Rating: 
Summary: The best thing to TV since the VCR
Review: I think TiVo is the best thing to happen to TV since the VCR. You can easliy set it to record anything you want and it's program guide is flawless. I found it extremely helpful that they included more cords than were necessary (you can never have enough cords). My favriote thing about it is that it even records things that you didn't tell it to. So when you get home, you almost always have something good on to watch. It is really cool. I give it a 5.
Rating: 
Summary: A great system marred by some compatability problems
Review: I tore this out of the box when I got home. I was pleased to see that included all the hardware and cables needed to install it (so that extra trip I made to Radio Shack was all for naught). I hooked the satellite through it and then to the VCR and then to the TV. It was simple and the instructions illustrated it well. I went through the guided setup and here's where my problems began.
First, I got to the screen where it makes the first downloading call. The instructions say it would take between 2-3 hours to call, download and integrate the updates and channel guides. It took at least 7.
Next, my Philips Tivo had compatability issues with my Philips Dish Network box. the infrared blasters wouldn't change the channel. I tried the Philips codes and the Maganavox codes and none of them worked. Finally I tried the Echostar codes and they worked. (update: they have fixed this problem somewhat in later software updates)
I woke up the next morning and the channels wouldn't change anymore. A call to support had me unplug and reboot the system. then it worked fine. Hmmm... maybe it's windows based? (update: this hasn't happened to me since. The only problem I have now is sometimes all the channel numbers don't get accepted and the channel doesn't change. i think this is more of a problem with my satellite box than the Tivo system.)
Since then it has worked fine. One other problem is if you're taping a sporting event or any show that goes past the beginning of the hour, you need to set it to tape the show after it as well or you'll miss the end of the show. They need to upgrade the program to allow you to it to tape longer than the time of the show. (update: they have.) Other than those issues, it's been a god send!
Rating:
Summary: You won't be disapointed
Review: I was really getting sick of seeing Bow-Flex and Cleo commercials. I swear I'd watched 5 hours of just that stupid Bow-Flex commercial. TiVo is THE ANSWER. Since I've owned TiVo I've watched absolutely ZERO commercials. This thing is the best thing since sliced bread. My advice is simple. Buy the cheapest one you can find and then either do the upgrade yourself or find someone to do it for you. It's simple! My machine now has 115 hours. This is a great amount to have. You will no longer say that there is nothing on TV. Now there is TOO MUCH on TV.
If you still can't decide to plunk down the cash then find someone who has one. It's worth it.
If you are trying to decide on the DirecTivo unit be careful. I almost sent my money in to buy it when I found out you cannot hook up an antenna to it. Nice. The Philips 20 hour unit I found to be ideal.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: I'd heard of TIVO when it was first announced, but didn't think much more about it until recently when a coworker bought one. All he did was rave about it. So my wife and I bought an HDR212 (because according to www.tivofaq.com it has one hard disk and is fairly easy to add storage too). We've used it for a few days and it's clear this IS THE ONLY WAY to watch TV. No more suffering through commercials, no more watching something you hate because nothing else is on. After you've rated a few shows your "Now Showing" list of recorded programs always has something new and worth watching. I was amazed at how well the TIVO guesses shows you might like to watch. All in all, this is a great product. Forget replacing your VCR. Get a DVD play for renting movies and a TIVO for time shifting.
Rating:
Summary: Tivo rocks!!!
Review: I've owned a Tivo now for about 3-4 weeks and it has totally changed my TV viewing habits. I used to have to search around for tapes and remember to program my VCR and set everything up but it was such a hassle. My VCR only held 8 timer recordings at a time which was also frustrating because the way I watch television, I have a lot of favorite shows and they are on so many different times of the day so I can't normally fit all my shows in when there's only 8 recordings as well as making sure I have enough room on the tape left after all is said and done. With Tivo I don't have to worry about all that. All my favorite show's episodes are all recorded automatically under season passes and it is so much better now because I don't have to tend to my programs and to make sure there is room on my tape since after all, I do have 21 hours to use!! None of my shows have been missed and I know everything that is on the hard disk I've taped under Now playing instead of going through the hassle of writing what's on each tape with index cards!!! Also, even if the schedule changes, Tivo will recognize those changes and still record my shows which I couldn't do with a VCR. (I've had instances where the schedule changed on me and my favorite daily show didn't record on my VCR) I also like the network showcases on the main menu, I have recorded a lot of excellent programming off of there and will expect to keep doing so in the future. Especially helps now that I have the NFL icon on Network showcases so I know every NFL game on TV for the next 2 weeks on the program guide!! I actually got a chance to compare both the Tivo and Replay and after about 3-4 days I had with both of them, I believe that my winner is Tivo simply because of the software. I found it a lot easier to use than Replay and despite the subscription costs of Tivo, I've been very happy with the unit, especially since the software upgraded to 2.0 (from 1.3) which now includes Season Pass Manager (a chance to record 2 season passes that sometimes overlap each other and will prioritize which season passes are more important to you to record over others, but you can still record one that has a lower priority over another one if you wish) Also they added parental controls which is helpful so when I'm channel surfing I don't have to see all the violence and junk I shouldn't be seeing on other channels. Also they added wishlists. Let's say you have a favorite sports team or a favorite actor or director. You can have Tivo automatically record or let you see all upcoming episodes that match your favorite actors or directors or sports teams. This has been useful since I've wanted to see all the games San Francisco Giants are playing since Barry has been pursuiting Big Mac. Really beats trying to find it all in the TV guide. Well, as you can tell I absoulutely love this thing, and if you have someone or you yourself are thinking about getting a unit, get it. I had doubts, but my TV viewing habits now will never be the same.
Rating:
Summary: You have to have this.
Review: If you're even bothering to VISIT this site, you are a person that needs Tivo. I bought our Tivo two years ago, and it has transformed our lives. Seriously. We never, ever bother to rush home to avoid missing Friends. We never pick up a TV Guide. We never miss new episodes of Trading Spaces or Modern Marvels. Sopranos? Got it. Sex and the City? We've seen every one. The funniest thing about having Tivo is that it changes your television conversations with others... I might tell someone about a cool new show (something Tivo selected FOR me that I wound up liking, for example), and the person will ask, "What channel is it on?" I have no clue. "Well, WHEN is it on?" No idea. Tivo takes care of everything! I watch WHAT I want WHEN I want. Channels... times... superfluous! Tivo takes EVERY SINGLE responsibility or burden off of you, the television watcher. Cliched as it may sound, Tivo really is "TV Your Way!" It's easier than a VCR with better quality, control, and versatility... I can certainly understand why the media isn't advertising it (have I MENTIONED that I haven't watched a TV commercial in TWO YEARS?), but I can't understand anyone not having this in his or her home. It streamlines your television viewing, and saves you time, turning television into an active and dynamic pasttime, instead of the modern-day opiate of the masses. Sound good to you? If you get it, I cannot imagine you regretting it!
Rating:
Summary: You have to have this.
Review: If you're even bothering to VISIT this site, you are a person that needs Tivo. I bought our Tivo two years ago, and it has transformed our lives. Seriously. We never, ever bother to rush home to avoid missing Friends. We never pick up a TV Guide. We never miss new episodes of Trading Spaces or Modern Marvels. Sopranos? Got it. Sex and the City? We've seen every one. The funniest thing about having Tivo is that it changes your television conversations with others... I might tell someone about a cool new show (something Tivo selected FOR me that I wound up liking, for example), and the person will ask, "What channel is it on?" I have no clue. "Well, WHEN is it on?" No idea. Tivo takes care of everything! I watch WHAT I want WHEN I want. Channels... times... superfluous! Tivo takes EVERY SINGLE responsibility or burden off of you, the television watcher. Cliched as it may sound, Tivo really is "TV Your Way!" It's easier than a VCR with better quality, control, and versatility... I can certainly understand why the media isn't advertising it (have I MENTIONED that I haven't watched a TV commercial in TWO YEARS?), but I can't understand anyone not having this in his or her home. It streamlines your television viewing, and saves you time, turning television into an active and dynamic pasttime, instead of the modern-day opiate of the masses. Sound good to you? If you get it, I cannot imagine you regretting it!
Rating: 
Summary: Tivo (is bad)
Review: It broke after 6 months. I paid full replacement cost and the new one they sent me was broken too ( RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX). Don't they check these things before they send them out??? Get the competitors brand...I hear that their Customer service FAR EXCEEDS Phillips. Very disappointed with the machines...they BREAK TOO OFTEN...others who have owned them a while will attest to that..............TIVO (is bad)...take my word for it or you will be sorry with costly repairs.....
Rating:
Summary: Tivo (is bad)
Review: It broke after 6 months. I paid full replacement cost and the new one they sent me was broken too ( RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX). Don't they check these things before they send them out??? Get the competitors brand...I hear that their Customer service FAR EXCEEDS Phillips. Very disappointed with the machines...they BREAK TOO OFTEN...others who have owned them a while will attest to that..............TIVO (is bad)...take my word for it or you will be sorry with costly repairs.....
Rating:
Summary: A must purchase for max couch-potato efficiency
Review: listen...you're life will never be the same with TiVo. I didn't convert until my two brothers kept recommending this product. Now you can watch AND record TiVo shows at the same time. If you miss the beginning/end - it doesn't matter - you can slew to whatever point in the recorded program. Sounds inconsequential, but it isn't when you've missed the beginning of the nightly news, that all so important soap opera, or whatever your fancy. One of the best features is the fast forward/rewind 3-speed scan - once you hit play, it plays back at the last visual pause/transition, starting you at your program. The unit starts 'learning' your TV preferences by content; there's also a personal voting scale so the unit can start learning and recording on downtimes. This is great for reruns - but becomes troublesome to delete constantly if you record at high quality resolution or have a ton of shows lined up. Also, there a 'season pass' that essentially records the specified show whenever it appears in the tv lineup; this is a problem if you'd like to override just one of the shows for an alternate specific show. You'll just have to revert back to manual setting of time/date recording. Oh, the setting of time/day recording like VCRs is over, you can search and select by show name, search by type of subject matter (drama, news, etc). The term 'product' is misleading - this machine is a computer with one/two hardrives, a modem that allows for updates, all the current input options (satellite, S-video, RCA) and comes with all the cables you'll need and more. The all-knowing eye semantics on the front facia is a bit ominous, but true to its function. Since it's inception, you can find extremely good bargains for refurbished units straight from the factory which work perfectly well. Get a unit with one harddrive if you've got the choice...research a bit and you'll see why if you're a hacker. The folks who designed and put all this together should get some sort of couch-potato award.
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