Question: Why Should I Use a Digital Video Recorder Instead of a VCR?
VCRs enjoyed a long run as the number one device for recording TV. Today, Digital Video Recorders have changed the way we watch and record our favorite TV shows. The FAQ below answers the question, why would you want to use a DVR over a VCR?
Answer: When using a VCR, you could set a program to record and then watch it at a later time. You could also watch one program while recording another. Digital Video Recorders with one TV tuner built-in allow users to record one show and watch a previously recorded program at the same time. DVRs with two TV tuners (the most common type today) allow you to record one program while watching another, or record two shows at the same time, all while watching a third previously recorded program. Very cool! DVRs also give you the ability to start watching the beginning of a show while the show continues to record, something a VCR could never do.
VCRs record to tapes while Digital Video Recorders record to a built-in hard drive. It's great not to have to use tapes, everything is recorded right in the DVR box. Digital Video Recorders record digital signals, while VCRs are analog machines. This means that DVRs can record digital cable and satellite channels, and more importantly the ever increasing lineup of HDTV channels. While VCRs can be set up to record digital and Hi-Def channels, the playback is downgraded to analog quality. Not so with a DVR, whatever quality you record in, HD, digital or analog, the playback quality is the same.
The biggest difference that makes a DVR better than a VCR, however, is a DVR's ability to Pause and Rewind Live TV. Pause your favorite show when the phone rings, and resume where you left off at a later time, or rewind some missed dialog in a movie or a great play in the big game. With a VCR you must record a program first before you can Pause, Rewind or Fast-forward.
The VCR is still a great invention, but it has been surpassed by the Digital Video Recorder, which gives users many more features, greater flexibility and higher quality recordings.