PVR's (or Personal Video Recorders) are also commonly referred to as DVR's (or Digital Video Recorders) with some additional items that have been integrated.
The best part of this unit is that it "learns" what the viewer likes to watch and will then program itself to automatically record the shows even if the owner forgets.
Another smashing innovation is the fact that digital tv recorders can record the shows from the telly and a favorite's list can be set up to watch whatever show strikes the owner's fancy.
There are no confusing cables or buttons to learn, the device just has to be hooked up once and that is all.
The once popular VCR has been effectively replaced by people who wanted an easier way to record their favorite shows.
This of course is part of the digital age where the older analog equipment is being phased out gradually for the newer high tech stuff.
Of course this means television too as aerials have to be supplemented with new converter boxes or hd tvs that are capable of receiving high definition programming in order to watch this medium.
Many people are also turning to the internet to watch a live streaming feed, but the kind of quality doesn't even begin to compare to that which is found with a digital media player.
There are many great features that come standard with one of these units and most people simply marvel at their simplicity.
What is truly remarkable is how easy this whole process is to accomplish.
A recorder is able to grab the cable output and convert it to a format that a hard drive can recognize.
In effect, this is a simple computer as the media is stored on the hard drive for access at a later date.
Although hooking a computer up to perform this task would work if it had a digital TV tuner already installed, the quality of the output would not compare to a PVR.
Users have to decide what type of unit is best for their flat and most often this will depend on what kind of signal that is being received in the domicile.
Some viewers still have over the air transmission mode while others may have cable or satellite dishes installed.
Some cable providers require that their equipment has to be rented/purchased in order to record shows.
The basic premise behind the PVR is a digital hard drive where data is captured and then formatted for capture.
Many of these devices can effectively capture as many as 40 total hours of programming.
Add the fact that one program can be recorded while another is being watched and there is no more fighting for the remote.
Live television can also be paused and restarted at a later date.
It is also simple to grab a live transmission as well.
Consumers never had it so good.