TiVo

It’s easy to see why so many people don’t watch TV. There’s rarely anything good to watch. Why buy a TiVo when there’s nothing to watch?

Look at it this way. Let’s say 99.9 percent of TV is awful, leaving just one or two thoughtful, intelligent shows. Most homes have at least 50 channels
available. That means 1,200 hours of television programming flows unwatched through your home every day. If TiVo grabs just .1 percent, it’s still collecting at least an hour of good stuff every day.

TiVo TCD748000 Premiere XL DVR (Black)

Think about it. You’re bound to be interested in somrthing. Tell TiVo about it. It doesn’t care if it’s on some obscure channel during the wee hours. Whenever anything flows by that meets your interests, TiVo grabs it.
Then, whenever you decide to watch TV, you’ll find something good waiting for you. TiVo found it, bagged it, and has it waiting for when you’re ready to watch it.

TiVo works as your robotic television manager, constantly scanning upcoming show listings to separate your favorites from the trash. It juggles the recordings to avoid possible overlaps, and it saves the good stuff until you’re ready to watch it.
Simply put, TiVo makes you the boss of your television. You’re no longer at the mercy of the networks, their rigid scheduling, and their loud commercials. You no longer have to watch “whatever’s on” when you sit down. Your TiVo insulates you from the bad aspects of TV, catching only the good.

It’s surprisingly easy how TiVo does this. You select names from a list, telling TiVo your favorite show titles, movie titles, actors, directors, or subjects. With a few pokes on the remote, you can even type in subjects like “parrots”or “James Bond.” TiVo scours the show listings for the next two weeks, automatically scheduling and recording shows that match your interests. TiVo immediately tunes to the right channel at the right time — unattended — and records your show. It repeats the process as often as needed to record whatever you want.
When you feel like watching TV, you choose from TiVo’s list of recorded shows — shows you know you’ll enjoy.

  • I explain how to automatically record your favorite shows in Chapter 6.
  • If a sneaky network bumps your favorite sitcom from Wednesday to Thursday for some reason, don’t worry: TiVo still grabs it. It knows these things.
  • If the network preempts your show because of a late-running ball game, TiVo grabs the late-running ball game. (Of course, everybody else also missed the show, so you don’t feel so bad. TiVo will still catch your unwatched show when it repeats, though.)
  • After awhile, the concept of watching live TV will seem foreign and outdated. You’ll forget when your favorite shows air, because you no longer care: That’s TiVo’s job.
  • If you arrive home 20 minutes after a favorite show started — and you’ve told TiVo to record it for you — you can watch the show as soon as you walk in the door. TiVo plays the show from its beginning for you, all the while continuing to record the rest of the show.
  • TiVo substantially lowers your movie rental tab. Why rent a movie when your TV is filled with so many movies you already want to watch? It no longer matters that the good films aired at 4 a.m. — TiVo stayed awake to record them for you. (And you no longer must remember to put in a videotape; TiVo never needs them.)

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