TiVo TCD540040 Series2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder
Best TV Accessory since the VCR/DVD Player
I have known about the Tivo device for the last few years unfortunately they were priced well above what I could afford. <br /> <br />When I saw the Series2 40hr at Circuit City for $100 I simply could not resist. <br /> <br />Setup was a breeze and took about 30 minutes. It's important to note that I do not use a cable box so how smooth the setup process is with digital-cable or satellite I really cannot say however the unit does come with several specific cables that are supposed to allow you to connect it to just about any Digital Cable Box or Sat Box. <br /> <br />I decided to go with the $12.95 monthly plan over the $299 lifetime plan for one simple reason. The lifetime plan covers the life of the actual unit. So if your Tivo were to croak outside of the warranty period you're screwed. I also decided to pickup the $40 3 year extended from CC as it's not a repair warranty but a flat exchange ( this will not effect a lifetime subscription as Tivo will consider the replacement a NEW unit and will void the lifetime subscription ). I'm usually not one to buy those things but considering the unit is ALWAYS ON I figured why not hedge my bets and drop $40 now rather than another $100 or more later. <br /> <br />The Series2 has both a NIC and phone-line interface for connection to the Tivo Service. I live on the Eastern Shore of <br />Maryland which is essentially a technology dead-zone but there were 2 numbers to have the Tivo call that were local calls. If you don't want the Tivo to use your phone line you can connect it to your PC Network via a wireless router and use a Broadband connection to connect to the Tivo Service. <br /> <br />Please note that subscription and connection to the Tivo service is REQUIRED to use it and you must either activate online or via phone BEFORE using the unit. <br /> <br />After setup the manual says that you will have to wait between 4 - 8 hours before you can start using the advanced stuff but can manually record and pause live TV before that. Now I was able to do this within 2 hours but this may or may not be typical. <br /> <br />To activate the Tivo Services you simply push the Tivo button on the very top of the remote. This brings up your main menu: <br /> <br />Now Playing List - This is where you access the programs that have been recorded. From here you can watch, delete, or export to VCR, DVD Recorder, or PC via a network. <br /> <br />Watch Live TV - Obviously this allows you to watch live tv. <br /> <br />Music & Photos - If your Tivo is connected via a network to a PC running MS XP Media Center you can stream either to the Tivo and watch/listen to them on your TV. <br /> <br />Showcases & TV Guide - Essentially where you can access suggestions on shows. <br /> <br />Pick Programs To Record - This is where the Tivo really shines. This brings up a sub-menu offering: <br /> <br />               Search by Title - Allows you to search for shows <br />               or movies based on name. <br /> <br />               Search using a WishList - This is really cool. You <br />               can enter a list of your favorite actors/actresses <br />               and the unit will find all the shows/movies they <br />               appear in over the next two weeks. <br /> <br />               Tivo Suggestions - When you first activate this <br />               be pretty empty but as the Tivo sees what you <br />               watch it will start to make suggestions. Just the <br />               other night it suggested 'Buck Rogers in the 25th <br />               Century'. It was on at 4am and I would never have <br />               known about it unless the Tivo had told me. <br /> <br />               Record by Time or Channel - This one is obvious. <br />            <br />               Season Pass Manager - Another of Tivos' really <br />               cool features. Let's say you are a fan of Big <br />               Brother 6 ( or any series ) you can get a season <br />pass for the show and it will either record every <br />               episode or just the new ones, sans repeats,  <br />               automatically and if there is a recording conflict <br />               between the pass and something you have added <br />               either manually or another season pass it will ask <br />               you which one to record. <br /> <br />               To Do List - Shows you what it's going to record <br />               and when. <br /> <br />Messages & Setup - Tivo will actually send your unit messages on important issues such as down-times and will update the units firm-ware automatically when it calls into the service. <br /> <br /> <br />One thing I feel is important to mention is the recording times. While the unit says it will record 40hrs, and it will, it will only record for that length of time in BASIC mode. The 4 recording modes are: <br /> <br />Basic - Essentially unwatchable unless you don't mind pixelated video that looks worse than a VCR's SLP ( 6hr mode ) on a tape that has been used a thousand times. 40hrs. <br /> <br />Medium - Good enough for News programs or shows/movies where a really crisp picture is not required. 23hrs. <br /> <br />High - My most common setting. It's crisp and clear with little to no artifacts or pixelation. 18hrs. <br /> <br />Best - This would be the setting to use if you are planning to export the recording to either a VCR, DVD Recorder, or PC. Freeze-frames look like photos and slo-mo is smooth. 11hrs. <br /> <br />Conclusion: <br /> <br />On the whole I would recommend the Tivo. It has essentially changed the way I watch TV as I am tending to watch the recorded programs much more than live tv. This is not to say that it doesn't have some things I don't like the main one being the ads. <br />Tivo not only ads to the main menu ( easy to overlook once you get used to it but will also pop-up a icon during some on-air commercials telling you more info is available about a certainproduct... this also will get easier to overlook but is still sort of annoying consider you do own the unit and are paying a monthly subscription fee. This gripe however is very minor considering what the Tivo will do for you. In fact the other gripe I have is that I didn't shell out the extra $50 for the 80 hour unit.