Best Digital Video Recorders

Didn't you ever wish you can press stop and rewind so you can catch your favorite show on TV? With TiVo, all these are possible. You never have to miss your favorite sports game and primetime show just because you weren't able to make it home on time. TiVo will record them for you, so TV viewing can be at your full convenience.

What is TiVo?

The two smart men behind TiVo are Jim Barton and Mike Ramsay. Their initial plan was to create a home network device but ended up introducing a new technology for digitizing video using a hard disk. From Teleworld, the company became known as TiVo, Inc. TiVo was first tested in public in the San Francisco Bay area in 1998. Giving viewers the ability to pause, rewind, and record their favorite shows on TV, TiVo became a hit. Today, the service is not only available in the US, but also in Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the UK. The service is available through subscription.

TiVo as a source of entertainment

TiVo is dubbed as one of the world's best DVR. Well, who could imagine that there would soon be a time when we can easily control live and recorded shows in a few strokes? No need to worry about your favorite show changing its time slot, or missing an episode or any famous line by award-winning actors, as you can always go for instant replays or play it in slow motion. If you're about to make dinner or take a quick shower, all you have to do is press the button for pause. You don't have to go search for your own world of entertainment elsewhere, because it's right in your home with TiVo. Other neat features include quick search through titles, actors, categories, and keywords. Scheduled recordings are also a possibility for your PC or phone. If you want to exert parental control, you can easily do so through its KidZone features. Have the power to choose the best programs for your kids.

TiVo also reserves a room for connectivity and expansion. With TiVo's wireless adapter, you can easily get connected to a wireless home network and enjoy movie, music, photo downloads, and more. Also worth checking out are its nifty additions like the My DVR Expander and the TiVo Glo remote control.

A DVD Recorder can be a great addition to your home entertainment system. With a DVD Recorder, you can record your favorite shows and burn copies into DVD disks. If you think that you need a DVD Recorder, then consider the different brands available. These have their own sets of pros and cons.

Top brands that sell DVD recorders

Top entertainment labels have come out with their own series of DVD Recorders. This includes Panasonic, Sony, Pioneer, Toshiba, RCA and Samsung. One of the popular models under Panasonic is the Panasonic DMR-EH50S DVD Recorder Hard Drive Combination. This is a feature-packed model, with a 100GB hard drive. Another popular model, this time under Sony, is the Sony RDR-GX315 DVD Recorder. This is a very flexible DVD Recorder because its recorded output is compatible with most number of DVD players.

Tips when looking for a DVD recorder

When looking for a DVD Recorder, it is a good idea to have a list of features that you need. The feature lists of DVD recorders vary per manufacturer. This also creates pricing discrepancies between models. If you have a budget to consider, it is best to have a list of must-have features. Select the most suitable model that’s within your price range.

A DVD Recorder is a good investment. Not only does it complete your entertainment center, you can also expect loads of fun from it.

If you are shopping for a DVR, you may have noticed that they are not very cheap. If you are looking for DVRs from the best brands such as Sony, Sharp, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, to name a few, a typical DVR would cost you around $155 to $400. Popular brands like TiVO retail for about $700.

Top considerations when buying a DVD recorder

The brand is always a top consideration when buying a DVR recorder because different brands outfit their models with different features and specifications. However, you should also think about how much you are willing to spend, and what models fit your budget. Knowing what you want to do with your recorder also helps. If you simply want something to record TV shows with, TiVo or ReplayTV are good choices. If you want to record shows on a hard drive and then transfer them to a DVD, then you should choose a top set DVR with a built-in recorder.

Top DVD recorder brands

Making a wise buy involves making a comparison between the top DVR brands and choosing what you think is best. The top brands in the market today are TiVo, ReplayTV, and Ultimate TV. TiVo remains to be the biggest seller in the US today, followed by ReplayTV, which works with the home PC to allow you to record your favorite shows on you TV.

A DVR is not a cheap buy, so compare brands, know what your needs are, and choose which brands are within your budget.