Rating: 
Summary: Changed the way I watch TV
Review: Of ANY electronics purchase I've ever made, TiVo is the one item I would NEVER give up. My ENTIRE family loves it --and uses it. We're not big television watchers, but what's great about TiVo is that when we DO watch, we can watch what WE want...and WHEN we want it.As far as my kids are concerned, they now watch what they like, but what WE'VE approved...this because of TiVo. It's great! No more waiting for a show to start. No more missing portions of a show for a bathroom/snack break. No more fumbling for VCR tapes! No more "what'd he say?" just-- "CLICK"..."oh, THAT'S what he said!" And I'm STILL blown away while watching a TV show (live) and being able to pause it. I've heard some people say "buy ReplayTV...there's no monthly fee like TiVo." Well, TiVo is also CHEAPER than ReplayTV, and once you pay for the service, they're both the same exact price. The difference for me is, I didn't have to pay the ADDITIONAL money for TiVo up front; it was my choice. I liked that. I also found TiVo to be easier to use. My wife felt the same way. I've owned a TiVo for 4 months now, and cannot truly express how great this thing is. I've purchased one for my parents (they're in their 70's) and they too are hooked. Check TiVo out. You won't be sorry...you'll LOVE it!
Rating: 
Summary: Modem Burnups Cost Money II,or TIVO warranty is questionable
Review: So far I have had two TIVO units lose modem function. The second time I was informed that the warranty on the replacement unit was only good for 30 days. I was also informed, the second time that the cause of the break was "environmental", i.e., there was probably a surge in the telephone line that "fried" the delicate modem. I was informed that this was a common NYC problem. Apparently Phillips is selling a faulty product and refuses to back it up. Bottom line: Phillips warranty stinks. Phillips and TIVO subscribe to the dictum "caveat emptor". I hear that Microsoft is coming out with a competitive product. If the unit breaks again I'm finshed with Phillips and TIVO.
Rating:
Summary: Three reasons to get a Tivo
Review: Still trying to decide if you should get a Tivo? Let me ask you a few questions... 1) Are you sick of missing your favorite shows? 2) Tired of missing important TV moments to answer a telemarketing call? 3) Wish you knew what you were watching? Among the many problems Tivo solves, I think these three are the biggest and most widespread ones. If you want to solve these problems, Tivo is your solution. Solution 1) If you are sick of missing your favorite show, Tivo makes it easy to catch them. Simply type in the name of the show and hit 'record this showing', and the next time the show plays, you'll have it available to you. So, let's say you want to watch the latest 'Survivor' Series - no need to get home by 8pm - Tivo will have it waiting for you. No more missing your favorite shows... Solution 2) If you are tired of missing important TV moments because of a distraction (phone call, baby crying, nature calls...), Tivo makes it easy to catch them, too. Simply hit 'pause' on your Tivo remote and you can do your business. When you come back to the TV, your show will be ready to go, just where you left off. Magic! Solution 3) If you are watching some riveting show, but don't know what it's called, Tivo can help you get the name, a brief description, and names of actors. Simply hit the right arrow on your remote and your TV displays all that information instantly. No more waiting around for the slow-scrolling preview channel... To summarize, the Tivo units are really about you getting control of your TV. Instead of networks dictating when you watch things, you get to dictate this for yourself. And did I mention that you can skip commercials? If you have the cash - go buy this thing. You'll be glad you did. Feel free to email me with any questions!
Rating:
Summary: Three reasons to get a Tivo
Review: Still trying to decide if you should get a Tivo? Let me ask you a few questions... 1) Are you sick of missing your favorite shows? 2) Tired of missing important TV moments to answer a telemarketing call? 3) Wish you knew what you were watching? Among the many problems Tivo solves, I think these three are the biggest and most widespread ones. If you want to solve these problems, Tivo is your solution. Solution 1) If you are sick of missing your favorite show, Tivo makes it easy to catch them. Simply type in the name of the show and hit 'record this showing', and the next time the show plays, you'll have it available to you. So, let's say you want to watch the latest 'Survivor' Series - no need to get home by 8pm - Tivo will have it waiting for you. No more missing your favorite shows... Solution 2) If you are tired of missing important TV moments because of a distraction (phone call, baby crying, nature calls...), Tivo makes it easy to catch them, too. Simply hit 'pause' on your Tivo remote and you can do your business. When you come back to the TV, your show will be ready to go, just where you left off. Magic! Solution 3) If you are watching some riveting show, but don't know what it's called, Tivo can help you get the name, a brief description, and names of actors. Simply hit the right arrow on your remote and your TV displays all that information instantly. No more waiting around for the slow-scrolling preview channel... To summarize, the Tivo units are really about you getting control of your TV. Instead of networks dictating when you watch things, you get to dictate this for yourself. And did I mention that you can skip commercials? If you have the cash - go buy this thing. You'll be glad you did. Feel free to email me with any questions!
Rating: 
Summary: Lack of IR compatability - AURGH...
Review: The concept of Tivo is great but when it comes to the user experience it is something totally different. 1) I sent in my refund stub and have yet to receive my money. 2) I have spent numerous hours trying to debug the communication between my cable box and Tivo, to no avail. The tech support people at Tivo admit that the device does not work with all cable boxes. BEWARE... .
Rating:
Summary: Great product - beware the phone charge & changing service!
Review: The HDR612 is a great device. You can't beat the pause live tv feature or the instant replay. It adds a whole new dimension to watching sports. It truly will change the way you watch TV. On its own merit, I would give it 5 stars. So why only 3 stars? If you activate your service after 8/7/2001, and do not live in one of the areas that have a local dial-in phone number, you will have to pay long distance charges to get your daily programming update. They don't tell you this in advance and all their literature indicates that you will have access to a toll-free number. This is no longer the case. They can also add or delete local numbers at will depending on the amount of subscriptions & cost effectiveness of the local number. If you live in a highly populated area this is not going to be a problem. If you live in a rural area - BEWARE! They say this is unlikely, but it happened to me. I found out the hard way and am now trying to cancel my service and get my money back. The device is next to useless if you do not subscribe to TIVO. They state that they can change any of their contractual conditions at any time - and obviously will, with no notice.
Rating: 
Summary: Modem burn up costs big money
Review: The modem in tivo burned up after four months. Send into the manufacturer and it cost a lot of money to get this fixed. You would think that if someone spends this much money and then pays for a lifetime subscription, they would stand behind their product for more than 4 months.
Rating:
Summary: TiVo is the BEST! Service is even BETTER!
Review: The review about TiVo Customer Service is WAY off. Just a bad experiance I guess. TiVo is the best thing I have ever bought. Don't get one because of any review you read. TRY IT FOR YOU SELF. They are SO awesome! Don't get UltimateTV, I mean, come on, look what's happening to WebTV. If you want a cool game system, get the X-BOX, If you want the best DVR out there, Get a TiVo!
Rating:
Summary: Great concept...poor delivery!
Review: The Tivo plarform/configuration is a great concept however, many technical issues have arisen which have rendered my machine useless...the basic problem rests with the compatability of the Tivo unit with my cable box (AT&T Broadband Service w/a Motorola Digital cable box)...the two do not communicate properly thus the Tivo unit cannot change channels to accomodate my selections for recording. I have spent literally 5+ hours on the phone with Tivo/AT&T...although attentive, both sides are admitting the issues are widespread...at the end of the day I have a Tivo unit which will only work like a dummy VCR...I have to have the channel manually set on the station I want to record and hope for the best...hopefully this will get resolved...and relucantly so I am looking into the much anticipated product from Microsoft...hopefully Bill was a bit more "in tune" (no pun intended) with making things "synch" (oh, boy...maybe he's buying AT&T).
Rating:
Summary: Great . . . while it works
Review: The TiVo service is fantastic, It really makes watching TV and recording shows a pleasure without the hassle of programming a VCR. However, my unit froze up after several months of flawless service. Customer service could not help at all . . . the two service reps sounded like they were 15 year-olds. Ultimately, they told me to send the unit back to the factory (at my expense), along with ... plus local taxes. This is their "policy" regarding any malfunctioning unit. even if the problem requires two minutes and no part to repair, the consumer is out ... . That's outrageous! I'm looking into replacing this product with another brand (such as Sony) if the warranty and repair policies are any better.
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