| TV watchers who want to record their programs | | | | it has become common to see devices with |
| for later viewing will need either a DVD recorder | | | | vastly more space using one or more 1-2TB hard |
| or a personal video recorder (PVR). Both the | | | | drives. |
| industry and consumers use DVR (digital video | | | | Many modern DVR units include a DVD player as |
| recorder) and PVR interchangeably. They are both | | | | well as multiple TV tuners. Consumers can also |
| digital TV recorders. If only the choice were that | | | | purchase combination units if they like the idea of |
| simple. In fact, this choice can be tougher than | | | | the DVD recorder. These units give all the |
| another you recently made, choosing the right | | | | benefits of the DVD recorder without any of the |
| value from all those cheap LCD TVs and plasma | | | | drawbacks. However, there is a limitation. Due to |
| TVs that were available on the market. | | | | size and cost constraints, many manufacturers |
| Most people want to record television with little | | | | include just one TV tuner in these combo units. |
| fuss, and then watch it later (time-shift). If that | | | | We highly suggest that you shop around and |
| sounds like you, then you will want to avoid | | | | even pay a little extra in order to have that |
| purchasing a DVD recorder. They have their place | | | | second TV tuner. Without it, you are stuck |
| in home entertainment, but they are generally | | | | watching whatever it is that you are recording. |
| more trouble than they are worth to the casual | | | | That may not seem so bad at first. However, |
| user. The problem is that most TV watchers tend | | | | many times you will use your PVR precisely |
| to archive. DVD recorders are not a particularly | | | | because two programs are playing simultaneously. |
| convenient archiving tool for televisions, and they | | | | By buying a unit with just one tuner, you are |
| only handle two hours of quality recording at a | | | | seriously limiting the usefulness of your DVR. |
| time. It is possible to increase that to four hours | | | | You can save money a couple of ways. One, buy |
| but you do so at the cost of image quality. | | | | refurbished. Many people are afraid to do so, but |
| PVR and DVR units are different than DVD | | | | if you stick with a known brand and a reputable |
| recorders are in that they use an internal hard | | | | outlet, you're getting a like-new, warrantied |
| drive much the way that a computer does. The | | | | device. Secondly, it is generally easy to upgrade |
| greatest aspect of this is that mechanical HDDs | | | | the HDD in these devices. Therefore, you can buy |
| have gotten extremely inexpensive recently. Even | | | | the unit you want in its least expensive |
| basic PVR units boast capacities from 100-250 | | | | configuration and then upgrade it later when you |
| hours. While 250 hours used to be the maximum, | | | | see a good deal on hard drivers. |