Best Digital Video Recorder For Home Use

When purchasing digital TV service through such companies as Virgin Media, Sky TV, and BT Vision gets the average consumer a free, or almost free, digital video recorder specifically designed for the particular service provider. As such, the specialised digital video recorders tend to have additional features based on the service provider. However, one personal digital video recorder available to purchase is the TiVo.

Purchasing a TiVo can be done in almost any high-street retailer, or if there is not one in your town, the internet offers many authorized retailers of TiVo. So what exactly does it do? The TiVo is a popular video digital recorder around the world. In the UK, TiVo connects to an existing television system, and will work with Sky TV, Freeview, or many other digital video recorders. The TiVo offers flexibility when it comes to paying for the new addition – either a onetime payment of up to 199 or choose to make monthly payments of around 10.

Sky TV offers a free Sky Box, or a specialised video digital recorder, with service. Should you choose to mix and match the services available by Sky, you can get broadband, telephone, and/or Sky TV for a cost effective solution to your home media network.

BT Vision offers a similar offer. The ‘V-box’ offered by BT Vision is free to new or re-contracting BT Total Broadband customers. However, if the customer chooses not to use BT Total Broadband, there is a 199 charge for the V-box and another 60 for the installation.

Virgin Media is another popular digital television provider. If you sign a contract for Virgin Phone and Virgin TV, the digital video recorder is free. However, the basic Virgin TV does not include digital, and digital is considered part of the V+ service. Virgin Media does not offer the V+ DVR box for sale as a standalone system, and there is a monthly fee from 10 to 15 per month and an installation charge of 25. Have your own digital video recorder? Installation of an existing piece of kit into the Virgin+ system can cost up to 75.

Which digital video recorder is best for the amateur? The answer will depend a great deal on what the individual wants or needs from their provider. Basically, all amateur DVRs have the same features: (A) records data, (B) plays back recorded data, (C) and fast forward or rewind recorded data or live programming. However, how the digital video recorder does this is not always the same, and clearly the quality and ease of use is likely to differ between manufacturers and models.

How does Sky+, Virgin Media, and BT Vision compare?

• Virgin Media V+ allows for two programmes to be recorded simultaneously while the viewer watches another programme; on the other hand, Sky+ only allows for one programme to be recorded at a time.
• Virgin Media V+ and the V-box allow for up to 80 hours of recorded data to be stored; on the other hand, Sky+ only allows for 40 hours of stored data.
• Virgin Media TV costs free initially with a fee of 15 to 20 per month; Sky+ costs 99 initially with a fee of 20 or more per month; and BT Vision costs 90 initially with a fee of between 6 to 14 per month.
• Virgin Media TV and BT Vision offer on demand viewing at an extra charge per viewing; Sky+ does not currently offer this feature.

Choosing the best digital video recorder for amateur use will depend on your needs. However, on comparison of the bare facts above, the definite leader would appear to be Virgin Media TV for a cost effective initial cost and monthly fee. However BT Vision has proven reliable and is preferred with consumers wanting a complete home media network. BT Vision has a higher initial fee, a lower monthly fee, but the V-box acts as a connector between the internet and the television viewing experience. Additionally, both service providers offer a large hard drive which equates to more hours of recorded data. At the time of writing, while sky may offer a wonderful service in many other areas, their DVR offerings simply do not cut it.How do you choose just one? Ask yourself which of the service providers offers what you need. As always, reading the small print and all the facts will keep you from being surprised later. Whichever digital video recorder you choose, enjoy watching your favourite television programmes when you want because you are in control of your own viewing experience.