Philips DSR6000R DIRECTV Receiver with TiVo Service
Once you go DirecTivo,........
As a long time DirecTv user, I never thought much about Tivo.... until I got one.  Actually the family wanted one, and I have to admit they made a good choice.  With dual tuners, it's nice to be able to see one show and record another without having to look for a blank vcr tape.  It's also nice to set it up to record your favorite shows all season long- never have to worry about missing an episode. The DirecTivo also eliminates battles over the tv, since we can record the shows the kids want to watch for them to view later.  If you watch a recorded show, you can just fast forward past the ads too!<br />From what I understand, the Philips, Hughes, and Sony units are all pretty much the same- just some cosmetic differences and a better remote for the Sony.  For the price difference and basically the same machine, I don't see paying up for the Sony.  <br />I think once you get a Directivo, it'll change the way you view TV.  If there's nothing good on, you can always pull up something on the Tivo.  We started out with one and got another a week later.  If you get additional Directivo units for other tvs in your house, you only have to pay DirecTv the standard ...mirror charge so it's a great deal.