I finally broke down and as an early birthday present to myself (halvsies with Roger), we welcomed a TiVo to our household. The jury is still out, but first impressions are very favorable. I think the hype is a little overplayed, but it does have cool features like one click Season Pass which will record all the Amazing Race and Survivor episodes on TV. I also like the Wish List feature which allows me to search for programs with George Kennedy or any other actor, One glaring omission? Charo is not included in the list.
Some minuses to note: Picture quality isn’t the best in the world – even at Best Quality. I tested the lower qualities on an episode of The Price is Right, and the pixellation was like watching those old MPEG-1 videos a few years back. Another problem? Like Wendy mentioned with her TiVo, it takes over the TV. As a result, no more picture-in-picture (a feature I have grown to love). However, there is a P-I-P button on the TiVo remote for future use, so maybe they have something in mind. Besides, the Guide replaces channel surfing anyhow. Since I do not have Digital Cable, I really enjoy the guide and compared to the guide on my Mom’s Digital Cable, I prefer the TiVo’s.
Another minus is the lack of ability to use TiVo functions while it is recording. Thankfully, you can put the unit in Standby mode and it still works its magic and allows you to watch what you want. In fact, with a little experimenting, I think I might be able to use the VCR while the TiVo is in Tivoland working its magic.
I do love the ability to pause live television and having recorded programs available just two buttons away. Overall, I recommend getting a TiVo, though I am not sure if I’d get the lifetime plan – it works out to about two plus years of service, and by then I’m sure they will have a v3 of the technology rendering your box moot. Me? I opted for the month to month plan to save money up front. Hopefully, I will be able to convert at a later date.
Currently Season-Passed on my TiVo:
Star Trek: Enterprise
Survivor: Thailand
The Amazing Race 3
Charmed (for Roger)
also being recorded:
Insomniac with Dave Attell
Taxicab Confessions
What’s on your TiVo?