TiVo TCD540040 Series2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder
TIVO...long time user
I found the reviews for TIVO, and had to post a reply regarding the issues raised in previous posts for all of you who are considering buying it. <br /> <br />I love it. It allows me to tape the DIY shows during the day while I am at work, and finds movies/shows about my favorite topics, actors, musicians, etc. and saves them for me. I fast forward through the commercials, but am able to stop and watch them if something catches my eye. My unit is a 60 hour, and yes, I use the basic setting for everything I intend to watch and delete. (I do have digital cable, so that may improve the picture.) If I intend to copy a show to tape, or soon to DVD, I use the best quality, which takes up 3x the space...I just make sure I save it to tape asap to clear the space. <br />They have added on new features which allow you to clip the overlapping minute or two from the first or second show, which has become more common in the past year (and is one of the most annoying ploys the networks have started). I haven't used the Media package yet, but will check it out sometime soon. <br /> <br />I have never had an issue with customer service or the DVR breaking down, and the unit is going on 4 years old. (I bought it for the Winter Olympics in 2002.) It rarely reboots (it has probably done so 3 or 4 times that I remember), I cannot hear the fan from the couch in my tiny living room (though I imagine it would be a problem in a quiet bedroom), and after reading one review, I would love to increase the size of the hard drive, as I intend to keep it until it dies.  : ) <br /> <br />I seriously considered buying the DVD burner - TIVO unit during the $150 rebate period, but bought a laptop with the DVD burner instead. <br /> <br />I think the unit is a great value, especially with the rebates right now (which may or may not continue for long). I would also recommend buying it from a store which offers additional warranty coverage, as I was told that if the unit breaks down, they will fix or replace it, and if it is replaced, the lifetime service will transfer to the new unit. (Well worth the cost, if you are one to hang on to something until it refuses to work any longer, instead of upgrading every year or so.) <br /> <br />Finally, I have recommended Tivo to family and friends, and my Mom (a technophobe) and my best friend are now Tivo converts. : )