Yes buy a Tivo. Xbox + Tivo cover your needs.
You have gone about making your HTPC in the wrong way. I understand your rant. I would have liked you to say "I screwed up" to make it more digestible. My HTPC rocks. Thanks to all behind VDR for that.
Cheers
Tony
Like I said. I have no beef with VDR or the way it works.
Tivo does not do Digital TV AFAIK. (At least not the Australian standard).
What other way could I have gone about making a HTPC? I've looked at available solutions and it seems regardless of the money I would be willing to spend nothing exists which would meet my needs unless I were to finance development of a new product.
One of the biggest problems is that the users of my HTPC don't want VDR as it's too complicated and unreliable. 99.9% of this is due to the hardware and not VDR itself though so I bear no ill-will to VDR.
I've already spent thousands on the HTPC and the Xbox could have provided the most expensive components for under $200AUS and done a much better job.
Regards, Michal