The New TV Recorders
The once wondrous VCR is practically an antique nowadays as TiVo machines, DVD recorders and even newer high-tech options for recording TV programs abound.
Bottom Line/Personal asked two senior technology market research analysts, Samir Bhavnani and Toni Duboise, to explore the pros and cons of the new devices…
DVRs Are Easiest To Use
Today’s digital video recorders (DVRs) record onto a computer-style hard drive for later viewing. There are different makers and models of DVRs, but TiVo is by far the best known.
Pros: Once you understand how a DVR works, you will find it easier to record programs with it than with a VCR—and it offers more flexibility. Simply select a program from an on-screen guide using the remote control, and follow a few on-screen directions.
You can…
- Instruct the DVR to find and record your favorite shows anytime they air. The latest generation of DVRs can fit hundreds of hours of television programs on their hard drives.
- Search for and record any movie with a particular actor or director.
- Program most TiVos remotely through the TiVo Web site.
- Watch one program while your DVR is recording a different one.
- Start watching a recorded program from the beginning at the same time the DVR finishes recording the end.
Once the DVR gets to know your tastes, it can choose programs to record based on what your history of shows watched indicates you might enjoy.
Also…
- Playback is as simple as choosing recorded programs from an on-screen menu with your remote control.
- DVRs automatically make temporary recordings of any program you watch, typically for up to 30 minutes, so you can pause and even rewind “live” programming, then fast-forward through commercials.
- Some DVRs have an automatic “30-second skip” function to make it easier to jump past recorded commercials.
- DVR picture quality is as good as live television.
Cons: Because DVRs record programs on a hard drive, you can’t just pop out a recording and play it in a different machine somewhere else, as you can with VCRs. Exception: Some DVRs include DVD drives that allow you to record onto a DVD disk. You then can play the disk on your computer or any DVD player.
The second major drawback is cost. DVRs typically cost about $200, plus a subscription fee (usually $5 to $20 a month). A high-definition TiVo Series 3 costs $800 plus shipping if you order on-line.
Selecting a DVR: TiVo isn’t just the best-known DVR—it is considered the easiest to use and most reliable. But DVRs offered by your cable or satellite television provider may be best for you. They might not be as well-designed as the TiVo, but if you buy or rent through your cable or satellite company, you’re likely to get a subsidized price…better customer service…and a DVR designed to work seamlessly with your programming feed.
Important: If you have a high-definition television, make sure the DVR is designed to record high-def programming.
DVD Recorders Are Best Value
Slightly more complicated than DVRs, DVD recorders record onto DVD disks rather than videotapes. Some also include videotape decks, so a library of VHS tapes can be converted to DVD format. (They will, however, have less than the usual digital picture quality.) A few high-end DVD recorders even include hard drives and access to on-screen program guides, matching many of the functions of DVRs but without the monthly fee.
Pros: DVD recorders…
- Are cheaper than DVRs because they do not require a monthly subscription fee.
- Allow you to watch recorded programs not only on TV but also on a laptop computer with a DVD drive or on a portable DVD player.
- Are more convenient than hard drives for TV viewers who like to save copies permanently.
Cons: Unlike a DVR…
- A DVD recorder cannot pause or rewind live programming, and standard single-deck DVD recorders cannot play and record at the same time. (Double-deck DVD recorders can do this.)
- Most DVD recorders do not have on-screen program guides, so they’re just as tricky to program as VCRs. (A few high-end DVD recorders do provide access to on-screen guides, but these tend to cost hundreds more than standard DVRs, and their on-screen guides are not compatible with all cable and satellite systems.)
- If you want to record in high definition with a DVD recorder, you will have to make a costly bet. Currently, there are two separate, noncompatible high-definition DVD formats battling for market share—Blu-ray and HD-DVD. As owners of Sony’s Betamax VCR learned two decades ago, it’s likely that only one format will survive. If you select the wrong one, you will be left with an out-of-date technology.
Selecting a DVD recorder. Leading models include the Panasonic DMR-EH75VS, which has an 80-gigabyte (GB) hard drive capable of recording up to 142 hours of programming, access to an on-screen guide and a VCR deck, in addition to a DVD player/recorder (around $500)…the Panasonic DMR-ES45VS, another DVD recorder and VCR combo (around $300)…and Toshiba D-RW2 DVD Player/Recorder, a lower-priced model (around $150).
Media Center PCs Combine Computer and Recorder
Certain personal computers can record and play TV programs. These media center PCs provide all the functions of DVRs, and like DVRs, they record television programming onto a hard drive for viewing on a TV. But with a media center PC, there is no monthly subscription fee…and the hard drive is part of your home computer, not an independent unit.
Media center PCs offer access to a wealth of information that DVRs cannot. You can quickly call up movie reviews on your TV screen before deciding if a film is worth watching…or pause a movie and call up its credits to see if an actress is who you think she is.
Expect to spend $1,000 or more for a media center PC.
The current generation is appropriate only for people who are very comfortable working with computers…and who are willing to put up with the occasional glitch.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Samir Bhavnani, director of research for computing, consumer electronics and storage at Current Analysis, a market research firm with offices in Paris, San Diego and Washington, DC. He is a member of several global advisory councils that provide feedback on new technologies to Dell, Lenovo, Panasonic and Toshiba. Toni Duboise, senior analyst for desktop computing at Current Analysis, also was interviewed for information on media center PCs. She has 10 years of experience as a PC analyst.
(Article originally published June 1, 2007)
Reprinted with the permission of:
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