Comments on: Retailers try a new pitch--free TiVo

CompUSA offers TiVo digital video recorders for free with $499 purchase; subsidiary The Good Guys is rebating units.

Retailers try a new pitch--free TiVo Assuming you erver get the rebate

Bought a TiVo back in the Fall, filed all the paper work for the $100 rebate right after I activated service, after many e-mails and phone calls, I still don't have a check...new answer is they will investigate over the next 20 days and see if I should get a rebate. Great product but buy it for the product DON'T count on the rebates...never again will I buy a product with a mail in rebate...up front or no deal

free TiVo Assuming you erver get the rebate

Bought a TiVo back in the Fall, filed all the paper work for the $100 rebate right after I activated service, after many e-mails and phone calls, I still don't have a check...new answer is they will investigate over the next 20 days and see if I should get a rebate. Great product but buy it for the product DON'T count on the rebates...never again will I buy a product with a mail in rebate...up front or no deal

[Earl Benser]

That's about what TiVo is worth...

.... nothing. It's obsolete technology (if that) in a mismatched
market dominated by the big boys who are about to come out
with MPEG-4 transmissions and recorders, with full computer
links.

TiVo was a bad implementation of a mediocre idea from the
beginning. Now it is just a wste of time.

Besides, based on the quality of TV show material, a VCR with a
dozen tapes still is quite adequate.

[nextbend]

Limiting Factor

As always the limiting factor with the "all in one" box design of the Tivo and DVRs in general is the built-in hard drive. Drive capacity increases faster than processing power and those drives are obsolete before they can be shipped.