Why did I not do this sooner?????

My wife finally convinced me to buy TiVo over the weekend. I've talked about it since it came out, but never felt like the price point was worth it. A combination of rebates, new features, and additional considerations, finally pushed us over the edge and we splurged and bought an 80-hr Series2 DVR. Why oh why have I waited this long?

It's a breeze to set up. (Not for me, but that's only because I have a PS2, GameCube, N64, Sega Dreamcast, VCR, turntable, and DVD player all trying to talk to a TV and stereo at once. It is a royal pain to connect anything without disabling or mangling something else.)

Once it's connected to the TiVo network.... (had to string a long phone cord over to it until it did it's thing, over the course of about 20-30 minutes) it knows what channels you have, what is on those channels today, and for the better part of two weeks into the future. I plugged in a USB wireless card into the back. It found my network and blam... no more phone cord necessary.

For those of you unfamiliar with TiVo, now I can:

Set it to record only the first-run episodes of the Daily Show and all episodes of Mythbusters, but only if they don't conflict with first run episodes of Lost, American Dreams, Everwood, Gilmore Girls or Iron Chef America. Record ALL episodes of Lost, no matter what else is on.

(The next time I turn TiVo on, it tells me it's recorded two episodes of the Daily Show, American Dreams, two episodes of Good Eats, and some crazy wacked out anime something or other that Tiff put on there.)

Pause the Vikings vs. Packers game to take out the garbage and clean up dinner, then fast-forward through commercials and the chintzy half-time show to catch up with the game before the end of the third quarter.

Play music from my nearly 4000 song mp3 library saved on my computer upstairs through the TV and stereo over the wireless network. (Works like a charm, even at only "32% marginal signal rate...")

And soon - (not yet available, but promised), download video from the TiVo to my computer and save it for later on my HD, or possibly even archive or burn to DVD...........

Things I've found already about how the TiVo has changed my habits:

1. I don't watch commercial any more unless they really catch my eye as I'm fast-forwarding.
2. I pause sports on purpose, so that I can get things done in good 5-10 minute chunks, and then I fast-forward to catch up.
3. I DON'T flip channels. The default setup is to constantly record what you're watching, but if you're in catch up mode, flipping channels loses your place and you immediately fast forward to real-time. Kind of locks you into a show, which is good for me. I often find myself flipping just to flip. No more.

I won't say that TiVo has changed my life, because I was already starting to wean myself off of the idiot box, but oh wow, does it make it a lot easier to watch the things you really want to watch, and not be distracted by Family Feud on PAX, and all those trashy 25 most.... whatevers on VH1.

Want TiVo to change your life? Check out www.tivo.com and if you do decide to get one, put my email address (in this case... tivo AT jason ramsey DOT net) as a referral. If I get four referrals, I can get Tiff an iPod, which is a really sweet deal.