Philips HDR212 TiVo 20 Hour Digital Video Recorder
See it at Amazon.com for $63.20Average Customer Rating
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First | + ShareTiVo on the Cheap
Without subscribing, I can pause live TV, do an "instant replay" of it, and record by time and channel. TiVo is more convenient for doing these operations than a VCR because I don't have to fool with tapes and cue them up to find the beginning of a show. Because TiVo is digital, the video quality is better than a tape. On the highest quality setting I have the same level of digital quality of my satellite dish. The thing that I've found the most useful is that I can watch a recorded show while making a recording of another, which a VCR can't do.
I realize that some people like the features that come with the TiVo subscription. If people choose to pay for those things, that's their choice. I can't use the TiVo guide to look through the listings and select by name a program to be recorded. TiVo doesn't make suggestions for me based on the shows I've previously selected, and it doesn't automatically record my favorite shows if the time changes. But I know which shows I want to record every day, and DirecTv has a good guide that I can search through to find other shows to record. When I come home in the evening, I still have good shows to spend my limited TV time on, and I still have the money that I would have spent on the service.
This is the pefect Tivo to UPGRADE... yes upgrade!!
I finally found out I could upgrade the thing myself... so my recomendation is to get the cheapest on that you can and upgrade it. This VOIDS you tivo warrenty but hey we all like to live on the edge right :)
I now have a 117 hour Tivo because the company I used to upgrade my Tivo ... added an 80GB disk and now instead of having to delete my recordings early or being more picky about what I record I can go nuts and record anything and everything. I even saw on one website ... a guy who has a 151+ hour Tivo.
... They have parts for sale and directions on how to upgrade your Tivo (The easiest is a 14 hour unit since you just add a "blessed" drive)
happy Tivoing...!
PS If you can't tell I love this thing!
Wow!
We've used it for a few days and it's clear this IS THE ONLY WAY to watch TV. No more suffering through commercials, no more watching something you hate because nothing else is on. After you've rated a few shows your "Now Showing" list of recorded programs always has something new and worth watching. I was amazed at how well the TIVO guesses shows you might like to watch.
All in all, this is a great product. Forget replacing your VCR. Get a DVD play for renting movies and a TIVO for time shifting.
Amazing Product!! Best thing I ever bought!
TIVO RULES!
Beware hard drive faults
On a more positive note I would strongly recommend buying some kind of personal tv recorder. They are fantastic and I cannot live without one now. I seldom watch live TV (except for the news). I have told Tivo exactly what I want to watch and it records it.
I would recommend a buy BUT make sure you get some kind of service plan with these units. A friend bought a Sony and his became faulty after 3 months (same problem). Maybe it is a bit of a design flaw to have these units contantly recording 24 hrs per day!
The other thing to check is the privacy policy of the service provider (Tivo/Ultimate TV). My Tivo box sends details of everything I have watched, when I have changed channel and other viewing habits. This greatly concerns me. Tivo did assure me that no customer identifier is sent with this but I still feel like this is a move towards Orwell's 1984.
I would have given these units a 5 were it not for mine breaking!
Have fun and get one!