The freedom machine
Written: Aug 25 '00 (Updated Aug 25 '00)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Sound: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Picture Quality: |
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
| Recording Time: |
|
|
|
Pros: convenience, convenience, convenience
Cons: price, setup can be a challenge
|
|
|
| gw360's Full Review: Philips TiVo PTV 300 Digital Recorder |
In my opinion Tivo is one of the best products that people don't know about or don't understand.
First, no one is really sure what to call these widgets. Is it a digital VCR? Is it a personal television server? Is it a digital network recorder?
The marketing effort behind this excellent product has generated mixed results, and consumers appear to be confused by the seemingly internecine relationships of Philips, Sony and Tivo.
But for people like myself that have taken the plunge and brought one home to play with, the reality of Tivo quickly becomes clear. Tivo is far more than a souped-up 21st century VCR - it's a freedom machine that will completely change the way you watch television.
I won't even try to delve into the features and functionality of Tivo (and the competing ReplayTV product), as copious amounts of detailed info are available elsewhere. This review is about the benefits of the product, not the feature set.
I am a light-to-medium TV watcher, and have tended to follow only 2-3 shows at any given time. I also enjoy the occasional movie on HBO or other premium cable channels. For the most part, I've stopped patronizing theatres, so I look to my home theatre for catching the latest releases, either on cable or DVD.
With Tivo, I have totally freed myself from the schedule that the network and cable programming czars have established, and keep my own viewing schedule. Tivo is television on demand at its best.
Some will argue that you can do the same thing with a conventional VCR for a lot less money. That may be true, but I always found it inconvenient and troublesome to manage a stack of tapes and the multi-event programming menus of the VCRs I have owned.
Instead, Tivo provides the tools to schedule "season passes" to favorite shows, as well as viewing preference ratings that allow you to teach Tivo what you like to watch.
The net result is that when you don't have time to deal with television, you don't have to, and when you are in the mood, Tivo is ready to go with recorded entertainment on tap.
I used to feel as though I couldn't really justify my monthly cable bill, as I seemed to miss more of the programs that I wanted to see than I actually was able to watch. But with Tivo, that's all changed.
Tivo isn't for everyone, but if you are interested in taking control of television instead of letting it control you, then you definitely owe it to yourself to take a closer look at Tivo.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 399
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
gw360
|
|
Location: San Francisco, CA
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.