Digital Video Recorder Use on the Rise in USA

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5182035.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5182035.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news</a><br /><br /></div>"Market researcher IDC said Tuesday that DVRs are finally catching on in increasing numbers with American consumers. At the end of 2003, there were 3.2 million DVR households in the United States, and the tally is poised for compound annual growth of 47 percent through 2008, to reach 28 million. The rising adoption of DVRs--which use a hard drive to record television shows--has much to do with the competition between cable and satellite television providers. Initially, satellite providers promoted DVR-equipped set-top boxes to match cable companies' investment in video-on-demand, and now, the cable industry is being forced to respond, IDC said. <br /><br />That trend may account for the relatively low market penetration of devices from TiVo, a company that has been practically synonymous with the product category. Despite the strong brand, TiVo accounts for just 39 percent of the U.S. market, according to IDC."<br /><br />Raise your hand if you have a DVR of some sort!

[Suhit Gupta]

As I have mentioned before, I use the Time Warner Cable DVR. It is the Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000. Slow as crap but it certainly changed the way I watch TV (and has definitely increased the amount of time I waste watching shows that I pre-program to record).

Suhit

[brianchris]

This has become cliche when discussing DVR's, but our DirecTV / TiVo combination unit has changed the way my wife and I watch TV, and for that matter, our lives. Its rare when any technology has such a large impact on users day to day life, and we can't imagine life before it.

However, all is not perfect in DVR land. Both my wife and I are desperately awaiting the arrival of the HDTV DVR's, as we've had to sacrafice HDTV in our bedroom in lieu of the DVR, as we can't have both (without two different recievers hooked up to the same TV :roll: ). Therefore, if anyone has any info on the first batch of HDTV DVR's, we'd be appreciative.

[Zack Mahdavi]

I've had a TiVo since 2000. It has completely changed the way I watch TV... I find it hard to watch TV when there is not a DVR attached these days. To me, a DVR is as much of a critical component to a TV as is a DVD player!

[Philip Colmer]

Sky+ rules the Colmer household :-)

Getting the initial box was a changing experience but the software upgrade they did just before Christmas to allow the box to record two different channels and still allow you to watch a previously recorded programme has totally freed us from the schedules.

I actually commented to my wife last night that we very rarely watch anything live now. I think the advertisers are going to start worrying about this, if they aren't already.

Any bets on how long it takes them to flick a switch to stop us fast-forwarding through the adverts?

--Philip

[fgarcia10]

I use a PVR-250 card and BeyondTV for my digital recordings. I like that I can remotelly schedule recording with my G1000. Plus BeyondTV will reformat the video, if I want too, to whatch it on the G1000.

[bryus]

This has become cliche when discussing DVR's, but our DirecTV / TiVo combination unit has changed the way my wife and I watch TV, and for that matter, our lives. Its rare when any technology has such a large impact on users day to day life, and we can't imagine life before it.

However, all is not perfect in DVR land. Both my wife and I are desperately awaiting the arrival of the HDTV DVR's, as we've had to sacrafice HDTV in our bedroom in lieu of the DVR, as we can't have both (without two different recievers hooked up to the same TV :roll: ). Therefore, if anyone has any info on the first batch of HDTV DVR's, we'd be appreciative.

I so agree with you on this. I haven't watched but a handfull of hours of live TV since I got my DirecTV TiVo installed 17 days ago.

It has really changed my wife's daily life. She used to have to switch loads of laundry during comercials and spent a lot of idle time watching junk because she was doing some craft with her hands and wanted the TV on in the background. Now she only watches the shows she wants and she can pause her shows to switch the laundry when it's ready.

I get to watch all the shows that I would have missed because they were on when I am not home or want to watch something else. Even better, I never watch comercials or crap shows that are on just because I am killing time between shows I do want to watch.

[Kevin C Tofel]

However, all is not perfect in DVR land. Both my wife and I are desperately awaiting the arrival of the HDTV DVR's, as we've had to sacrafice HDTV in our bedroom in lieu of the DVR, as we can't have both (without two different recievers hooked up to the same TV :roll: ). Therefore, if anyone has any info on the first batch of HDTV DVR's, we'd be appreciative.

I think you mentioned DirectTV....one of the few advantages of having Dish Network over Direct is that they tend to have the newer technologies sooner. They came out with their PVR-921 about 3 months ago. Rough specs: 250GB hard drive, two tuner, capable of 180 hours of SD content or 25 hours of HD content or a combination. I don't have have that particular model with my HDTV, but I have had their first PVR unit, the 501, since it came out in the summer of '01 and I LOVE IT!!!! There is no monthly or lifetime fee to record, however it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a TiVo. You have to pick and choose, much like a VCR, what you want to tape. The interface is very simple, however and I don't feel the need to pay a subscription fee to allow someone to record my shows for me.

In any case, I doubt it will make you switch satellite providers (since you can get the NFL Sunday Ticket and I can't! :evil: ), but Dish has the HD PVR now. You can get more info at their site (http://www.dishnetwork.com).

KCT

[bryus]

However, all is not perfect in DVR land. Both my wife and I are desperately awaiting the arrival of the HDTV DVR's, as we've had to sacrafice HDTV in our bedroom in lieu of the DVR, as we can't have both (without two different recievers hooked up to the same TV :roll: ). Therefore, if anyone has any info on the first batch of HDTV DVR's, we'd be appreciative.

I think you mentioned DirectTV....one of the few advantages of having Dish Network over Direct is that they tend to have the newer technologies sooner. They came out with their PVR-921 about 3 months ago. Rough specs: 250GB hard drive, two tuner, capable of 180 hours of SD content or 25 hours of HD content or a combination. I don't have have that particular model with my HDTV, but I have had their first PVR unit, the 501, since it came out in the summer of '01 and I LOVE IT!!!! There is no monthly or lifetime fee to record, however it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a TiVo. You have to pick and choose, much like a VCR, what you want to tape. The interface is very simple, however and I don't feel the need to pay a subscription fee to allow someone to record my shows for me.

In any case, I doubt it will make you switch satellite providers (since you can get the NFL Sunday Ticket and I can't! :evil: ), but Dish has the HD PVR now. You can get more info at their site (http://www.dishnetwork.com).

KCT

The problem with the Dish DVR/PVRs is that they are expensive. The dual tuner model is $500 and the single is $300. I switched to DirecTV and they gave me the dual for $100.

Also, last time I checked Dish does charge a monthly fee for DVR, however, it is waived if you have the Top 180 package.