ReplayTV RTV4516 Digital Video Recorder
ReplayTV or TiVo?
The features of the ReplayTV are well documented in other reviews.  This review is for those people trying to decide between a ReplayTV or a TiVo.  Both are fine products, but there's one feature that ReplayTV has that TiVo doesn't (and never will)...the Commercial Advance feature.  This one button makes all the difference!  If you have recorded a show, with the commercial advance feature enabled, you can play the show back commercial free.  The feature works by detecting the gaps that are present in between commercials.  When the commercials come up, it simply skips over them and back to the program in a split second.  With TiVo, you have to fast forward (just like speed searching on a VCR).  The commercial advance on the Replay unit is not fool proof.  It looks for those gaps in :30 second succession.  So if the network throws in a :60 second commercial, that's where the unit will advance to.  But, Replay has a \\"QuickSkip\\" button.  Push it, and the program advances :30 seconds per push.  \\"QuickSkip\\" is another feature Tivo doesn't have.  <BR>I own 3 Replay units (2; 2000 series and 1; 4040) and have never had a problem with their tech support.  Contrary to what another reviewer stated, I've always found the tech people at Replay knowledgeable and helpful.