I don't like how Tivo charges a monthly service fee, do I didn't get Tivo. Instead, I turned one of my old desktop PC's into a PVR recorder. For $50 + the price of a TV tuner I can do everything Tivo can only I don't have to pay every month for it.
Beyond TV 4 is pretty good and it comes with a lifetime subscription to their channel guide.
What exactly does the Tivo company offer that would cause you to have to pay every month? The only think I can think of is the guide, and that alone is NOT worth the price.
At anyrate, I definitely agree that PVR and recording "Tivo style" is definitely something that you could not understand unless you have it. However, if you are thinking about getting Tivo, consider building your owen PVR recorder out of an old PC with Beyond TV 4. Tivo can't burn the recorded stuff to DVD's can it?
By the way, you hook your computer up to the TV in case you're wondering about that, it's just as good quality, works just as fast etc. Look into it.