People can't be home all the time, but with advances in technology that doesn't mean you have to miss your favorite television programs. There are several ways you can record your favorite television programs, from using state-of-the-art technology to 30-year-old tried-and-true methods.
VHS and VCR
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VCRs are still a viable method of recording television for anyone who is working on a budget. Selling for around $30 at most retailers and with blank VHS tapes selling for $6 to $10, VHS is a reliable, quality method of recording your favorite television programs or movies. Just keep in mind that you get what you pay for as far as quality goes, and VHS lacks the crispness, especially in High Definition recording, that you can get through other means.
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DVR/TiVo
If you want to record HD programming or several programs at several different times throughout the day, look no further than a DVR. Many DVRs, like TiVo, are designed to record programs that you select from their programmed television guide and save to a hard drive inside the device. Depending on the modem you buy, you can record 30 to 200 hours of television.
TV Tuner & PC
If you have a TV Tuner card with your computer, you can actually use your PC's hard drive to record and save your favorite video programs using a variety of media center programs available on the Internet. If you have Windows Media Center (not to be confused with the separate Windows Media Player) on your computer, you can download local television guides directly off the Internet and set your PC to record certain programs, much like a DVR.