Editorial Review:

Amazon.com Product Description:
TiVo's Series2 DVR delivers more recording capacity at a lower cost and also offers the latest in networked home entertainment. TiVo DVRs record television programming directly to a digital hard drive, eliminating the hassles of videotape. The TiVo Series2 offers up to 140 hours of recording time in TiVo's small, sleek chassis (15 inches wide by 11.5 inches deep and 3 inches high).

TiVo automatically records your favorite shows.

The TiVo DVR Series2 is compatible with virtually every television available. It also works with VCRs, TV antennas, cable systems, and satellite systems. A patented remote control simplifies program recording and controls multiple TiVos within the home (two devices can share your existing phone line). Connections include three video inputs and outputs (S-video, composite-video, and RF coaxial), one set of stereo RCA analog audio inputs, and two sets of stereo audio outputs. A standard female RJ-11 telephone jack is the channel by which the Series2 accesses the TiVo service, or you can use a USB cable to connect via broadband.

TiVo subscribers can pay $12.95 per month or a one-time product lifetime fee of $299. Benefits of TiVo service include, but are not limited to, Season Pass (TiVo automatically finds and records every episode of a series all season long, even if the network schedule changes); WishList (TiVo finds and records programs that feature your favorite actor, director, team, or even topic); Smart Recording (TiVo detects lineup changes for you and suggests programs to match your interests, if desired); and Showcases (exclusive entertainment plus recording shortcuts from some of the most popular networks on TV).

Now, through your home network you can access TiVo's Home Media Features. This services provides remote scheduling capabilities from anywhere you have Internet access; MP3 streaming from your PC to your TiVo so you can listen to music through your home theater sound system; digital image viewing from your PC so that you can create slideshows on your TV; and multiroom viewing, which allows you to connect two TiVo Series2 DVRs in your home so that you can record on one and watch on another.

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Rating: - It does not microwave your dinner or walk your dog either...
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.))

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Rating: - It's what TIVO does not tell you that makes it a bad product
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.

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Rating: - Have 2 TIVO's in house. They work Superbly
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.

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Rating: - Do not Buy! Waste of Money
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.

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Rating: - Rebuttal to "An electronics fan" commentary
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.