Real TV is Deal - Long Live Tivo!

TiVolution is coming. “What are you talking about?”. Simple! The way we watch TV is changing before our vary eyes. No longer are we tied to the network’s schedules. Tivo and its main competitor Replay TV have developed an interactive TV system called a PVR (personal Video Recorder). These boxes manufactured by Philips and Sony allow you to record on a Hard drive rather than VHS. Let’s see what they can do:

Controlling Live TV:

The Tivo is always recording. If you are watching live TV, you can always rewind it to where you started as long as you don’t change the channel. Say the phone rings and you don't want to miss a moment of your favorite shows. Just pause or rewind to something you missed. Then skip the commercials or skip forward to real time anytime you want. You can even pause the action for up to half an hour at a time.

The PVR has three fast forward and rewind speeds provide superior control, plus fun extras like Instant Replay which skips back 8 seconds, Slow-which allows you to slow down the action anytime (not just replay), and Jump for skipping straight to real time.

One advantage of recording onto a hard drive rather than a tape, is the ability to record and play at the same time Since we have two small children, we never get them to bed before 8:30 or 9:00 pm. Therefore, we always record or shows that start at 8:00. if the kids are in bed at 8:15, we can start watching the beginning of the show, while the end is still being recorded. Then we can fast forward thru the commercials and end up eventually catching up to the end of the show or the following shows that we recorded that evening.


Recording your favorite shows:

Finding and recording your favorite programs has never been easier. You not only have several search and record options, you can also select from 4 levels of video quality. When you select a program to record, you can choose to get a Season Pass. With this feature, each episode that is broadcast on that channel is automatically recorded. Even if it doesn't air at it's regular time. I have found that the drawback here is that you record shows that are already in syndication. Therefore, I record “Drew Carey” on Wednesday at 9:00, but also when its on everyday at 5:30 too.

Anytime you're watching TV you can instantly start recording. No more frantically searching for a blank tape. If you are looking for a show, but don't know what time or channel it airs on, use the Search by Name feature to find it using all or part of the name. You can also use the category filter to browse all the programs in a particular category and find shows you didn't know were on.


Watching what you recorded:

" Now Showing" is the list of programs that have been recorded and are ready to watch. At the top of this are programs you've requested. Below that are any of TiVo's Suggestions that have been recorded for you. Unlike using a VCR, Now Showing gives you instant access to all recorded programs. There's no rewinding or timing to keep track of. And everything is labeled for you so there are no more mystery tapes. Programs on the Now Showing list are normally saved for 2 days, but you can add days or select " Save Until I Delete" Although, TIVO will retain those shows taped at the 2 day default for longer as long as there is room on your hard drive. Once you have reached the max, it will start removing the oldest programs first.

You can even set up your PTV receiver to record to your VCR, so when you want to save a program without taking up space on your hard drive, you can select " Save to my VCR" and your receiver will copy it for you.

One issue that I don’t like is when your show starts late because of a ball game. The PVR and the TIVO software aren’t capable (yet) of picking up on this and you usually miss the end of the show. If you think that there is a game before the show you are planning on taping. Record manually and tap from 7:00 to 9:00 on channel 4, instead of just asking it to tape 60 Minutes” on Sunday night.


Other Features:

Tivo offers these other On screen options: TiVolution magazine is your insider's guide to the best shows and latest info on what's happening in the world of TV. TiVolution magazine is created every day with fresh information by TiVo's programming group. Network Showcases are a great place to check out the programs and events coming up on TV's biggest networks.

TiVo's Suggestions is your personalized list of TiVo's Suggestions brings you programming based on your likes and dislikes. This is where the THUMB buttons on your remote control come in - you use them to rate programs and build your personal television preferences. Information about the programs you rate and the programs you record goes into your PTV Receiver. The receiver then looks through the program listings for new shows you might like, but might not have known about. These programs are listed on TiVo's Suggestions in order of how closely they match your TV preferences. Over time, as your personal TV preferences become more detailed, the list of TiVo's Suggestions will become more and more accurate. You can rate items with up to 3 thumbs up or 3 thumbs down. I have found that it usually records re-runs of all your favorite shows that you have rated with 3 thumbs up.

The Series 2 models can support Tivo's new Home Entertainment add-on which will allow you to attach you Tivo to your home network via you PC. For this 99 dollar add-on you will be able to store music, photos and video on you Tivo. I have not tried this yet, but it is very promising.



Series 2 PVR Specifications:
Records up to 60 Hours of digital video – (at basic quality)
33.6 Kbps Modem
Quantum Quickview Hard Drive
Inputs: 1-stereo audio, 1-composite video, 1-RF coaxial video, 1-S-Video
Outputs: 2-stereo audio, 2-composite video, 1-RF coaxial video, 1-S-Video


Payment Plans:

Tivo is the actual service. Without it, you basically have to program the unit like an old VCR. Tape from 8:00 to 9:00 on channel 2. The Tivo now allow you to so much more. Including, taping by time, date, channel. Getting season passes, having Tivo suggest shows and Tivo Takes a show that previews the upcoming weeks TV highlights.

The service is 12.95 a month or you can get a life time subscription for 250.00 dollars. But that only applies to that PVR. If you upgrade the subscription is void.

The PVR boxes vary in price, but the 60/80 hours models can be purchased anywhere from 299.00 to 349.00 at retail outlets. (with 50 dollar rebates) Better deals can be found on online merchants and auctions.


Conclusion: Tivo frequently runs specials and rebates from their web site, so check it out before you decide to by. www.tivo.com