Absolutely Fantastic!
Written: Jan 28 '04
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Pros: Auto-records your favorite shows, pauses live TV, records two shows at once, easy to use.
Cons: No Home Media Option (yet).
The Bottom Line: You will be absolutely happy with this unit (mine is the 40 hour model). I've used other recorders and this one beats them all.
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| jackstraw's Full Review: Hughes SDDVR120 (120 GB) 100-Hours Video Recorder |
TiVo lets you watch TV your way, when you want.
I purchased the 40 hour version for only $99 installed. I liked it so much that I purchased a second for another room in the house, for only $99 more.
This TiVo receiver uses DirecTV satellite service. I've used DirecTV for 2 years already. If you still use cable... SWITCH! DirecTV's picture quality is far better, you can get all of your local channels, and the price is usually lower than cable.
Using TiVo with DirecTV is better than using the standalone TiVo boxes in several ways. First, the price of the box and service is less. Adding the TiVo service was $5.00 more per month (for standalone TiVo boxes, it's $10 ~ $12/month). Adding additional boxes does not increase this fee, either.
Secondly, with DirecTV, you have more TiVo options - it has two tuners, so it can record and/or play two shows at a time, in any combination, such as:
* Watch one show while recording another
* Pause and replay live TV while recording another show
* Record two shows at once
* Record one show while watching a recorded show
Third, the product is incredibly easy to use. The user interface is beautiful and perfectly polished. For example, the remote control can be programmed to control your TV or your stereo, like most remotes today. But unlike other remotes, you can look up all of the codes directly on the TiVo. So if you change batteries in your remote, you can look up everything using the TiVo's menus, get the directions, and everything. No more digging for a user manual!
With other DVR's or VCR's, you enter the time & channel of what you want to record. You can do this, but you'll never need to. You can simply browse through the program guide, and press "Thumbs Up" to select a program to record. When you do, you can select whether to record this episode only, or every episode automatically! Based on the programs you pick, TiVo will automatically record other shows with a similar interest. As it fills up, it automatically erases old programs, but you can set them to be saved forever, if you want. This intelligence is what you pay the extra $5/month for, and it's well worth it. You'll always have a great movie or show to watch, it will always start when you're ready, and you can pause it when you want. It's fabulous.
Are there cons? Well, I suppose anything could be better. They aren't so much "cons" as feature requests. First, installation is more complex than with regular satellite, and best left to an installation service. But DirecTV will do this for you.
Second, TiVo has a $99 option called the "Home Media Option," which lets you network your TiVo with your PC. This option is not available on this model, but it may be some day.
Third, if you have two TiVo's, you cannot play a program recorded on TiVo A with TiVo B -- although if/when the Home Media Option becomes available, I think this will be possible.
Four, this unit cannot record from a DVD player or VHS, although with today's copy-protected units, that's pretty common.
Last, it's possible to add a larger or second hard disk, but it isn't supported by TiVo and it's not as easy as it should be. A company called Weaknees.com sells ready-made upgrade kits, however, and they make it as easy as installing a PC hard disk.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 100
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Epinions.com ID:
jackstraw
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Reviews written: 4
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