I'm not really a "gadget person", but I just acquired a digital cable box with an integrated Digital Video Recorder (DVR) from my cable company, for less than I was paying for the digital converter by itself, and I have to say that it is nothing short of awesome (yes, I am easy to please this weekend!).
While I do have a programmable VCR, I never use that feature because it is very touchy and less than reliable.
I understand that some people have trouble...but my mother has been using a VCR for at least ten years, if not 15. It gave me great pleasure when I could call her up (from a bar, surprise) and ask her to record something for me, and she could.
Do you mean programmable with VCR+ codes?
This DVR uses the online cable guide and one can choose a program, press one button and the DVR will ask you if you only want that show or the entire series. It can record multiple shows simultaneously and you can change channels while it is recording a show. You can even pause a "live" program and resume it after the bathroom break.
When accessing a recorded show, you can see a list of shows saved, right along with the date, time and synopsis of whatever you are looking at. You can continue to save the show, commit it to video tape or erase it. It can hold a total of 40 hours of programming.
I was initially afraid that this would make me into a couch potato, but instead, it has been liberating. I can record any show, and watch it at my leisure instead of being tied to the networks programming schedule.
I am somewhat surprised that the networks have not tried to kill this technology since it allows one to skip right over commercials.
No more missing Enterprise or those late night episodes of Stargate. :-)
Gary
There's are new systems out that should break the back of TiVo and ReplayTV.
http://www.techtv.com/freshgear/products/story/0,23008,3635177,00.html
This one does not record more than one show at the same time. It uses your PC for record and playback so the quality may not be great. (For a while I only had a DVD player in my computer. Not nice to watch). But importantly you can record the shows onto a DVR if you computer has one. Even features to compress the stream to a PDA, or grab the video with a remote PC, to watch at work for example.
I've heard of another product that can record more than one show at the same time.. It is a TiVo like box with a hard drive and connections for cable and a network. (Plus I'm assuming a keyboard). The point is, you get the information about your local cable and the shows you want. No service fees, no other fees after the initial purchase, and it's cheap to begin with.
I know of a third that will do the same with satellite broadcasts. DirectTV is fighting it, Dish network wasn't.
I agree with Gary; very soon broadcast TV will step in to block commercial blocking products.
Anyone want to discuss channel bundling; the fight between Viacom and Dish Network last week? Viacom said 'You want CBS; you have to take MTV, VH1, BET and CMT.' (Or maybe it was just bundling MTV and VH1 with BET and CMT.) This probably goes to the fool's contention that all media conglomerates are bad. If BET cannot survive on it's own, then it should reduce costs or fold. Cable companies say it would cost too much to offer ala Carte programming, to be able to tailor each household without a set top digital receiver for each TV. Satellite providers could do it since each TV needs a receiver, but have not.
I probably would be paying more if I had ala carte options. But there are so many channels I now have blocked so I don't waste time when channel surfing. And of course many that I don't get at all because they are in a higher level package.
I read an economic article explaining the benefits of bundling, but it was for the cable station not the home viewer. Well, some home viewers benefited because they got a station that might not exist if they had to support themselves. Would I want to lose OLN, no. But if OLNs biggest expense was getting the rights for the TDF or World Cup skiing, then they should bid lower and either TDF would accept the lower price, or they'd lose the coverage and any money they got.
Heck, that's the problem with the NHL. They pay players too much and expect ESPN and ABC (the same thing) to pay higher TV rights. Just like taxpayers, the consumers are getting overcharged as a group for something they may not want. The NHL will probably fold next year. When the NFL rights come up, I believe the networks will not offer as much money.
Kevin T. - VRWC
Enough for now
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