Philips HDR312 TiVo 30-Hour Digital Video Recorder
Super Machine
After you get this gizmo, you'll never use a VCR again for recording stuff on TV. The super-fast forward alone is worth the dough. Incredibly, it records shows I usually watch but forget to set it for. The quality is  better than any VCR I ever had, and the ability to start watching from the  beginning while the recording is underway is great.