[ToddHealy]

It seems to me the biggest barrier to mass acceptance is explaining what a PVR is in a 30 second sound bite. I have tried several time to define what a TiVo is, and it's not easy. It always takes more time than the duration of a commercial.

It isn't until people see one in action that they realize that they NEED it. Early adopters buy them and then evangelize to their friends. It spreads from there.

 

[ToddHealy]

Originally posted by Kenster
I know TIVO has some functions that are operable without the subscription.

TiVos that come with version 2 or higher out of the box will prevent you from recording. That includes all DirecTiVos (AKA combo units or DirecTV with TiVo receivers) and any stand alone TiVo less than a couple years old. All they allow is 'trick play', which means pausing & rewinding live TV.

Stand alone TiVos that started with a version prior to 2 can record but they will not have program guide information. That makes them little better than a VCR.

 

[ToddHealy]

Originally posted by Kenster


But why would you need the Tivo program guide when you have one coming from Dish or D*?

TiVo won't take advantage of the program guide information you refer to.

Without TiVo guide information you can only record by saying record from x:00 to y:00 on channel z. That's basically the same way you'd do it with a VCR.

With program guide information, you can search for program names and scroll through on screen guides and just click a button when the show you want is highlighted.

Shows you have recorded are also listed by program name and you can select them to view program description, actor lists, and other information. All of this comes from the program info and would be blank or missing if you don't subscribe.

I've been using a stand alone TiVo since 1999 and 2 DirecTivos for about eight monhts. For me $10/12 a month (or $250 for the life of the unit) is a bargain for what they let me do. If you are unwilling or unable to pay that much I think your only PVR option is the Dish model. I have no experience with them but a lot of people seem to have problems.