Sky+ (Sky Plus) and V+ (V plus) are Sky and Virgin's set up digital TV boxes which allow you to pause and record live digital TV. 

BT Vision also allows you to do this as do Freesat and Freeview.

More generally, these boxes are know as PVRs (personal-video-recorders), and are now a key part of the digital TV landscape.

Those who have them swear by them.

Recent research has shown that customer satisfaction levels of PVRs are higher than almost any other product ever tested!

PVRs are essentially the next generation of video recorder, but are such a vast improvement on the old technology that they are capable of completely transforming how your family watches TV.

In a nutshell PVRs allow you to do three things:

- Record single programmes or whole series at the touch of one button. The programmes are recorded onto a hard disk within the PVR so they are stored likes songs on an iPod and can be deleted when finished with.

Storage capacity varies by PVR, but some offer over 80 hours of storage. The EPG (electronic-programme-guide) allows you to very simply select any programme broadcast within the next two weeks and automatically record it;

- Pause the live television signal, so that you can pause the TV if the phone rings for example and start your viewing again when you have finished your phone conversation;

- Rewind the TV if you want see something again, or even watch it again in slow motion.

The hard drives on PVRs will determine how many programmes you can store on the PVR memory.

Different PVRs have different functions and features. For instance, some have a function called a "twin tuner" which will allow you to record two channels at the same time, whilst you watch a third one. And there are some PVRs which allow you to pause and rewind live TV, so you don't miss a moment of the action.

TIVO originally introduced PVRs into the UK, but it was Sky that really brought PVRs into mass ownership with the launch of Sky+. Sky+ HD not only offers the ability to pause and record TV, but also brings High Definition TV into your living room.

And now over 4m Sky homes now have Sky+ or Sky+ HD up and running.

But the other digital TV providers have launched their own PVRs which can be very good alternatives. These include: Virgin Media, TalkTalk,Top Up TV, BT Vision and Freeview.

In addition, Freesat also offers their own PVR service and currently offer the only subscription free HD service out there so you can watch programs in spectacular High Definition without having to pay a monthly fee.

To compare the best value PVR deals, you can use Simplifydigital.com, a unique Ofcom accredited impartial digital TV comparison service.