Why buy a DVD player without a recorder? This question comes to mind when I see people walking out of department stores with stock standard cheap players. These players not only seem prehistoric, but technology is moving at a pace leaving these buyers for dead.

Digital video recorders or DVR look just like a DVD player but they are a device that allows you to record video in a digital format to a hard disk or another memory medium within a device. The DVR produces a sharper image than its VHS counterparts, and allows for quicker searching through stored files.

Confused? Imagine recording live TV onto a hard disc box that looks just like a DVD player. You can stop and start live TV, even set timers to record your favourite program every time it hits the airwaves. It’s the leader of personalised home entertainment.

CBS used the recording technology in 1965 to stop their sport footage. As the current operating system they were using produced unclear images. 1985 saw the technology introduced into homes but DVR achieved its widespread status with pay TV giants such as TiVo offering the service.

There are a few key factors you should look for with a DVR player? These include:
·    Live recording and playback speeds of 480 frames per second
·    Digital watermarking
·    Object count
·    Motion detection
·    Multi channel display
·    CD and DVD burning
·    Pre and post alarm recording

The recording range of DVR players vary between thirty hours to 320 hours. The ideal range varies from person to person, but keep in mind that the longer monitoring time requires a larger disk storage capacity.

But what’s not to love about DVR players? You have on screen electronic programming guides, the ability to record one show, whilst viewing another pre recorded program, you can even pause live TV.