Recording TV
 

Long story short- I work nights, bought Tivo to record shows like First Take, His & Hers, PTI, most ESPN talk shows and Suns/Cards games. During install it asked for some M card-no idea what it is, I got free basic cable cuz DirecTV wants extra for FSAZ- and find out I have to pay $15 monthly fee in addition to buying the device. Immediately returned it to the store.

Anyone know of any other way to record TV. Holding capacity of 20 hours or so would be more than enough. Thanks

You could get a DVR from your cable company but there will probably be a charge (but not as much as TiVo).

I believe there may be a way to use a PC to record but expect it may be more cumbersome than a DVR with channel / programming guide.

Your choices are the DVR from your cable company (~$10/mo with a TERRIBLE interface) or a TiVo ($15/mo with stellar interface). I have TiVo and I love it.

So, first issue. Tivo does not work with satellite at all, period. They only work with over-the-air and cable systems.

Second, the M-card you referred to is the card used to decrypt the cable channels. Your cable company is required by federal law to provide one free or at a nominal fee (like $2ish per month). Once you get it you install it in the Tivo and it enables it to decrypt and tune the cable channels you receive.

You are correct that Tivo charges an additional monthly fee for their service. They do provide a very good service though. The guide data is always awesome and beats the hell out of any box the cable company can provide. One alternative you can look at is getting a lifetime subscription for your Tivo box. I have a Tivo HD that I have been using for 5 years that has this service on it. The price can be a little steep (~$300-$400) but it is a one-time fee and provides service on that box for as long as you use it.

As others have said, you could look at building a custom DVR solution from a computer but there is a lot of knowledge you need to get that done.