DVR: New Age Technology

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In 1985, David Rafner, an employee at Honeywell’s Physical Science Center first came up with the idea of a digital video recorder for the home however, that idea was not brought to fruition until 1999. In January 1999 a small startup company introduced, Tivo, which was a digital video recorder (DVR) that recorded programming digitally in real time. These recordings could be stored on a hard drive to be viewed at a later date. The DVR system was a small linux-based computer with a built-in hard drive and a video tuner. The hard drive was able to record more than twenty hours of quality programming. The digital video recorder was designed to be able to download programming data by way of the telephone modem onto the hard drive. Tivo grouped the recordings in individual files, which made it easy to find and view a particular show. With digital recordings there were no more tapes to buy or rewind. Tivo’s dvr offered a subscription-based interface program. This program allowed users to see a guide as far as two weeks in advance. With this guide, Tivo users were able to schedule the recorder to make recordings well in advance of its broadcast. The interface program was ideal because it was very easy to use, much easier than the videocassette recorder. The ability to record programs digitally, became a snap with one touch of a button recording features. Tivo also offered a live programming feature that allowed customers to pause or rewind live television. This meant that in the hustle and bustle of the day or evening the user could pause live television and do something else and comeback to the program as if they never left. Lastly, the dvr system would give the user a list of recommended shows for their viewing, based on the types of shows from their previous recordings. Tivo initially was the first to market an in home digital video recorder. Since then they have had

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