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Digital cable, digital recorder
By Sean Carruthers, posted 4/2/2004 3:29:28 PM

Cable television has been around so long it's hard to imagine it changing, but that's exactly what's happening with the introduction of digital services. Because the newer technology compresses the video signal, a wider variety of channels can travel over the same cable that's been coming into your house for years -- no dish or new wiring required to get the signal into your house.

As with regular cable, a digital cable subscription offers a certain set number of "basic" channels, and cable providers allow you to add packages of channels for set rates. One real advantage, though, is the ability to add only the extra channels you want -- you don't have to take a bunch of channels you're not interested in just to get a channel you do want. (Of course, you pay more
per channel when you do it this way, but if your tastes are eclectic you can be much further ahead putting together your own packages.)

Another advantage of digital cable is the ability to efficiently stream digital video upon request, from short television programs to full-length movies. Using the remote control that comes with a digital cable box, you navigate through an interactive menu system to locate the content you want to watch. A signal is sent back to the cable company, which cues up your content digitally and sends it back down the wire.

As with pay-per-view movies, your account is charged when you order content this way, but you don't have to do it on the cable company's schedule, and when you order the content, you can watch it again and again until your 24-hour "licence" is up. It's kind of like renting a movie from the video store, except you don't have to leave the house to get the video or return it -- and your selection is never out.

The big downside, at the moment, is that this service doesn't offer the same wide selection as your friendly neighborhood video store. As it gains popularity, expect the on-demand library to grow.

The service is known by different names, depending on the cable provider: Rogers (www.rogers.com) calls it Video On Demand; Shaw (www.shaw.ca) calls its Shaw On Demand; and Videotron's (www.videotron.ca) service is Illico on Demand. No matter the name, the concept is the same, and in all cases, the price to view video on request varies by the content, and some providers even offer certain items for free.

Choosing your digital cable box
To receive digital cable channels you'll need a terminal, or a set top box, because chances are your television isn't set up to receive a digital cable signal. (It's kind of like the old days when televisions only handled cable channels up to 13 and you needed a box to see the upper channels of regular cable service.)

The standard digital cable box is a pretty basic affair, with the ability to watch channels and order streamed content on demand. Recording programs to a VCR is another story, requiring a level of coordination between your electronic devices that is at best frustrating, and at worst so daunting that people who are a bit put off by technology will just give up. It's simple enough when you're there to record the program or you only have one program to record: route your digital cable through the VCR and leave it on that channel while the VCR does its thing. If you have to go away for a few days and want to record multiple items on multiple channels, you're most likely out of luck.

Because demand for VCRs is steadily declining, the chance of new models with digital cable tuners being introduced is pretty slim. Expect DVD recorders and hard drive recorders to take over in this area.

Late in 2003, Rogers Cable introduced the personal video recorder (PVR) as an alternative for its digital cable subscribers. The PVR features an internal hard drive that allows you to record up to 50 hours of programming, and save those programs for up to 14 days, at which time they will be automatically erased. The PVR also doubles as the digital cable terminal, and it automatically downloads a program guide for programs seven days in advance; the inclusion of the digital cable receiver and the hard drive in the same unit makes recording your digital cable programming a one-touch affair from the program guide. With a bit more exploration you can set the PVR to record the program more than once, or every time it appears.

The PVR, which is manufactured by Scientific Atlanta, actually includes two tuners inside, which means you have greater flexibility than you would with most typical recorders, allowing you to record one program while watching another, watch two channels at the same time using the Picture-in-Picture function, record two programs at the same time, or even record two programs while watching a third you recorded to the machine earlier. The good news is that even while you're doing three things at the same time, the recording and playback quality is very good.

Because your programs will automatically expire after two weeks, you may want to keep your older VCR on hand to offload any programs you want to keep around for a bit. The rear of the PVR features two composite video outputs (one to your TV and one to the VCR), one S-Video output and one CATV output. There are two analogue audio outputs (the good old red and white RCA cables), but there's also one coax digital output, for hooking up to a home theatre setup.

During playback of pre-recorded material, you have the same kind of controls you would with an old school VCR, including the ability to rewind and fast-forward, with three speeds available for both.

As with other PVRs available for standard cable service, this one offers the ability to pause live programming, and even rewind it back to the point where you started watching a particular channel. There's a "Live" button on the remote that takes you back to the live signal with a single touch.

The ease of use of the remote is actually noteworthy; many of the functions that you need to operate the program guide, the live signal and the pre-recorded programs are available with a single touch, and movement through menu systems is quite easy with the buttons provided, once you get the hang of it. As we've complained about before with other gadgets, there are a few exceptions with particular buttons that are used for different functions depending on what menu you're in, but it's mostly straightforward.

The PVR is available from Rogers (www.shoprogers.com) for $20 per month for rental, which includes basic digital cable service. You can buy the PVR outright for $599.

Other regional cable providers also sell PVR equipment (manufacturer, model, and features vary by provider): Quebec's Videotron sells a PVR device for $649 ($509 with programming credits) and in Western Canada, Shaw sells an HD hard drive recorder, for $799.