The real test: Tivo vs cable HDTV recorder


HDTV Recorder Hub



For most people, the real option when considering a HDTV recorder ends up coming down to whether you want to purchase a TiVo HD DVR, or rent one from your cable provider.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I am a long-time and satisfied TiVo subscriber so I personally went with TiVo when it came time to decide on a HDTV recorder. However I realize I’m biased and will instead try to stick to summarizing other peoples’ opinions here in this blog.)

In my opinion, most of the reveiws I’ve read seem to come down to this: If you want a (significantly) cheaper option that does fewer things and has a clunky interface, take your cable HDTV recorder. But if you don’t mind paying more for significantly more functionality and more bells and whistles, TiVo’s your choice.

Here’s a good review from PC Magazine. I’ll sum it up here: TiVo isn’t simply a DVR, it’s evolved far beyond simply recording programs. TiVo can also do other things, such as linking with Amazon to deliver more pay per view options; stream music from a PC or Mac; allow you to schedule recordings online while you’re away from home; stream videocasts from YouTube and other places; and transfer recordings from your TiVo onto your laptop (which I personally take advantage of often; you can then burn them onto DVDs or save them on your computer for later, say during a plane ride).

The one thing that’s a real pain with TiVo’s HD DVR, though, is that you have to basically give up your cable box to use it. Put another way, the TiVo HD DVR becomes your cable box. But there are two drawbacks to that: it takes an extra visit from a cable tech, and it also means that you can’t take advantage of on-demand programming from your cable provider. The reason it needs an extra visit from a cable tech is because they have to remove your cable box and install what are known as “cable cards” inside your TiVo HD DVR.

But, here’s another blogger who thinks the cable/satellite DVR’s functionality is good enough, and TiVo expensive enough, to justify simply sticking with the cable company’s DVR. Click here to read.