. They said yes, but don't let it fall over. I believe it has no moving parts inside, so any orientation should be fine.
4. Location ? You can get an optional IR extender from Channel Master, which means you have a lot of latitude in where you place it. The manual, like all manuals, likes well-ventilated areas. I did, however, read one review by a user who put it under a fairly close cover to see how it would run as the heat built up. It didn't get very hot and it ran fine.
If you like the convenience of having a DVR (and if you read all this, you must) this is an option worth looking at. It's not cheap - about $360 for the DVR+, the 1TB HD, and the Wi-Fi adapter. But there are no monthly fees or other ongoing costs and over the long run I believe I'll like what I got for the money.
