Customer Reviews

TiVo R240140 140-Hour Digital Video Recorder

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Contrary to the reviewer comments of Jan 2003, Tivo service is required to do any kind of recording with the unit, inlcuding manual if you have version 2 or later. Tivo made a change to all units after version 1.3 to ensure that all later units must have the Tivo service to work. 1.3 units were "grandfathered" and can manually record shows.

I purchased my first TiVo about five years ago but was so impressed that, when I outgrew it, I didn't think twice about buying a larger size. I gave my old TiVo to a friend who has nothing but rave reviews about it. I have purchased TiVo's as gifts for friends who give it nothing but rave reviews and talk about how easy it is to set up and how it has changed the way they view television.

I enjoy this device because I can set up Wishlists, pre-select shows and just forget the machine. When I finish things I need to get done (working, shopping, cleaning, etc.), I can sit down at the television and watch things that I've selected. If I'm interrupted, I can stop the TiVo and go back later to pick up where I left off. I also enjoy this device because I no longer have to decide whether to watch the educational channels or an entertaining movie. I watch the one I'm in the mood for right now and record the one that I know I'll want to see later. What a wonderful feeling of freedom to know that I can watch something I want to watch when I want to watch it!

TiVO has totally enhanced our watching experience. From features like being able to start to watch a show 10 minutes into it's beinr recorded (try that with a VCR), to fast skipping the ads (watch a 1 hour show in only 40 mins) its great. I now have two. You should also get one.

Sounds like this person's experience is isolated. We have our Tivo unit connected through a "complicated" A/V system where Tivo is NOT going directly from the unit into the TV. There are no delays whatsoever. Everything remains completely in sync. Tivo is one of the best items I have ever purchased.

The people who have had problems with this item do not seem to realize what it is they bought. It is a one tuner DVR. It can only record one thing at a time, like your former VCR. What it can do let you pause a program or rewind a program you are watching, going to any previous point in the show from the first time you were on the channel recording it. It will allow you to record one program while you are watching something you have recorded previously. It has varying quality levels, Basic, Medium, High or Best quality, which means that the Best quality takes up more space than Basic. I use any number of different USB WiFi adapters for updates through my wireless routers. The only people with problems are the people who do not know what the y are doing or have unrealistic expectations for the product they bought. It is a great video player. Get a two tuner one if you like to record two different programs at once. I have three Tivo units and two HDTV DirecTV units, with one of the Tivo units with a DirecTv unit hooked up to the Slingbox. Season Passes allow you to record only new episodes of programs if you choose, skipping reruns for you. It will also let you set it up to record an old movie you are looking for using a Wishlist. It has other qualities, too. I can send a program from one of the Tivo units over the wireless broadband to another unit or my laptop computer for Tivo to Go. ((DirecTV Tivo units do not do the wireless tricks, but the ones I have from DirecTV are HD while the regular Tivo units are not.))

We purchased our Tivo unit six months ago, great technology, however, unit stop functioning. We tried to reach customer service six days in a row, waited between one hour and three hours for a person to talk too, but all you get is music. We are still waiting to talk to someone about how to return this useless device. For those who don't know, save some money as Comcast and other cable providers throughout the United State now provide equivalent or better TIVO functionality for just $10 per month and you don't have to buy a $250 to buy a unit. No service problems there. Buyer beware, $250 for a unit and $300 for a life time use, which in my case was six months. I wonder why all of their customer representatives are busy, my quess is massive product failures, which if you can't talk to someone you can't return the unit. Nice warranty. Cable companies will put TIVO out of business along with their defective products and underperforming customer service. Be wise and consider your alternative.

This is a superb machine. I bought an upgraded Series 2 tivo at www.weakness.com. The unit runs like a pro, and yes you do need a land based phone line to set it up. The unit does have an s-video port, contrary to a other users comments. If you love tv at your control do yourself a favor and get one. Also note : if you have directv look for the directv/tivo receivers.

I ordered this TIVO for wife's birthday. Here's what happened: Hooked the TIVO up and connected it to our phone. Spent a long time trying and trying to get it through its setup calls, contacted TIVO and was on hold a long while, WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU is that you need an analog phone line (Not voice-over IP). We don't have a regular old phone line, so the only thing we could do is go to the neighbor's. The TIVO got its initial data, then needed to sit for 4 hours to process the data. The TIVO technician told me to have the TIVO box make another call to upgrade its firmware. This could not be done until AFTER the 4 hour data processing (which they did not tell me). So I went back to the neighbor's house the next day and had the box call TIVO again and update the firmware. The new firmware could not be used until the box reset itself and it needed to wait until 2 AM to do this. On day 3 I finished the TIVO box setup and brought it back to my house. It would not work because the neighbor's cable was not the same as ours. After another call to TIVO they said that I would need to get my TIVO hooked to my computer network and repeat some of the setup. And, incidentally they don't bother to include any kind of network adaptor with the TIVO box. I downloaded the list of TIVO compatible wireless network adaptors and checked in COMPUSA, Best Buy, Radio Shack and Target. Interestingly enough TIVO seems to have forgotten to mention that you can't really find the network adaptors except at their website (so another 4 hours blown). Everything thus far with the TIVO box has been a really unpleasant experience.

I thought I was getting almost the same as the
Dish Network DVR 522 which has 120GB hard drive allows 120hrs of recording time. This also has a stop button, a skip button, the ability to record two shows at one time and more. I was so happy to finally have enough money to buy the TiVo. I read online that it was the most popular. When I got it home, it work fine for few hours then I left it. Then I came back the screen was frozen. Then I tried a different connection it work for a few hours again then just stop working. The 140hrs is not high quality. It is just basic. You have to switch it to basic to get 140hr of recording time. There is no power button! No stop button! No skip button. There is no way to record two shows at one time! I knew that there was no skip or the ability to record two shows at one time, but I had no idea that those were not the only problems with it. I thought it would have it least a power button, and a stop button, but no. It is a great idea for kids that spend too much time in front of the TV, but not the right features right now. I would wait on getting this. I'm returning mine.

Have had TIVO for nearly 4 years now, and they are great! They have lead the way for all other DVR's in the business. Customers need to understand that TIVO DOES NOT make the machines. They are the "inside the box" programming. I have a Sony and a Philips TIVO and they perform without problems. The lifetime machine subscription have also been problem free.

Setting up TIVO can be complicated, which is why their Customer Service is busy. They will help you figure out what you are doing wrong in the installation process.