Confession: I don’t have a DVR
Tivo and most DVR technologies have been around for many years, but I have yet to indulge in this functional piece of equipment.
This is a big admission considering that I am relatively tech savvy and do fancy gizmos. I really don’t mind spending a good amount of cash when it comes to gadgetry, and know that DVRs plus the service isn’t that much more then I currently pay for cable. But now, I’m questioning whether or not to take the leap…
First off, to get a DVR, it seems that you have to have digital cable. Believe it or not, I don’t even have that. My family and I have had the same cable service for years now and have never really felt the need to upgrade. My father still records his weekend cultural programs on VHS, and I continue to rush home to watch a number of programs. We have had no problem living in the dark ages of television thus far.
In the busy lives that we all lead, I still think it’s fun to have a show to look forward to and not on demand.
I have heard that getting a DVR is like purchasing freedom. Watching whatever you want whenever it is convenient to you. Not letting the networks decide when you should watch their show. I can understand that, but knowing that Wednesday nights are devoted to Project Runway, and that I am going to watch the Nip/Tuck season premiere on October 30th at 10pm sharp is exciting.
While I was in Seattle, I saw how my cousin used the Tivo on a daily basis with her two-year-old daughter. Every night at 8:00 she was allowed to select a “Dora the Explorer” or “Backyardagains” episode from an entire catalog that has been Tivo’d. This idea of instant gratification with a two-year-old is suspect–are we raising an on demand generation with false expectations of what life is?
Although things like work schedules and technical office spaces are growing to be more lax, there are still rules. I can’t help but think that this is fast-forward friendly box is affecting how we view life. When I was in college, I studied concepts of how the placement of segments in television affect the viewer. I can’t help but think that Tivo is somehow screwing up the intention of programming, at least theoretically.
I am sure I will try out a DVR at some point, and will love the convenience of it just like a little restaurant that takes Visa, anything with wireless technology, or simply being able to get information unconditionally [thanks internets]. My generation is spoiled with falsities–if only life was how you expected with perfect timing.
I too have never had a Tivo. I have basic cable now (just cause I got a deal when I signed up for my Intertronz), and it’s the closest I’ve ever got to what some would argue was “real TV”.
OMG, Neha has analogue cable nya nya nyaaaa
I went from being someone who had used a DVR more than most anyone else on the planet (Because I was the product designer of the first DVR), to going DVR-less for a whole year. I wrote about my experience here:
http://blog.hanfordlemoore.com/2007/05/14/going-for-over-a-year-without-a-dvr
I found it altered my TV watching habits and now I don’t really care about TV the way I used to. But that’s just me.
I can tell you if you are looking into a DVR product look into windows media center tech. The shows are recorded into a WMV file that has no DRM attached to it. You can ether get a analog tuner or a digital NTSC tuner which will do over-the-air HDTV broadcasts. The analog one can be used to tape analog cable TV. Any questions on the topic let me know.
confession: I don’t have a cable TV subscription as I watch
As long as you have a high speed internet connection, you can watch alot of your shows pretty much anytime you want to! The Cable TV providers have to do something to keep up with the high tech demand.