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: This is a life-changing product!
Review: I had investigated DVR's from afar for a quite a while and I ultimately decided to purchase the TIVO for the "Season Pass" capabilities and the WISHLIST features. All I can say is try it and you will be hooked like you wouldn't believe! My wife and I watch less TV than before but we watch more QUALITY TV. We only watch the shows that we like now and we can blow past the commercials. We can watch two hours of sitcoms in 1 hour. We watch maybe twenty hours of programs we like a week and before we had to be home at the exact time our shows were on or we missed them. And because we have a life, we missed them quite a bit. Needless to say that was bad for shows like 24 where if you miss an episode it gets harder to follow. How twentieth century! Now all our shows are recorded and we watch when we want. Usually later at night between ten and eleven, when we want to just unwind and watch the latest Friends or 24 episode! This is an AWESOME product. Just get it and try it! You will NOT be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Incorrect product description
Review: I had previously used my sister's DSS Tivo, and I love the product. However, you should know of a few incorrect statements in the Amazon product description:1) The unit does not have an S-video input. 2) The unit does not have a composite video input - just a simple RCA video input. I have a digital cable satellite box that only outputs to composite video and RF coax. Having to settle with the RF coax when the composite video provides a higher quality signal was disappointing...
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: Wouldn't be without it.
Review: I love my Tivo! There is a small amount of picture degradation even at best quality recording, but I can live with that. With the Home Media option, I can program my Tivo through the internet while I'm at work, so if I find out there's a show going to be on before I get home and I'm going to miss it, I can tell my Tivo to record it without leaving work.
Rating: 
Summary: love product, hate the service
Review: I loved my tivo til today. It was great catching all of these shows i miss cuz i go to bed early. and when there is nothing on tv, i have plenty to watch. that was fine until tonight. less than 6 months after i bought my tivo, it is dead. so, i called tivo customer service. they proceeded to tell me to unplug the unit and wait 2 minutes and plug it back in. did this and waited 2 more minutes after plugging it back in. nothing. in fact i did this twice and still nothing. i was then trasferred to somebody else who offered me a refurbished unit for $99. not happy!!! i wanted to know who i could write to about this, i was transferred to a level 2 person. they proceeded to offer me it for $79, that was the best they can do. they also told me that this doesn't happen very often. i told them that it must if they have all of these refurbished units that they are willing to sell for $99. if you go the their website anybody can get one for that price.
oh, if i do buy a brand new unit, i have to pay the lifetime fee again. i lose that too.
i paid over $600 for this unit (including the lifetime fee) and this is what i get for customer service??? they don't even offer to ship it back at their cost!!!
their warranty is 90 days P&L, 1 year for parts only. where are the parts? they aren't even trying to fix it for me!!!
service sucks!! take your chances!!!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I purchased my first TiVo about five years ago but was so impressed that, when I outgrew it, I didn't think twice about buying a larger size. I gave my old TiVo to a friend who has nothing but rave reviews about it. I have purchased TiVo's as gifts for friends who give it nothing but rave reviews and talk about how easy it is to set up and how it has changed the way they view television. I enjoy this device because I can set up Wishlists, pre-select shows and just forget the machine. When I finish things I need to get done (working, shopping, cleaning, etc.), I can sit down at the television and watch things that I've selected. If I'm interrupted, I can stop the TiVo and go back later to pick up where I left off. I also enjoy this device because I no longer have to decide whether to watch the educational channels or an entertaining movie. I watch the one I'm in the mood for right now and record the one that I know I'll want to see later. What a wonderful feeling of freedom to know that I can watch something I want to watch when I want to watch it!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I purchased my first TiVo about five years ago but was so impressed that, when I outgrew it, I didn't think twice about buying a larger size. I gave my old TiVo to a friend who has nothing but rave reviews about it. I have purchased TiVo's as gifts for friends who give it nothing but rave reviews and talk about how easy it is to set up and how it has changed the way they view television. I enjoy this device because I can set up Wishlists, pre-select shows and just forget the machine. When I finish things I need to get done (working, shopping, cleaning, etc.), I can sit down at the television and watch things that I've selected. If I'm interrupted, I can stop the TiVo and go back later to pick up where I left off. I also enjoy this device because I no longer have to decide whether to watch the educational channels or an entertaining movie. I watch the one I'm in the mood for right now and record the one that I know I'll want to see later. What a wonderful feeling of freedom to know that I can watch something I want to watch when I want to watch it!
Rating:
Summary: Do not Buy! Waste of Money
Review: I thought I was getting almost the same as the
Dish Network DVR 522 which has 120GB hard drive allows 120hrs of recording time. This also has a stop button, a skip button, the ability to record two shows at one time and more. I was so happy to finally have enough money to buy the TiVo. I read online that it was the most popular. When I got it home, it work fine for few hours then I left it. Then I came back the screen was frozen. Then I tried a different connection it work for a few hours again then just stop working. The 140hrs is not high quality. It is just basic. You have to switch it to basic to get 140hr of recording time. There is no power button! No stop button! No skip button. There is no way to record two shows at one time! I knew that there was no skip or the ability to record two shows at one time, but I had no idea that those were not the only problems with it. I thought it would have it least a power button, and a stop button, but no. It is a great idea for kids that spend too much time in front of the TV, but not the right features right now. I would wait on getting this. I'm returning mine.
Rating:
Summary: My Love-Hate Relationship With Tivo
Review: I was an early adopter of Tivo. I have a 30 hour by Philips, and an 80 hour by Tivo. I love my Tivos . . . and I hate them. In short, the software is great, the hardware is awful. My first 30 hour, I got from Amazon. It died within a few days, and Amazon rapidly sent me another one (thanks, Amazon!). That one died within a month, and Tivo sent me another one. When that one died a few months later, I had to pay a substantial amount of money to get a refurbished unit from Tivo. That one's still alive, knock wood. I did figure out after the first one died that the Tivo cannot be put into a component cabinet - it overheats. Undeterred, I got the Series 2 80 hour. This time, I went to a local retailer, anticipating problems. 9 months later, I'm still on my first unit, BUT . . . . In February, the fan became noisy (like jet-about-to-take-off noisy), so I took it in for repairs. A month or so later, I got it back. It was DOA!!! How do they fix a fan, and kill the thing, without noticing? I took it back the next day. A month or so later (yesterday), got it back again. STILL DOA!!!! My retailer is in the process of asking Tivo to swap it out for another unit. I'm astonished at Tivo's repeated display of incompetence and its flagrant disregard for quality control. Can't they even plug the thing in and see if the little light and fan come on before they ship it back to the customer?? I'm done spending money on Tivo. I have heard that my cable company is coming out with its own PVR product. Can't happen soon enough for me.
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