Rating: 
Summary: Addictive / Time Saver
Review: I've had the Tivo about a week and it looks like this is going to save me from alot of frustration. I am not a patient person and used to typically just go round and round changing channels because it seemed like every five minutes you got commercials. So tired of running laps trying to find something to watch I finally decided to go ahead and get a Tivo. So far, love it. I get the shows I love, the things I miss because of work, school, or because they come on around 3 or 4 in the morning. I get my sports, reality t.v., news, education shows and watch them as I want, in the order I want, and fast forward through the commercials. I bought an 80 hr Tivo. This has worked well so far. I watch my shows, delete them, and haven't run out of space yet. I probably have about 15 shows waiting for me to watch. One of the few things I have a problem with is the round dial on the remote is kind of tricky and doesn't always go where I want it to. Also, about that picture degradation thing, I use the second highest picture quality level, its good enough for me. So overall, if your a busy person, and can't always sit down during the day to watch the t.v. shows you love, this is pretty good.
Rating:
Summary: The TIVO Real Deal
Review: Ok here are all the things that no one is going to tell you about TIVO. Don't get me wrong, I love my TIVO but here are some things I had problems with when I bought it:1) YOU NEED A PHONE LINE TO SET TIVO UP - Ok this one may not seem like a big deal, who doesn't have a phone line in their house right? ME!!! There is a segment of the population that don't have land lines and I'm one of them. I have two cell phones & WIFI but no phone. I had to take the TIVO over to a friends house to download all the updates just to use it for the first time. Big pain in the neck. Also after you download everything you can't unplug TIVO for 4 to 8 hours or you will have to go though the hour set up again. 2) Even though the box has a big sticker on it saying "Broadband Ready!!" it's not - All the documentation on-line says you need 4.0 or higher. Well I had 4.0.1 shipped to me, but after an hour of trying to get the WIFI adapter to connect I called tech support and they told me my software needed an update before I could connect. So having 4.0 or above does not guarantee network connectivity. 3) Connect to the TIVO downloads a couple of times after you first set up TIVO- Even though it seems that you have downloaded all the updates there still might be more for you to download. It took three attempts for TIVO to get my channels correct for my cable service. Nothing is more frustrating than realizing you have a hour of QVC and not the new Simpsons. 4) For wireless connection buy the Linksys WUSB11 [ASIN: B00005AW1H] When they say this is the recommended wireless adapter they mean it. I tried two of my other adapters just to see if they would work and I got nada. It's worth it and it works the first time (at least it did for me). That's all I can think of right now. The TIVO is great, better than I even could hope for but it's not a totally smooth ride...yet.
Rating: 
Summary: TiVo Connection Required
Review: One of the earlier reviewers stated that you could use the TiVo without subscribing to their "TV Guide" service. That is not correct for the Series 2 units. If you don't subscribe, after 30 days the unit will cease to record anything. You've spent $300 for a boat anchor. Don't think about changing the software just because you know Linux. You'd have to unsolder the eprom, burn a second one and install it before you could start to change the software. It ain't worth it. Buy something else.
Rating:
Summary: It uses Broadband too.
Review: One review states that ReplayTV is better because "tivo doesn't use broadband". That's wrong. I have both Tivo and ReplayTV, and both can use Broadband to get their schedules.
He must be thinking of a Series 1 tivo, which only could use a modem to dial out. Series 1's are gone, all the stores sell Series 2s now.
Rating:
Summary: Cannot watch TV anymore without TiVo! Can't go without it!
Review: So you don't watch much TV you say? Always working or travelling, or have children? TiVo is the solution to ALL your TV problems - I PROMISE!!! My husband and I are both technology professionals, so we jumped on the TiVo bandwagon when it first came out. Too technical of a product for you? NOT! Grandmother operates one, parents operate one, and a 10 year old child can run the thing too! I must tell you this device will FOREVER change the way you watch TV. Always miss a favorite show? Not anymore! Want to tailor what your children watch (and when) - they can watch that favorite show after homework is done AND only when you want them to watch it (it's recorded in there - so you can make them wait - diciplinary measures not included with product)! OTHER devices will say they are LIKE TiVo & they LIE! Only TiVo can follow a SHOW (not a time-slot), and even if the premiere or finale is an hour longer - it will get it all! Even has an "overtime" AND a "record earlier than scheduled" feature for sports fans! This product is SO EASY and in another few years, no one will buy VCR's anymore because of this little TiVo! Like having a personal TV assistant there for you 24 hours doing what you tell it to! Want to record any movie that ever comes on with "abc-actor" in it? EASY & possible with this device! Want to record any home improvement show with specifically "abc-craft" in it? CAN DO!!! Want to record a program AND watch a previously recorded program at the SAME TIME? No problem! TIP: the Directv TiVo ("DVR with TiVo" as they call it) can record 2 programs at once! That also means record 2 live shows at one time AND be watching an earlier recorded show at the same moment! WOOOOOW! Buy a TiVo & you'll never regret it! Actually GET WHAT YOU are paying for in cable or satellite costs! NEVER watch TV on thier schedule again!!!! Enjoy! I know you will!!! :o)
Rating:
Summary: Rebuttal to "An electronics fan" commentary
Review: Sounds like this person's experience is isolated. We have our Tivo unit connected through a "complicated" A/V system where Tivo is NOT going directly from the unit into the TV. There are no delays whatsoever. Everything remains completely in sync. Tivo is one of the best items I have ever purchased.
Rating:
Summary: Don't do it with Tivo
Review: The idea is great. The execution from TIVO is just that, an execution. It would have been less painful to be shot quickly than to go through dealing with their "service" issues. Dial in and get an "expected wait time 25 minutes". Please. Then the pitch about "if you had gone to our website". Well I had already. Everyone I spoke with was rude and condescending. This company won't be around long because other companies provide better DVR's and service.
The warranty is the next biggest joke. You have to give them either $99 or $149 if your unit breaks, which it did, and they send you a rebuilt with a 30 day warranty. You can't buy a brand new one for $150, that has a warranty, and use your current subscription service.
Don't use their product our service. I suggest you use another provider or your cable service.
Rating:
Summary: Replay TV Better
Review: There is one reason why Replay TV is better and that is because you can connect to the service via broadband. As the most sophisticated and tech savy people have broadband, this oversight by TIVO is a real slight to us.
Rating:
Summary: Replay TV Better
Review: There is one reason why Replay TV is better and that is because you can connect to the service via broadband. As the only most sophisticated and tech savy people have broadband, this oversight by TIVO is a real slight to us who have more on the ball than the average dial-up user.
Rating:
Summary: Life-changing
Review: There's a reason that "TiVo" is fast becoming a verb: it encapsulates all that a personal digital recorder should be. Simple to use, yet powerful/flexible enough to do what you want. Setup a SeasonPass, and you'll get every episode of a program automatically. Create a Wishlist, and you can come home to everything Julia Child, or Will Smith, or (god forbid) any of the half-dozen "Law & Order" franchises. TiVo (the company) has recently been expanding the capability of TiVo (the device) to position it firmly in the center of the "digital entertainment" space. Home Media Option allows the device to display photos and play music from any other storage device on your home network, all through the smartly designed TiVo user interface; and a recently announced extention called TiVoToGo will soon allow you to securely copy your recordings to your PC/Mac for burning to CD/DVD. It really does change the way you watch TV. No matter when you sit down to watch, there's always something on that YOU want to watch. Once you get one, you'll wonder how you lived without it. Really.
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