Take control of your TV and your life. 'Fresh Gear' compares and contrasts three popular PVR systems.

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TiVo has all the features that make this category interesting, even though it requires you to buy equipment and pay for service. For most users, TiVo's ease of use combined with its laundry list of features makes the most sense. (Vulcan Inc., the parent company of TechTV, has a stake in TiVo.)

All three PVR systems offer something for everyone. Dish and TiVo are perfect for consumers ready to subscribe to satellite TV. You can get 150-plus digital channels for about $70 a month. The difference between the two: Dish offers only basic features, but there's no hardware or service fee. If you already have Dish, you can upgrade to the Dish PVR 501 for $50 (total activation of $99.99).

The ReplayTV 5000 has features such as networking and sharing and very large storage capacities that appeal to more hard-core users.


































PVR
Philips DSR6000 DirecTV box with TiVo
ReplayTV 5000
DishPVR 501

Storage capacity
35 hours
40-320 hours
35 hours

Price
$149
$300 (for 40-hour version)
Free

Service charge
$12.95 per month; $249 lifetime
$9.95 per month; $250 lifetime
None

Notable feature
Easy-to-use search and programming
Network and stream capabilities
Limited features, but simple

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