| Re: IR Blaster's. Why are they disappearing?
I think it's mostly a case of market demand with a little reliability issue thrown in as well.
The non-DVR cable boxes I had over the past several years had multiple internal timers. If you wanted to record the descrambled output, you would simply set a timer on the cable box and a corresponding record program in the VCR.
It seems like my DirecTV sat box back in the mid-90s (pre-DVR ride the dinosaur to work days) may have had an IR blaster for the reasons you described since all recording had to take place downstream. Can't remember ever actually trying to use it.
Now that I think about it, my JVC S-VHS deck, late 99-00 vintage, came with an IR blaster...never could seem to get it to work properly with the DirecTV receiver.
Get the DVR option from your service provider, you'll be much happier in the end. I finally upgraded to an HDTV last year and opted for the TWC DVR at the same time...the DVR is only a $5/month upcharge. We do much more time shifting now than we did before simply due to the convenience of point-n-click to record and playback...no FF/REW to find the recorded show you wanted to watch, worry about the tape being full, or even misplacing the tape you recorded on.
Did you try to troubleshoot the Samsung box? Audible hum is usually the sign of a ground loop. Could have also been a defective unit or cable.
-Brent
|