UNDER THE HOOD
There's a new kind of remote control at your fingertips thanks to the personal video recorder, aka PVR, a tape-free set-top device that lets you pause live broadcasts and play back your favorite shows.
So far, only two PVRs have hit the market: Replay Networks' ReplayTV and Philips/TiVo's Personal TV Receiver. They're basically stripped-down PCs with hulking hard drives that dial in and download program listings each week. You use a remote to tick off what you want to record, and the PVR captures single shows or records similar programs to create on-demand channels. Best of all, you can put a live show on hold to take a phone call while the device keeps recording, then return and pick up where you left off.
But don't kill your VCR just yet: Designed with playback in mind, these tapeless wonders have a maximum storage capacity of less than 30 hours - you'll still need VHS cassettes to maintain your Simpsons library or share shows with your friends. Even worse, you can't watch a live show while recording another.
Both PVR systems have similar hardware, but the interface of the Philips/TiVo ($499 to $999; listings are $9.95 a month or $199 for lifetime service) is designed more for newbies. And only the ReplayTV ($699 to $1,499, listings included) has a 30-second skip button for zapping commercials, making it our pick of the first-generation PVRs.
MUST READ
Hot Tongue Action
Power Exchange
Naughty Bits
Stupid Net Laws
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Clark's Remarks
Tired/Wired
People
Jargon Watch
The Wages of Sim
Pac-Rat
Instant Replay
PC and a Blow-Dry
Gimme Redmond
Raw Data
