What’s a TIVO?

Recording and More

The fact that TIVO automatically and easily records your favorite television shows is appealing enough for most consumers, but the ability to pause and rewind live TV just adds to the enticement.

And TIVO does something that ordinary VCR and DVD recorders just can’t -- it makes sure you never miss an episode of your favorite show by automatically recording it even if the show appears on a different day and time than its normally scheduled slot. In fact, our decision to purchase a TIVO occurred when my wife missed the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy because it was on a Monday instead of a Sunday like it normally is.

The Cost Factor

I’m not going to lie to you -- TIVO isn’t exactly cheap. However, it is possible to get a great deal if you look for it. For example, right now the 80-hour capacity TIVO model is about $220 at the local electronics store, however, TIVO is currently offering a $150 rebate which brings your purchase price down to about $70 which is quite a great deal.

When it comes to TIVO, the initial purchase price isn’t the only expense. You also have to pay a monthly programming fee which allows you to operate the TIVO and use the programming menu. You can either pay the fee monthly for $12.95 a month or you can save money by paying one year at a time, two years at a time or three years at a time.

So if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to digitally record your favorite shows and television movies and you don’t have a lot of cash to put out up-front, you might want to look into TIVO. It seems to be the television recording method of the future.