HOT STUFF: VIRGIN MEDIA TIVO

    Tivo makes sure you're never short of something to watch...

    Originally available in the US only, Tivo was the original Smart TV box, offering a retrospective EPG back when YouView was just a twinkle in Lord Sugar's eye. The Tivo box itself looks suitably futuristic and there are two configurations available, one with 500GB, the other 1TB storage. Opt for the beefier version and you'll be able to record and store up to 500 hours of SD footage.
    You won't be short of options, either. In addition to a huge live channel choice — up to 205 channels, 36 of which are HD — Tivo boasts a sizeable on-demand library.
    With three tuners Tivo can record three channels while you watch a fourth. That means there's very rarely a clash and Tivo can auto-record programmes it thinks you'll like without affecting your viewing. Use the red and green Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down buttons on the remote to record your tastes and this feature can become genuinely useful.
    With lots of contextual cleverness, this box also has the best search function around, helping you find when the shows you want to watch are next on, or locating catch-up if you've missed them. Alternatively you can use the EPG to zip seven days forward and back in time to search for content.

Tivo is the ultimate telly addict's gadget, bringing you all the shows you love and even suggesting new favourites

( BOX: 500GB FREE, 1TB £49.95, SUB: £31.50 A MONTH, VIRGINMEDIA.CO.UK )

    So far, so impressive, but for the uninitiated Tivo's interface can be baffling and keeping track of the sheer volume of content is tiring —hopefully the new Virgin TV Anywhere app will help.
    If your home is in a fibre-optic area (input your postcode online to check) the Tivo box's connection doesn't impact on your normal data traffic. However, this didn't prevent our box from occasionally buffering, and it wasn't uncommon to loose interactive services altogether, requiring a reboot of the box. Clever then, but not bullet proof.

{SPECIFICATION}
SYSTEM Fibre-optic broadband or cable
STORAGE 500GB (60hrs HD) or 1TB (100hrs HD)
HD CHANNELS 36
TUNERS 3 EPG 7 days forward and back
SMART TV APPS YouTube, Flickr, BBC iPlayer, eBay, Twitter, Facebook
CONNECTIONS HDMI, start, 2x USB, ethernet, optical audio out

{DIMENSIONS}

HEIGHT 68mm    WIDTH 370mm    DEPTH 237mm    WEIGHT 2.5kg

{DETAILS}

LOOKS Finished in matt black with a sloping fascia, Tivo looks good under your TV.

STORAGE 500GB or 1TB, how much space do you need? With Tivo expanding your tastes we suggest you go big.

ONLINE Tivo boxes connect to their own high-speed network connection where available, Buffering does still &Ter though.

{KILLER CONTENT}

Virgin Media On Demand
Bespoke collections of on-demand progammes include season boxsets, often in hi-def. There's also catch-up from all the major channels and access to Sky Anytime on Virgin.

{LOVE} A huge on-demand library. Tivo's intelligent auto-recording. Multiple search and catch-up options allow you to customise the way you use the box.
{HATE} Interface not completely intuitive. Occasional buffering and box glitches. Expensive.