The Many Benefits of Owning a DVR

Has This Ever Happened To You? OK.. it's Friday night, the kids are asleep, and a movie you've been waiting for is on Pay-Per-View for the first time. You buy the movie, grab a bag of popcorn, get all comfy on the couch, and ten minutes into the movie "RINGGGG" it's the _______ phone!!! (you fill in the blank).

Well, you can either:

1)Let the answering machine get it

2)Answer it yourself and miss the movie

3)Hit pause, answer the phone, talk for 20 minutes, then resume watching the movie exactly where you left off!

If you answered #3 then you must have a DVR in the family. LIFE IS GOOD!

For those unfamiliar with DVR's a short introduction is in order. The initials "DVR" are short for Digital Video Recorder. In a nutshell, a DVR is the modern day equivalent of a VCR with one major difference... it does not use tape. A DVR records audio and video onto a hard drive where they are stored in digital format. DVR's take recording to a whole new level by enabling you to pause, rewind, slo-mo, and instant replay live TV broadcasts, a priceless feature to have when watching sporting events or Pay-Per-View movies.

Can a DVR really change the way you live your life? Well, you'd be surprised about all the benefits adding a Digital Video Recorder to your Home Entertainment system can have. A DVR is one of those rare products that can have such a profound impact on the way we live our lives that we'll find ourselves wondering how we ever lived without it. Following is a list of some of the major benefits a DVR can add to your TV viewing experience, along with a brief explanation.

Take control of a live TV broadcast: One of the features that helped make DVR's famous is their power to control a live TV broadcast. By buffering the satellite signal, your DVR can pause, rewind, and slo-motion a live TV broadcast. When your done you can resume the program without missing a thing.

Never miss your favorite shows again: If your schedule doesn't permit you to be around to watch your favorite shows, just program your DVR to record them for you so you can watch them at your convenience.

Put an end to family squabbles: With a DVR in your life family arguments over who gets to watch their favorite shows on the big screen TV are a thing of the past.

Two of your favorite shows on at the same time? No Problem: If your DVR is equipped with dual tuners, you can have it record one show while you watch the other. If you are not going to be home, you can have your DVR record both shows (even though they are on at the same time) and watch them at your convenience.

More powerful yet Easier to use than a VCR: Most DVR's include a feature rich Program Guide that can extend up to 14 days into the future. The DVR functions are then seamlessly integrated into the guide to make recording your favorite shows a snap.

Skip over annoying commercials: With a DVR there's no need to sit through annoying commercials any more. While watching a recorded show, just hit the fast forward button and they'll fly right by. Some DVR's can fast forward in 30 second segments making it even easier to skip over unwanted commercials.

Play your MP3 music files over your sound system: If you've got an extensive array of MP3 music files on your PC, you can transfer them to your networked DVR and play them through your home entertainment system.

Watch digital photos on your big screen TV: Are you tired of having to huddle around a tiny computer monitor to view your digital photos? With a networked DVR, everyone can get comfortable and enjoy digital photos right on your big screen TV.

Both DirecTV and DISH Network offer Satellite receivers with Digital Video Recorders built right in. In addition, many cable providers are also beginning to offer this technology to their customers. Once you live with a DVR, I can almost guarantee that you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.

© Written By: Michael Casamento

Michael Casamento is the founder of SatelliteTVSmarts.com offering comprehensive comparisons, along with the latest News, Deals, and Information on Digital Satellite TV, and Internet Access.

For more information visit: http://www.satellitetvsmarts.com

This article may be freely reproduced so long as the above resource box is included in its entirety.

---

How To Search Your PC With Google Desktop

In this era of Internet, most people are frequent users... Read More

Deleting and Destroying Data Forever

Peoples' private information needs to stay private, even after it... Read More

Portable Technology: Getting to Know the Treo

Up until the recent past, those who wanted to take... Read More

SOBIG.F Virus Promises Ill Be Back

On 21 August 2003 Symantec Security Response upgraded the W32.SOBIG.F... Read More

Is Online DVD Rental or Pay-Per-View the Best Way to Get Your Movies?

With renting methods such as online DVD rental and pay-per-view,... Read More

Upgrading Your PC for Non-experts

IntroOne of the big advantages of PCs over earlier types... Read More

Best PC Pocket GPS

Stop Getting LostOne of the greatest uses for a pocket... Read More

5 Ways to Speed Up Your PC

No matter how fast your processor and regardless of how... Read More

Make Windows XP Run Faster!

A friend told me: "My computer startup seems to be... Read More

Toshiba Wins Hollywood Support for the HD DVD format

What led them to this choice, as all four studios... Read More

Why There Are Color Differences in Printing from Your PC

This article describes the basic properties of color, what the... Read More

Freezing - Time To Warm Up Your PC

Freezing is also known as crashing or hanging. It's frustrating.... Read More

USB Drives - What to Look For in a USB Device

Those small USB drives have so many names, pocket drives,... Read More

Occupational Therapy and PDAs

Occupational Therapy Made EasierMedical downloads for the pda have improved... Read More

How Does a Palm Pilot Work?

Just The Facts, Ma'mPalm pilots are all the rage now.... Read More

Your Computer Cant Keep Time

A computer needs a certain amount of information to operate;... Read More

An All Too Familar Pain

Lost & Found for the 21st CenturyIn today's hectic world... Read More

How Do MP3 Players Work? Digital Audio Technology Revolutionizes Music Enjoyment

Millions have enjoyed recorded music since 1877 when Thomas Edison... Read More

Healthy Webmasters Choose Ergonomic Computer Products

Webmasters usually sit at their computers much longer in a... Read More

What Are You Looking For In A Cheap MP3 Player?

Are you stymied by the vast offerings in cheap mp3... Read More

10 Tips to SPEED Up Your PC

1. Let your PC boot up completely before opening any... Read More

Home Video? Bring it On

So you got yourself a digital camcorder. If you want... Read More

Cut Through the Hype and Make the Right Digital Camera Comparisons

There are soooo many choices. With all the styles and... Read More

More Cool Web Tricks

If you ask most people what frustrates them most about... Read More

Registry Tools Demystified

Not sure what Windows registry is or how it works?... Read More

If You are the Only User on Your Windows XP Computer, Do You Think One User Account Is Enough?

I am going to assume that you are running windows... Read More

2 PC Annoyances and How To Solve Them!

I have a love-hate relationship with my computer.In fact, often... Read More

Back Up, Back Up, Back Up!

This is not your typical lost data story. I was... Read More

How to Set Up Simple File Sharing WinXP

The first step is: Start > My DocumentsSo you have... Read More

Reliable File and Folder Sharing in Windows Xp

This tip is on sharing files and folders on a... Read More

Getting Started with HTML

The basic language of the internet is html. If you... Read More

MobiTV and Visual Stimulation Imput for Personal Cognitive Performance

Stimulus thru Caffiene or Visual Input?It appears that the Mobi... Read More

Simple Overview Of Computer

Computer is an electronic machine work on the instructions of... Read More