I had a few things that I was considering
when I first went to look at a TiVo. What it looks like,
price, color, and whether or not I'd be able to work it.
I wasn't prepared to try and buy a TiVo. If I had just
gone by color, I'd have made a pretty uninformed decision.
Here's the top 3 important things you should really be
thinking about before you buy.
Recording
time. Recording time is the main feature that will
make your TiVo more valuable, versatile...and more expensive.
Here's the way I figured out which amount
of recording time was right for me. You have to do a little
math. First, how many TV shows would you watch, assuming
you were home all of the time. Open up your local TV or
cable guide and count the shows you'd like to watch. (Not
the one's you can, the ones you'd like, because remember,
you are going to be able to watch them all).
Add up all the half hour and hour shows,
and get that number. Lets say you want to watch 4 shows
regularly, and that adds up to 3 1/2 hours. Over a week
that comes out to 17 1/2 hours. Now figure that, with
your busy schedule, your going to want maybe 2 weeks worth
of recoding capability. Add a regular 1 1/2 hour movie
on the weekend, and that comes out to 38 hours.
Philips DSR6000R DIRECTV Receiver
with TiVo Service
Of
course, thats the number I came up with, and I actually
ended up wanting a little more because I found that I
wanted to keep a movie i had already watched saved for
a while so that the kids could watch it, kind of like
not erasing the video. I ended up settling on the 60 hour
unit for my initial purchase.
Price. You're probably wondering
why I put this after recording time. I put it second because
the price goes up alot as you get more recording time,
but it's worth it to get the on that is right for you
the first time. Of course, don't buy something you can't
afford, but you should save up to get the right one. Once
you get TiVo you wonder how you ever lived without it.
And you'll discover alot of time you never had before
because you don't have to watch commercials anymore. More
time equals more recording. When you look at what you
can afford, say, $400.00, ask yourself if that is the
one that will make you happy.
If the TiVo you can afford isn't enough
(meaning that your recording time # you came up with is
higher than the one you can afford) I would reccomend
waiting a month or however long it is to save up. Buying
a second TiVo later is too expensive, and then you have
to sell the other one. Make your first purchase count!
A phone line. This one is a suprise
to most. You have to hook the TiVo into a phone line so
that it can update itself. The system comes with a phone
cord. Mine came with a 50 foot cord and a phone cord splitter
so the receiver can share a single wall jack with a phone,
if needed. basically, this just means that it would be
better to be able to have the TiVo somewhere near a phone
jack, or you'll have to do a little wiring.
Fortunately, the TiVo automatically
makes this daily call to TiVo at no cost to you. This
call won't interrupt your phone calls or Internet connection,
and the receiver is compatible with Call Waiting, Voice
Messaging, and Caller ID. However, it's important to note
that the DSR6000 must never be connected to a digital
PBX phone system. Doing so may permanently damage the
modem. It also voids your warranty.
