Things have certainly moved on since the days of the VCR where they have now given way to digital TV recorders.
There was a time when VCRs were at the cutting edge of technology with the new found ability to record television so that you could actually watch your favorite shows when you wanted rather than having to plan your life around the TV schedule.
However, as people's expectations of technology increased then some frustrations with this technology became apparent.
Inevitably tapes became worn with repeated playing and playback quality degenerated.
Then, there was the storage space required for all those tapes and the need to keep track of what was recorded where.
Digital TV recorders overcome all these issues.
Instead these devices record data onto their hard drive and as a result there are no storage issues and the quality of your recordings will not degenerate however many times you play them.
They have an on-screen menu that allow you find your recordings, so no chance of accidentally recording over something that you particularly want to keep.
A particularly useful feature is the ability for you to pause live TV so your viewing is not interrupted by telephone calls or other such distractions.
In addition, many also have the capability to replay in slow motion.
The quality of the recording is also of a significant higher quality than that of VCRs.
Many of the newer generation of digital TV recorders have a number of additional features.
For example, some have (for an additional subscription fee) access to a vast library of movies as well as access to music via the internet.
These models often have a range of options for programming allowing you to set your device remotely via a cellphone or the internet.
These is really useful if you have forgotten to set your device to record your favorite show, or perhaps you find you are to be home later than planned.
All in all, digital TV recorders are a great step forward in home entertainment technology and a world away from the old VCR.