The Differences Between DVRs

DVR, TiVo, huh? The Duo clear up the recorder confusion with a history lesson.

It's a full-service episode ofDigital Duothis week, as Steve and Angela provide a bit of useful background about the DVR scene. TiVo is the original name in digital video recorders, and many people use "TiVo" to mean a DVR of any sort. (This doesn't sit well with the TiVo people, as you might imagine.) New TiVo boxes don't cost much, and a lot of people prefer the TiVo interface above all others. TiVos also offer some unique features. For instance, some models will let you connect multiple TiVos over your home network. That way, you can record a program on the living-room box and watch it later in the bedroom. And some TiVos let you program the unit over the Web--perfect for the night you realize you're going to get home late from work and miss the MTV special you forgot to program in at home.

A TiVo will also fill up the unused parts of its hard drive with shows it thinks you might like, based on the material you've already selected. Sometimes it guesses your tastes pretty well, and you get a glimpse of programs you might not have otherwise noticed. But TiVo also puts stand-alone commercials on your hard drive--though you don't necessarily have to watch them.

Life with TiVo isn't all bliss. First, TiVo charges a monthly fee for its service--which amounts to keeping the program guide refreshed. Second, most models only have one tuner. That means you can't record two shows at once--or watch one live show while TiVo is recording another. (You can watch a recorded show from the hard drive while TiVo is recording something else.) And some users don't like how TiVo's making nice with some of the networks--allowing them to have shows deleted from your own personal TiVo after a certain amount of time, in one case. Not good, grumbles consumer-oriented Angela.

Another problem is that except for one high-end DirecTV model , TiVos can't handle high-definition content. And with that same exception, they can be hard to set up, because you have to use a device called an IR blaster to let them control your cable or satellite box. An IR blaster is a small, infrared device that sits near your DVR. It mimics the actions of your remote; this process introduces a small but potentially annoying "lag" to your remote use. And there's another problem that drives Angela nuts: When you're programming a TiVo, you can't hear or see what's happening on TV.These IR blasters aren't just a pest unto TiVo, though; you'll find you need them on the DVD DVRs, too.

You can also, at least in theory, use your PC to record your TV for free. There are a few options, but the Duo decide to focus on the machines that come with Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition software. Steve says right up front that he's no fan of these things. They give you an on-screen guide free over the Net, so there's no monthly subscription fee--one point in their favor. But beyond that, crashes and heartache seem to be the norm. Angela points out the obvious problem: Now you're asking your PC, already the least-reliable major piece of electronics in your house, to double as your entertainment center. Unless you're either watching on your PC or willing to mess with a lot of connecting stuff to other stuff, what's the point? Prices have dropped, sure, but plenty of low-end models cut costs by excluding the all-important TV tuner. Overall, not a concept that appeals to the Duo. They suggest you pass.

So now that you know all this, what's the best way to hook yourself up with a DVR, preferably one that's both inexpensive and easy to use? Next segment tells all.