Disruptive technologies - How the DVR killed the VCR and changed the way we watch TV

A disruptive innovation is defined as an innovation that disrupts an existing market. Disruptive innovations are the driving force behind technological advancement because if there were no new products to replace older, obsolete ones then technology would never change. The 1970s saw the release of the videocassette recorder or VCR which enabled people to record television programs onto a VHS tape to watch later. It allowed people to do other things during live TV without having to miss the program. VCRs made a good run and controlled the market for nearly 30 years. Then, in 1999 the DVR was introduced to the world. The digital video recorder performed the same task as a VCR, but had greater capacity and quality and boasted an extensive amount of extra features. The most popular early DVR was the TiVo, which allowed users to schedule recordings, store many hours of programs in one place (compared to around a 4-hour max for each VHS tape), and to pause and rewind live TV. As TiVos and other DVR devices gained popularity, cable providers began to offer their own DVR boxes as well as On-Demand services for added monthly fees. With this introduction, people no longer needed to conform to the schedules of broadcasters. Now if you can't watch a TV show you can just DVR it with one click, and if you for some reason can't DVR it then you can just watch it On-Demand whenever you please.