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The TiVo is one of the hottest and most popular consumer electronics in the world today, and has become a godsend in this day and age of technology. Today, we're taking a look at the TiVo HD, the latest offering from the company.

The TiVo HD is about the size of a cable box, and includes the award-winning TiVo remote control, a quick start guide, and composite, component, and power cables for connecting to your HDTV or front-projector. In terms of outputs, you have the choice of component, HDMI, S-Video, and composite so the TiVo HD is compatible with almost any TV. The unit can store 20 hours of HD content and 180 hours of standard definition content depending on the quality of the recording. In order to setup the TiVo HD, you'll also need one multi-stream CableCARD or two single-stream CableCARDs from your cable provider (Comcast, etc). You can also attach an ATSC over-the-air antenna as an alternative to CableCARDs, but you won't receive premium channels like HBO or Cinemax. Satellite users are out of luck though. You'll also need an wired internet connection (or wireless with the addition of a network adapter).

Setting up the TiVo is easy, the setup guides you along by asking for your network settings, cable provider, and more. The setup took less than 10 minutes to complete. Using the TiVo after that is extremely simple, and the TiVo service even recommends shows based on your favorites and records those automatically, giving you the ability to discover new shows. On the front of the TiVo are 4 LED's that indicate power, record 1 & 2, and network download. To the right of those are format indicators letting you know what resolution the TiVo is currently outputting. Below that are the two CableCARD slots.

One of the most popular features of TiVo is the Season Pass. Let's say you like The Office on NBC, just find the show, and get a season pass and you'll get every new episode including or excluding repeats. It's that simple, no need to set a timer, the TiVo just knows. Another great feature is TiVo Online Scheduling. Not at home? Don't worry, just go to TiVo.com and set it to record a show. We tested the TiVo using a Zenith ATSC antenna, and it worked just great. 20 hours of HD content seemed a bit paltry though, and TiVo hasn't enabled the eSATA port on the back of the unit yet either.

The TiVo HD is available for $299.99 from TiVo.com and retailers across the country.

Pros

• Easy setup.
• Works with almost any type of cable source.
• Unique features like Season Pass.
• Extremely easy to use.
• Simple design.

Cons

• Limited to 20 hours of HD content.
• Not compatible with cable on-demand services.

Final Verdict
4 out of 5 stars.

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