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Definitions by TechTerms. Tech Factor? First Name:. Last Name:. When the VCR was first introduced to the public, the television industry reacted with panic. Here was a device that would let people record programs, watch them when they felt like it as opposed to when the programming staff decided they should, and scariest of all skip through the commercials! But the television industry survived despite the widespread popularity of VCRs. Now the dreaded VCR is in its death throes and a more modern innovation has come along that makes recording television programs even easier: the digital video recorder , or DVR.
In this article, we'll learn all about DVRs and find out what sets them apart from other recording technologies. In a nutshell, a DVR is a glorified hard drive inside a fancy box that looks nice in your entertainment center. The hard drive is connected to the outside world through a variety of jacks on the back of the box, usually the typical RCA connections that you would use to hook up, say, a cable box or a VCR.
If the signal comes from antenna or cable, it goes into an MPEG-2 encoder , which converts the data from analog to digital MPEG-2 , by the way, is the compression standard used to fit information onto a DVD. From the encoder, the signal is shipped off to two different places: first, to the hard drive for storage, and second, to an MPEG-2 decoder , which converts the signal back to analog and sends it to the television for viewing. Some systems use dual tuners, allowing users to record different programs on different channels at the same time.
On a few systems, you can even record two programs while watching a third pre-recorded show. The device is driven by a customized operating system -- for instance, in the case of TiVo, the machine runs on a highly modified Linux installation. The operating system resides on the hard disk, along with the recording space, a buffer for live broadcasts, and in some cases a space for future expansion. While the system might seem pretty ho-hum on first analysis, the digital storage of television signals opens up a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to playback and viewing.
With a VCR, the device itself is merely a recording tool; the blank cassette is the media. In a DVR, the media and tool are one and the same. This is obviously a plus if you never seem to be able to find a blank tape when it's time to record something, but it can also be a drawback. Because the media is hard-wired into the machine, adding additional storage space is not possible.
There are Web sites that offer instructions on how to open a DVR and add a new hard drive, but beware -- this will definitely void your warranty. Getting more recording time is easy with a VCR -- just buy another box of blank tapes. More recording time on a DVR involves buying a new unit. You can incorporate some DVRs into your home network , which can allow you to access your system remotely. What is a DVR set-top box? A DVR Digital-Video-Recorder is a set-top box with a built-in hard drive for recording your favorite television shows and movies.
Please call your local office to sign up for our DVR service. The service requires a DVR-capable set-top box. Additional fees may apply. How do I record a program on my DVR set-top box? To record the show you are currently watching, simply press the REC button on your remote control. For more detailed instructions, and more recording options, see page 2 of this document.
Can I record more than one show at a time? Yes; you can record two different shows at the same time. You can also play back a previous recording while recording new episodes. Can I record a program from the beginning if it has already started? Yes; as long as you started watching the show from the beginning. You must, within the first half hour of the show, press the REC button and the recording will begin at the beginning of the show.
You can have this type of system professionally installed. The cameras will record digital videos onto the hard drive of the DVR or computer. Your main limitation will be how much space you have on your hard drive. This will also be affected by the quality at which you are recording your video footage: the higher number of frames per second, the larger the files.
The footage can be accessed from the hard drive on a computer. Because they are digital files, scanning through the footage is much easier than with traditional CCTV footage where you need to fast forward and rewind to the desired time. Most cameras will stamp the footage with a time and date and browsing through the footage on a computer is a much more efficient experience.
The great thing about DVR surveillance camera systems is that your footage is secure as long as the physical DVR is secure , and they can record high quality videos.
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