TiVo TCD652160 HD Digital Video Recorder by TiVo
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List Price: Our Price: $39.97 You Save: $210.02 (84%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Home Theater See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of TiVo TCD652160 HD Digital Video Recorder
Digital camera Review: Best Tivo offering yet!
Summary: 4 Stars
My family recently upgraded to this Tivo from one of the original Tivo products (purchased way back in the mid 90s?) because of the recent switch to digital broadcasting. I fear that if it were not for that mandate, we'd still be on analog tv...but that is another story altogether. The price point on this box makes it totally worthwhile - and the HDD expansion ability makes the more expensive offerings less appealing to me.
We purchased a lifetime subscription for this box (highly recommended), given that we had our last box for nearly 10 years. I think it is well worth it.
The nice part about this tivo is that it functions much like every other tivo product - the user interface is friendly and intuitive for parents and kids alike. I easily configured our tivo remote to work with our Samsung LCD and Onkyo receiver.
My favorite part about this box is its connectivity. I have recently become a huge Netflix Instant Watch user, and I love that I can watch it on my TV through Tivo. It took a little effort to get Netflix enabled though. I had to call tech support (very friendly and helpful) and spend about an hour installing updates and rebooting the box. There are other numerous fun things to this box that I do like:
- HDMI
- dual tuner
- potential capability to write to external drives
My least favorite part is that it seems to crash. We've had the box since June, and it's crashed twice. Both times required us to unplug the box altogether (as there is no power switch).
One other thing is that I wish they'd just bundle it with the wireless ethernet adapter.
Digital camera Review: Best thing since sliced bread....
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a Tivo user for years, going all the way back to the Series 1. My trusty Series 2 DT was doing just fine, except since I got an HDTV it just wasn't doing it for me anymore, I've gotta have my HD goodness!
Enter the TivoHD! When the original Series 3 came out I balked at the $799 price tag. Needless to say I was a happy camper when I saw that a reasonably priced HD capable Tivo was coming out.
If you've ever used a Tivo, then the TivoHD is exactly as you remember, except it can now record HD programming. If you haven't used a Tivo before, you don't know what you're missing! A Tivo isn't just a DVR, its miles beyond! Tivo offers the most user friendly interface out there, so easy my mom can use it!(True story) It also allows me to do things like schedule recordings from the Internet when I'm away from the house, transfer recordings to my PC, and download movies or TV shows from Amazon if I choose.
The one negative to this product isn't really a knock against Tivo, it's more of a knock against cable companies. For the TivoHD to have full functionality, it requires the use of cable cards from your cable company. For some reason it can take the cable company a few tries to get them working right. I personally had to have the cable guy come out twice before everything was setup right, but once it was right it's been great ever since.
The positives far outweigh the negatives for this product. I highly recommend it to anyone that's considering one.
Digital camera Review: Better than cable box
Summary: 5 Stars
Comcast technicians were not familiar with setting up cable cards with TIVO, after about an hour they configured it successfully . Better features than the Motorola DVR I rented from Comcast.
I would say that this box is an overall improvement on the Motorola box. I haven't experienced the occasional picture breakup I used to have on some channels. Up to 80hours recording time in HD with optional expander box from Western Digital.
Digital camera Review: Beware of Subscription Fees
Summary: 2 Stars
The TiVo worked fine for about a week after the service provider installed the cards for cable. Then it stopped working and I got a message to call TiVo Service who informed me it would now cost $12.50 a month for continued operation which is on top of the rental for the card. Big surprise as there was never any mention of this subscription fee. You would think after purchasing the box that would be it, but no, there are these hidden costs which I consider a ripoff. If I had known this I never would purchased it.Digital camera Review: Beware the cable card...
Summary: 4 Stars
Well, I'd love to give this product the rave review it probably deserves but because we've had spotty service and as of this moment, we get no channels, because of the cable card that it utilizes. If you are not aware, that is the only way you can get a signal on a TiVo HD, via a cable card that replaces your cable box. They are not compatible with satellite signals. Anyway, our cable company told us the cable cards were "touchy" and I guess they were right. I'll try to remember to update this review when and if I get the cable card situation worked out.
UPDATE: 12/5/08 - I haven't checked this review in a while and wanted to post an update. The cable card issue was corrected and we have been enjoying the TiVo HD ever since. Another warning is to ensure that you have the correct type of cable to feed the HD. Most homes are cabled with R-59, but HD requires R-6 which is a heavier gauge. As for the TiVo itself, the best feature is the ability to record two programs at the same time while watching a third, recorded program. Also, using the "Live TV" button to switch between the two tuners is a useful feature.