How to record TV shows?

How do I skip TV commercials/digitally record TV shows?

• How do I skip TV commercials, digitally record TV shows, etc. using a piece of hardware like DVR, etc.? Do you have any suggestions as to what I should be looking at? I don't want to spend THAT much, by the way. Also, I am located in Canada, so such options like TiVo are unavailable here. Thanks in advance!

• Answer:

  Hello Gary, you should be able to get exactly what we have and it is great. First of all it looks like dish network is available in Canada: http://www.dish-network.cn/?kbid=1205 Dish offers a system very similar to Tivo, but be careful. The one they promote is a DVR (digital video receiver) that will record up to 100 hours of programing. They say it is free, but that is not true. However, the receiver we got will record up to 35 hours and is absolutely free. The receiver was free, the shipping was free, and there is no extra monthly charge. It is what Dish calls the model 501. It will do nearly everything that Tivo will and is completely free. In order to fast forward or skip through commercials (there is a 30 second skip button that we never use) you would have to wait a couple of minutes after a show actually starts or record the entire show for later viewing. The only downside to any satellite receiver is that you can't watch one show and record another at the same time. You can do this with two receivers, but it costs more. Here is info on the Dish DVR receivers: http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/products/receivers/dvr/index.shtml Look down the page until you get to "Standard DVR receivers" DISH 501/508 is a combination DISH Network satellite receiver and cutting-edge digital video recorder. FEATURES: DVR (Digital Video Recorder) allows you to pause live TV, play, stop, skip forward (30 seconds), skip back (10 seconds), quick record 40-80 gigabyte hard drives Up to 60 hours* of 100% digital video recording Optical outputs for Dolby® Digital or Linear PCM digital audio Up to 9-day extended Electronic Programming Guide I believe that this is as close as you can get to Tivo without paying extra. Of course you will have to switch over from cable to Dish, but I will bet that the monthly charges are about the same. Let me know if there is something I left out. Redhoss