Alison
February 26, 2009 / 15:05

I'm still kickin' it old school with my trusty VCR, I thought I was the only one left! However, it's day's are numbered and I covet a brand new PVR...keep me posted! Only $15 a month more...very tempting!

Claire
February 26, 2009 / 15:10

We decided to go a different route - we have bought a TiVo. We decided to go this route because we didn't want to upgrade to digital; we're quite happy with our cable package. We have it hooked up wirelessly at home, and you can move content back and forward from your PC using the Tivo desktop, and then download to your ipod. I think it's great - it has certainly revolutionized our TV watching!

PPP
February 26, 2009 / 15:15

You'll love it. Best thing ever.

James Edgar
February 26, 2009 / 15:15

We have a rogers PVR. Ours is FREE . The wife called beacuse the service went out and they were slow on the phone. She got testy and threatened to switch to Bell. We got a PVR free for 2 years. I'd try the free route but $15 is not bad. It is addictive. You'll start recording all kinds of crap. Cool though. we have the Rogers DCT 8300 High Definition PVR Cable Box.$499 at future shop but it does go on sale so you might see it for $299 or even $249 on sale.

Ray
February 26, 2009 / 15:19

They say: "PVR, it will change your life!"

So true! We've had our Bell Sympatico box for a year now. SOOOO good. We never miss a show. We have a great collection of shows for the kids, which is great to have 'on demand'. We always have a movie PVR'd to watch. We never watch commercials anymore. We'll even start watching Survivor just a half hour later on PVR so that we can skip past the commercials. HD takes up a lot of space, so an expandable box is useful. But if it's just standard def you should be able to save a lot of programming.

Jon
February 26, 2009 / 16:18

Alternatively, to anyone that thinks that the price is a little steep if there's only a few shows they'll be recording, a TV tuner (an OEM Hauppage card for example, can be had for as little as $40 with a remote and radio capabilities) will turn any computer into a PVR. Windows Media Center (available on XP MCE and Vista) can provide all of the guide data free of charge if you have standard cable (digital cable and satellite I'm not sure about).

To anyone who would hate watching a TV show or movie in front of their computer there are several ways to watch it on your TV. An S-Video cable to the video input of a DVD player/VCR/RF Modulator if your video card or laptop has that port is one way. Burning the media to a rewritable DVD, or even putting it on a thumb drive and watching it through a game console such an xbox360 or ps3. If you don't have a thumb drive videogame consoles will also stream directly from your PC if you have them on the same network.

Might seem like a lot of work but becomes a non-issue once you've set it up initially and done it a few times to get used to it.

Denis
February 26, 2009 / 16:25

That's $180 a year. Just get a DVD recorder. They are a lot cheaper now.

The_Voice
February 26, 2009 / 16:45

We have 2 (two) DVRs. They are the greatest thing ever. No more needing to be in front of the TV at a particular time for a show, just watch it WHENEVER you want. No need to watch commercials, just fast forward. Missed something in hockey / football / basketball / baseball, rewind the live feed to catch it, and then fastforward to the live action during a commercial.

Easy to record shows using the schedule, easy to erase, easy to setup auto records and auto erases.

I don't watch regular TV *at all*. Only recorded shows. Even if you want to watch something while it's recording, you can do so: just play it from the start, fastforward through commercials until you're all caught up :)

elvis
February 26, 2009 / 16:52

You should get it free for a year - remind them you are pissed you can't get TSN2. Worked for me.

Ajax Mike
February 26, 2009 / 18:04

Yup, love the PVR here too. It's not just the recording of the shows. Watching a Leafs game and catch something that deserves a replay that doesn't get one? Do it yourself. Pause the game to go to the bathroom. Fantastic.

The ONLY issue I have with it is that you're at the mercy of the digital TV guide, which is not always perfect.

Mississauga Mike
February 26, 2009 / 19:31

I ALMOST picked one up at Christmas for $229 I believe but wimped out, NOW I'm finding all sorts of things I would have loved to record (and not download).

For example, Conan O'Brien.

Jill
February 26, 2009 / 21:03

Buy the Pioneer DVD Recorder it has a hard drive built into it. On standard play it holds 68 hours and if you put the extended stuff on it you will get hundred of hours. Just bought after Christmas and it is the absolute best.
Don't give Rogers another dime. (Just my humble opinion.)

woodpeck
February 27, 2009 / 04:58

It changed Woodpeck’s life. Just this past Fall. The PvR!

Seriously folks. Get a PvR. It’ll change the way u watch all your TV shows including sports. Woodpeck now watches more tv in less time thanks to the PvR and seldomly misses the programs he actually wants to watch. When it comes to sports, we can fwd to all the good parts & viola! U’ve watched the event in a fraction of the time it would have taken in real time! Its so easy even a guy can use it.

There we said it. Now do it! You might be surprised to find out it only will cost ya a tad bit more then what you are already paying to watch tv… Do the research & find out for yerselves! Its not very often a gadget comes out that actually is a improvement to this level. Now that woodpeck has one, he can’t ever imagine life without it & that’s the bottom line.

Daniel
February 27, 2009 / 11:21

I had a setup similar to what Jon describes in his comment. Using digital cable kinda breaks this, since you'll be able to reach up to channel 43 or something like that using the tuner card. I know that digital cards exist, but setting it all up to work with Rogers/Shaw/whatever might be more trouble than it's worth, if it's even possible.

Now I just download TV shows and stream them to my Xbox360 or PS3 using Tversity for Windows. Works like a charm, and supports most video formats through transcoding (although the pesky "superior" container formats like Matroska (.mkv) aren't supported out of the box)

Toronto Mike
February 27, 2009 / 11:24

Daniel and Jon, I'd totally go that route if I was single-guy-Mike.

Mrs. Toronto Mike just wants to use a tv remote and press buttons that make her shows play.

Stafford
February 27, 2009 / 15:54

True man, true about the simplicity of the PVR.

You COULD run this and that from computer capture card to TV and blah blah....

Or just get the Rogers HD PVR...phone 'em and say Bell's offering you a beer and a BJ and they'll give you one for free for 24 months.

Click, click, click....everything is there as simply as possible.

Just beware how the U.S. networks screw with the start and end times. NBC is notorious for starting a minute early and ending a minute late for Neilsen ratings.

Good luck Mike!

James Edgar
February 27, 2009 / 16:28

what stafford says is quite true. The times are inaccurate. Robot Chicken is always starting early so I've had to adjust.

Chris Clarke
March 2, 2009 / 11:49

Do the PVR, you'll honestly wish you had done it years ago. I only just bought one this past fall and regret not taking the plunge earlier. It's worth every penny, and more.

Kathleen
March 12, 2009 / 10:41

What's a PVR?....oh, a DVR

Zaddeo
October 28, 2009 / 13:45

the HDPVR still uses VCR. bummer. Out of date......

Trish
November 3, 2009 / 17:36

Is PVR the same as on-demand? Because I have Bell satellite and it doesn't have on-demand. What is PVR anyway.... duh??

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