I bet you're one of those people that's infatuated with T.V. You'll sit down to watch
your favorite sitcom and nothing else matters. For 30 minutes you stare at the screen like
you're some sort of zombie, completely clueless about everything... except for your show.
I know this about you because I'm the same way. I'll be the first to admit it-I love T.V!
I can't stand it when I'm right in the middle of my weekly sitcom and someone has the
nerve to bother me. Can't people see that I'm watching T.V?!? If only there was a way for
me to pause my sitcom, then come back and start watching from where I left off.
TiVo, a personal television service, allows you to do just that, and a whole lot more! I
know what you're thinking. There are going to be a lot of angry television viewers all
over the country if you start pausing live broadcasts during prime time. Well, TiVo
doesn't really pause the program. It digitally records the program you're watching as it's
broadcasted. When you pause your T.V. show then watch it later, you're actually watching a
recording of the live broadcast.
TiVo weighs about 12 pounds and looks like an oversized cable box. It sits on top of your
T.V. and is equipped with an infrared sensor that can be controlled from a remote
location...like your chair. Two TiVo models are available. A $499 model is capable of
recording up to 14 hours of programs. 30 hours of recordings can be held on the $999 TiVo.
In addition to the price of the TiVo unit, you must pay for TiVo service. The service
includes a self-updating, downloadable programming guide and an on-screen magazine. The
service can be paid $10 monthly, $99 annually, or $199 for a lifetime membership.
TiVo is very similar to a PC. Basically, you tell it when and what you'd
like it to record, and it saves the T.V. programs on its hard disk. But TiVo is a bit
smarter than you may think. Say you like a movie that you had TiVo record. TiVo's remote
has a 'Thumbs Up' button that you can press. In pressing the button, you're telling TiVo
that you like the movie it recorded, and that it should record similar movies in the
future. TiVo will do so, and it will also keep track to see if you watched any of the
movies it recorded. If you do, it will continue to record movies for you. If not, TiVo
will take the hint and wait for you to tell it to record something else. Tivo's
remote also sports a 'Thumbs Down' button that can be pressed if you don't like a movie
that was recorded.
TiVo can also be used to fast-forward and re-wind recorded programs, just
like a VCR. What's that? You're not sure if the umpire's call was right? Just watch the
play again to find out for sure! Don't worry, you can catch up to the real broadcast by
skipping the commercials!
You don't have to be a brain surgeon to set up TiVo. Complete instructions are included
with your purchase, and they're easily followed. After setup, Tivo must go through an
initial two-hour, download/setup process before it's ready for action. Then, get
ready for the ultimate in T.V. control!
So what are you waiting for? Oh...you're waiting for the price to come down a little. Yes,
the price is a little on the high side, but TiVo is well worth it if you enjoy T.V. as
much as I do!
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Personal Television Service by Samuel Wilcox