Toshiba RS-TX20 DVD Recorder with 120 GB TiVo Series2 Digital Video Recorder
Excellent DVR, Easy Setup, Antenna Reception Poor
Straight out of the box to setup on TV, integrated to Stereo sound system, etc. was a total of 45 minutes.  If you understand how to wire a stereo / video system, the setup is a breeze.  Then setting up the Tivo took some time - but that's going to be the same no matter what Tivo-based system you get. <br /> <br />Only problem was that I used DirectTV with a rotating antenna for local stations.  I can get multiples of most major networks that way, as well as Cardinal baseball games when they're not being shown on the Fox Sports Midwest.  During NFL season I can sometimes get different regional broadcasts on the FOX and CBS affiliates.   <br /> <br />Anyway, the antenna-based reception on the Toshiba system was pathetic - lots of artifacts, grainy, very poor quality. It's apparently the result of an under-sized processing chip in that digitizes the analog antenna signal.  Toshiba - there is no excuse for that - Panasonic has had the ability to handle analog signals to digital DVR for YEARS without this problem . Fortunately (for me), DirectTV just started carrying our local channels a few months ago, so I added local channels to my DirectTV - problem semi-solved.  I don't get the choice of distant stations anymore, so I lost the station that carries the non-cable system Cardinal games (mostly the weekend games).  I can either watch those games in poor quality with DVR, or on a second TV with excellent picture, but no DVR :-(  <br /> <br />If you only use Cable or Satellite for your TV signal, the set works great.  If you use an antenna - don't bother with this system, the quality is like going back to the rabbit ear antenna days.  <br /> <br />One other irritant - the system comes with a 45 trial of Tivo Extended, before retro-grading to Tivo Basic.  However, for the first four days of use, the system keeps warning you that your subscription to Tivo Extended is going to expire in 6, 5, 4, etc. days.  A phone call to Toshiba verified that the system was giving the warning messages, but that the trial will really last 45 days. I'm on day 15 now, and it is still working, so they must have been right on that one.  <br />