Philips HDR312 TiVo 30-Hour Digital Video Recorder
Can't Live Without It Despite Flaws
The TiVo is an incredibly addicitive invention.  Once you have one, you won't be able to live without it.  The ability to pause and rewind live tv shows, and a program guide that lets you record every episode of a partiular TV show, ensures that you will never miss anything on TV again.  However, be warned before you pick up one of these gems.  If you have or plan to get Directv, get a TiVo w/ integrated Directv or an UltimateTV system.  Additionally, if you have a cable box, you might have problems getting the TiVo to work with the box.  The TiVo needs to have full control over changing the channels in order to use all of its features.  Additionally, you will need to pay a monthly fee to activate TiVo service.  Despite these problems, you will find yourself willing to work a few extra hours a month to pay for the (...) monthly fee -- after all, you won't miss your favorite shows with TiVo at home.