Overheard

“The desire of the man is for the woman, but the desire of the woman is for the desire of the man.”

“Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.”

“The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.”

“The bonds of matrimony are like any other bonds - they mature slowly.”

“When, after a few years or a few months of a relationship, we find that we’re still unfulfilled, we blame our partners and take up with somebody more promising. This can go on and on—series polygamy—until we admit that while a partner can add sweet dimensions to our lives, we, each of us, are responsible for our own fulfillment. Nobody else can provide it for us, and to believe otherwise is to delude ourselves dangerously and to program for eventual failure every relationship we enter.”

Comments

I have used a Tivo-like feature before... and do not currently have Tivo. Affordable is, in fact, a relative term. I won't say I'll never get it. Of course, I probably won't, since most satellites and cable companies have a DVR option if I do in fact decide to reinstate what I agree to be a very neat feature of the TV viewing experience. (And trust me, I'm experienced!) Of course, this is just my opinion. Ask Travis what my opinion about email was.

Posted by hermitdeb  at  11:57 am on Sep. 27, 2005

See, I appreciate that a TiVo PVR is incrementally better than a DVD recorder, but not profoundly so.

Why, if we watch little television (and specific programs, as opposed to a little random surfing), does the TiVo make a huge difference?

More practically and personally, the current TiVo offering presents me with a couple problems:

1. I need to import it from the US, either by going down there and buying one, or presumably ordering one and having it shipped up.

2. I don't have Internet access in my livingroom, so I need to enable that. That costs money, but more importantly is a pain in the ass.

Add those potential costs to the US $350, and you get at least to US $450, which must be at least CAN $550. That, compared with CAN $300, is a significant difference.

Posted by Darren  at  12:46 pm on Sep. 27, 2005

I think it's worth noting that the rebate is only valid in the United States. I'm lucky enough to have some friends South of the border who can submit the rebate for me, and either mail the cheque or paypal the cash. But for those without American friends/family or a US PO Box, that $150 is a hefty punch in the wallet. Not only that, but acquiring the rebate enters you into a contract with TiVo that requires you sign onto their services for a full year (whether you pay monthly, or get the product lifetime subscription), and the early cancellation fee is, you guessed it, $150.

Of course, those things won't stop me from getting the unit and hoping for the best, but for others who aren't shameless TV Junkies like myself, it might not be worth it...

Posted by Jen  at  1:51 pm on Sep. 27, 2005

Debbie, you didn't use TiVo, and you didn't willingly give up your TiVo-like device, either.

Darren, your objections are one-time problems that, once solved, will fade in comparison to your TiVoJoy(tm). I agree that importation problem is a big one, but you surely know someone who's coming this way soon? You can use a phone line for partial functionality; that's what I used and it was enough.

Jen, the rebate issue is a valid one -- and again, I think that the fact you can't buy TiVo boxes in Canada is a one-time hurdle that shouldn't stop you from years of TiVo enjoyment.

Posted by Travis Smith  at  4:19 pm on Sep. 27, 2005

I love TiVo, and anxiously waiting for the Canadian equivalent (is there ever going to be one?) As a fellow hardcore TV junkie, I too want to experience this TiVo Joy!

Posted by Norlinda  at  7:59 pm on Oct. 3, 2005

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