I have a RCA DRC8030N DVR, worked semi-okay, for time shifting. It is an analog recorder 80gigs HardDrive IDE, a DVD burner single layer. The DVR started to pixellate about a month ago and a few days ago it started to boot up to the menu screen, then just shut off, a on button push would just get the Hello message on the LED front panel. I had bought a Seagate 160 gig IDE drive to upgrade a few months before, so I changed it out. Directions from another video blog said it would auto format the drive, but it also just would get the Hello message and get no farther. Pushing the "format drive" front panel button combination didn't help at any time. The same blog/forum suggested the DVD burner may have gone bad, since removing the burner would cause the DVR not to boot also. I've ordered a DVD burner to try this repair and I can put it in a computer if it doesn't help.

Long story short;

1: Any ideas out there
2: Is there a good non subscription PVR/ DVR unit (standalone) to buy, do they still exist?? At the time I bought this unit they seemed to be around, but have seemed to disappear from the market with the digital conversion.

I understood some TIVO's could be used as basic vcr's at one time, can they still do that? I'm to cheap to pay subscription fees.

3: What would be a minimum computer system need to be to add a tuner card and get okay video for time shifting.


Bought unit spring of 2007, HD dated Oct 2006, Seemed to be a Wal-mart only item, not even supported by RCA web site!!