Rating: Summary: First real interactvie product Review: The setup was relatively simple. The automatic telephone dialup and download of both software and channel guide was flawless. Rcording at High definition worked very well. Download to standard VCR tape was easy. Probably headed for full integration of TV,VCR, and ReplayTV in one self-contained unit.
Rating: Summary: Don't forget toll charges! Review: Service wound up costing a lot more that Tivo because Replay doesn't have toll free access numbers. The number it dials is long distance for me.I wish I had known this before buying.
Rating: Summary: Just about perfect Review: except for some loss of picture quality at all settings on fast motion due to much to much compression from both DirecTv and Dish Network. My C Band big dish looks great and the live pause and slow motion + all the other goodies are realy great.
Rating: Summary: TV watching made efficient Review: Replay TV is the best thing to happen to TV Although I find I watch a bit more TV than before (not necessarily a good thing), I get a lot more mileage per gallon1) I don't miss shows anymore, so I don't sweat my schedule- can't watch SportsNight on Tuesday- watch it Wednesday morning during breakfast 2) I don't channel surf- I know what's on all the time, and feel like I'm watching shows *I* want to watch 3) When people call during the Simpsons, and they always do, I just pause it and resume watching later. Keep your friends from thinking you're "distant" and uninterested in what they have to say Sunday nights at 8pm 4) No more missed East Coast games, just watch it when I get home 5) Syndication heaven- want to see Seinfeld re-runs, but never home in time- no problemo I won't go back to pre-Replay living
Rating: Summary: A great product just got even better over night Review: This little black box wonder has revolutionized how we watch TV. Unfortunately when the companies that pay for commercials catch on, TV might not be "free" thanks to the wonderful 30-second instant skip ahead feature. We now watch 90% of our TV as previously recorded shows. Once you configure ReplayTV to record all of the shows you are interested, you just sit back each night and select from a menu what show you want to watch. One of the best features with these devices is that you can be recording one show at the same time you are playing back another. Try that with a VCR! I only wish that there were two tuners so that when I have TWO shows on at the same time that I want to record I can get them both. I wish I have a Tivo system too to be able to compare them side by side, but all I can say is that I am ecstatic with the ReplayTV. I paid $650 two months ago and the price has dropped to $500 now and I am still *not* sorry I waited. We buy a lot of techo gadgets, but in my wife's own words this one was the best one yet. This great product just got even better over night when it recently downloaded the new 2.0 upgrade. Literally, overnight, and at no cost, it was like some elves came and replaced my old system with a new one. While I loved the previous version there were some small ease-of-use issues. All of my issues have been address and more with the new release. The only two things that could be improved IMHO with this system are limited by the current hardware: 1) Greater capacity so I can get 20 hours at higher quality ("Standard" really isn't bad, but it isn't great either) [I am hoping ReplayTV will offer HD upgrades in the near future to address this issue] 2) two tuners so that I don't have to choose between two shows that are playing at the same time! Take advantage of the 30 day money back guarantee (if you buy it directly from ReplayTV) and give this product a try. If you watch more then 2 hours a night of TV you will be saving 1/2 hour of your life every day! (Thanks to 30 second skip feature) How much is that worth to you?
Rating: Summary: ReplayTV is a gotta-have if you do a lot of time-shifting Review: If you use your VCR to record shows to watch later, because you're not home when the shows are on, you REALLY need to take a look at ReplayTV. The new 2.0 software has been ROCK-SOLID for me for a week, and adds cool new features like variable-speed slow motion. People with busy lives -- you haven't lived until you've come home, seen the little green light on your ReplayTV that tells you basically "you've got new video", turned on your TV, and flipped through the shows, picking one and hitting play to INSTANTLY start playback. No rewind. No recording over a show if you stop a playback in progress and something else is scheduled to record before you get back to watching the show you were playing back. And you'll never wait for a fast-forward or a rewind when time-shifting again. Come home 20 minutes into a movie that started at 9? If you set ReplayTV to record it, turn on your TV and Play that show. When commercials come on, hit the "quick-30-second-skip" button to instantly fast forward 30 seconds at a time through the recorded commercials. By around 10:50, you will have caught up with the broadcast and ReplayTV will switch from displaying the recorded show to the live channel. Setup might be a bit daunting, but it's no worse than hooking up a VCR and getting a universal remote to work with all your remote-controlled devices. You input your zip code, then pick your cable company on-screen and ReplayTV downloads the listings. For my town, they had a handful of different channel lineups listed, and I picked the one that corresponded with MY APARTMENT COMPLEX -- yes, the automatic channel lineups are that specific. Programming the ReplayTV is a BREEZE. Point and click all the way. It's so much easier than my VCR that I can't imagine ever going back to The Old Way. Like other posters, I'm sure the Tivo unit is great as well, just that for my money, I'd rather not have to pay an extra $200 to get free lifetime program guide information, like one has to for Tivo (or face their monthly fee). *And* ReplayTV seems more concerned about customers' privacy than Tivo does. The ReplayTV is just phenomenal. It's TV viewing for the 21st century. Like TV? Got a busy life? Get a ReplayTV. When they offer that 30 day guarantee, they know what they're doing. Once you get past the initial setup and use it for a couple days, it becomes second-nature to operate. And you'll start wondering how you ever made do without it. (A satisfied customer with NO connection to the company who makes ReplayTV's.)
Rating: Summary: The new Replay upgrade is phenomenal Review: I just got the new 2.0 upgrade on my ReplayTV (it was downloaded overnight this week). Wow. This is like night and day-it is incredible. The ReplayZones are totally futuristic. They give me suggestions on what is on and with one button I record everything I like. Amazing. I also love that QuickSkip button to jump past the timeouts in the pretournament games for the NCAA. It's perfect for this-now, when there are 4 minutes to go in the game, it really only takes 4 minutes! But I think the coolest new feature of all is the Find Shows feature. I use it as a search engine for my TV. I can tell you one thing--my days of channel surfing are over. What can I say? I'm hooked on this thing...and love it. And it works instantly
Rating: Summary: The new 2.0 upgrade is excellent, I love this machine. Review: I decided to purchase a PTV box in January with my tax refund. My VCR was dieying a slow death & I head read several articles on ReplayTV & Tivo. 3 major factors in deciding between the 2 Personal TV devices were: 1. How long have they been in use? Replay has been out longer & has more users out there. 2. Do I have to pay subscription fee after purchasing a very expensive device? ReplayTV you receive lifetime subscription to the channel guide for free. Tivo - $9.95 per month, or $199.00 for life. 3. When will the next version of software come out? ReplayTV was on the cusp of releasing 2.0 within weeks. (as of 3/9/00 release 2.0 has been out for 2 weeks, it excellent!) Tivo is still not exactly sure when it's next release would be out. I'd like to say how improved the 2.0 upgrade is over 1.3. It's much faster either moving from 1 screen to the next, even moving from one item to the next is very noticeable. Replay Zones help find the shows that you'd really like to see every day or week. I especially love the ability to be able to search for shows by actor, director, title and/or description. One of the features of the 2.0 software is that you can turn off the power when it's not in use & the hard drive will spin down, the box will then generate less heat (actually the hottest mine has been is 77degrees) & less humming(It's much quieter than my laptop computer) as well as use less electricity. I'm not trying to say Tivo is not good. I believe it is, & I know there are people who are very happy with them. But when it came time for me to order & put out $499.00, I easily chose ReplayTV. I could not even dream of going back to a VCR now, it's just not as fun! The best thing about my ReplayTV is.... My girlfriend figured out how to use it on her own!
Rating: Summary: Serious teething problems Review: I had to learn the hard way again: Never buy a NEW piece of electronic gadgetry until it's been out for some time and the bugs are ironed out. It appears that others who bought this unit have dealt with similar issues as me. I finally returned the unit and opted to live without the techno-advances until a newly-created unit is truly dependable and doesn't need to be hand-held through it's programming. I was under the impression that equipment like this was there to serve OUR needs, not the other way around! The concept is great, but I would advise folks to really research their options before purchasing.
Rating: Summary: Now I miss nothing I want to see! Review: This is an very nice addition to any electronic junkie's collection. It was easy to set up, and it maintains itself. One neat feature was my local cable company scrambled the channel numbers and Replay corrected it with an update-I did nothing! My only regret is that I paid $699.00, but I have enjoyed it for 5 months already Buy this and you won't regret it.
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