You call the shots now
Written: Nov 25 '00
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Pros: World class interface, tech jump
Cons: Needs more storage in stock unit
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| gregorylynn's Full Review: Philips TiVo PTV 300 Digital Recorder |
I am an avid fan of the video medium albeit of late in regards to television I was becoming more and more irritated by the preponderance of advertising, bad programming, etc. Then came TIVO.
I was an early adopter, paying 1200.00 including annual service for a 12 hour unit. Setup was extremely easy and after 10 minutes of use I knew I was looking at and using a consumer product that would revolutionize the television and video industry, much like when I saw the first Mac or used the Netscape 1.0 browser.
Since that point, I have purchased two more 30 hour TIVOs and came into a 4th 12 hour unit. My cable hookup is physically divided into an A and B cable, so I have two TIVOs hooked up via splitters to either side. I upgraded one 12 hour unit via the now defunct Philips program to a 30 hour, and the remaining units were all bought as 30 hrs, at 700.00, 500.00 and 299.00 price points, all with annual service at 199.00 on top of those prices plus tax. Since then I also have "hacked" two of the TIVOs, the last 12hr and one 30hr to 91 hours and 108 hour capacity by adding a second 60 Gigabyte hard drive, which works flawlessly.
You see I have invested heavily in this technology because it is a revolution and it has allowed me to completely change the way I watch TV. I no longer watch live TV nor do I suffer through commercials. I record everything and watch shows at MY leisure, not the networks'. The unit is capable of fast forwarding through an hour of programming in about 1 minute while displaying the fast forward images such that you can still keep track of where you are during the operation. So in 5 seconds, I fast forward through your average commercial break in a tv program. On average I recover 20+ minutes of my time in one hour of television programming. Given I tend to watch TV as others listen to the radio, that translates to approximately 160 Minutes, or almost 3 hours of time I recover to use as I see fit.
That is revolutionary.
The 30 hour unit vs the 12 hour has some minor differences. Better hard drive, better audio reliability from at least my observance of the two units in action. Otherwise they are identical in function and performance sans the amount of time one can record programs.
Important notes:
Basic level recording is only good for documentaries where there is literally no moving action. I recommend medium level programming as your starting point, which drops the amount of time you can record on a 30 hour unit to 19 hours. For action shows, especially animated kids shows, high level is recommended. For shows you are really picky about, go to High. This means your recording time drops to VCR levels. Now you know why I upgraded the two units to higher capacities. A 108 hour unit can record more than 30 hours of programs at Best level.
The units run very quiet but if you are in a very quiet environment the noise may bother you; a standard stereo cabinet remedys that. Leave 2 inches above the top of the unit for ventilation when in a closed space. I have all four of my units stacked one atop the next but mine are out in the open slightly elevated off the floor and they all run at spec temp. of 38 degrees C.
Bottom line: Get one. Prices in some places are below 200.00. Amazon sells them for instance. The main reason for rapid drop in price is rapid adoption by the industry, by consumers. Volume buying and integration into second generation set top devices is the driving force. Microsoft's Ultimate TV is one such unit. The units are reliable and will change your life in regards to TV watching. The base concept of digital recording will change your life in new and exciting ways yet to come.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 299.00
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Epinions.com ID:
gregorylynn
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Member: Greg Lynn
Location: Campbell, CA
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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