Price Paid:  $600.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
This machine was my entry point into the world of TiVo. I have to say, it's one of those services that once you have it, you don't want to ever be without it. Added to the fun of a Series2 TiVo, it also includes a DVD recorder. I was a little surprised to find out that at the machines highest reproduction quality, a DVD only holds 1 hour of programming.

Hookup was very straight forward. It does take the machine quite a while to actually turn on once it's powered up. I suppose with the hard drive, it's like a computer booting up. Over all, I'd say it's a nice piece of equipment. Anything that helps reduce cable clutter is a good thing in my book.

Strengths:
Combines a DVD Recorder and a TiVo for less wiring and one less UI to learn. Very easy GUI which really amounts to little more than a series of menus to drill down. Nice wide feet.

Weaknesses:
The unit is ugly. It's much larger than you would expect it to be and has a bulging fan protruding from the back panel. From a style point of view, it reminds me of '70s era Hi-Fi equipment. Even though the unit is huge, the front panel display is too small to read if you keep your audio equipment alongside or on top of your TV.

Even at $600, with a $50 gift card and a $50 rebate thrown in, it's still more expensive than separate components.