Do you have cable? Do you have a Motorola or Scientific Atlanta cable box? Might I suggest getting rid of those slow, buggy, low capacity cable-company boxes and stepping into the light known as TiVo.

Strait from Tivo.com you can currently pick up refurbished TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL DVRs for 25-33% off their new MSRP. 

These refurbished units come direct from TiVo with the same 1-year warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee as a brand new units. The TiVo HD is not only a big step up in GUI and reliability from the cable company boxes, they also add Internet streaming capabilities like Netflix Watch Now, Amazon On Demand, Walt Disney Studios, and several others.

Also, using the TiVo Desktop software, the TiVo HD can be completely integrated into your existing home network for file transfer, backup, and even burning of DVD/BD/HD-DVD backups. 

The Tivo HD has a 160GB hard drive capable of storing roughly 20 hours of HD content. The TivoHD XL carries a 1TB hard drive capable of roughly 150 hours of HD content. Other upgrades in the XL include a programmable back lit remote and THX certification. 

The HD is selling for $200 and the HD XL for $450. The added space of the XL is nice, but the standard HD model plus the TiVo-certified 1TB DVR Expander from Western Digital for about $130 seems like a much better value for those who like to pack a month worth of content onto their DVR drives.

Stephen Hopkins

Stephen Hopkins is chief technology editor for EH Publishing. He writes product reviews, features, and focuses heavily on 3D TV, iPhone and iPad apps, and digital content.