Digital Trends

Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000

September 13th, 2004 | by Jeff Fila

Is it a TiVo Killer?

Scientific Atltanta's Explorer 8000 DVR does not have the networking capabilities or advanced scheduling and recording options available with ReplayTV or TiVo. However, in many respects it is just as useful as those competing products and it wins on a few points, most notably the dual tuner feature.

It's hard to say what can be done with future DVR solutions since digital rights management comes into play. Manufacturers such as Scientific Atlanta may not be able to add the networking or DVD recording capabilities to their products that many home-built PC-based DVRs offer because of copyright infringement threats.

With the prospect of future updates, we're looking forward to seeing what Scientific Atlanta has in store for the Explorer 8000 and other DVR products. We'd like to see the ability to edit recorded shows, schedule recordings remotely via the web, and share recordings with other DVRs in the house. The company's literature on the Explorer 8000 also mentions future e-mail and web browsing capabilities but we are unsure of how and when such features would be implemented.

A more robust scheduling feature and the ability to show digital images either through a network or via the USB or 1394 ports will be welcome additions, as would the ability to search for specific shows by title, actor, or genre. If Scientific Atlanta keeps progressing with their Explorer line of DVRs and adds networking capabilities and enables the USB and FireWire ports, it will certainly give TiVo and ReplayTV some hearty competition.

Conclusion

If we had written this review only a few weeks earlier, we would have given the Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000 a poor rating because of the extreme remote lag and its odd recording behaviors. However, a recent software update has made the Explorer 8000 a highly responsive and useful DVR. There is absolutely no remote lag - something that even TiVo and ReplayTV can't claim - and its recording options are much better than they were before the update.

The Explorer 8000 beats TiVo and ReplayTV with several exclusive features such as dual tuners, the ability to natively tune digital cable stations, and in its overall costs. Scientific Atlanta has also proved its commitment to improving the product by issuing automatic software upgrades that take care of the product's problems and its users' complaints. The company also offers an HDTV version of the Explorer, another option not available from TiVo and ReplayTV.

If you are looking for a cost-effective DVR that works seamlessly with your digital cable service the Explorer 8000 may be your only choice. Fortunately, it is a pretty solid choice that keeps getting better. Simply put, the Explorer 8000 is the best and least expensive DVR option for those with digital cable.