The Best Devices That I Alexander Michael Gittens Have Ever Purchased: Part II

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Yesterday in Part One, I wrote about the headset and microphone attachment for a cordless phone. At around $30.00 I didn’t think this device could change my life so significantly but it did. In the event that you missed yesterday’s article you can still access it in our archieve.

Today’s device, though more expensive than yesterday’s, is again one of the largest time savers I have ever encountered. I was first made aware of this device by my always-up-to-date-and-on-top-of-things friend Kevin Wisdom. To this day I do not purchase electronics without availing myself of his very impressive industry knowledge.

2. The Personal Video Recorder (PVR)

Let me get one things out of the way, I am not a huge TV watcher, nor do I have a lot of free time. With a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) the important thing is not that you watch a little or a lot of television, the only question that you should ask yourself is: “do I value my time?”

As a quick primer for those not familiar with the technology, a PVR is a set-top device that allows you to record your favorite TV shows. There will be those who try to parallel this technology with a VCR. For the record, a PVR has as much in common with a VCR as a typewriter has in common with a Computer.

The other benefits of the PVR are the ability to pause and replay live TV. If watching a recorded show you can also fast forward through the commercials.

If the phone rings while you are watching TV, you can hit the pause button and then pick up where you left off when the call is done. The good news is now you can save even more time by fast forwarding during the commercials.

PVRs also have a slick feature where the unit suggests shows to you based on your watching habits. They can also record a full season of a show and are able to skip recording episodes that are already been recorded. So if you love watching a show on Thursday but have to coach soccer that night, you can set the PVR to record your show every week. When it is convenient for you, you can return and watch one or multiple episodes, again saving time by skipping the commercials.

To get the full power of the PVR it is important to purchase the dual input version. This allows you to watch one show while recording another, or to record two programs while you are away from the TV – a huge benefit.

Here’s a practical example using the PVR.

During the first round of the NBA playoffs there are often three games in two time slots. You can set the PVR to record all three games. Now an NBA game is 48 minutes long by the clock but takes over two and half hours to play. Thus, it is impossible to watch all three games since they overlap. The two that you can watch will take you over five hours to complete. Enter the PVR; using record, fast forward, a few pauses for washroom breaks, a couple rewinds and slow-motion replays - yes they can do that - you can complete all three games in three hours. Effectively, you have saved two hours of your time and also watched the third game which would have previously been impossible. TNT proclaims 40 games in 40 nights during the play-offs, if you were to save one and a half hours per game that would add up to 60 hours in time savings.

You will not be disappointed with this purchase, contact me through my website if you have any questions about features or models… I’ll ask Kevin for you.

Thanks for reading, tomorrow is the third and final installment in our “The Best Devices I’ve Ever Purchased Series.” See you then.

Alexander Michael Gittens

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