Philips DSR6000R DIRECTV Receiver with TiVo Service
Changes how you enjoy TV
Never before have I purchased an item that has improved something as simple as watching TV as much as this box has.<br />Everyone I know has a VCR with about a dozen unmarked video tapes next to it, with various shows on them from various times. Even if you remember that you had something on tape, it's a mystery as to which tape it was on, and where on that tape it is located.<br />Have you ever needed to set up the VCR before work to tape something because you weren't going to be home in time?  Invariably, the stack of video tapes that you have (unmarked of course) are all in various states of being used, so you can't use one of them, and the one you do find doesn't have enough recording time left on it.<br />Most of the times, it is just too inconvenient to record something, so you would rather miss the show than deal with the hassle of recording it.<br />That was our life before we bought this DirecTV/Tivo combo box.<br />This unit is designed to store the signal as it's broadcast from DirecTV, so the quality is the same as it is with watching it live. No recording speeds that trade off time for picture quality, like a VCR or even stand-alone PVR's.  This isn't a deficiency, it's a feature (and one of the reasons I bought a combo box). <br />You can record up to 35 hours of programming (less if you watch high-bandwidth programs, like Pay-Per-View), so recording space isn't an issue.  That's more than 17 video tapes if you use the highest quality SP speed on your VCR, and if you use the 6-hour EP mode on your VCR for maximum recording time, you would still need 6 video tapes to equal the recording time of the DSR6000.<br />And if you need more storage space, there are ways to increase the storage if you are technically savvy.  You can also send it to an upgrade service that will increase the storage for you.<br />The integration of the Tivo features with the DirecTV receiver is the key feature, in my opinion.  It gives you the ultimate level of control over your viewing habits, and if you get local channels over the satellite (like I do), you'll never use your VCR again.  If you don't have DirecTV, or if you can't/won't get local channels on the satellite, I recommend checking out the stand-alone TiVo.<br />With the recent free software upgrade, we now have the ability to record two shows at once, all while watching a third show that was already recorded.  Additional minor features were added, all at no additional cost.<br />Once you get used to the ability to see a listing of shows that you've recorded, select shows to record from easy-to-understand menus, and the convenience of Season Passes which pick up every episode of your favorite shows without any extra work on your part, you'll be hooked, too.<br />Some say that they don't watch enough TV to make such a purchase worth it.  I say that if you watch any TV at all, doesn't it make sense to watch it on your time schedule, instead of the networks?  My parents often don't get to watch TV until later at night, and not much is on at 11pm.  The TiVo gives them the ability to tell it what to record for them, and they can watch it when they're ready.<br />Owning a TiVo is an experience that's difficult to describe, because it changes your viewing habits for the better.  You may find yourself watching more TV, but nonetheless, it's what you want to watch, when you want to watch it.