Digital TV recorder / PVR - pros and cons

Sometimes called a hard disc recorder or a personal video recorder (PVR), a digital TV recorder is an alternative to a set top box. It does the same job, but can also record TV programmes to an internal hard disc.

If you need to pop away in the middle of a programme, then come back, it can even ‘pause’ things for you so you can carry on watching on your return - often called 'pause Live TV'.

But don't confuse a PVR with a traditional video recorder or a DVD recorder – you can’t play video tapes or DVDs on PVRs, for instance.

You can buy digital TV recorders to work with terrestrial, or with cable or satellite broadcasts. You can use them with an existing or new TV.

Also, please note: you’ll want a twin tuner recorder if you want to be able to record one digital programme while you watch another on an ordinary TV. You can do this with a single tuner recorder if you have an iDTV - because that brings a second digital tuner to the mix.

Prices have been coming down so you can get single tuner digital TV recorders for less than £100 and most twin tuners from £100 upwards.

For what to look for in a digital TV recorder, see Features to look for. For all test results, go to digital TV recorders test reports. For more information on recording go to recording options.

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