Could You Live Without Your DVR?

I'm thinking about adding DVR to my digital cable package. Something about being able to watch whatever you want, whenever you want is incredibly appealing to me right now. It cannot be explained. Well, maybe it can be explained by the rush of early adopters of TiVo in 1999 or the millions of others who have jumped ship and made the switch to insta-television. According to a recent survey commissioned by NDS, more than 80 percent of Americans with a DVR can't live without it.

The survey was conducted in July 2008 in the U.S., U.K., Italy, and Australia, with more than 1,000 DVR owners participating. Overall, the device ranked as the third most indispensable household item (62 percent), just after the washing machine (97 percent) and the microwave oven (86 percent).

In the U.S., a higher number of people (81 percent) cited their DVR as their most crucial gadget. It trailed only the cell phone (91 percent).

We can easily see how the cell phone was #1 for Americans. No contest there. Everybody has one or is constantly thinking about whether they need one. Sounds like a necessity to us. But, really? DVR is #2? Maybe it's just our DVR-less life (The survey did as those with the technology), but we think that it would be easier to live without a DVR than a computer, a microwave or, hey... a TV to use your DVR on!

The survey also reveals that eighty-one percent of respondents said their DVR has made life better by allowing for more time to do things together with loved ones and fewer arguments over what to watch. In fact, having a DVR around seems to improve relationships, 79 percent of respondents claimed.

What do you think? If you have one, could you live without it? Does it improve relationships? If you don't have one, do you feel like you need one?

I was forced into this experiment last week, my internet was out for two weeks and the only reason I acted was because my TiVo had no future program info, meaning it would record nothing and knew nothing about the channels or lineup (I don't have a phone line for backup). It took Verizon about 6 more days (DO NOT MENTION THIS) to find the problem and fix it and I watched no TV in this time.

I didn't know what channel anything was on, I didn't even know how to find Bravo. I missed the end of the Olympics. Even turning on the TV was an exercise in frustration that I didn't attempt after day 2 -it seemed the only options were crass sitcom, or commercials. I was in withdrawal from the regular shows I watch. If it had happened in the middle of actual broadcast TV season I wouldn't have anything to talk to some colleagues about, I would have to inquire about their work or something. I watch about 6 hours of TV a week, but that is some highly edited seriously select TV. If I didn't have a DVR option I think within about two weeks you'd find me sitting on the couch with chips and soda watching reruns of Two and a Half Men not knowing what day it was. Thank-god I haven't been without a DVR since about 2004.

On the other hand I do not find it always improves family dynamics. I live alone so in my house it is not a problem, but I have heard the tale of houses where there is no dual tuner or worse when someone deletes your episodes of Family Guy to record an hour of Ace of Cakes, there will be blood.

posted by Laurie on September 3rd 2008 at 9:33am
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I honestly think that TiVO is a better overall invention than television is - it improves the TV experience by more than 100%.

For those who watch little TV, the few shows they like to watch are on whenever they have the time or inclination to watch.

For those who watch a lot of TV, they can record one show while watching another, and then have a backlog to catch up on Saturday or Sunday mornings.

All this, plus skipping commercials, the "Season Pass" feature (to automatically record all episodes of a particular show), the "Wish List" (to automatically record everything with a particular keyword, actor, etc.), and an on-screen guide where you can see the next several shows on any channel? Perfection.

posted by sillyputty on September 3rd 2008 at 10:42am
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I live alone and have 3 DVRs - 2 Tivos (series 2 & series 3) and 1 TW DVR (gotta have it for on demand). It makes me more relaxed when I am out knowing that I don't have to hurry home or I will miss seeing something. Season passes are fantastic. Stock up on 2 or 3 (or 12) episodes and catch up when you want to. At the beginning of the new TV season, I will save many new shows until I see if they will survive the first month or two. If the show gets cancelled, 1 click deletes them. No more getting attached to a show and having it ripped away.

Anyway, I love my Tivos (any other DVR is like a Hydrox - it looks a little like an Oreo, but it just isn't the same). Could I live without them? Sure, but life is better with them.

As far as "household items" go, I think I would rate a number of things higher than a DVR - bed, chair/sofa, air conditioner, refrigerator, TV, computer, cell phone. It's a toss up whether a DVR would beat out the washer & dryer, but it would definitely out rank the microwave.

posted by BigD on September 3rd 2008 at 11:13am
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I wouldn't want a TV without a TiVo, because the little time I have to watch TV needs to be maximized. I hate when my friends bitch that they "don't watch enough TV" to warrant a TiVo, but then they bitch about missing Mad Men and Project Runway. Please, TV is no longer the go-to pretentious thing to say you don't watch.

DVRs are like the new cell phones, or answering machine when you had a land line--you think you can't live without it at first, and then you get it and realize living without it before was so inconvenient.

posted by Shannon in SF on September 3rd 2008 at 1:06pm
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A couple months ago the DVR on my cable box stopped working. I had returned an old, non-DVR box that I no longer needed, and for what ever reason they took the DVR box off my account. Needless to say, the lack of being able to record a few shows I wasn't around to watch and the inability to rewind live TV got on my nerves very fast. It took a couple days (and one too many calls) I finally got it back.

So while I can say I could live without out it, I wouldn't be very happy without it after getting used to it.

posted by tgfoo on September 3rd 2008 at 1:08pm
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I'll have to be the voice of dissent here, I guess!

About a year ago, my husband and I decided we'd either get DVR or cancel TV altogether. We decided to cancel TV, and it's been great. With Hulu, Netflix, Youtube, and all of the channel-specific sites, plus the occasional trip to a friend's house (hello Project Runway), I never miss it. Now with stuff like TVersity and PlayOn that lets me play computer stuff through the TV, it's even better.

We did cheat for two weeks--I am a sucker for the Olympics--but even then, more than half of my olympic watching was done online.

posted by mandarinmarie on September 3rd 2008 at 6:03pm
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My home-brewed DVR (SageTV) has automatic commercial skip. The biggest upside is that I can watch a three-hour evening of TV in two hours. I can start watching my 8pm show at 9pm and finish my 10pm show with the last 10-15 being real-time.

That gives me the 8-9pm hour for non-TV activities without sacrificing any brain-numbing pablum!!!

posted by haggie1 on October 1st 2008 at 1:36pm
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There's nothing on TV I need to see that desperately. That's not to say that I don't like and watch TV, but, generally, I just don't care enough to *have* to watch something. That being said, the four or five shows I do watch are always available OnDemand the following week so I can catch them without a DVR.

posted by Cristina S. on December 9th 2009 at 7:44pm
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