TiVo TCD540040 Series2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder
Another 5-star rating
I just wanted to add another 5 star rating moreso than leave a detailed review, but here's a short version:<br /><br />Of all the stuff I've bought in the last 5 years, only two really stand out as things that I've really kept and loved: my Rio Karma MP3 player and my TiVo.<br /><br />I play video games.  A lot.  I tend to miss all the good TV shows because I don't want to quit out of the game to go watch TV and I'm way too lazy to want to mess around with a pile of VHS tapes, remembering to record the shows I want, etc.<br /><br />Now I don't just watch more TV, I watch better TV.  Things like science programs I wouldn't normally watch I can now easily record and check out whenever I find myself with some free time.  Or just cool shows like Mythbusters -- it never would have occured to me to set it to record to VHS, but when TiVo recorded an episode for me one day it was a simple matter to tell it to \\"record this show every time it comes on\\".  Now I've seen every episode of a great show I otherwise would have never seen.<br /><br />It's everything you would do with a VHS recorder if only it were less hassle.<br /><br />The interface is very easy to use.<br /><br />Best of all, I don't even use my phone jack anymore.  I hooked the TiVo into my wireless network via a standard wireless USB device.  Configuring the TiVo to go wireless was frankly easier than configuring my computer to go wireless, encryption and all.<br /><br />TiVo problems: zero.  I've never had to reboot it or power it off or anything.  I really suggest the 140-hour model too.  Once you get going with this thing, it's really easy to find more shows than you have time to watch, simply because it's so very easy to record anything you think you MIGHT like to watch.  The ability to scroll through the whole TV catalogue alphabetically arranged, broken up by catagory (like \\"sci-fi\\") is just brilliant.<br /><br />It's not the cheapest device, especially when you factor in the service costs, but if you care enough about television to own one and have a cable or satellite hookup, then you absolutely will want to have a TiVo.<br /><br />My cable company offers a similar \\"on-demand\\" service, but it only works for certain channels.  Tivo obviously works on whatever is coming through the wire.  It's great.  Can't say enough about it.but if you care enough about television to own one and have a cable or satellite hookup, then you absolutely will want to have a TiVo. <br /> <br />My cable company offers a similar \\"on-demand\\" service, but it only works for certain channels.  Tivo obviously works on whatever is coming through the wire.  It's great.  Can't say enough about it. <br />