The Advantages and Disadvantages of Tivo

The first recorder, best and easiest to use digital video - that is TiVo in a nutshell. When introduced, TiVo quickly gained popularity and became a great success in the world of home entertainment. Millions of American families are now enjoying the convenience and freedom that TiVo offers. In a huge way, TiVo has revolutionized digital video recording and made more accessible to the public. This article discusses what TiVo is, as well as the advantages and disadvantages it offers.

What is TiVo?

TiVo is a brand of digital video recorder, or DVR, which allows the user to capture and record TV programs to hard disk drive for later viewing. The TiVo basically works like a VCR or a VCR. The big difference is that TiVo uses a high memory, non-removable hard disk storage and has a much more sophisticated software for recording programs. In addition, live programs may be suspended or rewound to repeat a sequence and difference based recorders, a program that is being recorded can be seen from the beginning. TiVo is powered by a 50 MHz PowerPC chip, IDE controller and specialized MPEG hardware encoding and decoding. A Quantum 13.9GB IDE hard drive (14 hours), includes the memory used for recording programs. There are new units that offer hours 20, 30 and 60 for registration. Meanwhile, TiVo software is Linux-based TiVo has encouraged some to affect.

Advantages of TiVo

Convenience - Now, you have total control of your entertainment. With TiVo, people will no longer have to schedule plans around a favorite TV show. Instead, you can set TiVo to record that particular program for later viewing and can be watched over and over again. With TiVo, you can select your favorite programs to record either by time, title of the specific program, as well as by genre, actors, directors and many others. The TiVo memory is massive allowing you to accommodate all your favorite programs, which remain intact for viewing until you manually delete it.

Excellent User Interface - The TiVo interface is easier to use in many ways than a VCR. Even technophobes can easily get the hang of TiVo and will soon consider TiVo as a best friend. A great feature that TiVo has the thumbs up / thumbs down, which is basically a user rating system, which allow viewers to score television shows. Users can rate TV shows on a scale of three inches high and three inches lower. These evaluations are then used to determine user preferences to suggest some shows and programs that are similar to your interests.

Great Features - In addition to great comfort and ease of use, TiVo offers a host of other exciting features TV addicts will love. TiVo subscribers can record a show every time it airs regardless of when the show begins. TiVo also feature Wish List searches and online scheduling which have made TiVo a household necessity. All theses more TiVo various home entertainment innovations make people wonder how they went so long without this exceptional piece of home entertainment.

Disadvantages of TiVo

Privacy Concerns - Some users are concerned that TiVo's ability to collect usage data can penetrate the privacy of its subscribers. However, TiVo assures its users that any information about individual viewing habits is collected.

Ads - TiVo began including pop-up advertisements to explore as an alternative source of income. Apparently, the user fast-forwards through certain commercials, instead of seeing a patch of broken video stream, they will see a static image. This drew negative response from its subscribers who have previously enjoyed TiVo for free viewing experience .......