What is a DVR or PVR?

A DVR (Digital Video Recorder) or PVR (Personal Video Recorder) are consumer electronic devices which record television shows for viewers so that they can pause, rewind, fast forward and watch television when you want to the shows. Similar in concept to the VCR (Video Cassette Recorder), these new devices store television content in digital format on a special purpose computer hard disk.

In 1999, both ReplayTV and TIVO released the first commercial DVR products, since then the devices have considerably improved quality and storage capabilities. The latest devices now offer recording in high definition, huge internal disk drives and the ability to store programs on removable DVD's.

and what do DVR's and PVR's have to do with Internet TV?

The DVR set top box is the main point of contact between you, your television set, and your television shows. The DVR already manages the interface to search, record and play video content.

As more and more Internet TV content comes online DVR companies will be pressured into providing access to this content.

Cable systems, satellite systems, DVR's, DVD players, entertainment centers, Internet access and Internet TV are all on a collusion course to reach a point of convergence. This will create the largest industrial transformation since the Internet