TiVo TCD540040 Series2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder
Technical problems and abysmal support
Hi,<br /><br />I got my new 40 hrs TiVo two weeks ago and opted for the month by month service option. Setting up was no problem and the service worked fairly well. The fact that changing channels takes about 2 seconds was a minor turn-off for me as compared to the irritating high-pitched noise this box produces. I am certainly not that picky when it comes to electronic noise, having several computers and other gadgetry. This is not a fan noise and is being produced with equal intensity whether the device is operating or in standby mode. Contacting \\"tech support\\" via phone or email was futile. I had to hold the line for more than 60 min before the call was finally dropped. Web support only sends out pre-cooked emails which only marginally deal with problems. I am sending my box back to Amazon for a refund and will cancel the service immediately. For being a small start-up company, TiVo does not seem to care a whole lot about their customers. Let's see whether other companies can do better. There's also the option to go with a Linux based freeware version of a TiVo like service (e.g. MythTV and FreeVo). A little bit more work to set up, but there's no recurring charge.