Got my 2nd and final rebate check today for my Tivo that I got "free" back in April ... story here.
To be honest I wasn't sure if I'd actually get both $100 rebates. I figured either Tivo or Circuit City would somehow wuss out on the deal. But today it's official. $200 returned to me making my Tivo purchase ~$12 for tax. There's just something very satisfying about that :-)
After having Tivo for about 3 months now here are my thoughts ...
* How did I ever get along without Tivo!!! If I had only known how it revolutionizes the way you watch TV I would have found a way to buy one years ago!
* I don't think I've actually watched any live TV in 3 months. If it's not on the Tivo I'm not watching it.
* I can go a whole week and never turn on the TV. I'm no longer a slave to TV schedules. I watch what I want when I want...ahh, the power!
* Shows are so much more enjoyable and shorter without commercials. I do wonder what clever commercials I've missed though in the past 3 months.
* My 7 year old has figured out how to run the Tivo. He records some
cartoons and stuff he thinks is cool off the discovery channel...like
anything dealing with sharks.
* 40 GB is not nearly enough room. I shouldn't complain since I got mine almost free, but I'm looking forward to the day the warranty expires so I can slap in a big 250+ GB drive :-)
* I find I'm more selective about what I record and therefore watch. With only 40GB available, it forces me to only record/watch the stuff I'm really interested in. Hence I don't watch some of the shows I used to ... which means even less time sittin' in front of the tube.
* My Tivo is hooked up to my home network so I can download stuff from the Tivo to my PC ... and vice-versa. Probably the best part is that I can sit at work and schedule stuff to record on my home Tivo ... from my desk at work! ... I've done it a time or two and it's sweet.
So, what shows am I recording?
American Chopper - I still can't explain why exactly I enjoy this show but I do.
Nascar - typically I watch the first 10-20 laps, fast forward until there's a crash, then watch the last 20 laps. On some of the more tight tracks I'll actually watch the whole thing. Bristol for instance has some amazing close racing.
Anything Racing - I told Tivo to record any auto racing show ... it scans my channels and hooks me up. Of course I only have basic cable so there's not much it picks up besides an occasional American Le Mans race.
Austin City Limits - some great "live" tunes
Hell's Kitchen - my wife thinks the show is stupid, I think it's interesting to see some behind the scenes of a restaurant.
Myth Busters - our current family favorite. Though some of the "science" is really lame, it's always fun to watch stuff get destroyed and learn something new.
Top Gear - new show on Discovery showcasing a lot of overseas exotic cars ... and the hosts are British and quite funny.
Dirty Jobs - ahh, one of those shows that makes me glad to be in IT
The Apprentice - Like most of America, Kim and I enjoy this show. Come on new season!
Deadliest Catch - it's now over, but it was such an interesting show. Catch the reruns if you can.
24 - arrrgh, I can't wait until January for the next season to start. Best show on TV IMHO.
I'll occasionally check the Discovery Channel lineup and schedule a few non-season shows. I haven't played with it yet, but you can setup the Tivo to automatically record shows it "thinks" you like based on other shows you've recorded. I'm sure I'm missing some interesting stuff on Discovery...but then again...that's just more time I can devote to other things.
Tivo rocks ... but I'd recommend getting the 80GB version or bigger ... unless you can get a 40GB unit free :-)
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