Note that there is little written about how TiVo works or doesn't work when your AV system is more complex than television-vcr-straight cable. We bought the Series2 140 hour DVR thinking it would be perfect for our new plasma tv supported by it's hd digital cable box and cinema surround sound system. What we've found after approximately five hours of moving wires and cables from here to there with three different TiVo representatives is that TiVo doesn't seem to be compatable with systems like ours. It seems that if TiVo is not hooked up directly through the television (BOTH audio and video), there are profound delays between the picture and the sound - - if you get both the picture and the sound. In other words, you cannot watch live television through TiVo where the picture and sound match each other if your entertainment system is complicated, and, although we could get it to record, we have not been able to get the recording to play back with any sound whatsoever. We've tried every wiring configuration with every type of wires the representatives at TiVo could come up with without a desired result (I'm pretty good with wiring myself, too). I suspect it would work if we were willing to eliminate the AV Cinema sound system, but we've already spent a tidy sum on extra equipment with the intention of using it.

The concept is wonderful! The telephone service center at TiVo did have a rather long waiting time (about 1/2 hour on hold), and the reps were helpful, all things considered. But I believe that when your system is more toward the cutting edge TiVo falls a little short. One of the customer service reps I spoke with confessed, when asked, that most of their customers did not have equipment comparable to ours and therefore did not have difficulties in getting their TiVo into working order.

With the remote, the newer equipment (HD cable boxes, HD televisions) come with a 24-pin, not 9-pin port, so the remote control system leaves a lot to be desired. We found that it began to change our channels in a seemingly random fashion and at its own will so it needed to be disabled.

Overall, the experience has not been favorable in this household and the equipment will have to be returned. We're very sorry it won't work out for us.