its disappointed that Telecom and Tivo (sheperded in to NZ by TVNZ) are railroading people into this arrangement. Tivo should have been internet service provider agnostic. Talk about limiting your market. Still, since TVNZ and Telecom are quasi govt, no surprise really.

It takes protectionist cronyism semi privatised to really muck something as potentially good as this up.

I had TiVo in the UK and loved it's simplicity but I resent being excluded as a TelstraClear customer. We do not wish to go with Telecom under any circumstances. We have not been informed by press releases etc and TiVo itself whether it would be possible to obtain a box and use it for a season pass for example without the need for an internet connection.

I bought a USB tuner for my computer, cost about $100 which picks up Freeview HD and I can record programs onto the computer NO INTERNET NEEDED.
TiVo sounds like a rip off.

I cannot see how TIVO will be a success. Firstly, it is more expensive in its initial purchase than Sky's MySky HDI and secondly being tied to Telecom fixed line limits the speed that movies are downloaded. Sky already has on-demand through MySky which uses a satellite download and is far quicker. TIVO will use a broadband connection which, at present, is way too slow. I have tried to download movies off Apple's iTunes through my ISP - Vodafone - and it has taken over two hours to get one movie. It takes me only 10 minutes to go to the local DVD shop to rent one. Even with streaming and buffering there are too many "breaks". I cannot use TVNZ's on-demand very much so to get around this I use Firefox and a video downloader plugin to save the video to hard disc first. This can take anything up to 15 minutes for a 5 minute clip.I also can view and record Freeview on my Mac through a USB tuner and this works very well. For now I'll stick with the video shop.

I would seriously consider purchasing a TIVO box as I am already looking at buying a dual tuner PVR and I am a telecom broadband customer. The problem is that TIVO requires Freeview|HD and while this is available to "75% of NZ'ers", it's only available in 9 centres, the rest of us require the expense of satellite, and TIVO are not offering satellite option.

Tivo wont see the light of day.
Over priced and too messy to set up, ie broadband connections not at most tv points etc.

TIVO is an overpriced joke that only Telecom & TVNZ could come up with. I gladly pay $8 a month (for an ISP phone line) to be free (as possible) from Telecom.

Is there anything worth watching on TV??

Give it a rest, they and TVNZ are in business to make money for their shareholders just like everyone else. The exclusive reseller deal wont last forever.

If you actually read the tivo web site, you don't have to have a telecom broadband connection, you could use whoever ISP and this ISP could offer tivo data un-metered service if they felt they would retain customers.

"Is TiVo® content metered?

If you are not a Telecom Broadband customer you will not enjoy the benefits of unmetering, or be able to access On-Demand content. The TiVo service uses only a very small amount of data, and it will not have a notable impact on your monthly broadband download quota."

Now I am rid of Telecom nothing will ever get me back. Big mistake tivo.

At the moment I am with Telecom broadband and have a new HD widescreen no freeview built in.
If I buy TiVo, a one off cost, I don't need to buy a new dvd rcorder, I don't have to buy a new freeview box and I don't have to pay for a video store membership. Seems a good deal to me.

Got the TIVO box and all good but the web page refers to the Home Networking package which is what I wanted to play DVD movies from, Filed a request about how to purchase and was told not yet available in New Zealand. It even refers to it in the Terms and Conditions page. Very disappointing and was one of the reasons I went for TIVO.

I understand that an awful lot, if not all, Telecom broadband connections are wireless anyway. So you just need the extra $200 or so wireless adaptor. Telecom broadband for me? Not on your nelly! But I would get Tivo just for increased viewing and recording capabilities, if I could.

I would love to have the choice of Tivo, but sadly, it is not available to 25% of the country who must rely on satellite for their digital TV signal. I'm with Max on that one, unfortunately already bought the new DVD recorder less than two years ago which sadly doesn't contain a digital tuner, or even more than one tuner. Standard issue at the time I bought it. Blimmin' disposible society we live in.

I just bought TiVO, its brilliant, so I have Freeview, an DVD recorder and downloadable movies for only $360.00, which is a new promo price for Telecom customers - Yusss!!!!

I have just bought a new TIVO digital recorder. my Boadband connection is NOT with Telecom, only my landline is, but the use is in the MB rather than GB range. After some teething troubles with the set up, turned out the box was faulty & replaced, I now have a digital recorder that I am more than satisfied with, all for the Telecom promo price of $360 approx. (Time Tivo updated their web page! I recommend it.
As a digital recorder for $360 its a great buy.

I've shifted from MySky HDi to TiVo. The tivo 320GB is available for $299 from Noel Leeming and Bond & Bond. The device is better than MySky HDi - clearer sharper pictures, great user interface and the searching & wishlist capabilities are really powerful. I'm with Vodafone as my ISP. Wouldn't consider TiVo at $900 but at $299 it really is a bargain! Very happy customer!