Need help w/ DVRs (i.e: TIVO)

[Snapperhead]

Can anybody help with the details of digital video recorders? Pretty new to the field. I heard most of the brands out there like TIVO, REPLAY, etc.

Can you buy a recorder and not buy service? Will it still work?

If you can, what do you miss out w/o the service?

I'vee seen recorders for $300 the cheapest, is that right?

This is for a gift for computer illiterates so rigging a computer to do this would be awesome but not a possibility, even though you could probably save like hundreds.

any help would be appreciated.

thanks

 

[SCSIRAID]

TIVO works like a VCR without the service. You record by time and channel. No program names... no channel guide... With the service you pick your show title and it gets recorded whenever its on. You also get the program guide to let you pick your show. You can search by catagory. The box notices what you like and records things it thinks you will like... The box calls home every day and gets the latest schedule. I paid the bucks and got the lifetime service. I really enjoy the box and the service....

 

[SUOrangeman]

Start at www.avsforum.com and browse. See you in a few weeks after all of that research!

-SUO