I was watching the Adam Sandler movie “Click” the other night. In the film, he plays Michael Newman: a workaholic architect who tries tirelessly to keep his wife and children happy. As fate would have it, Newman buys a universal remote that has the ability to pause, mute, and rewind his life. The movie was worth highlighting because he got me thinking: how cool would it be to do the same things with my own time-shifting DVR? What is a DVR, you ask? Well, keep reading.

It seems that most of us are always trying to find better ways to manage our time, especially when it comes to our personal lives. So we buy planners, electronic diaries, and every other device destined to find its way on e-bay or in the trash. I am as guilty of this as anyone. However, there is one thing I don’t see myself letting go of for a long, long time. In fact, I love it better than no traffic on Highway 22 on a Monday morning…and that’s my DVR.

For those wondering what a DVR is and what this wonderfully amazing device does, let me clarify. A DVR, or Digital Video Recorder, is a device that records live television. Think of it like a tapeless VCR or discless DVD player, with the same ability to fast forward, pause, rewind, and skip commercials. For the most part, all DVRs are very similar. Most have a Digital Tuner that allows them to decode a television signal, multiple outlets that connect to all televisions, and most importantly, a computer hard drive to store information. Hard drives range in storage size from 20 hours up to Dish Network’s 180 hour DVR. And I’d be discounted if I didn’t mention that the remote is so easy to operate, I haven’t thrown it against the wall yet.

The DVR is generically referred to as “TIVO”. Just as texting and Google search found their way into the English language, “TIVO-ing” found its way there as well. “Replay TV” and “TIVO” were introduced to the world in 1999 and have changed the way we watch television forever. Although “TIVO” is the well-known generic name for DVRs, Dish Network (the second largest satellite television company in the US) has more DVRs in the United States than any other company. Why do people use Dish Network DVRs more than its predecessor, “TIVO”? It’s simple. They give them away FREE to new customers.

So, are you still wondering how a DVR can manage your time, keep you sane, and help you maintain all your relationships? Well now, you can finally watch your favorite TV shows on your own personal schedule. In 40 minutes, a DVR lets you watch an hour-long episode of Deal or No Deal while eating Wheatie’s for breakfast. A DVR allows you to watch all the new movies you wanted to see on HBO and Starz, but were missing due to time constraints. A DVR allows you to record American Idol while you watch the NBA playoffs. And like I said earlier, Dish Network is giving away this amazing device for free.

When Dish Network installed my DVR, they took the time to show me how easy it was to enjoy. They also give me a free HD DVR, which gives my new plasma TV a beautiful, crisp picture. With a high definition DVR, I can now record both HDTV and standard definition programming.

So what is the drawback of a DVR? Well, sadly my “mute” button on the TV remote feels sloppy and it’s becoming more and more jealous of the DVR’s “pause” button. Now when the phone rings, my thumb searches for the pause button, so I don’t miss a moment of my favorite show. Better yet, when I’m feeling a little thirsty, I stop the soccer game and take my time figuring out what’s in my fridge.

So this is what I recommend you do. Get one of these amazing life savers and try it out for yourself. If you can’t slice and dice… well, without voiding your warranty, but a DVR will allow you to record, pause, fast forward, and rewind live TV. You will be able to see wardrobe failures over and over again. And overlook Sanjaya trying to sing. Heck, if you didn’t like reading this article, you could have skipped it using your DVR. Hmmmm. A remote control that allows you to quickly move forward in your life. It looks like it could be a good movie.