With a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) You're the Programming DirectorSome people say once you use a digital video recorder you'll wonder how you ever watched TV without one. A DVR is the closest thing to a DVD recorder. It's a tapeless VCR that eliminates those stacks of unlabeled videotapes that haunt us all.
As you can imagine these DVRs come in a variety of hard drive sizes. Some of these digital video recorders allow you to share your shows like MP3 files in "peer to peer" file sharing. Remember Napster? There are links below to articles about several different types of DVR available today. A digital video recorder can copy broadcast signals onto a computer hard disk. This allows for the famous "pause live TV" feature you've all heard about. Of course you're not really pausing live TV but what this feature does do is allow simultaneous recording and playback of the same program at the same time essentially letting you watch the beginning of a show (time shifted of course) while the end is being recorded. When you use a DVR there is no more waiting for the recording to finish before you can start to view it. The TiVO system allows you to "pause live TV" for up to 30 minutes. When you're ready you can fast forward, rewind to catch something you may have missed or watch your show in slow motion. If you press the record button you save the show on your hard drive.
Some of the most desirable features on a digital video recorder is the tools they offer to help you find the programs you want to record. All digital video recorders offer search tools of some sort, usually by name of program, name of actors, and in some cases more sophisticated options such as keyword searches.
The TiVo service offers two functions: Wish Lists and Season Passes. Wish Lists allow you to type in names or keywords that you want to keep an eye out for. For example, a Wish List might look for everything starring Mel Gibson, or any movie with the word "ghost" in the title. Season Passes allow you to tell the machine to record a single program, with the option of some advanced specifications. For example, you can tell it to always record "The King of Queens" or you can tell it to only record first-run episodes. The TiVO DVR has the most powerful interface and it's the easiest to use. They use English phrases such as "Watch live TV" as opposed to icons for menu choices. You can navigate their program guide and search for shows by: title, actor, director, time and channel.
TiVO controls satellite and cable boxes using either an IR blaster or on newer boxes a serial cable. Their service has a program guide for all satellite and cable providers. Digital video recorders download the program listings using internal modems and your phone line. These calls are typically made at off peak hours to keep from interfering with your phone service.
Once you've selected a program to record, you have four choices of picture quality: basic, medium, high, or best. You can teach a TiVo DVR the kind of shows you like by pressing "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down" on the TiVo remote. TiVo automatically records your favorite shows and others you might like that match your preferences. All your shows on a digital video recorder are recorded digitally so there's no searching through videotape to find your shows.
The TiVO DVR connects to your TV and the outside world via: a pair of A/V outputs with 1 S-Video jack, an A/V input with S-Video, an RF coaxial input/output, jacks for the IR blaster and the serial cable, a phone jack and a USB port. Major Quirks: The picture quality is not as sharp as a DVD recorder. You have to either pay for a monthly service ($9.95-$12.95) for the program guide or a $250 lifetime service plan. The lifetime service plan is only good for the life of the machine. Buy a new machine, buy a new service plan. The media and the recorder are one and the same so its greatest strength can also be its weakness. For example the DVR lacks the mobility of videotapes.
Conclusion: Once you own a TiVO system you'll probably wonder how you got by without one. Being your own programming director gives you enormous power over your viewing habits. Personally I have the self discipline to wait until a DVD recorder with these features comes along.
Here's a link to the TiVO forum.
The TiVO forum.
Here's another digital video recorder that's more intriguing than TiVO. SONICblue's Replay TV DVR Check out the revamped TiVo Series 2 The new, revamped TiVo DVR Direct TV has jumped into the TiVo game with its own version of a DVR follow the link to Direct TV' s TiVo powered DVR Follow the link to Dish Network's digital video recorder. The Dish Network's digital video recorder, the DVR 921.
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