TiVo - Series2 TCD649080 Video Recorder Review

By now, is there anyone who doesn't know what Tivo is?  It's now so ubiquitous that it has found its way into our language as both a noun (I just bought another Tivo) and a verb (Didn't you Tivo it?).  So why talk about it now?  Because it just keeps getting better and better.

A Primer

In the event that there is somone who doesn't know Tivo is a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) that coupled with the Tivo Service allows you to record your favorite TV shows so you can watch them when you choose.

You can select your programs to record one by one or by subscribing to a Season Pass where Tivo will automatically record the same recurring show or series whenever it is on TV.

You can also create a wish-list, telling Tivo to record specific programming, by title, actors, directors, etc. So if you're dying to get one last shot of seeing "Putney Swope", tell Tivo.  It'll keep its eye out for it and record it.

This particular model records up to two shows at once while letting you watch yet a third.  It does happen!

When I purchased this model several months ago it came with the capacity to record up to 80 hours of content.  That's a lot, but I wanted more.  I've swapped the hard drive for one that stores up to 347 hours of content.  The phrase "there's nothing on to watch" is never uttered in this house.

There's more

With a wireless hookup you can also swap programming from room to room.  But the best new features of the Tivo service is the ability to rent or purchase movies and TV series from Amazon, Disney, Netflix, and shortly Blockbuster.  How cool is that?

My Viewpoint

Look, if you're not all that into TV and movies this is something you can live without.  But for the rest of us...

You'll have to excuse me now.  It's Sunday, it's late and I'm dying to watch the latest episode of Breaking Bad before I go to sleep.

Rudi