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Back when I was in college, I remember reading about a new concept in a technology magazine. It was called a digital video recorder and it would store hours’ worth of television shows on a digital hard drive without the need for cassette tapes.

The concept of recording an entire series without having to manually set it up each time was even more amazing to me. I could be out at night without having to worry about forgetting to record my favorite shows. I could also watch two things at once if there was a conflicting schedule.

Suddenly, I wouldn’t have to worry about sticking a VHS tape into my VCR any time I wasn’t around. And even better, I wouldn’t have to worry about buying more tapes. The picture quality would be better (digital), and I’d even be able to skip through commercials. Skipping through commercials may have lost its novelty now, but it was a big deal at the time.

Everything sounded great to me and I ended up buying the Replay TV. The only drawback about it was that you’d have to download the TV guide via dial-up Internet to keep up with the listings.

Aside from this one minor complaint, everything else was great. My friends loved it just as much, as they’d come over to watch shows that allowed us to skip through commercials.

Nowadays, there are many more things you can do with a digital video recorder. The most notable, however, is the fact that you can hold a lot more programming on the box at once.

People might take it for granted now that we’ve had it for a few years, but thinking back to the way things were before this it’s pretty safe to say that the concept and presence of the DVR has had a profound impact on the way we watch TV.

I fully appreciate the fact that I have one in my house. My cable box broke a few months ago, and living without one made me realize just how useful they are.

In addition to television, this author enjoys writing about the electric fireplace insert and fireplace fans.

categories: television,technology,computers,product reviews,home accessories,hobbies,entertainment,society,internet,multimedia