TiVo TCD540040 Series2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder
I Heart TiVo
I'm not going to sing the praises of TiVo, as many others have done so much more eloquently than I can.  Suffice it to say, all the good stuff is true, and most of the bad stuff is blown out of proportion.  Instead, I'll share some tips for squeezing every last ounce of enjoyment out of your TiVo:    - If you have broadband or DSL, get your TiVo hooked up to your home network.  You no longer need a phone line for service updates, you can transfer recorded programs to a PC (with the free TiVo Desktop software), and you can access digital music and photos on your computer from your TiVo.  For people who aren't quite ready to shell out for a media center PC, this is a cheap and more than adequate first step.    - As mentioned in the featured review, there are several ways to upgrade your TiVo hard drive without shelling out hundreds of dollars for a new receiver.  (...).  ***PLEASE NOTE: Opening your receiver will void your warranty, and you need to be comfortable handling internal PC components to perform the upgrade.***  That being said, it's an easy enough process and I've had no problems with my unit since the \\"operation\\".  Some Google searching will lead you to the directions for this process - try \\"hinsdale tivo upgrade\\".    - Be diligent about rating programs, but be careful as well.  The more you rate, the more on-point the suggestions are.  Just be careful about being too enthusiatic in applying the thumbs-up.  I made the mistake of giving two thumbs up to Law & Order, only to come back from a long weekend and find over a dozen episodes waiting for me.  That's a little too much courtroom drama for my tastes.    - Don't let the lack of a handy phone line stop you from joining the TiVo revolution.  There is a wireless phone adapter that will work with TiVo, and you can also use a wireless network adapter to connect to your home network (this is what I do).  If you decide to go for the wireless netwrok, be sure to visit the TiVo site to see which adapter works with your particular model.    One thing I can say for sure, you won't regret your purchase!