Best TiVo for me?

[NealP]

I am a college student and want a DVR. TiVo is the number one brand, so I thought it'd be a smart investment. I record probably 10 hours of shows a week and watch the shows late at night when I have a chance.

I want one that's easy to set up to record the same shows week after week, works well with a college cable service, and is no more than $200.

What would be the best TiVo for me? Or do I have to get an old model for that price point?

Thanks!

[gbuskirk]

I'd suggest a lifetime-subscribed Series 2 off of Ebay.

[newskilz]

Yeah, probably best bet is a Series 2 with lifetime off of ebay, you could probably get it for around $100-150 if you are a little patient (last I looked several months ago.. maybe less now). Otherwise, if you are wanting to spend up to $200 on the box alone, not including a monthly fee or a lifetime fee, then again, ebay can get you a TiVo HD for about that price. If you are lucky enough, you might be close enough to a Sears or Sears outlet that has some TiVo HD's left in stock , they are on clearance from anywhere from about $25 refurbished (hard to find) to about $150 new in box (usually less if you can look around. To check, go to Sears Outlet (http://www.searsoutlet.com/d/index.jsp) and search for tivo. It can tell you the closest store that has it available. Good luck!!

[bicker]

This is one of those, "Isn't life grand?!" things... just remembering back to when I was in college, the idea of being able to purchase the means for personal entertainment was utterly inconceivable... way out of reach financially. $200 isn't pocket change, but a comparable amount of money, back then, wouldn't have put a dent in achieving what you'd be able to achieve with it these days.

[bianca475]

I am wanting to get TiVo as well do you think its safe to get one off ebay? Will it come with warranty

[bicker]

TiVo's normal warranty isn't that long, so expect that if you're buying one off eBay, it is likely already expired. You can probably assume that of most of the electronics you purchase off of eBay.

Purchasing a TiVo off eBay is not much more dangerous that other similar devices. Personally, I don't go to eBay; I personally don't feel that the added risks of buying used, in general, and off of eBay, specifically, are worth it. As long as you go into such a purchase, though, fully understanding that you're not buying something new (unless it is actually being sold as new), and that you're not buying from a traditional store, with traditional customer service processes and apparatus in place, then you should defer to your own tolerance for the added risks involved.

[johnny99]

If you want cheap, just watch Hulu for free. No need for a DVR.
TivoHD + subscription is not in your price range.

[ZeoTiVo]

look at how far Netflix would go for 200$ and the selection of movies and shows you can get for that money.

[lew]

Some (many?) colleges have their own "private" cable system. I wouldn't spend money on tivo without finding out if tivo has guide data for your system. You also need to find out if your college cable system is analog, digital and if it requires a box.