TiVo TCD652160 HD Digital Video Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First, I need to inform you that all of my home television programming comes from an antenna on my roof. No cable or satellite whatsoever.
When the Series 3 debuted earlier this year, I contacted TiVo about recording two HD channels at the same time from an antenna and was told that would not occur. That one would be in HD and the other in standard definition. That, along with the price made me pass on this unit.
When the TiVo HD came along, I contacted TiVo again and was told by one technician that it WOULD record two HD shows and by another that it would not. With the cheaper price, I decided to give it a try and am glad that I did so.
I am happy to report that this unit will definitely record two high definition programs at the same time from an antenna. No splitters, amplifiers or other hardware. Just plug it into the Antenna connector on back of the box.
Setup and activation was easy. The most difficult part was figuring out the maze of cables behind my TV and Stereo amplifier, but that is hardly TiVo's fault. I already had it set up when I called to activate the box. When I got off the phone and turned it on, it was ready to download the Guide. Very hassle free.
The remote, while nothing fancy, has a good layout of buttons and is programmable so that it will turn my TV on and allow me to change its inputs while the volume and mute buttons control my amplifier. About the only other thing I need for it to do is actually turn the stereo on. But getting up once to turn on the stereo is a small price to pay for being able to record HD programs and pause live TV.
On some forums users have been reporting macro-blocking and pixelation when using some cable cards. I have no experience with that, but can report that I have not seen this problem using an antenna. In fact, I see no difference at all in the quality of the broadcast than I did when the signal went directly to my television.
After a bit over a week's use I have no complaints at all with the product or service and would recommend it to others.

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TiVo HD is a smart addition to any high-definition TV, combining the clarity of high definition with the smart, easy-to-use TiVo Service?. It works with any cable set-up. It connects to any home network, so you get access to the best of both broadcast and broadband content. It downloads the latest movies straight from the Internet to your living room. It can pause, rewind, and slow-motion your favorite moments with razor-sharp HD clarity. Plus, TiVo HD connects to virtually any cable service via CableCARDs1, so it replaces your existing cable box.
TiVo HD FeaturesSearch for HD movies and sports: With our intelligent search features, you can easily find a specific director, actor, player, or team among the world of both broadcast and broadband content. Prefer to see a movie in high definition? Do a WishListTM search and the TiVo service will automatically record the HD version and place it in your Now Playing List.
Record movies in HD: When recording with TiVo HD, you have the option of capturing shows in standard or high definition. Plus, when you play them back, you can easily pause or rewind HD instant replays without ever sacrificing their original razor-sharp HD resolution.
Download movies from the Internet: Don't see any great movies in your cable program guide? You can easily select a classic or new release from the world's largest movie library, order them with a click of your remote control, and have them downloaded directly to your TiVo box.
Access your music library with the remote: When you connect your TiVo DVR to your home network, your HDTV can connect right to millions of songs and playlists available over the Internet. You can now enjoy digital music on the best sound system in the house.
Schedule an HD premiere: With TiVo, you can do your TV scheduling from any computer when you are away from home. Log onto TiVo.com, click on a show, and you're done.

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LG 47LX6500 47-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV with Internet Applications Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)==Updated Jan 20th==
My first impression was positive, the hardware is beautiful and appears well made, the interface too initially seems pretty good. The 2D picture is great and the price is very appealing.
That said... Be warned the 3D crosstalk on this television is TERRIBLE! We bought it with hopes primarily of enjoying a bunch of 3D games on our PS3 (Call of Duty: Black Ops and Gran Turismo 5) only to be confronted with staggering crosstalk and ghosting. It was bad enough that my wife asked "Is the TV broken?" I find that the 3D crosstalk makes playing some games dizzying, annoying and fatiguing. In particular scenes with black on a bright (usually white) background will have your eyes crossing and head aching. For the record, we've tried with both 1.3x and 1.4 HDMI cables to no avail.

(Note: As of Dec 8th the following seems to no longer be an issue) Furthermore after viewing 3D content on the PS3 and then returning to the XMB we'd be in a very messed up state where the LG UI was corrupted and remained so until another 3D movie was played. Really screwy stuff. Hopefully we'll get a firmware update on the PS3 or LG end soon?
Update (Nov 29th): Please see the user images above for examples of the crosstalk in 3D video.
Update (Nov 30th): We've called LG twice about the crosstalk, the first call consisted of a 45 minute wait before they insisted we end the call and try against another kind of 3D content (we did, the problem persisted). The second call resulted in a 60 minute wait, speaking to a person for 2 minutes to confirm my name and phone number, then a 10 minute wait before being accidentally hung up on... LG is _really_ not impressing me here.
Update (Dec 2nd): We just had the LG Tech over about the 3D crosstalk issues. He confirmed that the 3D glasses and IR Transmitter were all functioning properly. After insisting there was no problem by examining some low cross-talk videos (like under water scenes) we showed the tech the scene I attached screenshots of (to user images above) and he was finally convinced that the crosstalk was really bad. He then left to his van for a bit (I assume to talk to his boss) and returned insisting that '3D is in it's infancy and you can't expect the 3D to work very well'... What?! If you know it doesn't work, why are you selling it?! We suggested to him that maybe the white/black (or light/dark) refresh rate of LG LED TVs might not be adequate for 3D but he insisted that the refresh rate is perfectly fine for 3D (I beg to differ!). The tech finally offered to replace the IR unit in the TV but claimed he 'didn't think it would help at all.'
So we confirmed that the TV is fine, the glasses are fine, the 3D content is fine (and the LG tech insisted that the light/dark refresh is fine) but somehow because 3D is in it's "infancy" there is horrible crosstalk?! That doesn't make any sense.
Update (Dec 8th): So the LG technician came by again yesterday to replace the part (the one that he said had no chance of resolving the 3D crosstalk problem). He (and I) were right, replacing this IR board did nothing at all to effect the 3D crosstalk/ghosting issues. I've confirmed the same amount of crosstalk in the PS3 Sizzler video and in MotorStorm 3D Rift. The technician explained that replacing the part is all he can do and from here on out it's between us and LG support... I love it when an employee of a company absolves themselves of helping you... /sigh.
Update (Dec 13th): Minus one star because LG is making this whole crosstalk problem so painful for us. We just ended our 8th call with them and they're insisting on sending another tech to look at our TV rather than giving us a replacement.
Update (Dec 15th): I've done an analysis of the crosstalk on this TV with a high speed video camera, you can see it here: [...] I think this is very convincing evidence that this TV suffers from strong crosstalk.
Update (Jan 20th): So we've now made two dozen calls to LG and had six technicians check out our TV. Although every technician agrees with us that crosstalk is a major problem on this set LG is stonewalling us and refusing to exchange or replace the TV. In the executive service reps words "we don't deal with customer service issues" and "in eight years here I've never seen a replacement offered to an unsatisfied customer". I wish those were LG's official mottos because if they were I could have saved myself a lemon of a purchase.
The Good:
* The 2D image is really great in most situations (No complaints watching Avatar, playing GT5, COD:BO, etc. in 2D).
* Good value for the size and features.
* The firmware for this TV is being actively supported by LG.
* This is the only TV I've ever owned that doesn't letterbox when connected to my wife's Mac mini.
The Bad:
* 3D crosstalk/ghosting ruins 3D functionality for almost all movies and games.
* Terrible telephone support from LG.
* Horrendous flash-lighting on blank black screen (especially with auto-dimming off)
* Overall the brightness seems very uneven in dark scenes, with or without local dimming enabled.
* Local dimming is a joke, there appear to be only about 24 dimming fields. This is not enough resolution to be practically useful.
* The UI is mediocre, you will be shown an annoying pop-up every time you enable 3D or DLNA. I hate pop-ups.
* If you have any problems LG will be completely loath to help you, we're 8 calls, 2 tech visits and countless hours into dealing with them and have no resolution in sight.
* LG, admitting problems with the 3D technology in their LED TVs is moving to another, passive, tech for their next generation of 3D sets.
Note: DON'T BUY FROM ADORAMA unless you are VERY sure you are going to love your TV. Their return policy is "No Hassle" only in as far as it's no hassle for them since they will not accept returns.

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This HDTV is Internet-ready. To view Internet apps on this TV, you may also need:

Broadband Internet service
A router
Cabling
A Wi-Fi adapter (if there is not one built in)
A PC for subscriptions or payments

To learn more about Internet-ready HDTVs, visit Internet-Ready TV 101.

3D Technology Checklist
This product is 3D-related. To help you get a great 3D experience, use our checklist below to ensure that you have everything you need. If you have any questions or want to learn more about 3D, we invite you to visit 3D 101--our center for everything 3D. To get started with 3D, please ensure that you have:
If you want to get more information about 3D, shop our 3D products, watch videos, or interact with other customers, visit 3D 101, our customer center about everything 3D.

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