DVRs have changed the way we watch television. We can watch our favorite shows whenever we want and skip commercials. But TiVo and your cable company charge a monthly fee for the privilege.

Fortunately, you have options. You can get a DVR without the monthly subscription.

If you want to pay up, you’ll find solutions at the store. Or, you can take the cheap-and-easy route. Let’s go to the store first.

Standalone options

The Moxi HD DVR is subscription-free. Moxi says its 500-gigabyte hard drive holds 75 hours of HD content. Or, if you’re old school, you’ll get 300 hours of standard definition.

You can record two shows simultaneously. Or, connect to the Internet to watch Netflix, Hulu and YouTube content. It also connects to computers for viewing photos and listening to music.

At $800, though, Moxi’s DVR is $200 more than a comparable TiVo.

Archos’ Internet Media Tablets also record television shows. They’re similar to Apple’s iPod touch.

Prices start at $280 for the Archos 5. It has a 60GB hard drive. The DVR Snap on ($80) turns it into a portable DVR. But it only records standard definition.