DVR = Amazing, time saver or waster?

[tropicsgoddess]

I love DVRs, they're easy to use and I love being able to watch shows that I would normally miss (due to my odd schedule) on my own time.

[boringscreenname]

Blas we only have the basic, cheapest package through Dish Network and we have a DVR. The DVR is built into the cable box, so we only have one box for everything. It's pretty cheap too, we only pay $10-$12 a month for it, and it's just added onto our regular cable bill.

[blas87]

I don't have a cable box. Just the coaxial cable into the plug in.

[Andara Bledin]

If you have one, a DVR is a cable box. Most people don't need the actual boxes any more because nearly every TV being produced, now, has cable in as a standard connection.

^-.-^

[telecom_goddess]

Blas needs to get a cable box from the company so the dvr can be functional. It's basically a computer and the shows are stored on a hard drive.

I think it's worth whatever minor additional cost it would be. I would miss everything if I didn't record it all on the dvr.

[insertNameHere]

Blas, it depends on what kind of computer you have. My TV tuner card is USB and costed $60... one time fee, plug it into computer, depending on operating system do some annoying configuring. I only have the basic cable too. I don't like Tivo for the fact you have to pay a monthly fee. I opted to buy a dedicated computer for my DVR because I got sick of having to leave my laptop home to record stuff. Also, avoiding the cable companies DVR is another reason I built my own because ontop of the monthly fee, when you cancel it you have to give back the DVR.

I could cancel my cable right now, and not worry about losing my recorded shows.

[HYHYBT]

Mine came about a similar way: I had a laptop that was *mostly* functional, and a DVR seemed a great use for it. (The computer doing the job now, I picked up off eBay when that laptop died more completely.) I copy the recordings onto my MacBook and watch them wherever I like, and can burn them to DVD or save them to an external volume in just about any format... none of which, so far as I know, a Tivo or cable/satellite company box will do.

And if anything goes wrong with my laptop, I can hook up a monitor and such and use it as a computer

[Andara Bledin]

I'm not positive, but I'm fairly certain that I could have downloaded the programs saves on the DVR I got when I was with DirecTV.

^-.-^

[Fashion Lad!]

Fashion Lad! + DVR = unexplainable bliss.

Seriously, I love my DVR. I'm a busy person and I don't have to watch all the shows and sporting events my heart desires when they are actually on. So recording them has made my TV watching life much more happening... albeit to the determinant of my social life. (LOL).

[insertNameHere]

OMFG, my DVR computer decided to die, and i think im gonna have a heart attack....... if dell doesn't call me tomorrow im going straight to India and kicking rammit's ass.

[Boozy]

I was pretty excited about getting our DVR a few years ago. I had stopped watching TV because I could never find anything good to watch when I sat down. Unfortunately, I can't find anything worth recording. There have been a few HBO shows I like, but I can get those whenever I want on the "HBO On Demand" channel.

My husband uses it a lot for shows on the History Channel and Discovery. I think the only thing I've recorded in the last few years have been a few Food Network programs. Sometimes I'd see movie I want to watch and record that, but would often regret not renting it because of the editing and commercials. Now I have Netflicks.