Don't Touch That Dial By Leander Kahney 02:00 AM Nov. 19, 2004 PT Wired News Plextor's ConvertX PVR is a slick little hardware box that turns a PC or a Mac into a digital video recorder, but it has a big problem. Costing about $200, the ConvertX PVR pauses and records live TV, and automatically records favorite shows every time they air. In fact, it does just about everything a stand-alone digital video recorder does, and something extra: Shows can easily be burned to CD or DVD. It's almost perfect except for one glaring shortcoming: If you use a set-top box, it can't change channels. The ConvertX PVR has no hardware for switching channels on a cable or satellite box, which are used by more than 45 percent of viewers, according to Plextor. Most stand-alone DVRs, like a TiVo, include a serial connector or infrared "IR blaster" that changes channels by firing a close-range signal at the set-top box, just like a remote control. It's clunky, but it works. ... http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,65762,00.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways: - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at FreeLists.org - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.