Home > Consumer Reviews > TiVo R240140 140-Hour Digital Video Recorder

Contrary to the reviewer comments of Jan 2003, Tivo service is required to do any kind of recording with the unit, inlcuding manual if you have version 2 or later. Tivo made a change to all units after version 1.3 to ensure that all later units must have the Tivo service to work. 1.3 units were "grandfathered" and can manually record shows.

I purchased my first TiVo about five years ago but was so impressed that, when I outgrew it, I didn't think twice about buying a larger size. I gave my old TiVo to a friend who has nothing but rave reviews about it. I have purchased TiVo's as gifts for friends who give it nothing but rave reviews and talk about how easy it is to set up and how it has changed the way they view television.

I enjoy this device because I can set up Wishlists, pre-select shows and just forget the machine. When I finish things I need to get done (working, shopping, cleaning, etc.), I can sit down at the television and watch things that I've selected. If I'm interrupted, I can stop the TiVo and go back later to pick up where I left off. I also enjoy this device because I no longer have to decide whether to watch the educational channels or an entertaining movie. I watch the one I'm in the mood for right now and record the one that I know I'll want to see later. What a wonderful feeling of freedom to know that I can watch something I want to watch when I want to watch it!

TiVO has totally enhanced our watching experience. From features like being able to start to watch a show 10 minutes into it's beinr recorded (try that with a VCR), to fast skipping the ads (watch a 1 hour show in only 40 mins) its great. I now have two. You should also get one.

Sounds like this person's experience is isolated. We have our Tivo unit connected through a "complicated" A/V system where Tivo is NOT going directly from the unit into the TV. There are no delays whatsoever. Everything remains completely in sync. Tivo is one of the best items I have ever purchased.

The people who have had problems with this item do not seem to realize what it is they bought. It is a one tuner DVR. It can only record one thing at a time, like your former VCR. What it can do let you pause a program or rewind a program you are watching, going to any previous point in the show from the first time you were on the channel recording it. It will allow you to record one program while you are watching something you have recorded previously. It has varying quality levels, Basic, Medium, High or Best quality, which means that the Best quality takes up more space than Basic. I use any number of different USB WiFi adapters for updates through my wireless routers. The only people with problems are the people who do not know what the y are doing or have unrealistic expectations for the product they bought. It is a great video player. Get a two tuner one if you like to record two different programs at once. I have three Tivo units and two HDTV DirecTV units, with one of the Tivo units with a DirecTv unit hooked up to the Slingbox. Season Passes allow you to record only new episodes of programs if you choose, skipping reruns for you. It will also let you set it up to record an old movie you are looking for using a Wishlist. It has other qualities, too. I can send a program from one of the Tivo units over the wireless broadband to another unit or my laptop computer for Tivo to Go. ((DirecTV Tivo units do not do the wireless tricks, but the ones I have from DirecTV are HD while the regular Tivo units are not.))