TiVo Series2™ (80 Hours) (80 GB) 80-Hours Video Recorder

Pros: No more commercials and you'll never miss your favorite shows
Cons: Can't record and watch different live shows at same time and misleading recording time

I’ve often maintained that there are no better words in the English language than “bottomless keg” or “free buffet.” However, I am on the verge of adding other member to the ever-exclusive group. That word is...."Tivo." Whether you ...

Pros: never forget to record programs, Wishlists, pause, rewind and of course fast forward(commericals)
Cons: cost almost not an issue any more, need to be near phone line.

TiVolution is coming. “What are you talking about?”. Simple! The way we watch TV is changing before our vary eyes. No longer are we tied to the network’s schedules. Tivo and its main competitor Replay TV have developed an interactive TV...

Pros: Everything. Well, mostly everything. I'd take an 80 hour if someone gave it to me.
Cons: A certain Canadian channel has weird airtimes, but I guess that's not Tivo's fault.

Let’s start with some simple concepts before we move on to greatly detailed ramblings. First, Tivo rocks. If you don’t need a lot of information, and just want to know if you should get one or not, just head out to the store now. Second, ...

Pros: Never miss my favorite shows, Skip commercials
Cons: "40 hours" a bit misleading, watch more TV than before

"Tivo is God's machine." - Michael Powell, FCC Chairman.

I purchased a Tivo in December, 2002 and am very pleased with it. I opted to get the 40 hour Series 2 machine from Tivo's website, tivo.com. I also purchased the Lifetime...

Pros: Tivo has revolutionized my TV.
Cons: I could really use more space on my hard drive.

How I got Hooked It was about a year ago that my husband said "I think we could get a DirecTV satellite with Tivo for less than we pay Comcast for normal cable." My reply was something to the effect of "What's the catch?" We looked into it, and ...

Pros: Never forget to record programs, Wishlists, pause, rewind and of course fast forward(commericals)
Cons: Cost almost not an issue any more, need to be near phone line.

TiVolution is coming. “What are you talking about?”. Simple! The way we watch TV is changing before our vary eyes. No longer are we tied to the network’s schedules. Tivo and its main competitor Replay TV have developed an interactive TV system called a PV ...

Pros: A revolutionary device for watching TV.
Cons: Occasional anomalies in its automatic program selection routine.

Have you tried out a TiVo yet? The TiVo can become your best TV friend and you can do all sorts of things with it. Do you want your (young) kids to see “good” shows and avoid “bad” ones? With a basic TiVo and a TV set with a timer, you ...

Pros: Easy to use menus, good way to record television shows.
Cons: Limited quality - not compatible with 802.11g!

I love my Tivo! If you’ve never heard of Tivo it is basically a new way to record and keep programs recorded from either television or cable (or another source) similar to a VCR. If you've never heard of a VCR – I pity you ...

Pros: Season Pass feature. The ability to rewind Live TV. Detailed installation manual.
Cons: Does not handle conflicting recordings very well.

Introduction I am a huge fan of prime time television shows. The shows I tend to love (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost, Alias, 24) have ongoing multi-episode storylines so it's extremely annoying to miss even one episode. It used to be a pain to ...

Pros: Always have something to watch, never miss a program, fast forward through commercials.
Cons: Set Up. HORRIBLE experience.

Me and my husband were thinking about Christmas ideas, and we were thinking about how we had just about everything in the $100 or so range that we wanted. Then we thought of the Tivo. We gave the idea to our parents, but as Christmas approached, the ...

Pros: always something to watch, easy to use, no worry about missing favorite shows
Cons: cost, can't record two shows at once, not really 80 hours of storage

This review is based on the TIVO Series 2 80 hour unit with internal software version 3.2. I broke up this review into 4 sections explaining the initial setup, TIVO's functional highlights, Video Quality, and finally ending off with a summary of the pros ...

Pros: Easy to use, great guide, looks good with other components
Cons: cost, cost, cost!!! could work with cable box better

I bought my wife a TIVO recorder this past week. I must say, this thing is one cool gadget. TIVO records the shows you want to watch, recommends shows you might want to watch, and filters-out shows/commercials you don’t want to watch. That said,...

Pros: Quiet, Home Media Option, S-Video, USB, "new Tivo software", Good menus
Cons: Overall Expensive, No Dolby Digital Output, No Progressive Scan, Not really "40 hours"

Overview Thats right, ever since I got my TiVo I've been talking to it like its a pet-- "Good tivo! good tivo! baaaad tivo, baaaad tivo!" I bought the 40 hour to "really see if I like it" and also, for another $100, I didn't see getting the ...

Pros: Will change the way you watch TV forever,excellent usability, excellent service and support.
Cons: - No digital hookups, poor network support, hard drive won't last forever.

TiVo is simply one of the best designed products ever made. Not only is it incredibly easy to use but it is such a joy to use. It will instantly become a necessity in your life. Once you have TiVo you will never have to watch a commercial you don’t ...

Pros: Watch TV on your terms, not those of the advertisers.
Cons: Will cost you much more per month if you buy a standalone unit.

This review is really about TiVo in general, and not about this particular product. Since TiVo is incorporated into so many different products, and the features are all the same, I decided to just put the review under this product. So keep in mind that ...

Pros: skips ads, pauses live tv, post-rebate price
Cons: linear playback, records the ads, useless suggestions

I've had my Tivo Series 2 for about 6 months and, although it isn't perfect, I would buy it again in a heart beat. PROS: 1) SKIPPING ADS: As anyone will tell you, owning a Tivo means never having to sit through another advertisement again. ...

Pros: Catch all of your favorite shows with hardly any effort!
Cons: For some reason, many of the features available on the last generation have been eliminated.

I will preface this review by mentioning one thing -- that TIVO is probably the greatest thing to happen to television since color. The fact that you can now pause live television (excellent for those of us with tiny bladders and a penchant for drinking...

Pros: Commercial skip, Season Passes, TV Suggestions.
Cons: Lifetime subscription covers the unit not the subscriber.

I have known about the Tivo device for the last few years unfortunately they were priced well above what I could afford. When I saw the Series2 40hr at Circuit City for $100 I simply could not resist. I bought my Tivo I am not recommending the $50 ...

Pros: High capacity drive, superb features, zap those commercials!
Cons: Noisy operation, cable channel changing erratic, dial-in problems

Problems: I replaced my lower capacity Sony DVR with the new Tivo Series 2, and I think the Sony is a better machine. The TiVo drive is noisy when it operates. I don't know if this is a flaw with my particular machine, but it works in every other ...

Pros: Record Magically, Triple Fast forward past commercial, Season Passes
Cons: Cost

This is the best buy I have ever made. I love my Tivo. My wife orginally wanted it and I was cold to the idea but finally gave in. Was I ever surprised. This thing is great. TV will never be the same for me. I can't even watch Live TV anymore because I ...

Pros: Pause live TV. One device to handle recorded programs.
Cons: Broadband challenged. Land line preferable.

I love Tivo. It's a great service, a great device. I've had Tivo service since 2001. My family has four Tivos, including 2 Directv DVRs (one Series 1 and the other Series 2) and two stand-alone Series 2 Tivos. Both our stand-alone Tivos are the ...

Pros: Set it and forget it, no more commercials, your shows your way
Cons: Only records one show at a time, no HD recording capabilities

Introduction I have a Panasonic 47" widescreen HDTV with a Sony 5.1 surround sound system and Comcast Digital Cable. I watch TV on fairly regular basis, probably about 2 hours per night. All my friends had been raving to me about how awesome ...

Pros: Display digital photos on TV, Organize your entire CD collection, Watch movies on your laptop
Cons: TIVO features are just not available for your car stereo

Introduction Since there are already 46 reviews on this fantastic product, I was a little reluctant to dive in but not many people cover the home networking capability so that will be my focus. If you are not familiar with TIVO's video ...

Pros: Smart, easy to use, fun - TiVo makes watching TV a breeze!
Cons: Set up can be tricky depending on your system, little annoyances here and there

A generous friend purchased TiVo for us as a wedding gift, and I've been loving it for the past two ...

Pros: Tons of HD space Watch a previously recorded program while taping another.
Cons: Too many features I don't need; a couple that drive me up a wall.

After hearing so many people champion TiVo, I gave it a whirl and boy! Am I underwhelmed. I bought it with two types of taping in mind: soaps (yeah, I know) and Friday Night Stand-up on Comedy Central, to build a stand-up library. For those two purposes,...

Pros: Great technology, will be in almost every home someday
Cons: Has it's quirks that they need to fix before this becomes mainstream.

Tivo really is a great home product but it does have its share of quirks in terms of day to day usage that hopefully will get ironed out over time. This review is a bit long, but to provide a quality review this was inevitable. Here's my take on Tivo: ...

Pros: Way too many to list here! I am TiVo convert!
Cons: Price is high, does not include subscription service

The rule should be, "Never ask a TiVo owner about their TiVo." Why? Because you will then have to listen to the TiVo owner go on and on for endless hours about the great benefits of owning a TiVo. What a product this is! I am a convert, and I am...

Pros: Ease of use, great programming guide, and the ability to skip through commercials.
Cons: Cost of programming guide and degraded picture quality from digital signals.

I wanted to put a review of the Tivo Series 2 DVR - 140-hour model because it is not otherwise listed here on eopinions.com and may be of interest to many who are considering the 80-hour model. THE BASICS The Tivo Series 2 receiver ...

Pros: NEVER watch a commercial again. You watch when you want, not on networks schedule.
Cons: Like anything new, it has a few tricks. Doesn't have enough recording space (yet).

So, there are two camps of people around Tivo. Those that have a TIVO (you will recognize them by the comments like "you can't imagine how cool it is") and those that don't (usually "I don't think I need one"). For the sake of honesty in reporting, I'm...

Pros: Changes the way you watch television, NO COMMERCIALS!
Cons: Pray that it never breaks because customer service is HORRIBLE

I had heard about Tivo through various sources -- I had a cousin that won one in a contest, had hear ...

Pros: Incredibly useful, good interface, easy to use, great support from other users.
Cons: "Buy in" price still high, questions regarding what features will be added

So about three weeks ago, I was overcome with one of my occasional "I need a new gadget" fits. I had been looking at personal video records (PVR) for some time, but decided it would be especially useful at this time of year, when I was sure to be out...

Pros: Fun to watch & use, it's like having an assistant tape all your favorite shows
Cons: Makes TV addictive, subscription service, no HDTV recording, pricey

I first was introduced to TIVO last year when my roommate's friend let us borrow his for a while because he was going out of town. Little did I know that I would end up breaking my wallet the following year to buy one of my own within the next year....

Pros: I'm sure if it worked, it would be nothing short of revolutionary.
Cons: Customer Service not helpful; Tivo unit faulty; Season pass unreliable; long delay switching channels

Where to start? Tivo was something that I had been going back and forth about in my head for quite some time before buying it. Some people seemed to love it, while some despised it's defectiveness. I read the reviews on this and other sights for months ...

Pros: Better way to watch television
Cons: Cost, something different to get used to

I've been interested in the TiVo concept for a long time. It seems like everybody who has one "could never imagine going back". Finally, I was able to see one in action -- a friend had a TiVo series 1. Wow, it was neat.

I bought my wife a...

Pros: Good service
Cons: Not enough memory

The TiVo Series 2 40-hour DVR was the first such device we purchased. And why not? It was a deal we couldn't refuse: the model came free with a few months of pre-paid service. It immediately changed our lives. Now we could easily record programs to ...

Pros: All the basic DVR capabilities to record shows and fast-forward commercials.
Cons: Shows interrupted with suggested channel-changes to other channels with TiVo 'content'; poor picture quality.

Tivo has been a hellish experience. As a serious 'technophile' it deeply disappoints me to feel so frustrated about my terrible Tivo experience, that I want to warn others through this review. After suffering with TiVo for almost two ...

Pros: There will always be something you want to watch on TV.
Cons: You may be spending money unnecessarily - look for free DirecTV Tivo Offers.

First off, Tivo is an excellent service and I would recommend it to anyone. With Tivo, you never have to channel surf, because there is always something on that you want to watch. So, if you find yourself kicking back on a rainy Saturday afternoon and ...

Pros: With TiVo, there's ALWAYS something good on TV -- for me AND for my daughter.
Cons: 40 hours? Not really. You get about 20 hours at fairly clean resolution.

TiVo is -- hands-down -- the best invention of the past 20 years. What's so friggin great about TiVo? For years, we've heard the worn-out line about "60 channels (or pick your number) and there's nothing on." Until TiVo, that may have been true, ...

Pros: Storage Space, Great Software, Life Changer!
Cons: Only 1 Tuner on The Standalone Model.

Starting Up:
When you first pull this thing out of the box, it's pretty simple to get hooked up. It comes with a guide that has a ton of different configuration options to choose from depending on weather you want to only watch Tivo all the...

Pros: Extremely easy to learn to use.
Cons: Somewhat time consuming to hook up.

Actually, Tivo changed my wife's life. After doing quite a bit of research I decided to purchase the 80 hour Tivo Digital Video Recorder. I opted for the monthly billing of $12.95 (to your credit card). I paid $399.99 for the unit, and I will (someday)...

Pros: Skipping commercials, and doing my own instant replays are FANTASTIC !!
Cons: I have NO complaints at all with TIVO. (I've never needed to call Customer Service)

I'm FREE of those redundant commercials on live TV. I'm FREE to answer the door when my favorite show is on. I'm FREE to answer the phone when my favorite show is on. I knew TIVO existed but THOUGHT it cost much more than it actually DOES now. My ...

Pros: Does what it is supposed to do and does it well.
Cons: Has a bad day every now and again. Strange suggestions like bass fishing.

Tivo is my best buddy. Imagine having your own personal butler at home, recording all of your shows, going through the listings and finding all the movies with Brad Pitt in them, finding shows that you love that have been pre-empted and moved to other ...

Pros: Easy to use, great remote control, changes the way you look at television
Cons: Long setup, inaccurate subscription service, expensive

By now everyone has heard of the Tivo. I don't think I have been to party recently where Tivo didn't come up at some point. So I will save the usual ravings on how the Tivo changes the way you look at television and all that jazz...

If you...

Pros: I'm no longer a slave to programming schedules
Cons: Setup nightmares and I'm now a slave to the programming itself ;-).

I will acknowledge that my situation is somewhat unique, but rapidly becoming common. I don't have a landline telephone. My wife and I use Vonage for Voice over IP as well as mobile phones. This is a situation that Tivo does not accommodate well. In o ...

Pros: Change TV to suit your life, not the other way around. Easy use. Great support.
Cons: IR blasters only work 97% of the time.

Hands down, TiVo is the best invention since the internet.

The Series 2 was my first TiVo, and I've been incredibly happy with it. While it took some coaxing to get myself to shell out the money for it initially, every day use it I'm further...

Pros: Easy to use, don't have to miss your shows, $100 rebate
Cons: can't record 2 shows at same time, not really 80 hours

I work at a local tv station on the evening newscasts and am there from 2pm-11pm. As you can imagine I miss all of the nightly primetime shows due to this. I got the Tivo series 2 DVR as a Christmas gift to myself because of my schedule and I heard many ...

Pros: Never miss your favorite shows, again.
Cons: A little expensive once you factor in subscription fees.

I know it sounds ridiculous that a little box could "change my life", but I really feel like it did. There's always something to watch now, which is great. I am the kind of guy who has a few favorite shows, and always remembers them after they're over. ...

Pros: Dependable, upgradable and easy to use.
Cons: USB Connector for Networking, does not have a dual tuner.

This a great piece of equipment in which i have not had one single problem. Ever. It only has 40 hours of record time (in basic mode) but i only need to see a recorded show once before i delete it, so Basic is fine. The picture quality is still very ...

Pros: Eliminates the there's-nothing-on-TV problem, high quality image, pause live TV, many, others.
Cons: Fees, desired features [offloading video, commercial skip] not standard, but possible using open source

I was introduced to Tivo by a friend and bought an 80-hour version recently during their price drop. I wish I had acted sooner and at full price -- Tivo completely eliminates the "there's nothing on TV" problem, and almost eliminates my resentment at ...

Pros: In most cases, more convenient than a VCR; Intuitive menu; Able to pause live TV.
Cons: Cannot record & watch different channels; Less than claimed hours for best recordings;

The Tivo Series 2 DVR will one day in the near future be the most convenient addition to media components. Before that day arrives, the Tivo people have some work to do.I received my Tivo as a gift and along with the Tivo I was fortunate to have the ...

Pros: Improves quality of your TV-watching time
Cons: Not really 80 hours; can't watch and record different channels

Received this series II Tivo for Christmas and had an interesting time hooking it up to my home theater with Dish Network.

Turns out DirecTV is a snap to work with Tivo but Dish is more challenging. You need to connect little transmitters to...

Pros: TIVO allows you to watch TV the way you want to watch it!
Cons: "Clunky" channel changing

I've been a TIVO owner for three months now. In an effort to add to your "knowledge base" prior to plunging into the "TIVOlution," I'm going to offer up a few items which I haven't seen mentioned in other reviews. First, I'd recommend anybody...

Pros: It has that cute little TiVo man icon.
Cons: Doesn't perform the function it is sold for

I'm sorry, but I really don't see why everyone is so gaa gaa over TiVo. My roomate got one as a Christmas gift, and it has been horrible ever since. The setup is drawn out, and it still does not work properly. The fact that it needs a phone line ...

Pros: A better way to watch TV and to organize your life.
Cons: TiVo RMA policy sucks.

Ok, I'm going to jump on the Tivo bandwagon. I really have little to say that the other reviewers haven't said already, but I wanted to add my vote for the TiVo experience. Yes, it is great to be able to pause live TV. My partner and I pause for ...

Pros: changes the way you watch TV
Cons: NONE--except that the modem is bound to fail and the lifetime isn't lifetime

I was one of the first 100 Tivo customers in 1999. Even with the first unit--the way that we watched TV was forever changed. You watch TV when you want, not when the networks want you to watch. Also, you can fast forward through commercials, and "pause" ...

Pros: Watch more of what you want, when you want. Home Media Option is awesome.
Cons: Watch a lot more. Only one tuner. Home Media Option is an extra 99 bucks.

I've only had my TiVo for five days now, and already I'm totally sucked in. I suppose there's probably not much more to be said here than has already been stated in other reviews. The interface is great, and it was incredibly easy to set up continuous ...

Pros: Tivo is good at recording live television. You can pause, rewind and record live shows!
Cons: Tivo REQUIRES the use of a landbased phone line for set up and configuration.

I actually got a Tivo series 2, 40 hour, unit for free with a pretty creative promotional deal. They asked people to bring in an old VHS tape, and then they would give you a brand new Tivo series 2! I was very excited so I signed up and donated an old ...

Pros: Live TV, Season Pass & Wishlist, price, no more blank tapes!
Cons: Monthly fees, 40 hr chip is misleading, need to purchase TV splitter and cable

OVERVIEW: Being a full-time student and working as well, I hardly ever had time to watch my favorite shows anymore. My friend told me about TiVo and I decided to give it a shot. I recently purchased a TiVo Series 2 DVR player with ...

Pros: Functionally better than a VCR. Great Customer Service. Great online support. Great TiVo Community Support.
Cons: Monthly fee or one-time high cost activation. Potential Long distance phone calls.

I won't cover major features -- the other reviewers do that. I will disagree with the reviewer (below) who was disappointed that he couldn't record one channel and watch another. Most VCR's can't do that. However, here are some capabilities that ...

Pros: Best features of any DVR (season pass, search for titles, wishlists)
Cons: Expensive, terrible and frustrating for most Dish Network receivers, poor video quality

Tivo's latest Series 2 DVR....the full honest review Introduction The digital video recorder (DVR) was a great invention. Tivo was one of the first companies to produce and market the product, also. The Tivo 40 hour unit series 2 ...

Pros: records tv, commercialess, pause live tv.
Cons: L-A-G! long update time, only good if tv crazed.

I had seen adverts for tivo all over and heard the stars talking about how they couldn't live without it. I collect hi-tech toys so I knew this would be a must have for me. I recieved my tivo on my birthday (dec 10th) as a generous gift from my ...

Pros: Great service, great features, great prices!
Cons: I can't think of a single one.

I bought a TiVo Series 1 4 years ago and before very long, wouldn't watch television in the rooms that didn't have a TiVo! The TiVo Series 1 was impressive, but... I then bought a TiVo Series 2 in May 2003 and another TiVo Series 2 in January 2004. ...

Pros: Watch the shows you want with the little time you have.
Cons: expensive, not HDTV capable

Whenever I try to explain to someone why they should get Tivo I get the strangest expressions. Usually I get, “I don’t have time to watch TV”, but they don’t realize that that is exactly why they should get Tivo. Or it costs too much ...

Pros: Neat menu.
Cons: Customer Service, didn't work as expected, no phone support, need a phone line for setup

At first I was excited when I learned that Tivo was finally going to be compatible with my existing broadband connection because I have gone pure cellphone for the past 3 years and did not have a phone line to get the updates. I ran to the nearest Best ...

Pros: Everything about it
Cons: May be a bit expensive for some people

This product is a must have. I never write reviews or anything on my purchases but I feel that I MUST share my views on this product.

-At first I felt it was expensive.... It was shipped immediately. (If you are tech savy you can upgrade these...

Pros: easy to use, never miss a show, get hooked on new shows, great program guide
Cons: slightly lower picture quality if you have a high-end tv

i have seen tivo advertised for the past couple of years, but never payed much attention. it sounded great, but i was pretty sure that it wouldn't work quite as well as they said. about 2 weeks ago i was speaking with a couple that i met at a friends ...

Pros: Makes recordings Easy, Ability to control live TV, Let's you never miss your favorite shows.
Cons: You cannot Record one channel while Watching another Like you can with Cable Box DVR'S

With all the Praises being heard about Tivo , I took it upon myself to purchase The Tivo Series 2 40 Hour Box. The Box costs around $200.00 and the service of $12.95/month or lifetime one time payment of $300.00 After the easy Setup and purchase of ...

Pros: The TV at YOUR service, saves 2 years of your life
Cons: Picture quality worse then satellite units, only one channel recording, higher Tivo subscription fee

So Tivo is starting to become pervasive in the world of digital video recorders. The alternatives are Replay TV (which is currently under bankruptcy protection, as the commercial industry buried them with lawyer costs over their commercial 'skip' ...

Pros: Can Pause Live TV
Cons: Changing channels properly, price and set-up

So, my friend convinced me to buy this thing. I must admit it looked nice, the ability to pause live TV and make certain programs you wanted to watch were recorded. So, I paid $300 for the recorder and another $300 for the lifetime subscription.
...

Pros: now theres always something to watch that i want!--no more commercials!
Cons: fills up pretty quickly...not meant as a storage device.

a friend recommended a tivo to me after having a personal video recorder for a while. it seemed like quite a lot of cash but i went ahead and did it at his urging.

all i can say is WOW! what a paradigm shift in the way i watch the TV now. no...

Pros: Record Quality, Ease of Use, Home Media Option!, Watch your favorite shows with no commercials
Cons: Cannot record two shows at same time, channel changing with cable box not always accurate

I have had my TiVo box for about two weeks now and it is true that it is addictive! I find myself watching more TV now because there is always something good to watch and with digital cable the playback quality is excellent. Also, I know I can whip...

Pros: Ability to program via a website while you are away from home. Good Software
Cons: Doesn't display the amount of space remaining. Hookup with DVD should be simpler

We purchased our TiVo a couple of months ago. While I really like the service I believe they should make it easier to hook it up with a standard DVD Player. We did have a problem with the Audio and had to return our first unit. We did this through ...

Pros: Would be nice to record shows in high digital quality.
Cons: Arrived already defective-power supply damaged.

Well after giving some thought to the idea of buying a TiVo 2, I just got one last week (Tivo 2 140060 - 60 hours).
Unfortunately it arrived already defective. It doesn't power up and all symptoms indicate a damaged power supply.
Needless to...

Pros: Too many to list in 15 words or less.
Cons: Setup can take time, but it's worth it.

I'm a computer techie, so some time ago I figured my next project would be to build my own DVR in a computer case, using a special video card and open-source software. My girlfriend just wanted a Tivo, and after using one at her parent's house so did I. ...

Pros: Record your favorite shows or rent the newest movies,use your wireless network.
Cons: Another box for your TV about the size of a VCR.

A friend told me to get this, said it would change my life. Boy was he right. With TIVO I don't have to be home when the shows are on. I can watch when I have time, and I'm able to record and store shows for the grandkids to watch when they come to ...

Pros: Search tool, set recordings, easy menus, user friendly, fastforward, rewind, pause TV
Cons: whirring fan, transfer problems, doesn't seem to do 40 hours at best quality

I really like this Tivo system. The menus are easy to get around and very user friendly. You can search for shows and movies and set up recurring recordings. It's easy to skip over commercials by starting to watch to a program about 15 minutes or so ...

Pros: Great device pros are covered by other reviewers.
Cons: Device build quality, picture quality, and cable box channel changing.

This is a great device very transformational, we only watch TV on Tivo. The Tivo service is what is really key - my brother has a recorder, but not having the service makes it a real hassle to record shows. I recommend buying one, especially if you ...

Pros: Easy to set up, use and manage.
Cons: Recording space can get tight sometimes.

My first TiVo purchase was the Series 2 80 hour recorder. I bought it as a refurbished unit and 5 years later, it's still going strong. Now I'm a multi-TiVo household because I love it so much. I joined with TiVo because of the ease of use and, ...

Pros: Recording and playback convenience and features
Cons: No HDTV or Digital Audio; terrible warranty/service; over-zealous "fans" misleading consumers

I am a recent new customer of TiVo (4 months now). While I was originally thrilled with the product, like many of the posts here, I have come to appreciate the significance of some very glaring problems with the product(s) and TiVo service. Before buying ...

Pros: Season Pass, save shows to your computer, remote control via any computer in the world.
Cons: Life of box can be less than a year. Charge $50 for warranty replacement.

Tivo and Blockbuster teamed up last year to offer a great deal: A year of Tivo and Blockbuster online with a free Tivo box. I couldn't pass up the deal. I am ten months into my contract now and would do it again in a heartbeat. The Tivo allows me to save ...

Pros: Pause Live TV, fast forward, rewind and dual tuner.
Cons: NONE that I could think of at the moment!

I don't get it where some people say that the Hughes Tivo with DIRECTV is noisy? I can barely hear it running. All I hear is a fan running. My RCA 4 head VCR is louder then my Tivo!

This is the best thing that I have purchased since I bought...

Pros: super easy recording and the wonderful ability to watch the show when I want to.
Cons: wish it had a commercial skip feature

I have been using a digital video recorder for almost 2 years. I had reliability problems with Panasonic and Sony. Fortunately for me, I had the extended warranty and was able to switch to a TIVO Series 2 - 60 hrs. for $299 after rebate. So far so...

Pros: Easy to Use. Pause live TV. Watch one show while recording another. Season passes.
Cons: None.

Until you have tried Tivo, you don't understand what you are missing. Tivo lets you control TV, instead of the other way around.

Pause live TV. Rewind (3 speeds). Fast Forward (3 speeds).
Record one show while you watch another (skipping...

Pros: Good service. Easy to set up. Easy Menu functions. Intuitive remote options.
Cons: Major picture degredation with pauses and pixilation occuring more frequently.

TIVO actually upgraded me for a nominal fee about 2 years ago. I have a lifetime membership that is going strong after 8 years. Their service has always been great and very quick to deliver. After having the 80hour Series 2 for 2 years it is starting to ...

Pros: Excellent unit, plenty of storage, easy to use, easy to hook up, great interface.
Cons: You will need to install a splitter to watch one program and record another.

Sleek excellent unit, plenty of storage with 80 hours, easy to use programming, easy to hook up if y ...

Pros: great way to watch TV--when it works
Cons: My TIVO died afer 15 months, making it an expensive failure for me

I was a very happy TIVO customer, since buying and activating a machine in March, 2002. I know of at ...

Pros: Most user friendly interface on the market. My 6 YO can use it.
Cons: Cost.. current technology may become obsolete.

My Series II Tivo has really revolutionized how our family watches TV. No more waiting to finish tap ...

Pros: Easy to use. Flexible configuration.
Cons: People think I'm a freak because of the way I now preach about TiVo.

Ok, let me start out by saying TiVo is the greatest device to hit the market since the television itself! I can't stop the urge to tell everyone I meet about this wondrous magical box. It will change your life! Literally. (well, assuming you like...

Pros: If the product worked the first time-Would've been fine.
Cons: Customer Service and the service plan sucks.

We bought Tivo after getting many positive comments from friends and family, and liked the features. And, yeah, we really enjoyed the product, but after 45 days, the motherboard fried. If it would have broke before 30 days, the store we purchased it ...

Pros: Easy to use!
Cons: Artificial intelligence that suggests shows could use some improvement.

A great item! Wouldn't know what to do without mine!
Truly a revolutionary item although its very easy to underestimate TIVO. I mean in theory it really is 'just' a vcr, but once you have a TIVO, you will understand. Choose the shows you like to...

Pros: It may be new, but....
Cons: Lack of features compared to earlier models. But here's a fix.

If your thinking about "upgrading" to a new TiVo series 2 perhaps you might want to think again. From what I read many of the best features of TiVo have been removed (dual tuners, digital audio output, redefining recording capacity) from some models. Here ...

Pros: great for taping shows, finds shows you didn't even know were on
Cons: none

I love my TiVo! This thing not only tapes the shows that I love, it finds shows that it thinks that I may like and tapes those too. With the Season Pass, I can tape all of my shows without having to worry about running for the VCR every week to remind...

Pros: Never miss your favorite show! Up to 80 hours of recording, easy installation and set-up.
Cons: Unable to record 2 shows at once.

Tivo is great! I don't want to sound like a TV junkie, but I always do my best to never miss my favorite shows like Friends, ER, Will & Grace, Law and order and the list goes on. If I had to miss these shows, I would set my VCR to record, but 90% of...

Pros: Everything; Lots of storage; fast menus
Cons: noise

This is my second Tivo. As a previous owner of a Philips HDR312 I chose the Tivo 80hr for its increased space, speedier menus and the peanut remote I have come to love.

I have had a 30hr Tivo for over a year now and was tired of worrying...

Pros: Very easy set up and billing
Cons: Rebate a tremendous hassle

While I love the product, the rebate offered to everyone on is a tremendous hassle. I purchased this product on 12/13 and submitted the rebate materials on 1/7/03. To this day, I have not received my rebate check and have had to call the rebate center...

Pros: upgrade from existing lifetime service, new remote control features, home media option
Cons: fan noise, control of cable box

TIVO in general is a great service it changes the way I watch TV and I would never go back to living without one. This review however is about the upgrade offer to a TIVO series2.

When TIVO offered a transfer of service from an original TIVO...

Pros: Great interface, easy set up and operation
Cons: terrible image quality - some VHS tapes look better

If you are a 'videophile' - or even if you have a slight interest in watching clear TV, TiVo might be a disappointment. The image quality is not very good, even at its highest setting. This poor quality is compounded when you have an HDTV or other...

Pros: Convenient, easy to use, fun to own, great interface, life changing.
Cons: The remote is thin and doesn't balance well on the arm rest.

What can I say about this little machine? It's wonderful. I have an Xbox, a Gamecube, a great receiver, Klipsch floor standing speakers, Athena surround sound, and I'd trade it all for a Tivo. No home entertainment center is complete without one. Now that I have one I can't live without it. In fact, I can't remember life without it. I wish everyone had one because it makes television, heck life in general, so much better. Go ahead and treat yourself. You deserve it.

Pros: The Whole Thing!
Cons: You cant record 2 things at once!

Hook-up and Guided Setup:
The hook-up for my TV was EXTREMELY EASY! The TiVo ships with a foldout poster that has large graphics and enough details to call it a book! The instructions are really streight-forward and easy to comprehend...it was no problem at all! My box came with cables(i.e. RF Coaxial, RCA-A/V Cables, and other cables needed to hook it up properly.) They are also color-coded.

The Guided Setup was the easiest setups I've ever had to deal-with. The onscreen instructions were in english, not in Computer Professer language. Anyone, and I mean anyone (that can read) will be able to connect the TiVo seamlesly.

The TiVo Box itself:
Well where to start.....
It's the best invention to ever see a store shelf! I have only had it for 1 day and I'm already hooked! Just hearing the popping sound is fun! Not to mention all the special features! Everything is just SOO easy to navigate!

The Famous TiVo remote:
The remote is extremely(don't I say that enough?) easy to use! Most of it is self-explanitory!

Pros: It's easy to use!
Cons: TV will never be the same

Tivo lives up to the hype.

This device will let you watch smarter television since you can watch something that you recorded and skip commercials. The best thing about it is that you don't have to sit throu 20 minutes of garbage per hour of TV.

Stop reading and go pick one up.

If you have a wireless network you can view photos and listen to music stored on your harddrive.

Better yet, using Tivo to Go, you can download shows from your Tivo to your laptop and watch them anytime you want.

Thank you TIVO!

Pros: I love the tivo service.
Cons: Doesn't work well with hdtv.

I just got the Tivo service and bought this box. I have an hdtv television, and an hdtv cable box from directv. Unfortunately, this box doesn't work perfectly in this setup. Channel changing takes awhile, and sometimes messes the channel up. Also, not the biggest deal, but it doesn't record hd programs in high definition.

Pros: once you program Tivo for a show, it tapes it every week.
Cons: Tivo sometimes tapes shows I did not ask it to.

I bought it because we are never home to tape anything or we forget all the time to remember to tape something that we really wanted to watch. It makes things more convenient for us and less stressful and we can watch the shows when we feel like it, plus we can add on another Tivo to another room or onto our home network computer system.

Pros: Fast, easy to use even for technphobes. Revolutionizes TV viewing.
Cons: Only one input, can only record one show at a time.

I can now watch TV on my terms and without the annoying commercials. I've had a TIVO for about 2 years now and I could not watch TV without it.

I love the fact that it can be hooked to the home network and you can copy program to the laptop for viewing away from home and stream in music and pictures.

Everyone that I have shown the box to, winds up getting one. I should be on the TIVO payroll.

Pros: saves time; watch TV at your convenience!
Cons: sometimes a little slow in the season pass manager

I love my TiVo! I have had TiVo for about 3 months now, and I can't believe I didn't buy it sooner. We very rarely watch TV live anymore--we wait 10-15 minutes to start watching after the show starts so we can fast forward through the commercials. And I love being able to watch my shows at my convenience.

I do watch more shows now, but I probably spend more time in front of the TV since you can fast-forward through commercials and parts you don't want to watch.

I had one concern when we purchased TiVo--we don't have a house phone, and only use our cell phones. You do have to connect TiVo to a phone to download the info for your area. What I did was went to a friend's house and borrowed her phone line for about 10 minutes to download what I needed. Then, we hooked TiVo to our broadband internet connection, which works really well. Ours is a wireless connection, too, so no extra messy wires going from TiVo to computer. It's really wonderful!!

Pros: handy... when it works.
Cons: low quality housing and "dumbed down" menus preventing customization.

When I received my Series 2, the logo (a sticker) fell off immediately after it was removed from the box. I should have taken this as an indication of quality. After hours spent setting the Tivo up and networking with my PC, the audio on the system completely quit one day inside the 30 day trial period. After a hold of one hour with Tivo, they determined the product defective... but wanted $200 to ship a replacement! And refused to credit me for subscription time lost! I am an ex Tivo customer. If you are considering the Tivo Series two I suggest SageTV or Meedio as alternatives.

Pros: Great Product
Cons: Worlds worst customer service. Once they have your money they don't give a rip.

I have been waiting 6 months for my tivo rebate. They originally entered my name wrong when they transferred it from the rebate form – their computers said that it didn't match up with the invoice. Instead of having a person check to see what the problem was, they left it in rebate purgatory. I finally was able to get somebody on the phone who I thought knew what they were talking about after 4 months, and they told me that they made a keystroke error. You would think that they would try to put it on the fast track for the rebate, but they didn’t. Instead, they started the whole process over again. Every time I call and talk to them, they say that they will try to expedite the process. They ripped me off for $100! 8-10 weeks - baloney!

Pros: Don't miss shows; cartoons for kids; easy interface
Cons: expensive; proprietary; no buttons on unit;

TIVo is great depending how you watch TV. They advertise that it pauses live TV, but you won't really care... I haven't watched live TV since I got my TIVo about a year ago. There is always something recorded that I want to watch, so I have no reason to watch anything live... I do watch Survivor each week and can't wait, so at about 20 minutes after it starts I turn it on... the 20 minute padding allows me to fast forward through the commercials... By the time it is over, I am caught up with the rest of the world. I also like the fact I have it set to record 2 episodes each of Spongebob, Oswald, Rugrats, Max and Ruby, etc... about 10 different kids shows... This way the kids always have something new to watch.

Pros: It's convenient, can't move programs to other TV's, must watch where the TiVo is.
Cons: Data collection, no secure way to know what they do with the information they collect.

TiVO barely tells you in their user agreement that unless you opt out, they are collecting information on your viewing habits and reselling it. They "insist" that it's all harmless and anonymous, but there's no verification of that, and when money's involved (they sell your information) I think TiVo users should be cautious. You supposedly can opt out, but it's offensive to think that you are opted in to their data collection unless you choose otherwise. I wouldn't let my refrigerator tell Kraft Foods what I'm eating, and I won't let my video players tell anyone what I'm watching in the privacy of my own house. Screw TiVo.

Pros: Easy to use, saves sleep
Cons: Haven't found any

Tivo is quite possibly one of the greatest digital devices I own. Because I can record shows at anytime I've been able to catch up on so much lost sleep I feel like a new person. The great thing is is it wasn't too hard to set up. I definitely recommend Tivo.

Pros: Awesome!!
Cons: None

Why are you sitting in your chair waiting...this product is the best I have ever seen!! Get up and go out and buy it...Im buying one for my entire family this Xmas...I love it..Im even upgrading to an 80 hour DVD Recorder!! Please...you wont be sorry...go buy one!! Youll never regret it!!

Pros: Nice features, convenient and easy to use
Cons: Rebate not honored, TIVO ripped me off !!!

I bought a TIVO series 2 40hr DVR from BEST-BUY in Dec. 2003 and expected to take advantage of their ongoing, often advertised $50
rebate. I submitted the rebate form with the required receipts and UPC barcode in the time-frame required and was just informed that a rebate WILL NOT be forthcoming for no apparent reason. I've talked at length with TIVO representatives to resolve this with no resolution in sight. I can only assume that TIVO is in financial trouble and has made a business decision to stop honoring it's advertised commitments. I have liked my TIVO unit and service up till this point but am EXTREMELY annoyed with their handling of this matter and would urge any interested buyers to BEWARE and not expect the advertised rebates that TIVO offers.

Pros: Simple interface, great guide and search capabilities,
Cons: Tricky set-up. Cannot record full HD mode. Can only record one program at a time.

I have had the Series 2 since it first came out and also have the original series 1. They are both incredible products which dramatically change the way that you view TV. The Series 2 steps it up a notch by adding the ability to listen to music and view photos from your computer - now at no additional cost.
Though cable and satellite services are now adding Tivo-like capabilities to their Digital Video Recorders, Tivo's interface and ease of use are much better. It's search capability is especially impressive.
However, the current models' future is questionable because they cannot record full quality High Definition, and can only record one show at a time (though you can watch one show while recording another). A new Tivo-to-go feature seems very promising.
I purchased the lifetime guide for both models, and that has proven to be a much better value than paying the monthly fee because of the length of time that I have owned them.

Pros: Customer service helped me replace it when I had problems with hard disk crashes.
Cons: A series of hard disk crashes resulted in my having to return the unit.

I bought my Tivo about 1-1/2 years ago. I had no problem with the installation to my cable and TV. After 6 months I had a series of crashes of the internal hard disk and had to ship it back for repairs. The customer service was actually very good about sending me a refurbished model in exchange for my model. Apparently they never fixed it, or it was irreparable as I got to keep the refurbished model that worked just fine without crashing. Fortunately this all happened while it was under warranty, so I did not have to pay for any of the shipping or repair.
Most of the other reviews give the standard reviews of the functionality of the recording, etc. and I agree with most of them that this is a wonderful product. I love it especially when I am away on business or vacation and get to still record my favorite programs.

Pros: DVRs are great
Cons: TIVO technology is stuck on rewind

My 20 year old VCR can record two channels at the same time and can handle picture-in-picture. My Ultimate TV DVR from 5 years ago gave me these features (it also loaded all the screen info about 20 times faster, but that's another issue). I couldn't believe it when I switched to TIVO only to find out that they did not support picture-in-picture. I assumed with the new machines this would change, but instead they also dropped the dual tuner feature. This makes no sense.

Pros: Changes your TV viewing life. Believe me when I say it buys you time.
Cons: Calling tech support is not easy, and is not toll-free.

I love this system. The ability this gives you to change the way you watch TV is wonderful. I have hooked this up to my wireless network and it works like a charm! The manuals are easy to read and helpful. The Web site is even better. I only wish you could watch live TV and record at the same time (you cannot with the way I have it set up -- because of my DVD/stereo system). But this is worth the $350. I think Tivo is only going to get better in the coming years. I have been watching this company and technology for about 5 years now and they are just rocking.

Pros: Easy to use Wireless updates Convenient
Cons: No support for HDTV No support for CableCards

I loved my TIVO until I got an HDTV with the built in cable box.

1. TIVO doesn't support HDTV
2. TIVO can't control my new TV with the cable card.

Result: I'm cancelling my service until the series 3 is released.

Pros: It fills in that extra space I have above the DVD player.
Cons: Can't get it to connect to my wireless network.

I got this product as a gift, and first off, as I just moved to a new city, could not find anyone with a home phone to do the initial setup. Who has a home phone anymore? Then I went through 3 wireless adapters that I purchased at Best Buy, and the customer service there assured me that they would work with Tivo. They didn't. Finally I bought one off the Tivo website; it didn't work either. The serial numbers did not match those required by Tivo and listed on their website. Now I'm returning that one, but they will not exchange it for a correct adapter. I have to return it and order a new adapter from them. I would like to light my Tivo on fire, but unfortunately I have another 10 months in my contract, so I will continue to try to set it up. I would recommend any other option. Poor technology, poor customer support.

Pros: Season passes, pausing live TV, easy setup to tape programs
Cons: At least on ours, cannot tape and watch something else

We've had our Tivo for a year now, and it is the best purchase we've made! I don't think we could live without it! I still forget sometimes that I can pause and rewind live TV! It's also so easy to set programs to tape.

Once you make the leap and buy Tivo, you'll never regret it. It's fabulous and has made our TV watching lives much easier!

Pros: Ease of use, Capacity of recording
Cons: Pricey and lifetime subscription is expensive

This has made my life easier by having episodes of my sons favorite shows a push of a button away when I need a half hour to get something done or take a shower :) I'm sure some moms can relate to that. We can also record shows that are on at primetime when I am trying to put our 2 year old to bed and I never miss a show. I can stop a show and come back to that exact spot. I can't say enough good things about this unit. We went on vacation and we were lost without it as it was a different time zone and the channels were different. There was no guide channel to tell us what was on or the programming for future days. I wanted to go rent one (I don't even know if you can) but suffered through the vacation without one :)

Pros: Useful for recording shows you would usually miss
Cons: Infuriatingly bad customer service

I owned this unit for 6 months and it was great...until the DVR broke. I spent a total of 2 hours on hold trying to get in touch with someone from tech support (long distance call, nice) to verify that it was indeed broken. They absolutely refused to send me a refurbished unit unless they verified that it was broken. This was despite the fact that I told them it was making a horrible grinding noise _every_ time I plugged it in. The warranty is only 90 days for parts & labor. After that they charge you $100 for a refurbished unit. If you have to deal with customer service once, it will probably be the last time.

Pros: Ease of Use, Recording Time, Pausing Live TV
Cons: Initial Setup, Download Times, No Ethernet Included

Just got the TIVO 40Hr Series 2 yesterday. I got it working in about an hour. I found customer support very helpful once you get past the Automated attendant which can drive you insane. I set the quality to Basic for recording so I can hit the 40 HR time if I ever record that much and keep it. The only drawback I see is that the remote control is Hard to initially setup for Your Cable and TV. My TV (APEX) is not listed but doing an Automatic search I got it to power down etc. I recommend using TIVO's online support to get the Setup codes for your cable box if you have one as trying to go thru 40 or 50 with 3 settings each will take a long time.

PS Know anyone who wants to buy VHS tape collection? I am now TIVO and DVD only.

Pros: Quality system and problem free.
Cons: Haven't found any.

This was the original system that sky digital used to make their Sky plus which speaks quality. Excellent system and would recommend it to anyone thinking of buying it.

Pros: Non-stop TV, don't miss shows, always favorites to watch
Cons: no life, too much tv, weight gain!

They should call it "Take over your life Tivo!" What I thought was a great invention at first, became an obsession in my family.

My television watching doubled because I could tape two shows at once and watch them all the time. When I missed shows they were always right they taped on my Tivo!!! I was watchin at least 3-5 hours a day. It was effecting my relationship with my Fiance because we were doing less and watching more tv. Especially "Reality TV"!

The amount of obestity in the US is disgusting! People need to do more, be healthy, turn off your TV. Talk to your loved ones, read!!!

Think real hard about how much you actually "NEED" Tivo. It can get out of hand real easy.

I have since rid my life of my Tivo and cut way back on TV service, ask Basic Cable. I get so much more done, I lost weight, my relationship is back on track, I am reading again. I don't miss Tivo at all nor do I care about every damn show out there. Try It you will be happier!

Pros: None
Cons: Lousy product quality NO support

Tivo has NO idea how to support this product. The remote control unit randomly slips in and out of operation, and the phone support is a fairy tale - it doesn't exist, but hours of stupid piano music and irritating voice menus that also don't work are alive and well at Tivo. Avoid this junk like the plague.

Pros: Easy to use; Fun; Lets you watch TV when you want to.
Cons: Expensive. Interrupts to change channels when I don't want it to.

Love my Tivo-- this thing has made it so easy to watch tv when i want instead of trying to be home for the must see tv on sunday nights. I often think the Tivo is smarter than I am and it's easy to use.

Pros: Intuitive interface
Cons: They make it hard to unsubscribe

Tivo has an intuitive interface, but their customer service is getting worse and worse. I don't feel like you get much for your monthly subscription, except for the random tapings of Bassmasters.

Most annoyingly, you can't unsubscribe online and when you call to do so, you are asked to be on-hold for "at least ten minutes." I've been on-hold for 15min now, getting more and more annoyed.

Pros: Always something go on. Easy to use and operate.
Cons: Tech support hard to get if you need repair's. It will record the wrong program.

Always something on TV. Sometimes to much. Set-up is easy, and up and running in two hours. Also, Have a phone jack near by, and use a surge protector. Tech support if it breaks is hard to get a hold of. Need a new remote $28.00, must have one to operate TIVO.

Pros: Good product
Cons: Customer service invents problems with your account.

It's two years after a similar review. 3 months later and customer service keeps finding ways to delay cutting a check.

Pros: none
Cons: Monthly service will nickel and dime to death

This I feel is a problem if you dont want to get nickel and dimed to death. REPLAYTV still offers lifetime still.