TiVo Premiere

The TiVo Premiere features the first refresh of the TiVo interface in quite some time. While not everyone is a fan, most say that it is stunning and easy to use. The TiVo's Discovery Bar makes it easy to explore offerings from your cable provider and from online sources, including Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Blockbuster on Demand and many more. The storage capacity is relatively spacious at 45 hours for HD content, and you can add an external hard drive for more room for your programs. You can also stream content from the TiVo Premiere for viewing or storage, as well as burn copies to DVD (with the help of software from Roxio (*Est. $70)).

Not everyone is pleased with TiVo's new subscription options, which offer a subsidized receiver at a lower initial cost, but higher monthly costs (*Est. $19.95 per month) and an early termination fee if you drop service before the first year is up. Nonsubsidized TiVo Premieres cost more initially (*Est. $300), and they carry the same monthly subscription fee (minus the early termination penalty). You can also opt for a lifetime subscription (*Est. $500), which is good for the life of the DVR and transfers with it should you decide to sell your TiVo to someone else.

If you want a TiVo Premiere with more storage, the TiVo Premiere XL (*Est. $300 and up, plus TiVo service) has storage for150 hours of HD content and adds a few goodies, such as THX certification. An unsubsidized TiVo Premiere XL is also available (*Est. $500, plus TiVo service). Subscription plans, including the imposition of early termination fees, are identical whether you opt for the standard Premiere or the Premiere XL.

The newest TiVo is the TiVo Premier Elite (*Est. $500, plus service). It ups the tuner count to four and the capacity to 300 hours of HD programming, but it ditches support for over-the-air broadcasts (it works only with digital cable and Verizon Fios fiber service). Monthly and lifetime service fees are the same as other TiVo DVRs, but the company drops the service commitment and early termination penalty.

Like all TiVo's (and any DVR that doesn't come directly from your cable company), you will probably need to get a CableCard from your cable provider (*Est. $4 per month), and that technology deactivates some cable company extras such as video on demand. That leads some to say that cable company DVRs (price varies by provider) are less expensive and more convenient than the TiVo Premiere, though many TiVo enthusiasts would beg to disagree. The TiVo Premiere works with all digital cable systems and Verizon Fios, but not with AT&T U-verse or any satellite TV provider. Some cable companies are offering DVRs with TiVo Premiere software as an option, and more are slated to do so.  A TiVo-powered DVR for DirecTV was promised for 2011, but it has yet to appear.

The TiVo Premiere has been widely reviewed. The best review is the detailed report at PCMag.com. Other reviews worth reading can be found at Gizmodo.com, Engadget.com, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Check out TiVoCommunity.com for the most helpful user feedback.