Dish Alternatives: Evaluating Tivo, EyeTV, SageTV, and MythTV

Eric and I have been trying to save money and after Dish let us know that prices would be going up again, I started investigating alternatives. We both have realized that we can live without cable but not without DVR. Watching American Idol live is a painful experience. It’s must skip TV.

It seems like there are two big options. We can go with a bundled system or go with a combo of software and an HD tuner stick. I already have an unused Mac Mini available for DVR duties.

In no particular order, here are the options we’re exploring.

The Bundled Options

Tivo

The cheapest DVR with HD is $299. We’d also have to pay between $10.75 and $12.95 a month for service.

Advantages
  • Nice interface
  • Netflix integration
  • We have used it before and liked it
  • Web-integration: we can set programs to record from our computer
Disadvantages
  • Expensive
  • Locked into a 1-year service contract

Total cost for first 2 years: ~$550

EyeTV

We can buy a HD tuner stick and software bundled together for $150.

Advantages
  • Can run on a Mac
  • Comes with TV Guide interface
  • Award-winning
  • Looks relatively easy to set up
Disadvantages

Total cost for first 2 years: ~$150

The Separate Options: Software Only

All of the options below assume that you’ve purchased an HD TV tuner for between $70 and $120.

SageTV

SageTV offers a 21-day trial.

Advantages
  • Can run on a Mac
  • Looks like an easy-to-use interface
  • Supports skipping commercials
  • Lots of potential add-ins
  • Looks relatively easy to set-up
Disadvantages
  • Software is $80
  • We would have to buy a HD tuner stick to try it

Total cost for first 2 years: ~$150 (including one-time HD tuner purchase)

MythTV

MythTV is a mature open-source project. We would need to pay $20 a year for a Schedules Direct subscription.

Advantages
  • Large group of users
  • Supporting an Open Source project
  • Excellent documentation
Disadvantages
  • Does not natively support OS X. I would have to partition our hard drive.

Total cost for first 2 years: ~$110

Comments

I tried VDR (also open source software), EyeTV and I'm stuck with MythTV right now.
My excerpt:
VDR is VERY powerful and has a large user community but is not user freidly and very complicated.
EyeTV is a dream but the lack of USB Sat sticks and the need of even one more mac made me move to
MythTV - which I built a low power pc with 2 SAT cards for. I't running ok. A lot of functionality but to be honest: A lot of Linux tweaking and trying out. If I hadn't bought the SAT PC ... I'd stick with EyeTV (because I discovered that Terratec USB Sat sticks DO work).

You have to decide: Easy and a few bucks or even more powerful and tweak some linux yourself.

Thanks Jan. It sounds like EyeTV is the easiest route since I have a Mac already. I'll be sure to check out VDR too.

Hi,
I think EyeTV fits my mac.
thanks for posting.