One of the best features of TiVo is that it records them for
me. I don't have to search for them. Sometimes, it even
has the show waiting and I forogt I wanted to tape it.
What a nice suprise!
The TiVo unit will give you a list of shows it recorded (or
started recording) and are now available for you to watch.
You may record individual shows, but repeat recordings
make the recording of episodic and serial shows much more
flexible.
Repeat recordings handle the vaguaries
of shows changing timeslots, shows in multiple timeslots,
shows on multiple channels, and weekly/daily events. Both
PTV units have other ways of suggesting things for you
to watch, and even have the audacity to go off and record
them for you. Duplicate episode handling prevents the
PTV from recording an episode if it is already stored
on disk.
Philips HDR612 TiVo 60 Hour
Personal TV Recorder
If you want to take full control and
make an individual recording, manual recordings are particularly
useful if you want to record just part of a show. Raw
recordings let you record any random input source without
having to specify what it is. Instant recordings let you
start recording what's on right now, immediately. Usually
the unit will stop recording automatically, but there
are times you'll want to force the recording to stop.
Your PTV unit works by changing the
channels of your cable box, satellite receiver and/or
tuner for you. These are your input sources. Your unit
may be able to control multiple input sources simultaneously,
limited by the number of input connections. This means
you could get your channels from antenna, cable, and satellite
receiver at the same time, and the unit will know which
channels in the EPG belong to which input source.
"Raw" input support is convenient
if you want to record from any arbitrary input source.
Some input sources support direct serial connection. If
this method isn't supported, the unit can talk to the
source using an infrared signal blaster (IR blaster).
The serial method is technically more reliable and faster.
Some input sources have UHF-controlled remotes instead
of IR, and might not work with your unit.
