How Does a Cable DVR Work?

What is a DVR?

A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records cable television shows in real time to allow the viewer to pause, fast-forward and rewind television shows as they watch or to save the shows for future viewing. The most popular brand of DVR is a Tivo. Although DVRs can be purchased as a stand-alone item, most cable companies offer packages that include a DVR as a part of the monthly cable package.

A DVR functions somewhat like a hybrid of a VCR and your home computer. It is able to record cable programming, either live or according to a timer that you have set, and store the programs internally. The information is stored in a non-removable hard disk similar to that of a personal computer. As with a computer, the disk has a limited memory and when that memory is full, the DVR must either stop recording new programming or begin to dump old programs. DVR models with varying levels of memory are available for purchase. In order to access program information and record shows on a timer, the device must be hooked up to an Internet connection.

Although features vary by cable provider and DVR model, most DVRs share basic operations. Cable and satellite providers generally provide programming schedules for 9 to 10 days in the future, allowing you to select shows to record this far in advance. DVRs will indicate how many hours of programming have been used on the hard disk and how many hours are left to record new programming. When you select a program that is a part of a series, you will have the option to either record just one show, all episodes or all new episodes of the show automatically. Most DVRs are two channel, meaning that they are able to record two shows at one time. If there is a conflict between shows to be recorded, the DVR will alert you. You have the option of creating a priority system that will automatically resolve the dispute if you choose too many programs at the same time or manually prioritizing and canceling one of the shows. When you are playing a show or watching live television, you'll be able to stop, fast-forward, rewind and pause the program. If you have to stop watching a recorded program part of the way through, your DVR will remember where you were at in the program and present the option to resume your viewing from that point or start over.