Get More out of Your DVR

Cable and satellite DVRs have a number of things in common with your computer.  As a matter of fact, DVRs are computers.  Your DVR lays home to a processor, RAM, and an internal hard drive that stores the movies, TV series, and sporting events that you record.  TV providers have done a good job of making DVR recording simple. Whenever you need to record, use your remote to cue the interactive menu that appears on your screen.  Scheduling recordings now becomes a simple matter of just pushing a button or two on your remote.  In order for your home DVR to work as intended, you'll need to hook it up to your TV set's video input.  This makes it so your DVR can configure to the the channel and program that you direct for recording.  All told, DVR recording ushers in a new era of convenient TV watching.  One feature that you'll definitely enjoy is pausing and playing back on-air shows.  This includes both previously recorded programs and those that air live, such as sporting events and awards shows.  Ultimately, a show stops being live whenever you hit the pause button.  This may trouble some purists, but keep in mind that it will prevent you from missing one second of the action.  Television providers like Dish Net, Time Warner, and Charter Communicationshave begun to issue DVRs that function as both receivers and digital video recorders.  Two-in-one combinations save space, and a home entertainment center with less clutter around it is always a positive thing.  Overall, most TV service providers charge an additional monthly fee for the use of your DVR.  This is because cable and satellite companies usually lease rather than sell you a DVR.  It is possible to buy a DVR outright. If you shop for one at a retail electronics store, know that DVRS aren't necessarily universal.  Sometimes they only come formatted to work with a cable or satellite system, not both.  Really, this isn't something to worry about too much; just be mindful of it.  Otherwise, get ready to enjoy how much your DVR has to offer. Compared to VCRs and recordable DVD players, DVRs offer a great deal more.  Designing a wide assortment of your favorite shows has never been easier and more rewarding.  Even with DVR service rich with possibilities, know that it does feature a shortcoming: limited storage space.  Internal hard drive sizes vary by models, but frequent recorders may crave extra space than what they have.  On that note, you have some options for doing exactly that.  External hard drives connect directly to your DVR and make it easy to boost the number of available gigabytes.  You may also look into DVR models that you can hookup to your broadband service.  Find a DVR configured for this and you can store recorded titles on your computer hard drive.  If you like having hard copies of your DVR recordings, you may like the idea of a DVR with a ready-built DVD burner. Compared to the recording devices of yesteryear, a DVR delivers so much more.  Building a customized setup of your favorite shows and video titles has never been more straightforward and accessible.  As much potential as DVRs hold, they do feature a minor flaw.  Storage is limited, but you do have options for expanding it.  Opting for an external DVR hard drive that connects to your base DVR is a simple way of adding extra gigabytes of space.  Some DVRs come ready-built with DVD burners if you like the idea of keeping hard copies.  Becoming increasingly common are DVRs that connect to your computer’s broadband connection.  This allows you to store DVR recordings directly on your hard drive.