Philips HDR612 TiVo 60 Hour Digital Video Recorder

by Philips

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 20 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00004UE2L
• Item model number: HDR612
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,579 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

With up to 60 hours of program recording capacity, the Philips HDR612 offers the most hard disk space currently available in a personal video recorder.

Unlike analog VCRs, Philips's HDR612 personal TV recorder uses TiVo technology to store compressed audio-video data to a computer hard disk. When you're ready to watch a preselected program, the HDR612 retrieves it upon command from a list of shows you've recorded. Among the most revolutionary aspects of the Philips/TiVo server is the ability to pause live broadcasts and either resume a program where you left off or return to real time. For example, while watching live sporting events, you can replay the last eight seconds of the action. You can then return to the live broadcast at any time. Using the palm-size remote, you can rewind and fast-forward pretaped programs and skip through recorded commercials if you choose.

Philips supplies all the necessary cables for setting up the HDR612, including a 50-foot phone line and splitter. You don't need a separate phone line; simply connect the splitter to the wall, connect your phone and receiver cable to the splitter, and you're in business. The phone line is vital for downloading TV listings, recording shows, and receiving TiVo's Suggestions feature and TiVolution Magazine, which offer guidance and recommendations on the best programs to watch. After the initial download, the receiver spends about five minutes updating your programming data each night.

The HDR612 has lots of great features that make it easier for this personal TV server to record programs as it learns your preferences. For example, the Suggestions feature actually offers input on shows you might enjoy based on your previous selections.

TiVo's onscreen setup guide includes easy step-by-step instructions. TiVo charges $12.95 a month for weekly listings, TiVolution Magazine, and the Suggestions feature, or you can pay a one-time service charge of $299.

Once you've selected a program to record, you have four choices of picture quality: basic, medium, high, or best. The higher settings take up more storage space, which translates into fewer hours of available record time.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Forget 60 hours you can get well over 100 for less $$, January 31, 2001

By 

G. Brown "Race Fan" (Lake Forest, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philips HDR612 TiVo 60 Hour Digital Video Recorder (Electronics)

I started out about a year or so ago with a 14 hour Tivo unit and LOVED it. The problem was they lie about capacity... sort of. 14 hours or in the case of the 30 hour unit are really more like 6 hours and 11 hours with the recorder set to record at BEST quality... anything lower and the picture looks bad. I then paid Tivo to send me a new unit that had been upgraded to 3 hours.... Then that was still not enough time with the system set at best quality.

I finally found out I could upgrade the thing myself... so my recomendation is to get the cheapest on that you can and upgrade it. This VOIDS you tivo warrenty but hey we all like to live on the edge right :)

I now have a 117 hour Tivo because the company I used to upgrade my Tivo (http://www.digitalrecorder.tv/) added an 80GB disk and now instead of having to delete my recordings early or being more picky about what I record I can go nuts and record anything and everything. I even saw on one website (http://pvrhack.sonnik.com/tivo/tivoking.htm) a guy who has a 151+ hour Tivo.

Another good website for Tivo upgrade information is http://www.9thtee.com/tivoupgrades.htm. They have parts for sale and directions on how to upgrade your Tivo (The easiest is a 14 hour unit since you just add a "blessed" drive)

happy Tivoing and hack away!

PS If you can't tell I love this thing!

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great when it works, but I've had issues, January 7, 2002

By 

Freedom Seeker (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philips HDR612 TiVo 60 Hour Digital Video Recorder (Electronics)

This device has completely changed the way I watch television. Now, whenever I feel like watching TV, I have dozens of my favorite shows ready and waiting, plus occasional new shows TiVo has recommended to me. I never watch live TV anymore unless I want to check the weather or news. No more channel surfing.

That being said, I have been given 3 defective units. The first unit shipped to me would not boot up. I returned this to Amazon (very nice returns process, btw) for a new unit. After 2 months, the tuner on the new unit failed. This one was returned to TiVo, who shipped me a new unit. This third unit had the incorrect software installed on it (the 30-hour-unit software). TiVo tech support helped me correct this issue by having the unit dial in and download the correct software version. So far, there haven't been any problems since then.

On the plus side of all the problems I've had, I can say that TiVo's customer support is excellent, and a pleasure to deal with. I just wish their Quality Assurance was as good.

Even with all the problems, I have still recommended TiVo to my friends and co-workers, and I will continue to do so.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't live without my Tivo., May 15, 2001

By 

E. M. Busalacchi (Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philips HDR612 TiVo 60 Hour Digital Video Recorder (Electronics)

It's impossible to put into words what TiVo will do for you. To most it seems like a glorified VCR. However, only until you spend some time with TiVo you will truly begin to see how incredibly convenient the product really is. I don't watch any more TV than I used to, I am just better at it. :) Now I really do watch what I want, when I want.

I bought the 14 hour Phillips unit when it first came out and recently performed a "custom upgrade" to 60 hours. The unit has been running flawlessly for well over a year now and I have had no problems. I'm currently running TiVo with a AT&T Digital Cable and a Motorola Cablebox without any compatibility problems (I'm not sure what the other reviewer was doing wrong).

Recently the TiVo operating system was upgraded to Version 2.0.1. This new version addresses the problem of a Season Pass taping shows you don't want and adds many nice features that TiVo users have suggested (keyword search, future program notification, season pass manager, etc).

I'm a TiVo believer.. great product, incredible convenience, can't recommend it enough!