The benefits of digital cable without the cost
Pros:
Nice looking, feature packed, and fairly inexpensive.
Cons:
Software updates; long hold times for tech support.
The Bottom Line:
This DVR seems to be well thought-out and carefully designed. It really has a ton features that you won't be able to live without.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I used to have a DVR and digital cable from the cable company, which was affordable because I had two roommates to split the bill. Once I moved out on my own, I decided not to get one because it meant that I would need to have digital cable, which is really expensive. After living without a DVR for a couple months, I decided that I really missed it and started looking at Tivo.
Setup
I ordered this box directly from Tivo on a Monday and it arrived on Thursday. The box includes almost everything you need, except for an Ethernet cable (if you want to hook it into your network). I purchased a wireless adapter so that I wouldn't have to run cables. Hooking the thing up is pretty much the same as connecting a DVD player to your TV, so if you can do that, this box is pretty easy to install.
As for actually setting up the Tivo service, things are slightly more difficult. This is especially true if you are attaching the box to your network - be prepared to answer a lot of questions about IP addresses, DHCP, WEP, etc. I'm a pretty technical person, so it was easy for me, but if you don't know what any of the above mentioned acronyms mean, you might need some help with this step.
The setup only took about 20 minutes from start to finish.
Software
My box shipped with version 7.2 of the Tivo software, which is apparently a little bit behind the times (should be v8.1, I think). It did not realize that Daylight Saving Time started earlier this year, so my box had the wrong time on it at first. I did a manual reset and repeated the guided setup, but still not luck. I called tech support and they had me reset the box again, which grabbed the new software and fixed the problem.
The software seems to work very well over all. It's pretty easy to use and has lots of nice features. Basically it's like having digital cable without paying so darn much for it. Interestingly enough, the Tivo box seemed to improve the picture quality on my TV - probably because I attached it using the RCA cable rather than the RF (coax) connector.
An interesting tidbit: If you're into such things, you'll be pleased to know that this box runs Linux internally, so that's kinda neat.
Tech Support
I had to wait on hold for probably 25 minutes before I could speak with someone...that's a little too long in my opinion. On the plus side, the representative was very friendly and knowledgeable, which is hard to find these days!
