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2004-03-11 Digital Video Recorders: What's the Big Freaking Deal? Ok so over the last couple of years we've seen the advent of digital video recorders, the most prominent being TiVo(tm). We've al heard the ads and come-ons: "Pause live TV to answer the phone!", "Play programs in slow motion!", "YOU be the TV schedule maker!", all to entice us into buying a $250 piece of equipment and paying a monthly fee for this service. Now granted physics was my worst subject in high school but even I know that unless I'm Michael J. Fox with the assistance of Christopher Lloyd, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to stop time or jump into the future simply with something I can buy at the local electronics store, but hey, I could be wrong. This is the 21st century after all. So upon hearing that my dim witted receptionist subscribed to this service I thought I would have a heart to heart with her to get to the bottom of this. Our conversation went as follows: Me: How do you like your [digital video recording service]? DWR: Oh it's wicked awesome! I can pause and fast-forward live TV! I can play stuff in slo-mo! I can watch stuff when I want! It kicks ass! (I could see that she memorized the commercial well). Me: OK, now let's say HBO(tm) is premiering a movie next Thursday at 8pm. Are you saying you can watch it tonight? DWR: well, um, no. Me: And when you sit down to watch it next Thursday at 8pm, will you be able to pause it to get the phone and then resume where you left off? DWR: Um, no. But see if I wanna watch it afta I can do all that. Me: But when you watch it then, it's not really "live" anymore. DWR: Umm, not LIVE live. Me: So what you're saying is that you have a tapeless VCR. DWR: Umm, kinda. Me: Which does the same basic job that my VCR does, without the monthly fee. DWR: Umm, I gotta go back to work now. You're scaring me. (OK I made up that last part). My point is folks that yes, digital video recorders are fine improvements over the old VCR. It's "tapeless", you can record and rearrange a huge number of programs, there's no "tape lines" on the screen, etc., but that's all they are, an IMPROVEMENT over the VCR, and if you think it's worth the purchase of new equipment and paying a monthly fee, more power to you. Just don't try to convince me that you've turned into Marty McFly. |
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