Philips HDR312 TiVo 30-Hour Digital Video Recorder
Tivo is Revolutionary!
I bought the TiVo machine with the thought that it would be a fun toy, another gadget to play with.  As it turns out, it has become a &quot;need&quot; rather than just a &quot;want.&quot;  We don't use our VCR  anymore to record programs or movies from our TV.  TiVo has taken its  place.  We still use the VCR for playing movies we rent in tape form, but  for taping shows that broadcast during hours we are not home, TiVo has  become our TV library.  It is very easy to use.  You program it with the  remote to record what you want.  You can then bring up a screen with the  remote which lists all the shows that have been recorded and you click on  the show you want;  no rewinding tape and waiting and trying to find the  spot where that show starts and this show ends on your videotape.  You just  click on the show from the list TiVo brings up, like you would for bringing  up a file from your computer. TiVo also gives you a complete TV guide with  descriptions of shows. It also is great for watching live TV shows. If you  want to take a break from watching a show that is being broadcast live,  (you have to go to the bathroom, or one of the kids is crying, or someone  calls or comes to your door, or whatever), TiVo will allow you to record  the show you are watching live with a click of the remote and you can come  back a half hour later and begin watching the show from where you left off.   This machine does so many things that we have gotten used to using, that I  believe, eventually everyone will have one as another part of the TV  accessories. I am sure this machine/service will become part of the  TV/internet/telephone combination being established.  One complaint is the  remote for those that have a cable box is a little slower than the remote  you are given by the cable companies.  Otherwise, TiVo is a major thumbs up  and something you will enjoy immensely. I don't have time to watch a lot of  TV with three kids and a busy schedule, but when I do I want to be ableto  watch what I want rather than what is being put out by the different  broadcasters and TiVo makes it really easy to paly the shows I want when I  have the time. Devices like this that save us time or make our free time  more enjoyable are worth their weight in gold.