TiVo Rules!

In order to keep from becoming a complete “Negative Nelly,” as Ned Flanders would say, dwelling nonstop on crooked Statehouse legislators and chunks of my income being lopped off by whimsical rule changes, I thought it best to lighten the mood and discuss my favorite invention of the 21st century, TiVo!

Ask any current TiVo user about the service, and they’ll likely launch into an evangelical rant at a pitch previously seen only in snake handlers when discussing their "own personal Jesus." Hypothetical offers of sacrificing body appendages before parting with their TiVo are also quite common. Trust me, none of this is hyperbole.

With five people and seven TVs in our home, I still have to break up fights over the big screen because it’s the only one with TiVo. When I was eight, I got by with three networks and no remote control. Now my kids whine when they can’t skip commercials or watch Lizzie McGuire on demand.

Of course, I’m just as spoiled now as they are. I will intentionally not sit down to watch The Simpsons when it starts. Rather, I’ll join it about 15 minutes late, which affords me the opportunity to blast through the ads as I watch the entire show and catch back up to real time about 20 minutes later. And I no longer have to wait for John Madden to decide what instant replays to run; I am in control now!

If you’re currently on DirecTV, I highly recommend going with the all-in-one tuner/TiVo combo. If you’re stuck living the lie of “digital” cable or never upgraded from basic or, God forbid, rabbit ears, you can purchase a self-contained TiVo box that can be added to any television.

"I love my TiVo! In fact, my VCR is now in the closet with my Commodore 64 and my Atari." - Jay Leno, The Tonight Show