Toshiba RD-XS34 DVD Recorder with 160-GB Hard Drive
Not as elegant as TiVo but love the price
I have some experience with the TiVo sold by DirecTV and this unit does not really compare in ease of operation.  It is a bit clunky to navigate menus and its response time is slow by the TiVo standard.  It does have some real advantages over the TiVo - DVD recorder and no monthly charges.  Those make this a good value with one caveat.  I had no trouble with the TV Guide programming function.  It took about 24 hours to load and has worked exactly as advertised since.  It found multiple program showings on multiple channels and using the greater resolution delivers very nice images.  I don't know how you would determine if the TV Guide is going to work for you but if it does - this baby is worth the money.