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

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 running holidy errands and missing my usual shows. Because I've been a good boy this year, and I was sure Santa (and more importantly, the wife) would want me to have it, I decided to pick up an 80-hr Tivo Series 2(for those of us without satellite tv, the options are basically Tivo or ReplayTV.) As is usual for me, the week before the purchase involved a lot of research and discussion on various boards trying to assure myself that I was getting "the best".

After a few weeks of living with Tivo, my normal cynical self has become a full-fledged fanatic. It has changed in two weeks viewing habits which have been ingrained over 30 years. I haven't missed a show, I can watch more tv in less time (God bless fast forward), and I'm building a great collection of programs I never would have known were on without Tivo. I've seen people say the problem with Tivo is that it's almost impossible to demonstrate how useful and convenient the thing is verbally - someone literally has to start using it for a brief period to fully comprehend how great it is. I've never recommended getting a product and "trying it out" to someone before, but if you are even remotely interested in this technology, get one now. Most of the major electronics retailers (Best Buy, etc) will let you return within 30 days if you don't want it... or you can order direct from http://www.tivo.com with a 30-day money back guarantee.

There are already several reviews on the board which spell out (in overwhelming detail) the specific features and performance of the Tivo unit - so I'll focus on the key reasons I decided Tivo was a better fit for me than ReplayTV:

First, I really admire Tivo's marketing angle and community support. This doesn't seem that important to most, but I find I get better product support from other users on the internet these days than I do from the actual manufacturers. Tivo has an active gang of what can only be described as fanatics, who are more than happy to share their tips, tricks and solutions with anyone. Check out, for example, http://www.tivocommunity.com - you can't think of a question that hasn't been asked and answered in that forum.

Second, Tivo definitely is easier to use, and has a much better interface when it comes to guaranteeing that what you want to see is recorded, and that it won't "conflict" with anything else you've tried to record. Since my wife (not exactly a computer engineer) wants to use the thing, this was very important to me. The machine is almost intuitive - once you figure out the navigation, you'll be able to do almost anything without reading the manual.

Third, Tivo's "suggestions" were a cool sounding feature - and have been great so far. Unlike ReplayTV, as you watch shows on Tivo (live or recorded), you can desginate "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". From these preferences, Tivo decides what types of programs you like and, when you are not watching something else, will search for programs that you might enjoy and record them. Whats amazing is what a good job it does in this regard ! My son is now in love with "Dora the Explorer" on Nickolodeon, which we really hadn't seen before, because Tivo figured if we liked "Bob the Builder", we might like that. Just this morning I skimmed through a very interesting biography on Gordie Howe, since Tivo knows I like hockey and history. Great feature, very cool.

Fourth, ReplayTV had a few features that I sure wish were on Tivo (component output, 480P display support, ethernet capacity built in, and picture viewing for digital photos). These were all big "geek" features - the kind I really enjoy ... but when I thought about it and looked at them in depth, they really weren't that substantial. The component output is nice, but since the source inputs are not component, it seems from others analysis that the image quality isn't that much better. The ethernet capacity is cool, but Tivo Series 2 has that as a currently unsupported feature (using a USB-ethernet adapter), and it is soon to be supported (after the CES in January). The 480P is the only support which might have made a difference to me, if I actually had a TV that supported that display mode. Since I'm using my Tivo with a relatively cheap 37" tv, it doesn't matter to me (by the way, the image quality on Tivo is great at medium quality and up .... the same as video at medium, and much better at High and Best).

Finally, just before I was going to make a decision, I found out SonicBlue (the maker of ReplayTV) was moving their tech support to India. I deal with a lot of computer companies who have made this "cost saving" measure lately and it usually means (a) tech support will be unsatisfactory and (b) they are facing some financial problems which require some drastic measures. Not a big factor for me, since I rarely use official tech support (preferring the "community support" approach instead), but all things being equal, I'll stick with the company who maintains local support options.

One thing that may cheese me off about Tivo is the direction of "additional features". When I first bought Tivo, one of the things that pushed me over the edge was the promise on their website that they new features would be out shortly - picture viewing, mp3 jukebox, and web scheduling. See http://www.tivo.com/0.9.asp. I just assumed these new features would be free, but it appears when Tivo releases these new features after the CES in January, it will be part of a "premium package" that would require an additional fee (no details right now as to whether its monthly or a one time shot, or how much - see http://www.allnetdevices.com/wired/news/2002/12/13/tivo_to.html). This is kind of disappointing, considering I've already invested $250 for "lifetime service" ... I understand as a small company they need to generate revenue, but this has the feel of nickel and diming you to death. It seems to me it would be a better marketing move to add the features at no charge to increase initial sales, so you can remove the only "pluses" your competition currently claims.

So, the verdict is .... go get one now. Don't wait. I mean it. Stop reading this and buy one .... but be aware that it's not cheap. I got the 80 hour unit on sale for about $309, with rebate ... then immediately had to sink another $250 for "lifetime service" (service, either monthly or lifetime, is required for the box to function). Now, for some basic features that the competition includes for free, I may be getting nickle and dimed for some additional fees as well. That kind of hacks me off. The only problem is - once you get this thing, you will never let it go.