Rating: 
Summary: don't buy any ReplayTV products
Review: I bought the replaytv 60 hr unit and have had nothing but problems for 7 months. The first unit had a problem with the modem. It would connect to the server only once in a great while. The next 4 (that's right 4 replacement units that replayTV sent) all skipped. I should say they skipped and froze up to be acurate. The last unit not only skipped but also rebooted itself every half hour or so. I am currently waiting for the next unit(these were all different units with different serial numbers not my same unit repaired) but I have given up hope of ever having a working unit. The fact that 5 different units have had problems shows the widespread unreliability of the ReplayTV hardware. When replaytv works it is great but this got to be the worst electronics device I have ever had as far as reliability and I have had quite a few. The first unit I had worked great other than the modem problem. It recorded everything and was a joy to use. The only problem is that if the modem does not work then the on screen tv listings are not updated and you eventually can't record the shows you want. The other units they sent have just been horrible and the last unit with the rebooting was the worst. I am very technically oriented and after countless hours with their tech support each time it was determined that it was hardware/software defects. Replaytv has tried to get the problems resolved but 5 replaytv units not working is just too much. What ever you do...don't buy ANY ReplayTV products or you will get to know their tech. support people very well. Remember, if I have had a problem with 5 different units than the likelyhood that you will have a problem is probably pretty good no matter which model you buy. If you want a DVR then look at Tvio; they can't be worse than RepalyTV. I don't own Tivo but if I had it to do over again....I guess the $... a month doesn't seem so much now. I spent $... shipping it back the first few times before I got ReplayTV to pay shipping each way on later units. Stay away from anything ReplayTV.
Rating: 
Summary: I might get a second one...
Review: I got my ReplayTV 2 months ago and it is one of the best gadget purchases I've made-- and I love gadgets. I'm an avid TV watcher who works late so having the "always record" feature of ReplayTV greatly alleviates my stress (like when I forget to pop a new tape into my VCR and I miss an episode of Friends). As great as the machine is, there are a few reasons why I didn't give it 5 stars.First, I have an older model cable box which requires use of the "sticky" IR signal sender that is packaged with ReplayTV. I find that sometimes the signal gets a bit muddled and the channels don't switch properly. It makes me a bit nervous that this could happen before a show starts recording and I miss it altogether-- but it hasn't happened yet. Second, setup is not super easy, especially if you want to split your cable line (to be able to watch live TV, while you are recording on another channel). Also, if you have special considerations (like the old cable box I have) there is a lot of figeting with the settings (like making the machine go to "05" when you want channel 5). I got a ReplayTV for my future father-in-law for his birthday and he still hasn't gotten it to work (probably because he has a slightly old model TV) and he's a physicist. Third, the "standard" setting (which is what they use to benchmark the 20 hrs record time) is terrible. If there is a lot of movement on the show, the image gets blurry and pixelated. "Medium" setting is much better, but then you only get about 12-14 hours of record time. Finally, I still haven't gotten my rebate yet. I have a feeling that this is one of those deals where you get your money long after you've forgotten what the check is for. But there are some great features that I have to point out. I love the 30 second skip feature which lets you blow through commercials on recorded shows. I also use the instant replay button all the time on live and recorded shows because I'm always the type of person who asks "what did they just say?" And the pause feature is essential for any person who is constantly interrupted during their favorite show (I no longer have to screen calls). And the on-screen programming guide is just like having an interactive TV guide on your TV screen. In conclusion. If you are a big TV fan who is competent at fooling around with gadgets, this is a great buy. If you can't get your VCR to stop blinking "12:00" then either get a handy friend to install it for you, or wait until it's simpler. If you are going to get one, I recommend the 30 or 60 hour model otherwise you won't be able to keep more than 2 episodes of each of your favorite shows. In fact, I'm thinking of getting a second machine (remember I split my cable) so I can have more hard-drive space and I can record simultaneous shows on different channels in the same time slot.
Rating:
Summary: I might get a second one...
Review: I got my ReplayTV 2 months ago and it is one of the best gadget purchases I've made-- and I love gadgets. I'm an avid TV watcher who works late so having the "always record" feature of ReplayTV greatly alleviates my stress (like when I forget to pop a new tape into my VCR and I miss an episode of Friends). As great as the machine is, there are a few reasons why I didn't give it 5 stars. First, I have an older model cable box which requires use of the "sticky" IR signal sender that is packaged with ReplayTV. I find that sometimes the signal gets a bit muddled and the channels don't switch properly. It makes me a bit nervous that this could happen before a show starts recording and I miss it altogether-- but it hasn't happened yet. Second, setup is not super easy, especially if you want to split your cable line (to be able to watch live TV, while you are recording on another channel). Also, if you have special considerations (like the old cable box I have) there is a lot of figeting with the settings (like making the machine go to "05" when you want channel 5). I got a ReplayTV for my future father-in-law for his birthday and he still hasn't gotten it to work (probably because he has a slightly old model TV) and he's a physicist. Third, the "standard" setting (which is what they use to benchmark the 20 hrs record time) is terrible. If there is a lot of movement on the show, the image gets blurry and pixelated. "Medium" setting is much better, but then you only get about 12-14 hours of record time. Finally, I still haven't gotten my rebate yet. I have a feeling that this is one of those deals where you get your money long after you've forgotten what the check is for. But there are some great features that I have to point out. I love the 30 second skip feature which lets you blow through commercials on recorded shows. I also use the instant replay button all the time on live and recorded shows because I'm always the type of person who asks "what did they just say?" And the pause feature is essential for any person who is constantly interrupted during their favorite show (I no longer have to screen calls). And the on-screen programming guide is just like having an interactive TV guide on your TV screen. In conclusion. If you are a big TV fan who is competent at fooling around with gadgets, this is a great buy. If you can't get your VCR to stop blinking "12:00" then either get a handy friend to install it for you, or wait until it's simpler. If you are going to get one, I recommend the 30 or 60 hour model otherwise you won't be able to keep more than 2 episodes of each of your favorite shows. In fact, I'm thinking of getting a second machine (remember I split my cable) so I can have more hard-drive space and I can record simultaneous shows on different channels in the same time slot.
Rating:
Summary: I might get a second one...
Review: I got my ReplayTV 2 months ago and it is one of the best gadget purchases I've made-- and I love gadgets. I'm an avid TV watcher who works late so having the "always record" feature of ReplayTV greatly alleviates my stress (like when I forget to pop a new tape into my VCR and I miss an episode of Friends). As great as the machine is, there are a few reasons why I didn't give it 5 stars. First, I have an older model cable box which requires use of the "sticky" IR signal sender that is packaged with ReplayTV. I find that sometimes the signal gets a bit muddled and the channels don't switch properly. It makes me a bit nervous that this could happen before a show starts recording and I miss it altogether-- but it hasn't happened yet. Second, setup is not super easy, especially if you want to split your cable line (to be able to watch live TV, while you are recording on another channel). Also, if you have special considerations (like the old cable box I have) there is a lot of figeting with the settings (like making the machine go to "05" when you want channel 5). I got a ReplayTV for my future father-in-law for his birthday and he still hasn't gotten it to work (probably because he has a slightly old model TV) and he's a physicist. Third, the "standard" setting (which is what they use to benchmark the 20 hrs record time) is terrible. If there is a lot of movement on the show, the image gets blurry and pixelated. "Medium" setting is much better, but then you only get about 12-14 hours of record time. Finally, I still haven't gotten my rebate yet. I have a feeling that this is one of those deals where you get your money long after you've forgotten what the check is for. But there are some great features that I have to point out. I love the 30 second skip feature which lets you blow through commercials on recorded shows. I also use the instant replay button all the time on live and recorded shows because I'm always the type of person who asks "what did they just say?" And the pause feature is essential for any person who is constantly interrupted during their favorite show (I no longer have to screen calls). And the on-screen programming guide is just like having an interactive TV guide on your TV screen. In conclusion. If you are a big TV fan who is competent at fooling around with gadgets, this is a great buy. If you can't get your VCR to stop blinking "12:00" then either get a handy friend to install it for you, or wait until it's simpler. If you are going to get one, I recommend the 30 or 60 hour model otherwise you won't be able to keep more than 2 episodes of each of your favorite shows. In fact, I'm thinking of getting a second machine (remember I split my cable) so I can have more hard-drive space and I can record simultaneous shows on different channels in the same time slot.
Rating:
Summary: Skip ReplayTV and Get a TiVo.
Review: I have tried both ReplayTV and TiVo. Believe me, TiVo is such a superior product. Try it for your self. Get a TiVo. Their service is great and it costs the same if not less than ReplayTV, because Replay has their Service BUILT-IN their price. TiVo is SO easy to learn, and the interface is GREAT! TiVo is the best thing I have ever bought!
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good box
Review: I've had my ReplayTV 3020 for a week now and thought i would express my views on it. The box has a lot of different setups, you need to choose the right one for you. Personally I just split my cable feed and ran it to both my TV and the ReplayTV box so i can watch live TV or ReplayTV. Then i have the Svideo out of the ReplayTV to the TV and treat it as a VCR. First i gotta say, the compression ratings that ReplayTV would have you believe are not exactly accurate. Standard recording quality can be as good as a VCR/Cable tv or worse it dependson the video being recorded. If the images are big and there's not too much movement it's pretty good. But if it's a crowd scene or a sporting event iwth lots of movement, it's worse than VCR. It can be very grainy uniless theres little movement or it's a closeup. It looks like you're watching an internet realvideo playback most of the time. The Medium quality is a lot better, i'd put it up there the same quality as a vcr using Svideo out. Highest quality is great, but if your'e going to record everything on highest you should get the 3060. It has lots of outputs on it to go out to a PC for video capturing or a VCR to save to a permanent storage which is nice. Also it has a few inputs, rca or svideo so you could record a DVD movie if you rented one and didn't have time to watch it unlike the Panasonic model which won't let you do this. The ability to control real TV is nice. It actually records as you watch live tv. So you can pause, rewind and replay a live broadcast that you're not recording. The bad part of this however is sometimes the audio/video get out of sync. I'm not sure yet why this happens but it happens very seldom and it does clear itself. The one great thing with this box is it doesn't come with the $10/month bill that TiVo has. Who needs another bill? And if you work in the cost of a lifetime membership to TiVo you could buy a replay. The box itself is pretty quiet and it's smaller than most VCR's. It does have an off button if you want to turn it off, but i'd recommend just leaving it on. The channel guide is nice. It's really easy to navigate around and select shows to watch or record. You can use this to replace your cable box if you want, then you don't need a TV guide or anything. I wish the channel guide displayed more listings per screen though, and i wish it started back at the beginning of the list instead of your current channel. Overall though it's very easy. I'd definitly recommend this box, it's been pretty good and i've enjoyed having it over the past week.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good box
Review: I've had my ReplayTV 3020 for a week now and thought i would express my views on it. The box has a lot of different setups, you need to choose the right one for you. Personally I just split my cable feed and ran it to both my TV and the ReplayTV box so i can watch live TV or ReplayTV. Then i have the Svideo out of the ReplayTV to the TV and treat it as a VCR. First i gotta say, the compression ratings that ReplayTV would have you believe are not exactly accurate. Standard recording quality can be as good as a VCR/Cable tv or worse it dependson the video being recorded. If the images are big and there's not too much movement it's pretty good. But if it's a crowd scene or a sporting event iwth lots of movement, it's worse than VCR. It can be very grainy uniless theres little movement or it's a closeup. It looks like you're watching an internet realvideo playback most of the time. The Medium quality is a lot better, i'd put it up there the same quality as a vcr using Svideo out. Highest quality is great, but if your'e going to record everything on highest you should get the 3060. It has lots of outputs on it to go out to a PC for video capturing or a VCR to save to a permanent storage which is nice. Also it has a few inputs, rca or svideo so you could record a DVD movie if you rented one and didn't have time to watch it unlike the Panasonic model which won't let you do this. The ability to control real TV is nice. It actually records as you watch live tv. So you can pause, rewind and replay a live broadcast that you're not recording. The bad part of this however is sometimes the audio/video get out of sync. I'm not sure yet why this happens but it happens very seldom and it does clear itself. The one great thing with this box is it doesn't come with the $10/month bill that TiVo has. Who needs another bill? And if you work in the cost of a lifetime membership to TiVo you could buy a replay. The box itself is pretty quiet and it's smaller than most VCR's. It does have an off button if you want to turn it off, but i'd recommend just leaving it on. The channel guide is nice. It's really easy to navigate around and select shows to watch or record. You can use this to replace your cable box if you want, then you don't need a TV guide or anything. I wish the channel guide displayed more listings per screen though, and i wish it started back at the beginning of the list instead of your current channel. Overall though it's very easy. I'd definitly recommend this box, it's been pretty good and i've enjoyed having it over the past week.
Rating: 
Summary: Additional information
Review: I've now had my Replay for many months and i'd like to expresss ome changes in the replay software and some things i've missed. First problem i had was if you set a program to record at X time on X channel, it would do that for you no problem. The problem was that it would do that every single time the program was on. So for example if you're a STar Trek fan, it's on 7 days a week. One night is a new episode, the rest of the nights is a rerun. So it was almost useless recording this to watch at a later date because it would probably be overwritten. THANKFULLY replay has updated the software to specify only to record an certain days of the week. So now you can say only record Star Trek on wednesday nights. The other problem that both Tivo and Replay have is overrun cutoff. So if you're watching a football game, it's got a time slot. However the game sometimes runs over that time slot in which case you get the end of the game cut off. THANKFULLY replay has fixed this as well. You can now specify how many minutes earlier and later than the timeslot to record. I also want to say that you can record a show and watch a show you have previously recorded at the same time. YOu can not record a show and watch live tv off the replay at the same time because it only has a single tuner, as does the TiVo. One other thing is you can't hack upgrade the hard drive in this thing like the TiVo. WIth the TiVo you can buy the 20 hour model then go buy a cheap very large capacity hard drive, clone the 20 hour drive over to your new one and install the new one into the tivo and get 60, 80, 100 hours of storage. The Replay doesn't have this 'feature'. You're stuck with what you buy. So to help that i've changed from using guaranteed mode for everything to non-guaranteed mode. This frees up space because guaranteed mode actually reserves space for the show you want to record. But if you watch stuff and delete it immediatly, non-guaranteed mode will let you record more stuff. Overall the unit is awesome. I'm very happy with the purchase and replay seems to be dedicated to improving the operating system with new features. The only 2 things i wish it had now are dual tuners and an upgrade program for the hard drives. Replay is also not making their units anymore, they're instead only licensing the technology to other vendors. So you'll start seeing tv's with this technology built in which is nice. ALso i heard SonicBLue is looking at buying ReplayTV, and they'll probably start work on a new Replay unit. Rumour mill kinda stuff, but sounds exciting.
Rating:
Summary: Skip ReplayTV and Get a TiVo.
Review: There are pros and cons to ReplayTV. I will list the pros first: Once the product has been installed, you never have to touch it again except for selecting to record/delete programs. It is a great idea and I truly enjoyed using it
Rating: 
Summary: ReplayTV
Review: There are pros and cons to ReplayTV. I will list the pros first: Once the product has been installed, you never have to touch it again except for selecting to record/delete programs. It is a great idea and I truly enjoyed using it
| 
