This review is for the ReplayTV 3060 (60-hour) unit. All the units of ReplayTV (i.e. 30-hour, 60-hour, etc) come with the same hardware - by that I mean that the only difference in the units is the length of time that you can record shows. The way these units work is they contain hard drives. Shows that are recorded onto the unit take up hard drive space. Remember this as you read further.

To begin, let me just say that getting this Replay TV has definitely made my TV watching a lot more fun! I can watch shows that I like when I like. Here are the most salient points:

* You can pause live TV (yes, you can pause it, go answer a phone call, hit pause again and continue watching the show without missing a beat.
* You can set the unit to record shows at varying degrees of fineness - i.e. great video quality will reduce the amount of remaining hard disk space whereas "standard" video quality will give you longer recording times available for shows.
* You can transfer shows recorded onto the ReplayTV easily onto video tape.
* If you like a particular TV series (like Seinfeld, for example), you can tell the unit to search for all Seinfeld shows coming up in the future. You can then tell it to record all Seinfeld episodes.
* You can easily hook up other devices such as game consoles, VCRs, DVDs, and so forth.
* You will need to hook up your Replay TV to your phone line. This is necessary so that Replay TV can dial out to its regional facillity (in most cases, this is a regional call) and obtain programming information such as show times, etc.
* The remote is easy to use - it also lets you control your other devices such as VCR, cable box, etc (universal remote)
* All parts needed to get up and running are included with the unit. Everything you can imagine is included, and then some!
* QuickSkip is one of my favorite features. Say you've recorded Seinfeld and are watching it a few days later. When the commercials start, you can hit Quickskip once and the unit fast-forwards by 30 secs. If you hit Quickskip 4 times (i.e. 30secs x 4 = 2 mins), you'll go past all the commercials and into the show.
* The display menu shows details about the show (plot, stars, etc.) much like DirectTV and others do. Its pretty cool - if you happen to catch Seinfeld half-way through, it tells you how many minutes of the show have already passed.
* In most cases, if you record shows at "Standard" quality, they come out just fine. If you want real high quality video, you'll have to switch to "High" - remember, though that this means reduced recording time available for other shows.
* Easy to follow user interface - I'm pretty savvy technologically (hey I'm writing this aren't I? ;) but in all seriousness, Replay TV is VERY SIMPLE TO USE!
* My experience with this unit has been contrary to the others described on Epinions - I have not had any problems with the fan/cooling unit.

---------------------------------------------

WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT THE REPLAY TV : i.e. WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED IN FUTURE MODELS

1. Great remote - however, it needs a backlight so that people can see buttons in the dark
2. Great remote but channel surfing needs to be quicker. There is a bit of a delay when you're trying to change channels
3. Viewers should be able to view one show while recording another - this problem, however, can be avoided by using a TV-splitter. The directions for doing this are included in the manual (very easy to do).

---------------------------------------------

REPLAY TV vs. TIVO

1. The user interface for Replay TVs is pretty cool. Much cooler than Tivo's cartoon-like interface.
2. No monthly subscription charges - once you pay for your Replay TV, you don't have to absorb any more charges. Tivo, on the other hand, charges you monthly charges of $9.95 to obtain program listings. I didn't like this feature.

---------------------------------------------

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS?

Absolutely! Its totally changed the way I watch TV. I don't record EVERY show on TV but when sporting events come on, everything else takes a back seat for me. The convenience of ReplayTV lets me watch live sporting events and then come back to my Replay TV and have those shows sitting there for me to watch. I haven't transferred any of my programming to video tape but I'm sure this works pretty well too - the user interfaces are all simple and easy to follow.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 500