TiVo TCD540040 Series2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder
Awesome.  Simply awesome.
There aren't many consumer products out there that will change your life, but TiVo is one of them.  It changes the way you handle your TV viewing, your digital pictures and mp3s, and soon, video content from the internet.  Just the time saved from not watching commercials, and the aggravation from never missing another show, is worth more than the cost of the service.  You really can't imagine how fantastic it is until you use it.  You'll find that you can't easily go back to watching regular TV.  I have 2 Tivos now, one with the DVD burner, and our entire family loves them.