I have a Time Warner Cable Box with DVR as part of the box. I have the capability of recording several hours of progamming. As the programs are recorded they are put on a list, latest first and then you can view them at your leisure. Shortly, I will buy an HDTV and will have to change the cable box. I would like to pick out a few of the saved programs and record them on a DVD. I have a combination DVD/VCR recorder that I just purchased. I tried to do this without results. Although I did get the audio part. Does anyone know if and how this can be done ? Thanks.

I opted for the Cable Co. DVR, although the guide and recording is less capable than the Tivo it is more integrated allows recordeing of HDTV. If you value the ability to record shows remotely via internet connectivity, like the record a season option, or a host of Tivo only options then that may make the difference for you. Another small reason that I cable was that you are only leasing the box, technology changes they upgrade you, box breaks they replace it. Bottom line each service has its positives and negatives, its up to you to decide which fits you the best.

We just moved from suburban Chicago to western NC 8 weeks ago. We'd been house/land hunting for over 2 years, making short tips to look around but didn't find "the one". As you said it's much easier to do the hunting while living in the new area so we are renting here and can take our time. For us, it made more sense to 1) have a year lease with option to extend month to month and 2) rent a house large enough that we did not need a separate storage unit - I want our possessions under our roof and in heated/cooled space. Dollar for dollar it made sense to put the $$ into rent as opposed to storage. We sold a great deal before moving but every closet here is packed with boxes, under the beds, the basement and the garage has items that don't need conditioned space. We are settled, roughly, but comfortably enough. In a perfect world I'd prefer to put the rent $$ into a purchase. But finding the perfect place to purchase is more important to us in the long run. We don't have school age children either, but I'm still somewhat concerned about school districts as they relate to resale. My husband would do as you plan and live within a nat'l forest if I'd agree! We're in for a big compromise which is part of the difficulty in finding the right place for us. Good luck in your search - and if you don't mind sharing, where are you planning to move?

In it's most basic form, a DVR allows you to record live television. Devices like Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, etc. allows you to stream television shows, movies, etc. from companies like Netflix or Amazon Video. The list of what is available, especially prime time television, is going to be limited. Now most DVRs and set top boxes provided by the cable or telephone company also allow you to stream media but the choices are almost always limited to what they want to you receive (no Netflix). In addition many modern televisions also have the ability to stream media. I had a Tivo years ago and thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Then the cable/telephone companies decided they all needed set top boxes, which along with DVRs, is a great profit stream for them because the boxes cost very little to make. So it became a challenge to get Tivo to work with the providers and I have no idea what progress they've made in the intervening years but that's something you need to investigate. Tivo also charges for the box plus a monthly or lifetime subscription. So you're not likely to be saving a lot of money going in that direction but do the math.