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A few weeks ago (I think), I noticed a new menu item in my DVR: "On Demand."

My HR-20 HD DVR (from DirecTV) has always worked pretty well, so I haven't visited DBSTalk.com since shortly after getting the HR-20 (and comparing it to my TiVo). I'm not sure how long VOD has been available, but I do know this after watching the little five-minute video: it's only available to HR-20 owners who have their DVR hooked up to their network.

VOD, in my limited testing, is off to a good start. I can download an hour-long show in 10 minutes. That's not full speed, but it's a good balance between speed and maintaining the usability of the network for other computers.

The VOD library appears to be rather large. Granted, most of it's stuff I'll never, ever want to watch, but there are some nice finds. I can download every episode of Dirty Jobs, for example, including one that is set in Erie, PA.

There's also pay-per-view content available. The intro video told me that you're only charged if you watch the video, so folks can delete shows after they've downloaded them if they change their minds.

All told, and combined with DirecTV's recent addition of 100 HD channels (of which at least 20 matter to me somewhat), I'm a very happy DirecTV customer.

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