People lead busy lives these days. Between work, taking the kids to lessons, running errands, cooking the meals, and looking after the house, many people are unable to tune in for their favorite television shows. Rather than losing these viewers altogether, cable and satellite companies are making it easier for them to view these programs when they finally do get the time. The following hints can help you figure out a way to record the game when you can't be home to watch.

The latest technology for recording television programs is the PVR, or personal video recorder, which includes brand names like Tivo. Working in concert with your cable box, your PVR records programs onto a hard drive and uses the channel guide interface to tell it when to turn on and off. All you have to do is nip into your home and select the program off the schedule to record. Then when you watch it, you can pause and fast forward like a tape. You can even set it to always record a certain program. Some PVRs come free with digital cable, others are added extras.

Another digital cable invention that allows people to set their own schedules is On Demand. Most homes have digital cable have access to On Demand, which allows them to choose programs such as pay per view sporting matches and movies from a list and store them for a certain amount of time on their system, during which they can watch the programs whenever they like. Prices for On Demand programs vary, but in many urban areas they compete with the DVD rental prices.

If your cable provider hasn't yet begun to offer these services or you have opted not to pay the extra monthly fees for them, you still have options for when you want to record programs at home. You can buy a PVR that is not serviced by your provider or purchase a DVR recorder that allows you to record devices onto a re-recordable DVD. The interface for these devices is not as convenient, as it cannot cooperate with the guide channel, but you can still watch it whenever you like.

And finally, even people without cable or a modern TV with audio and video component jacks can record their shows the old fashioned way: with a VCR. Most families have gotten rid of their VCRs so you can pick one up cheaply at a second hand store, and videocassette tapes as well. The quality is the lowest of any of the methods for recording shows, but it will do in a pinch if the network is not planning to upload the program for viewers to watch on their website.