OTHER TECH

SATELLITE Dish Network and DirecTV both sell 250-gigabyte (GB) receivers that can record high-def programs from their respective satellite channels and, via built-in DTV tuners, from over-the-air network broadcasts. These receivers will let you record two shows at the same time even while you play back a third show you've already recorded. You can store up to 30 hours of HD or 200 hours of standard-definition programs.

The Dish Player DVR 942 ($699 for purchase or $250 to lease) uses the service's homegrown program guide, which is included in the price of the programming subscription (but there's also a $5-a-month DVR usage fee). The DirecTV HR10-250 ($599 for purchase - no lease option) includes TiVo service for $6 a month, but you can't use it without a DirecTV subscription.