Does Verizon charge you $13.95 a month for the service? Oh, I forgot, that's TiVO. HA!

And you still watch TV from an antenna? The TiVo service is far beyond what is offered freely over the internet. I have explored all the options because I, like you apparently, do not like to pay for things. Yes, there are a lot of things you can do with the free stuff, and if you add all of them together, they come close to the TiVo service, but then you have to keep track of at least four different services/programs, and it all runs through your PC. If that is your hobby, great, love it, live with it. The TiVo box sits by itself next to the TV and does it all by itself, and for that, yes, you do have to pay a fee. Don't want to pay the monthly fee? A one time payment of $299 (just under two years of paying monthly subscription) will get you lifetime service on that unit. With all the options for reviving dead boxes, there isn't much worry in that unit breaking down beyond it melting in a fire or something.

And take a look at all the other services the cell carriers add on to their phones. Any of them free? Haven't found any...

I'd really be interested to find out why you posted that snarky comment beyond just wanting to appear cool to all the readers that happened upon your fantastic sense of the dramatic and humorous. First, you have the price wrong. Second, you spelled TiVo wrong. Third, you are a doody-head.

A "Doody-head". Hey, that's truly original of you.

I have a big problem with TiVo (spelled OK now? sorry for that...). I think TiVo is a greedy company that rather than selling a breakthrough product, fleeses it's users with monthly "useage fees", and then can't understand why their product doesn't sell as well as they think it should. Did the VCR have a useage fee? No, and it went universal, billions sold. Did the DVD player have usage fees? No, billions sold. How about DVD recorders? Nope again, millions sold. I think the TiVo idea and technology are great. I refuse to spend "just another $14 a month" for something that if marketed smartly would have sold billions of units and made the company rich. No, instead they sit on their patented IP and fleese users, and THANKS to them they've been able to proove that you can get away with charging for anything and people will pay. So now competing units all charge.

I want a plain DVR unit with a tuner and a timer, like a VCR. I don;t need or want all the fancy services that you are paying for. But TiVo refuses to do this because people will pay.

Snarky enough for you?

Siegel - do your research. Buy a TiVo Series 2. It IS a plain DVR unit with timer though it does not have an integrated tuner, you would need either a cable box or a VCR with integrated tuner (which didn't need a subscription because it did nothing other than the simple recording/playback functions with "time-shifted" viewing available only through user interaction) to provide the signal necessary. You don't need cable, you can grab those 1-7 local channels available to you thru the air with an antenna connected to your VCR to provide broadcast signal (if they still exist in your area). The TiVo unit does NOT NEED to have the service subscribed to in order to work as a PVR, you can go in and tell it to record X channel at X time and it will do it. Voila, your digital recording for you to watch. TiVo tells you this in their literature, on their website and if you call their Customer Concern line. No, they do not scream it from the rooftops, their money does not come from the hardware, they make money from the monthly and/or lifetime subscriptions they sell to their unique service.

Next I take exception to your "greedy company" line. When, exactly, in your superior-than-all world view is it okay for companies to make money? How do they pay their workers? Do they make profit? How much does it cost to pay your rent/mortgage, buy simple food, clothes and heating/cooling for your family? Should you be entitled to any money beyond that? Your "greedy company" statement says no. But then, you don't think that way. People should have everything they want and no one should benefit from their labors? You do understand that a company that makes money over and above costs is making profit, correct? You understand that your paycheck, whatever size, is profit if you have anything left over after paying your costs of living, correct? The American Dream promises that if you work hard and try, you can make whatever you wish of yourself. It doesn't promise that Siegel will get whatever the heck he/she wants whenever he/she wants it and anyone that stands in his/her way is greedy and out to get him/her.

And two last points, first, no, not nearly snarky enough and secondly, you are still a doody-head.

So, according to you, a TiVo series 2, just has simple video and stereo audio inputs and outputs. No tuner. This could be hooked up to a TV having those connections and this unit could "on demand" record the currently being watched show, using the TV's cable ready tuner. IF that is available, then I will stand corrected in that regard only. I would also consider purchasing one and the company would get my money from hardware only.

However, I still hold my other views on the selling of that service for the price they get for it. The fact also that a plain unit WITH a tuner/timer which can be programmed manually without the service for no fees still is not available. Perhaps they should look into making some money on selling hardware without fees. I have always felt this is holding them back, and keeping the device from becomming "universal" like the VCR became. My opinion. I still feel it's a "greedy" way to make themselves sucessful. MY opinion.

Whatever.

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