
Digital video
recorders (DVRs) really enhance the TV watching experience. By giving consumers options to record
several shows at once, pause during live viewings, programming favorites for
recording, etc.
If you are contemplating purchasing a DVR, the number of devices that are on the market
may surprise you. Which DVR is best for you? Selecting a DVR is
based partly on cost, features and of course hard drive size. The chart below compares the three most
popular brands of DVR: TiVo, ReplayTV, and Ultimate TV.
|
Feature
|
TiVo
DirecTV DVR
|
ReplayTV 5000/5500
|
UltimateTV
|
|
Recording Capacity - The amount of hours a DVR can record is dependent
on two things: the size of the hard drive and the quality of programming.
|
Up to 100
hours (perfect quality, largest model)
|
Up to 160
hours (lowest quality, largest model)
|
Up to 70
hours (perfect quality, largest model)
|
|
HDTV Support
|
No
- TiVo does have an HDTV model available
|
No
|
No
|
|
Record two shows at once
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Record digital video & audio directly (perfect playback
quality)
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Series Recording
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
List Shows scheduled to Record
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Date/time/channel (VCR style) scheduling
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Recognizes Reruns
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Buffers Live TV
|
Up to 30
min
|
Up to
available space capacity
|
Up to 30
min
|
|
Keyword Based Recording
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Selecting a DVR may also be
dependant on the type of satellite TV service you subscribe to. Many of the services offer DVR service
as part of their extended packages with very reasonable monthly rates or no
monthly charge at all. When selecting a DVR, it's a good idea to buy the model that is the best value you
can get for your money, works best with your satellite TV contract, and gives
you the most features.