Panasonic PV-HS2000 ShowStopper 30-Hour Digital Video Recorder
Take back your life . . . watch TV on your terms!
Panasonic's ReplayTV is absolutely awesome! I just went through an ordeal purchasing and then returning a dud Tivo, so I was thrilled with how easy this thing was to set-up. Definitely purchase this over a Tivo for one simple reason: ReplayTV has no monthly fee, whereas Tivo charges you 10 bucks a month or 240 for the lifetime of the unit. <br />Here are my pros and cons thus far:<br />Pros:<BR>1) You can record the shows you ACTUALLY WANT TO WATCH, and fast-forward through the commercials with ease. If you work graveyard, have kids, or just save TV for the weekends, this unit will allow you to own your TV again, rather than the reverse.<br />2) It is easy to set-up and use. This thing is very simple to set-up. Recording is even easier. You could be braindead and still be able to record on this thing. :)<br />3) NO MONTHLY FEE!! You will save 120 dollars per year over buying a Tivo, so factor that into your total cost.<br />4) Allows you to pause live television if the phone rings, your child wakes up, etc. Whereas Tivo lets you pause for 30 minutes, this thing will pause up to the remaining memory space! (up to 10 hrs even on high-quality mode)<br />5) There seems to be a bit of confusion about this, but YOU CAN watch live television while you record on the unit. It has very simple instructions in the manual on how to do this. (requires a cable splitter: very cheap)<br />Yet, this is a new technology, and it has a few downsides:<br />Cons:<br />1) You cannot play copy-righted videos or DVD's through the inputs. This is important because if you try to set-up your DVD player to run through the inputs on the unit to consolidate, you will not be able to watch your DVD's. This just makes the wiring a bit more complicated. (You can get an RCA box to solve this problem)<br />2) You have to plug the thing into a phone jack. Yeah, I know it's necessary to download the TV schedules, but it is a pain nevertheless. Most of us don't have a phone jack right next to the TV. Panasonic suggest purchasing a wireless phone adapter which could be a solution.<br />3) Don't try to run your video game systems through the inputs either. There will be an annoying delay that will drive you to madness. Again, RCA box comes to the rescue.<br />Bottom Line:<br />Digital video recorders are an exciting new advance in technology that allows you to take over your television viewing. DVR's are a little expensive, but if you are in the market to purchase one, get this one! If you can, purchase an extended warranty too because with this technology, any repairs will get expensive. I haven't had any problems yet, but I'm not taking any chances:o)