Sketcha & 00Camper, I regret to say that the PVR came installed on the computer, so I'm too stupid to know how it works. . . . . It's an HP m376m, with Windows XP Media center edition. . . I don't know if it's the software or a piece of hardware that handles the recording. . . . It has a guide, that downloads info from the cable company every time I start up windows. . . you can search by category, title or keyword, but I'm pretty sure it won't automatically search out and record a specific title on it's own. . . you can also record from the PVR to dvd, but I haven't tried that yet. . . . There's no question there's not as many options as Tivo, but if you're shopping for a computer, it's worth looking into. . . . just don't know how it can be added to an existing computer. . . . another thing - the way it's set up, you can't watch one channel on tv, and record another on the computer. . . . the computer has an adaptor that will change the channel on the cable box automatically, but if you want to record while the kids are watching Spongebob, it won't work. . . . they can however, watch DVD's, vhs and use Playstation while it's recording. . . .
It's perfect for me, because I might only record something once every couple of weeks. . . For those who would be using it on a daily basis, you may want more flexibility. . .