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TiVo Ups Their Game

09.21.10

By Ari Cheren

World’s shortest history lesson: TiVo started it all. What with all the DVRs (Digital Video Recorders) being issued by cable and satellite companies, some youngsters may have forgotten that it was the little upstart TiVo that effectively invented the category and gave us all the ability to record television shows without a VCR. And therein lies the problem; many TV watchers have done just that - forgotten about TiVo and allowed themselves to be bamboozled into using inferior DVRs that seem to have been designed by ex Microsoft engineers.

TiVo, the company that seems to have given away a category they invented through lazy PR and slow product development, seems also to have finally stepped up their game to a point where they can steal customers back from their cable co.-issued DVRs. It’s called the TiVo Premier, and it rocks.

I’ve had a TiVo since 2004 - a veritable lifetime in technology years. When I stepped up to a HDTV four years ago, the TiVo got bumped to the bedroom and I got a decent “Moxi” High-Def DVR from my cable co. But when that unit was retired by Time Warner, I was forced to use the horrible Motorola DVRs they foist upon their customers. Terrible interface, confusing remote, illogical menus… after a few weeks I had had enough and ponied up for a TiVo Premier. I justified the expense knowing that, in a few years, I would pay for the box and lifetime service plan by saving the $18 a month rent I was paying Time Warner.

Several months later, I couldn’t be happier. The new TiVo Premier blows cable company DVRs out of the water on the basic stuff (recording shows in HD and providing live program information) - and throws in a bunch of features most DVRs can’t do at all. To wit; the new TiVo can play your Netflix or Amazon instant queue (for no additional cost), play Pandora music streams (for free), play your iTunes music library AND photos (for free) - plus play any YouTube video as well.

And programming is easy; either search for shows from the remote on screen or else do it from your computer online. Or do searches and programming from your smartphone using TiVo’s mobile web page. Once your shows are programmed, you get to use TiVo’s famously intuitive interface to navigate around; one button to turn the TV on and off, one master volume control… getting to use the famous peanut-shaped remote again was a treat to be sure.

While the upsides are numerous, the drawbacks are few. Much was made of how sluggish the interface was on the Premier during its first months of release this year. But with a recent firmware upgrade, I find the menu screens render fast enough and are packed with so much useful information that I don’t mind. The whole box is hard-wired to the internet, so you’ll need an ethernet connection to your router, which may mean relocating your internet modem. And you’ll likely be giving up On Demand programming (no big loss for me) because you’ll be installing a CableCard into the TiVo to replace your cable box. But the trade-off was well worth it for me.

The Premier box costs $299, with a discount available if you’re a current subscriber. For $499 you can get a Premier XL, which adds THX sound, a cooler backlit remote and three times the recording capacity. Then there’s the monthly (or lifetime) service plan, which roughly equals 3 years of cable DVR rental. TiVo’s don’t work with satellite (for now), so this is only an option for those of us using cable. But if you are a power cable viewer who is sick of navigating your standard-issue DVR, the TiVo is - and has always been - a life saver.

www.tivo.com

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You can have manageable frizz-free hair for months with a special $99 Brazilian Blowout/Gloss Treatment, originally $350 at Eco Chic Salon in Irvine. It’s a special offer—more than 70% off—available today at DealPerk. You can buy it online here.

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