PFB BrainChain(sm): DVR Thumbs Up Or Down?

BTW thumbs up!!! ways up!!!! stellar up!!!

1. Do you use one?

YES! TIVO!!! WOULD NOT HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY!

2. Which company supplies your DVR?
TIVO,TIVO, TIVO,


3. What are the benefits of using a DVR?
I watch when I am ready!!


4. Are there any cons to using a DVR?
Not enough time to watch! lack of space even with a bigger drive! too
many shows!!! aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!

5. How often do you use your DVR?
whats more than daily?

THUMBS UP

1. Yes I use one
2. Cox Communications
3. Easy interface with the cable guide, much easier than trying to
program a VCR
4. I have not found any disadvantages over using a VCR
5. I use my DVR DAILY .. LOVE IT!

YES!
DIsh network
I can actually watch a show when I have time. With a fulltime job and
four kids that need to be places it is the only way for me to watch a
show I like, when I want to. And fast forward through the commercials.
And save up several episodes to watch at one time. COns... well, you
can miss part of a show if it is running late. But you can set your
timer up if you know this in advance (after foorball games etc.) I use
it every day. It is a luxury that I really enjoy!

1.Yes, I use a DVR. 2. Time Waner Cable. 3. Many, the one benefit I
use the most is the recording. I love to schedule ahead in case I
forget to watch or I am busy.I like watching a live program but sit
down to watch after it starts and then I can fast forward the
commercials. 4. I haven't found any yet. 5. Everyday. A thumbs up from
me.

I don't have cable TV and don't want it, nor do I want a dish. Can I
use a DVR without having cable or satellite? Or I need
cable/satellite in order for the product/service to work?

As you can tell, I know absolutely NOTHING about this product/service.

Nope, do not own one.

why? I never watch TV. the only shows I do watch are ones I d/l from
itunes
(Lost and BattleStar Galactica)

I d/l the entire season, watch each episode back to back in bed with
no commercials on my husbands day off. :)

Thumbs way up!
1. Yes I use one.
2. Dish Network. (Hope they win the Court battle!)
3. I can record a whole season of my favorite shows, to automatically
record when I can't be there to watch. Then I can start them when I
want. Sometimes I can't get to my 7:00 show until 7:30, and I simply
start watching it then, breezing through the commercials. I often
have two channels taping at the same time.
4. There's only two channels to tape at one time, and you must watch
one of them, or watch a DVD while both are recording. Sometimes I
can't control which of the two shows comes on TV1, and which comes on
TV2. In my house, TV1 is the living room, TV2 is the bedroom. If
there are three shows you want to watch, you just miss one of them.
5. Several times a week, sometimes daily. There's shows I tape that
my hubby doesn't like, I record them to watch on my lunch hour, when
there's nothing on. I DO like my mindless tv and coffee at lunch to
unwind.

Just a thought, if Dish loses the Court battle with TIVO, we will
definitely be buying a TIVO with a lifetime subscription. I can't
imagine going back to life without DVR.

1. Do you use one?

Yes

2. Which company supplies your DVR?

ReplayTV

3. What are the benefits of using a DVR?

Random access. I no longer need to watch shows in the order they were
recorded. I can keep and delete at will.

Program guide. I'm too cheap to pay for digitial cable. I can search
for shows that contain key words.

I can download the shows to my PC and then put them on my iPod. 90%
of the TV I've watched in the last month has been on my iPod from
downloads from my ReplayTV.

A video tape maxes out at 6 or 8 hours. I can let my DVR records 10
times that without having to change tapes.

I can record and watch something already recorded at the same time.

Being able to pause or "replay" live TV. No more "what did they say?"
I can just jump back and hear (or see) it again.

Easy to skip comercials. ReplayTV has an easy way to jump through
comercials. Since I never watch live TV any more, I rarely see ads.
Of course, there is a downside (see below) to this.

4. Are there any cons to using a DVR?

Up front cost is more than VCR. I paid a lifetime subscription, but
it still feels like I had to pay to get something I already bought.
Oh, wait. The ReplayTV unit was free when I activated. So, it was
only a couple hundred, in total. Sure, it's more than a $39 VCR. But
no tapes to buy.

Unless the HD fails.

Now that it's so easy to skip ads, I fear what'll happen to free TV.

5. How often do you use your DVR?

It records several shows a day.

1. used to at my mothers house
2.Time Warner
3. working till 10 and survivor coming on at 8, well, i just recorded
it!
4. yeah, not enough time to watch everything
5. i can't......


i loved dvr at my moms house. i am trying to get my fiancee to get
it.

Ooooo, my favorite topic!
1. Yes, Yes, YES!
2. Tivo
3. Watch what I want, when I want! Also, I can burn shows I like to
share with my friends.
4. AFAIK, if you did not buy Tivo when they offered lifetime service,
you missed out. I don't know of any provider that offers better than
pay as you go. Which is too rich for my blood.
5. At least daily.

1. yes
2. Time warner
3. I am an insomniac, so can watch my fav shows when I cant sleep. I
can still see the shows tha tare on the nights I work
4. friends sometimes tell me what happened on reality shows, etc,
forgetting I may not have seen it yet.
5. 4-5 hours of shows recorded each day

WOW!! I had no idea I would be so far in the minority on this one.

LONG LIVE DVRs!!!!

1. Yes
2. Dish Network
3. Not tied to TV schedule, can watch on my schedule.
4. None that I've found.
5. Daily

I love my DVR, would give up a lot before I gave it up and I only
watch a couple of shows a week (House and any CSI). If you've never
tried one, be careful because you will get hooked.

1. Do you use one?
-Yep!

2. Which company supplies your DVR?
-I use good ol' TiVo

3. What are the benefits of using a DVR?
-Can record things at any time. I love having the 'Season Pass' where
it will record all of the episodes that I select. So if I forget to
record something, the TiVo will automatically record the show. I also
like the search feature where you can look at what is on. I go to the
movie section and scroll through all the movies to see if there are
any I want to see, I record them and then watch them when I have time.
It's cheaper than renting them!

4. Are there any cons to using a DVR?
- You only have a certain amount of hours, and you pretty much have to
record it in high quality or it comes out looking grainy, and
recording in high quality takes up even more space.

5. How often do you use your DVR?
- I pretty much use it everyday, but I'm so busy, and so there's a lot
in my 'reserve' that I still need to watch.

Crap. I was hoping everyone would say how useless these things are
and a waste of money. Just something else I want that I shouldn't
get. Like an XBOX 360. I don't need it, but how the hell am I going
to play Halo 3?

Next time, please lie and say that the cool thing I don't have is the
work of Satan and will cause genital failure.

I don't own anything "techie" other than my DVD player. No cell
phone, no cable tv, no high-speed internet.

Having said that, while I am LOATHE to spend money on television
(hence, no cable tv), I often do find myself watching more than I
want. I turn on the TV, watch a favorite show, then instead of
turning OFF the tv and doing something, I find myself getting sucked
into something I don't even care for, or have already seen.

I'm thinking that with a DVR, I may watch LESS tv than I do now! Any
of you users want to comment on that? I like the idea of not watching
tv during the week, recording my weeknight tv shows (which aren't much
-- I would deem only a handfull of shows worth taping and watching
later), then watch them on the weekend when there's nothing but sports
and infomercials for us network tv viewers.

Does anyone use theirs this way? Just curious!

1. Yep!

2. Service Electric Cable Company (used to have a TiVo but it died
after a year).

3. You can program it to tape a whole season at the touch of a button.
You never miss your favorite show.

4. Sometimes the channel lineup is wrong and it tapes the wrong
program.

5. Every day, like three times a day.

1. Do you use one? YES

2. Which company supplies your DVR? Time-Warner

3. What are the benefits of using a DVR? One Step taping, setting it
up to record an entire season of a show. Being able to tape 2 shows
at once.

4. Are there any cons to using a DVR? Not that I can think of

5. How often do you use your DVR? Almost every day .. I got to bed by
10 and there are some 10 pm shows I like - I got too lazy to set my
vcr - this is great!

1. Do you use one?

Sigh! I love my DVR!!!

2. Which company supplies your DVR?

Dish Network via AT&T

3. What are the benefits of using a DVR?

I can set my TV to record anything, and watch it when I want, and
without sitting through commercials. If a show I really want to watch
comes on in the middle of Trading Spaces, but I really want to see how
the rooms come out, I can set Trading Spaces to finish recording on
TV2, while I switch over to the other show.

One of the coolest things is pausing live tv. Watching a movie, and
need a snack or potty run? Just press pause!

My story of DVR Greatness:

I love the show "Bones", starring David Boreanaz. I had read that they
WERE doing a second season, and that it would be starting soon, so I
searched the program list, and found the show, and set it to record
all episodes. During a replay of old episodes, I caught the last
episode of last season, which I had missed, and the first episode of
the second season, all while haven forgotten the start date of the new
seaosn. I just looked at my recorded show list, and bam! it was
there!

4. Are there any cons to using a DVR?

The two cons I could see is the limitations of my own box, probably
due to copyright restrictions. The box only holds 100 hours of
recorded shows, and I have no way (well, at least I don't think I do.
I don't know why there's a USB port on the back..) to transfer shows
off. This wasn't a problem until I had issues with my first box and
was sent another one, with about 95 hours of television recorded to my
DVR.

5. How often do you use your DVR?

Daily. I have about 8 shows that are set to record whenever they are
on. This is great for the show that's on 7am Saturday morning.

I love my, I love my, I love my DVR..

1. Do you use one? Oh Yes!

2. Which company supplies your DVR? DishNetwork/Echostar

3. What are the benefits of using a DVR? It is SO much easier than a
VCR. If I see an ad for a show I want to see, I just scroll throught
the on screen guide, find the show and press a button. I can also set
it to tape every episode of a show or just the new episodes and then
watch them when I have time.

4. Are there any cons to using a DVR? The one problem I've found with
this particular DVR (have no exp. with TIVO or any others) is that
sometimes if I happen to be watching a show that I am "taping" for my
husband or son to watch later and I decide I want to switch channels,
it sometimes will not allow me to do this without shutting off the
recording. I'm sure that's a user error I could fix, but I haven't
figured it out yet (I've had the unit for almost 2 years) and I'm too
lazy to investigate it! Also, there is no way to get the shows OFF
the DVR unless you have a separate DVD burner or VCR to dub to. And
until I figured out that I could "protect" a program, I was losing
several shows I DVR'ed because they past some pre-set expiration
date.

5. How often do you use your DVR? Every day!

1. Yes

2. Time Warner

3. It allows me to record all of my favorite shows, and watch them at
my convenience.

4. It only allows 2 shows to be recorded simultaneously. Meaning - if
there are three shows on at the exact same time, on 3 different
channels, I can only record 2 of them.

5. Every day. I need to get a life, badly. :)

1. Tivo

2. Tivo

3. Tivo is the best thing to happen to TV since color. It lets you be
in charge of what you watch and when. I especially love being able to
fast forward thru commercials. Unlike a VCR Tivo can be set to record
the entire season of a show so you dont have to worry about changes in
sceduling or having to remember every week to set the VCR. And no more
annoying VHS tapes piling up. Ahhh....I love my Tivo!!!

4. I cant think of any cons other then you get really really spoiled
by it and its hard when you dont have it. I hate watching TV any place
other then home because I'm like why arent we fast forwarding thru
these commercials? Lol. Tivo is addicting.

5. I use Tivo all the time. In fact even though I'm not home I'm sure
its recording something for me right now! :)

Is it wrong that I don't even know what a DVR is?

I do not watch television as it is being broadcast. Just set up my
season passes on TIVO and watch it at my leisure. I think that I
would miss my TIVO almost as much as I would miss PFB if something
ever happened to it. The only con that I can think of is that (at
least with the version out now) you have to watch the channel
recording. YOu can not watch something on one channel while TIVO
records on the other. I think that there are other DVR's where that
is not the case, but I am used to my TIVO, it almost has a personality
in and of itself.

I've had a DVR for the past 3 years. My first one was a DV+R. It
would only record in that format. I have a second one that I
purchased last year (Panasonic) that I really like. You can use most
any type of DVR format with it. I think most DVRs are now this way.

I really only use it to record the important stuff when I'm away at
work. I'm not addicted to it nor am I addicted to any TV series
except the Gilmore Girls. That show I record each episode and I find
it really handy when I have to work Tuesday evenings.

I find using a DVR to transfer tapes to DVD to be one of the most
useful things about DVRs. On 9/11/2001 I used my VCR to record 8
hours of the 9/11 tragedy. 2 years later I used my DVR to record my
tapes onto DVDs. People that I've worked with have asked me for my
assistance when wanting to transfer their wedding videos onto DVDs.

1. Yes, I have a DVR...I love it, and I don't know how I could stand
to watch TV without it!

2. Time Warner.

3. As far as the benefits of recording - I don't miss episodes of my
favorite shows because I forgot about them - I set the DVR to record
any new episode ever on a certain channel, and it records it. I can
watch those shows whenever I want to. I don't have to watch
commercials, which I love. I don't have to mess with tapes or
anything. And I can save them for as long as I want to. I can DVR
movies, too, which is awesome. I can search through the entire
directory of shows for the next several days...so if I find a show
I've been wanting to see is on at 3am, I can just set it to record and
watch it when it's convenient. If there's a movie I've been dying to
see coming on when I have to be away, I can just record it and watch
it when I have time.

As far as live TV, if I get a phone call, or if I'm doing laundry, or
if the kids need me, I just pause live television. It will let me
pause tv for an hour before it starts up again. So if I'm at a
critical point in my show when a kid gets a splinter...I go take care
of the splinter, and come back to my show right where I left it. And
the bonus of that is, I don't have to watch the commercials...I can
fast forward through them until the recorded piece catches up with
live TV. I have the TV paused now, actually.

4. If there are, I haven't found one. If you don't want to see
something anymore, you just cancel it's scheduled recording. If you
want to see reruns and new episodes, you can control that. If you
ONLY want new episodes, you can tell it that to. You can have it
start recording early and record past the time the show is over, in
case a sports program pushed your show back. It's awesome, I really
love it.

5. Several times a day!! I really don't know what I'd do without it.
Probably hate tv.

I have a DVR and I absolutely LOVE it! I use it every day. I mostly
use it to record the television shows I regularly watch so I can watch
them when I get a chance. Also I record MANY of the kids' programs so
I can put on a show in the evening if I need to take a shower, cook
dinner, do dishes or something equally time consuming since the kiddie
shows aren't really on at night. Occasionally I'll start a show or a
movie on televison and have to leave the house or give the kids a bath
and I'll simply record the remainder of the show.

My DVR was provided to me by Dish Network and I pay like $5.00 a month
for the service. Being a mother of small children I don't have much
time to myself when I want to have time to myself. When a show comes
on that I want to watch, I still have to care for the munchkins so I
can watch the show after they go to bed. The best part is I don't
have to shuffle blank tapes around. I can go into the television
guide and schedule something far in advance. The only thing I really
don't like about the DVR is it is TOO easy to record things and then
you don't get to watch them. Next thing you know you have thirty
movies taking up 60 hours of your recording space! OH! Also it can
only record two things at once and if you are watching one of the
televisions you have to watch what is being recorded or watch
something that you previously recorded. As a matter of fact I've been
getting on hubby's case about deleting some of these things that he
never watches!

DishNetwork also offers a PocketDish. It is a little television that
you can transfer programs to from your DVR and watch on the go. We
travel alot and I think that I may get this eventually for the kids to
watch. They are a bit more expensive than a portable DVD player but
you don't have to bring all those DVDs.

It's kind of amazing because I have just about every kind of
electronics known to man in my home but I dont have a DVR.

I guess I learned my lesson back when VCRs were hot--I'd record
programs and then never find the time to watch them.

Seeing how even Comcast charges extra for their DVR, although not as
much as Tivo, it seems like a waste of money if Im not gonna carve out
the time to watch the programs anyways.

There are other options too that dont involve paying a monthly fee.
Several PC video card manufacturers have brought out products that
allow you to turn your computer's hard drive into a digital video
recorder. Their software isnt nearly as robust as Tivo's though.