The New York Times has this interesting article about TIVOs and how imagination-impaired executives are getting the willies from them. Seems we all **gasp** fast forward past the commercials (pinky to mouth).

Seriously folks, if you record more than, say, 2 programs per month or have ever missed a favorite show because the network moved it around, you want one of these things. We bought ours at auction just before Christmas, and it has literally changed the way we watch TV. It's a really basic 16-hour model, but once the warranty runs out I'm popping a new IDE hard drive in it and blowing it up to, say, 60 hours or so.

Things TiVo has Done for Me:

• Kept me out of trouble when Ellen is venting about something. Wife talking over favorite TV show? Hit PAUSE until wife is done. Listen intently. Hit PLAY to continue watching.
• Kept me out of trouble when Mom calls. Mom calling up to freak about latest virus scare? Hit PAUSE until she is calm. Hit PLAY to continue watching.
• Allowed me to share really cool TV moments with Ellen, because Ellen can't just sit still and watch TV, she has to do something else and listen to it. Did Jonny Knoxville just bust his ass in a particularly funny way? Hit REPLAY and then PAUSE and wait for Ellen to surface from whatever she's doing and then hit PLAY to show her.
• Kept us from missing favorite Food TV or Cartoon Network shows that they keep moving around on us without notice.
• Let me watch a show while it is being recorded (how cool is that!)

And all sorts of other stuff. Like I said, highly recommended.