When the VCR was first introduced to the public, the television industry reacted with panic. Here was a device that would let people record programs, watch them when they felt like it as opposed to when the programming staff decided they should, and (scariest of all) skip through the commercials!
But the television industry survived despite the widespread popularity of VCRs. Now the dreaded VCR is in its death throes and a more modern innovation has come along that makes recording television programs even easier: the digital video recorder, or DVR.
 Photo courtesy of Amazon.com The RCA-DVR2080 can record standard or high definition television. See more DVR images and read DVR reviews. |
Several manufacturers have different DVR types on the market, including TiVo, Motorola, RCA and Scientific Atlanta. Some companies, such as ReplayTV, are targeting PC users, offering software packages that turn your computer into a DVR. In addition, Sony, Panasonic and Toshiba produce DVD recorders that include a hard drive, allowing them to act as DVRs. Some cable companies like Time Warner, Comcast and Cox offer cable television packages that include a DVR. In this article, we'll learn all about DVRs and find out what sets them apart from other recording technologies.
