I curretnly have a DirecTV receiver with TiVo. I want to get HD TV but it has to have the TiVo function. I'll want to record the shows in HD. I know there are DVR's now that can record to DVD but is there a DVR that can record HDTV to DVDs? A HDTV DVR DVD Recorder?

If you are not familiar with the Digital Video Recorder or TiVo unit then you have the only good excuse for not already owning them! First of all, the TiVo and Digital Video Recorder (referred to as the DVR) come free with the package of free satellite equipment that are installed with DirecTV’s free professional installation. So before we get into the awesome features of TiVo and the DVR you already know that you won’t be spending anything extra to get these! The TiVo and DVR units work together so that you can view television in a whole new way. One amazing feature of the combination is the ability to pause and rewind live television. It may sound impossible, although once you understand how it is done it makes perfect sense. The DVR and TiVo units, you get from DirecTV, actually save all of the shows and programs, that play on your channels, temporarily on the DVR as the shows and programs are being aired. This way, in a sense, you are pausing or rewinding a recorded program much like you would using a VCR. One additional bonus with this system is the ability to fast forward through the already recorded programs. Basically, the way that it is set up, whenever you pause live television you are, in a sense, saving up time for when the next commercial break comes on. As your television is paused, live television keeps airing of course, and as live television keeps going your TiVo and DVR keep recording (even when the program you are watching is paused). The result is that you can fast forward from the point you paused it all the way up until you reach the point of the program that is being aired live. That way, every time you get up to go the restroom or get up to get a snack or drink you are saving up fast forward time for commercial breaks. Add up all of that paused time and that is how much time in commercial breaks that you can fast forward through.

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This weekend Direct TV moved me from a HD DVR with Tivo to one using the Direct TV version of DVR software. Obvioulsy the new software is clumsy and doesn't do some things the Tivo does (recognize my old Sony surround sound remote, change between tuners, suggestions, etc.) Direct TV tells me I need this and the monster antenna to get the new HD channels coming later this month. Is that true or just a way to get rid of Tivo boxes? Anyone know a good tip website for Direct TV HD DVR?

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My wife and I are deeply in love with all of the features that Tivo has to offer- little things like the several second fast forward/reverse buffer, network connection to PC’s, ect. I am having some trouble getting answers to the following: Does Direct TV offer a DVR that uses the Tivo framework instead of their generic recorder? Of course when I call all I get is “Yes we have a DVR” and the sales folks are stumped when I ask that question.

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Not TIVO, but the Direct TV one….

right now i only know how to record by going into the guide and manually telling the machine to record, but is there a way that i can get it to record my shows just by entering the name in?