Rating: 
Summary: It will change your life!
Review: I have had the TiVo series 2 for about a year and a half now and I don't know how I got along before it! One of the other reviewers put it best--TiVo puts you in control of TV, not the other way around. No rushing to catch the start of a show, no missing episodes because the broadcasters changed the schedule. TiVo silently tapes everything we ask it to (and sometimes tapes suggestions of its own, based on our watching habits--but never sacrifices a requested recording for a suggestion). The only problem we have had is some very occasional (perhaps three or four times) trouble changing the channel, so that the requested program is not taped...this is unpredictable (so no way to prevent it) and annoying, but as I said extremely infrequent. And I wanted to let one of the other reviewers know that she CAN watch live TV while TiVo is recording--simply press the A/B button on the cable box, and watch TV in "TV" (instead of TiVo) mode. You can watch channels 2-80 live in this situation. Of course, watching live TV without the TiVo pause and rewind ability is almost intolerable now that we are spoilt. I think that in ten years (maybe sooner) every TV will have this TiVo capability. It lets television enhance your life, instead of constrict it.... The only caveat is that the new TiVo DVD-burners offer more possibilities, so if you can afford it, look into the Pioneer TiVo DVR (810-HS). The one set with both TiVo DVR and DVD burner is less expensive than buying both separately (but with the combined set, remember you can't edit content before burning). TiVo is great. You will not regret adding it to your life.
Rating: 
Summary: I like it.
Review: I had an original series I Tivo and I was involved in the beta testing of this unit. I liked the earlier model, but I am really fond of this one. Most of the shortcomings of its predecessor have been addressed (I'm still not crazy about the remote), and some very nice new features have been added.
The most important of these is the unit's broadband networking capability. While this may sound like another useless high tech gewgaw, it's not; it is really something that adds value. I have a wired + wireless network and with the series II Tivo, I can record shows on one unit and watch them on another (i.e. in another room) so long as both are connected to the network (I am using a LinkSys USB wireless access point with great results on the Tivo).
In addition, it's simple to access from any networked Tivo the contents of your desktop music and photo files. This is a pretty neat way to show those digital pics you took of the Grand Canyon on your big screen TV. Also, Tivo offers access to thousands of music tracks (by artist and by genre) which your home entertainment audio system can play at digital quality.
My favorite new feature though is the ability to access and program your Tivo from any computer that has access to the Internet. Just bring up their scheduling page, enter your ID & password, and select the show you want recorded for you while you're away. I have actually used this a couple of times and have found it just wonderful.
Still, the number one feature of Tivo for me is the ability to pause live TV. This alone justifies the cost of the unit. When the phone rings, when someone knocks at the door, or when dinner is ready, it just takes a push of the pause button and your show is waiting for you just where you left it. Nice, especially during football season!
Tivo's durability has been good. Software updates are downloaded to you automatically, so maintenance is low. I don't think anyone will be sorry they invested in one of these technology extenders; more likely, you'll wonder why you waited so long.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad Image Quality
Review: Well, I've gotta say, It wasn't sooo easy to hook up, but it could've been worse. Bottom line: the technology behind this thing is awesome and it's a great entertainmnet tool, but.... the picture quality is noticably hideous-like bad streched VHS tape-complete with static lines and everything! Also, does not record HDTV signals yet with cable, only satelite-great... . that's just great. Needless to say, if you've spent any decent money on a TV with good picture quality, you'll have wasted your money on it if you watch any signal through Tivo. Really bad compression used on the video. Uh yeah..that' seven with the best quality setting they have. Sorry, gotta return it 'til the technology gets better. Then I'll think about it again.
Rating:
Summary: Christmas present for my wife
Review: I got my wife a Tivo for Christmas 2003. Her first reaction was why do we need one of those when we already have a VCR? So after explaining to her the differences and how it was suppose to change the way TV would be watched she allowed me to install it. The biggest selling point was that it wouldn't miss recording her shows. Well now that we have used it for a couple of months she has become a big Tivo fan. We now have it programmed to hunt down old movies to record so that we always have a library of old movies to watch. The other thing that has been a big hit is the pause feature. The only downside is the picture quality when watching football games. For whatever reason it seems to have trouble with football. But all the other pluses outweigh this. So overall I highly recommend Tivo.
Rating:
Summary: TiVo Series2 80-hour DVR
Review: A previous reviewer stated the following: "One review states "Be sure to understand that not only do you need to buy the TiVo (the player) itself, but you also need to buy the service!", this is 100% false. You don't have to purchase any service at all. The service gives you access to the "Season Pass" feature where you can tell TiVo to record every showing of a certain show. But you can always set the TiVo up to do this manually, you do not have to purchase any service at all." You will need to subscribe to the service for all Series2 units, after the initial grace period, it will not function at all without a subscription. Note that if you choose a lifetime subscription, that subscription is tied to that specific machine, i.e. for its lifetime, not yours. Other than to replace a defective unit (within 90 days), you cannot transfer the lifetime subscription to another unit. That being said, I enjoy my TiVo and now wonder what I will do with 3 VCRs that have now been rendered obsolete. I use practically all of the features except for the suggestions, which is a configurable option. Note that the unit requires a telephone line for initial setup, or least until the ship units with version 4.0x of the software. After this point, I highly recommend interfacing it to a home network with a broadband connection for the best results and most utility. Should you do so, check out the HMO (Home Media Option) which allows, among other features, remote scheduling of programs via a web interface. There are issues with the picture quality. I watch on a 36" tube and notice artifacts and pixellation, particularly with NFL games on live TV. For recording off of digital cable using the Best quality setting, I notice no degradation beyond the inherent limitations of the source material. Use the S-video input and outputs if at all possible for the best quality picture. Channel changing speed will depend on what type of equipment you interface it to. In my instance, it controls a digital cable box through a serial interface and channel changes take several seconds. It is not conducive to flipping back and forth between two programs. The ease of use is right up there with the best of products. The TiVo becomes your servant, beckoning to your every request. I wonder how I lived without it and only wish it had more capacity (there are third-party upgrade options available to increase capacity).
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Product since the original VCR
Review: While the basic quality settings are useless(too pixelated and ugly), the top 2 settings are fine. Thus allowng 25 or so hours realistically. It will change your TV habits and free you from the network schedules. The DirecTV version is FAR superior, but wont work for those of you with cable service.
Rating:
Summary: Picture Quality worthless on Basic Setting
Review: I absolutely love the concept, the ease of use, etc. The reason I returned my 40 hr Tivo, was you only get 40 hours of recording space if you record with the "Basic Quality" setting, which in my estimation is worthless. If you wish to use the Best quality, it takes your recording capacity to less 20 hrs. And truthfully, the best quality is still less than you'd expect from a digital recording.
Rating:
Summary: The best investment I ever made in my entertainment
Review: I bought the TIVO series 2 40 hr recorder. It took me a while to decide if this was worth the money, but believe me, it was worth every penny. The TIVO changes the way you watch TV. I never watch commericals anymore. I can pause TV to answer the phone or to make dinner. I can watch all of the shows I am never home to see.
Set up was a breeze. I have a TV, VCR, cable and the TIVO. It only took me 15 minutes to hook everything up. The setup walks you through step by step with everything else. They also include everything you need to set the TIVO up, including cables and a telephone splitter.
The $12.95 monthly fee is worth it in terms of the TV Guide alone. And the show information is so detailed. You'll never miss your fav show, even if the time changes.
I would recommend, however, getting the 80 hour model. My thoughts were I could never use the full 40 hours. But you can choose different quality levels to record shows. I would never recommend chosing less than high quality. This is the closest to watching live TV quality. When you choose higher qualities, you cannot record the entire 40 hrs. The higher the quailty of recording, the less number of hours your TIVO can hold. So I think it's worth the money to get the 80 hour model. At least I'll know next time.
I hope this helps anyone trying to decide. It's worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: This will change your viewing habits
Review: I absolutely love having TiVo. With the TiVo service it's a snap to record the shows you want. It's great being able to pause live TV. I will delay watching a show so I can skip over the commercials. There are a few caveats with TiVo though. The TiVo service keeps track of what you are watching. This information is used to automatically record programs that you may like. Don't worry though, the TiVo suggestions will be overwritten if it runs out of space. They also use this information for analysis of viewer habits but this used collectively(like Nielson ratings) and they don't appear to track individual data. Another caveat is the recording quality. For regular TV viewing it is ok but with HDTV and rising customer expectations it may not be good enough. I recently got HDTV and I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to view it in the same quality as a recording. Even at the highest quality recording setting there is still a significant loss of quality. In defense of TiVo I don't know of any other method of recording HDTV..yet. On their website they mention that as HDTV becomes more prevalent they may develop a TiVo capable of recording it. You could wait for the next generation of DVRs but I wouldn't hold my breath. Personally when I can, I'll watch HDTV presentations live. If you have a busy lifestyle and you like watching TV I would definitely suggest getting a TiVo.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Idea, But Poor Product/Service
Review: I have 2 TiVo units (80 hour and 40 hour) that I have connected to my home network via wireless. I purchased 2 units thinking it was going to be the ultimate television experience, and because there is no way to record 2 programs at once with one unit (e.g. 24 and Frasier concurrently). The positives: Using TiVo to record programs is even easier than you will expect. Playback with pause and rewind of live TV is great. Once you get it set up, doing things over the home network really makes it simple. The negatives: If you have a cable box with digital audio output, it (digital audio) will not work with TiVo, and neither will HDTV. Also, it does not include Component Video inputs or outputs, so you are left to use inferior connections. From these perspectives, buying TiVo now assures you are buying a product that will shortly be obsolete. You will be disappointed in the quality of playback on HDTV and of the audio quality, compared simply to just using a cable box or satellite with HDTV receiver. It is really behind the times on these areas. Also, their warranty and service is poor. There is only a 90-day warranty on labor (1-year parts), and you must call a toll (i.e. not toll-free) number and wait on hold for 10+ minutes to get service. Web support is non-existent. One of our units was louder than the other from the day we bought them, and has grown louder and louder to the point we needed to call for support. After initially refusing to service the unit unless I pay $99 for the service, TiVo (1 month past 3 month warranty window), finally agreed to reduce the cost to $49, since their web site led us to believe the sound was normal when we first received the unit. Unfortunately, this "fix" will only guarantee that the replacement box will work for 30 days - after that I will need to pay full price to repair it, if it has an issue. Given that they are sending me a replacement unit (i.e. from a "service inventory" rather than repairing the one I own), I have a feeling that there are far more issues with the boxes than people believe. It is not surprising, since the units use a hard drive with a fan (i.e. with moving parts - not flash memory), which run 24 x 7. Overall, I find product quality marginal at best and customer service to be exceptionally poor. (It took a lot to get the service price reduced, even though we firmly believe our unit was defective from Day 1.) Also, don't be fooled by the capacity noted on the product. It only holds 40 hours of programming if you use the worst quality setting, which most people would find unacceptable. A more realistic capacity is 25% - 50% of the "quoted capacity", which is what you will find if you use the 2 higher quality settings. Finally, I am most disturbed by the reviews of some of the TiVo fanatics, particularly some of the people on the TiVo community site. These folks believe that TiVo is the ultimate and will lead you to believe it, so you also buy it! Others are so thrilled with some of the features, they do not take the time to fully understand the product before writing a review. For example, a subsequent (to my first writing) reviewer claims there is no need to purchase a box + a subscription, but obviously has no idea what he is talking about. It is as plain as day on the TiVo site. You need to buy the equipment + either a monthly or lifetime subscription. If you want to share between the units (i.e. record on one watch on another), you also need to purchase network cards + the home media option for BOTH units. It is not inexpensive. 2 units + lifetime service + cards + HMO = over $1,200) It is also a little disturbing to see only positive reviews in the Amazon spotlight, given that there are genuine issues to consider when purchasing this product. If you are considering TiVo now, I strongly recommend that you wait until they release a product that is compatible with HDTV and digital audio before making the investment. They market these Series II boxes like they are the latest and greatest, but in reality, they are already about obsolete. Remember, a lifetime subscription pertains to the life of the unit - not your life. If you buy this now and find it obsolete in a year (i.e. when you buy HDTV), you will need to buy another unit AND service again.
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