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CABLE WORLD STAFF
Personal video recorders, which are like super-powerful VCRs, allow viewers to customize their own programming. Instead of using a VCR, however, these devices use hard drives, which can record for years without any noticeable picture degradation.
The personal video recorder is more user-friendly than a VCR. With the push of a button, the device records favorite shows weekly, whenever they air.
The recorders also search and record shows with requested themes, such as cooking programs or Steven Spielberg movies.
Customers buy a PVR and hook it up to their TV and phone line. The PVR dials into the Replay or TiVo service nightly and updates the electronic program guide and resets the device's internal clock.
Replay's Panasonic personal video recorder stores up to 20 hours of programming and sells for $699. Replay's service is free to consumers.
TiVo's Philips Electronics PVR stores 14 hours of programming and sells for $499, and its 30-hour PVR goes for $999. TiVo's service is $9.95 a month.
TiVo nor Replay monitor what people watch.
Replay's device will not guess what the viewer might like and automatically record programs. It only records what the viewers tells it. However, Replay will record shows based on a requested theme.
TiVo's device records shows without the viewer's request, based on the viewer's past selections.
TiVo and Philips Electronics recently won "Best of What's New" awards from Popular Science magazine for their development of PVRs.
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