TiVo and DVR help!?!?!?!?

Question

My mom has cable, and we want to be able to record our shows and movies and stuff when we're gone with something else besides tapes. so what should we do? whats the difference between DVR and Tivo? which one do we need? about how much would it cost us?

Answer 1

Hi Samii,

A DVR records by time & channel much like an old VHS recorder. For a DVR my choice is the Philips from Walmart. It has a 160 GB hard drive and is very easy to set up & use. At $288 it is a pretty good buy. You can also copy your shows to DVD on it.

Go here to check out the Philips DVR - http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d...

Actually we prefer TiVo because of simplicity of use. The schedule is always correct because it is updated every day. I can program TiVo to record from out of town over the Internet. TiVo learns what you like and recommends shows that you might like. Often times we never would have known they were on. You can program an entire season of a given series with a single click and TiVo never forgets. You can tell TiVo you like someone or something and it will locate shows for you. For example if you tell it you like John Wayne it will watch for and record anything he is on.

With my series 2 and series 3 TiVo’s I can transfer recordings to my computer, edit them if desired then record them to a DVD.

You can also allow TiVo to share pictures and music from your computer. It will play the music and slide shows on your TV.

I could go on and on about TiVo. There is one downside and that is the monthly (you can pay yearly if you want) fee.

To learn all about TiVo check their web site here - https://www3.tivo.com

Check the TiVo user forum here - http://www.tivocommunity.com

The TiVo Community Store often has good bargains for TiVo’s or accessories. Check them for current pricing along with your local Best Buy - http://store.tivocommunity.com/merchant....

You need either a phone line or internet connection for TiVo to download software updates and program information.

I hope this helps you make the best decision.

Norm

Answer 2

TiVo cost from 99.00$ to 599$, but if you get Dish Network you'll get a DVR free plus 3 Months Free; is a very difficult decision.

Answer 3

Like the previous poster said, Tivo is a brand of DVR.  I would recommend trying to get a DVR from the cable company.  The cable company will probably charge a lesser fee each month for their DVR.  If you choose the Tivo, you will have to pay for the device (prices vary) and then pay for the subscription service in order to get the channel guide information that tells you what time and channel the shows are on.  Without the subscription service, the Tivo won't be able to automatically record shows for you.  It is possible to find a used Tivo for which someone has already paid the "lifetime subscription" already.

Answer 4

Tivo is a specific brand of DVR (Digital Video Recorder). You may be able to get a DVR box from your cable company for a monthly charge which is usually lower than what you'd pay Tivo for their monthly charge. You probably won't have to pay anything extra on top of the monthly charge either (check with your cable company). If you want Tivo, you'd have to buy it first, which goes from 99.99 to 599.99, depending on which model you want.

The difference is mostly in how easy they are to use and what features they offer. Tivo in general have better interface/features, but a lot of people find that the dvr box from their cable/satellite service is good enough.