TiVo TCD540040 Series2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder
They got the GUI right...
I don't work for TiVo. I won't bother to repeat all the \\"changes the way you watch TV\\" comments, but wanted to add this: <br /> <br />My 5-year-old who doesn't read, but knows the alphabet, has no trouble with it. <br /> <br />The way they did the user interface is impecable.  It is not only easy to set up and schedule programs, but also has excellent channel surfing based on data from TV Guide info, that is more complete (program + episode descriptions) and up-to-date than what my digital cable provider's box puts on the screen. <br /> <br />There are a ton of little features that show how well-polished this product really is, and it FAR surpasses any other DVR.  I'll take TiVo over my cable-provider's (TimeWarner) DVR or ReplayTV.  It's very reliable, and won't miss recording episodes occasionaly like TimeWarner's or Replay's DVRs. <br /> <br />If you like tinkering with computers, it's straight-forward to replace its hard disk with a bigger one, or even add a second hard disk. A google search will find you services that do this, or how-to books. I bought a 40-hour Series 2 unit, replaced its 40GB disk two 60GB hard disks, and I have yet to hit the disk space limit when trying to record something.  That's another good point -- TiVo has excellent recorded program expiration features, like keep the last 3 shows (you set the number). <br /> <br />I could go on and on, but let me just conclude by saying that I gladly paid the $300 lifetime subscription after my first free month. <br />