A digital video recorder DVR is an that records video in a digital format to a , , SD , or other local or networked device. The term includes with , and with recording capability, and digital. Personal computers are often connected to devices and used as DVRs; in such cases the used to record video is an integral part of the DVR. Many DVRs are classified as devices; such devices may alternatively be referred to as personal video recorders PVRs , particularly in Canada. Back view of a Series2 5xx-generation unit Consumer digital video recorders and were launched at the 1999 in. Microsoft also demonstrated a unit with DVR capability, but this did not become available until the end of 1999 for full DVR features in Dish Network's DISHplayer receivers. TiVo shipped their first units on March 31, 1999. Legal action by media companies forced ReplayTV to remove many features such as automatic commercial skip and the sharing of recordings over the Internet, but newer devices have steadily regained these functions while adding complementary abilities, such as recording onto and programming and remote control facilities using PDAs, networked PCs, and Web browsers. Many DVRs use the format for compressing the digital video. Video recording capabilities have become an essential part of the modern , as TV viewers have wanted to take control of their viewing experiences. As consumers have been able to converge increasing amounts of video content on their set-tops, delivered by traditional '' , and as well as networks, the ability to capture programming and view it whenever they want has become a must-have function for many consumers. Digital video recorders tied to a video service At the 1999 CES, Dish Network demonstrated the hardware that would later have DVR capability with the assistance of Microsoft software. By the end of 1999 the Dishplayer had full DVR capabilities and within a year, over 200,000 units were sold. British Sky Broadcasting markets a popular combined receiver and DVR as Sky+. South African based Africa Satellite TV beamer Multichoice recently launched their DVR which is available on their DStv platform. In addition to ReplayTV and TiVo, there are a number of other suppliers of digital terrestrial DVRs, including Thomson, , Fusion, , , VBox Communications, and ADB. In the case of digital television, there is no encoding necessary in the DVR since the signal is already a digitally encoded MPEG stream. The digital video recorder simply stores the digital stream directly to disk. Having the broadcaster involved with, and sometimes subsidizing, the design of the DVR can lead to features such as the ability to use interactive TV on recorded shows, pre-loading of programs, or directly recording encrypted digital streams. It can, however, also force the manufacturer to implement non-skippable advertisements and automatically expiring recordings. In the United States, the FCC has ruled that starting on July 1, 2007, consumers will be able to purchase a set-top box from a third-party company, rather than being forced to purchase or rent the set-top box from their cable company. The overall net effect on digital video recorders and related technology is unlikely to be substantial as standalone DVRs are currently readily available on the open market. In Europe and with multi
