I've always been about 3 or 4 years behind most cutting edge technology.  I didn't use the internet until 1998.  I didn't get a cell phone until 2003.  I just got a GPS device a few weeks ago.  I like to wait for technology to prove its worth before I jump in. 

It's the same with digital video recorders like TiVo.  They've been out for a few years now, and they've definitely proven themselves worthy of purchase.  (On a side note, any time a piece of technology becomes a common verb, it's obviously successful -- text, Google, TiVo, Microsofted [actually, that's a little different], etc.)  But my cheapness comes into play here.  Big time.  It's one thing to buy an electronic box that hooks up to your TV.  It's an entirely different thing to pay to use it.  I hate subscription fees.  I hate monthly payments.  If I buy a device, I want to be able to use it without restriction, not pay a monthly fee to have some stupid box tell me what TV shows I should watch.  It's not like the device uses TiVo Corp.'s cable lines or satellite signals.  In that respect, you're literally paying to use the device, not even to use the service.  (Yes, I know TiVo has extensive automated systems that record shows when you want.  But last time I checked, I'm pretty good at recording things on my own.) 

(My cheapness sometimes causes me to get angry.) 

So I came up with a solution:  A DVD recorder.  It's a step up from a VCR (a what?) but a step down from a DVR.  It records stuff on DVDs, which have the added benefit of being able to be used in many different devices (take that, TiVo and your un-portability!).  It doesn't do anything automatically or without my permission.  It just records stuff that I tell it to record.  And it costs no more money than what I paid when I bought it. #entertainment