Got 'TiVo guilt'?
December 3rd, 2008 by CatI don't have TiVo.
And there's a very simple reason.
Guilt.
I know that if I had this service — which, I know, revolutionized the way people watch TV — I'd probably watch more TV than I already do.
Sure, TiVo — or any digital video recorder (DVR) — allows viewers to be more discerning about what we watch. No more mindless channel-surfing or getting sucked into an infomercial for "Hip Hop Abs."
Except what's happening is people are recording everything, from episodes of "Lost" to "Days of our Lives" to reruns of "America's Funniest Home Videos."
And, according to a story on CNN, this convenience has turned into drudgery.
"Economists call this 'opportunity costs,'" says Brad Berens, chief content officer for iMedia Communications, who analyzes how media advances change people's behavior, to CNN. "You're sitting there and you have to weigh, well, 'I have to watch this thing, because I promised myself when I told TiVo ... I want the whole season of that! Go get it! And go get things like it!' And so you've committed to this decision and it's a burden — suddenly your relaxation has turned into more work."
There's a blog — Addicted To TiVo — devoted to this issue. There's even a group on Facebook for TiVo addicts, which lists the reasons you're an addict:
1. You got addicted to TiVo and watch even more TV than you did at first.
2. You skipped class to watch TiVo.
3. You bought a second TiVo because 40 hours was not enough recording space.
4. You record shows you don't like for your roommates / friends but end up watching them anyway.
5. You know what Tooka Tooka means.
6. You press the thumbs up and down buttons because you like the noises (i.e making TiVo music)
7. You hate watching TV at other people's places because you can't rewind or fast forward.
8. You schedule online recording from work because you forgot to set it the night before.
9. You know TiVo's most replayed moment in history (see Halftime of Super Bowl 2004).
10. You started using the word "TiVo" as a verb (i.e Tivoed).
Does this sound like you — or someone you know?
***
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December 3rd, 2008 at 2:48 am
has it been 4 years already since the janet jackson wardrobe malfuntion?my,how time flies. i can still remember where i was........
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:40 am
We don't have a Tivo or DVR either. Everyone I know has one and loves it but to me it's just another bill to pay or un-needed expense. If anything I need to watch less TV....except the sports of course.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:58 am
I love my DVR! It doesn't recommend shows, it only records what I tell it to record. I normally don't watch tv during the week so I save all my shows for the weekend. I also save one show for the hiatus so I have something to watch. I can't stand to watch live tv now because I can't fast forward the commercials. I have become an impatient tv watcher.
I used to have a Tivo and I do miss the sound. I was one of those who would constantly hit the thumbs up or down button just to hear the sound.
I show my age when I say I taped a certain show. I always have to correct my self and say record.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:47 am
I don't have either and don't plan to. It's just another bill to pay and if you don't have it, you won't miss it. I have better things to do than plant myself in front of the TV all day long.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:56 am
can recordings on the tivo gadget be saved? Like with a vcr you make your recording,pull the tape out and put it on the shelf for future viewing. can this be done with tivo?i have vhs tapes i recorded that are 20 years old and still play great.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:17 am
Don't have a Tivo, VCR, DVD, or TV. So, no time wasted each day watching the boob tube now turning flat panel. One less excuse not to get Christmas shopping done.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:54 am
I never had much time to watch TV, so DVR has been a great way for me to catch up on my regular shows. But, I admit, I've also recorded about 10 episodes of Real Housewives of Atlanta just to "check it out." Then I got sucked into watching multiple episodes, even though it was absolutely terrible!
Cute gift today, and hooray for supporting PBS. Another great gift idea is a donation in a friend's name or giving a gift certificate to Kiva.org, where the recipient can "invest" the funds as a micro-financier, supporting small business loans in underdeveloped countries. We did this recently and it was so easy and so "feel-good"!
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:01 am
I think I would watch LESS TV with DVR because I would only watch the shows that I like, instead of channel surfing in between my shows.
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:07 am
gah! i'm under moderation. what i say? aigoo.....
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:22 am
I'm with Papaya on this one. I like the DVR because I can record the stuff I missed due to meetings and other stuff. I think I'm using way more now because it's football season I with the holiday and everything else I miss the games I want to see but recording it, I get to see the game only downside is that I usually know the outcome of the game.
Oldshoes, you can record stuff from your DVR to a VCR or DVD burner. All you have to do it connect the DVR to you VCR, or DVD Burner and then connect the VCR or DVD burner to your TV. It's not too hard. YOu can always ask someone at an electronics store like Best Buy (my fav electronics store) and they should be able to walk you thorough step by step.
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:05 am
The gift idea is excellent: maybe next year I'll make a mental note to only purchase items with causes attached to them. It's a great way of giving to all involved.
Genius!
As for TiVo or DVR - If i had the extra money, I'd invest in the TiVo. I like the idea it taping things that might interest you. At this time, I have to deal with surfing during commercials .... *sign*
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:17 am
To my great shock and awe, I came home one day to find that my wife, who had unviewed programs dating back to 2006, had returned the box to the cable company and cut our service back to the lowest basic level you can get. This is a woman who watches up to six hours of CSPAN's most obscure programs while researching simultaneously, threads of the topics on her Apple MacBook. "What about all those Earl's and Red-Green's I saved?", I said. "Gone", she said. "What about Stacy and Clinton?" "Gone." Then she said. "I made us a picnic, with deviled eggs, the way you like, with Djon. Let's go to the park." When there are deviled eggs, I don't ask anymore questions.
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:51 am
I also don't have TiVo or a DVR and am too cheap to get either. However, one way to get my TV fix if I miss a show is to watch them online - either on the network's site or one of those freebie sites. Most of the major network shows are online. They come with commercials that you can't fastforward but they're only about 30 secs or so.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I watch the same amount of TV as I did before with the exception that I TIVO more shows on PBS - I have season passes to the different Masterpiece Theatre specials and NOVA. The best thing about TIVO is if I forget to record something and remember while I'm at work, I can schedule the show via the TIVO website. And I save time watching live TV when I'm at home by turning on a show halfway through that I'm recording and skipping all the commercials.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I love those women on the hip hop abs infomercial. Perfect 10's.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:54 pm
That sounds exactly like my wife! We had to get a second TiVo for our bedroom so she could tape more shows. I will admit that I absolutely love our TiVo. I think I do watch less TV though, because I can tape only what I want to watch and I can save time by fast forwarding through commercials. Another bonus is transferring TV shows to my computer to watch on long trips without needing an internet connection. Oh and I bought a "lifetime" TiVo which means there is no subsription fee and our second one qualifies for a multi-TiVo discount so it's only $6.95 a month. Cheaper than Oceanic's DVR.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
as it is i have the showtime/hbo package and i've not seen one entire movie in the year i've had the subscription. what a waste.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
See, my mom has TiVo and she digs it, too. But I think you end up watching MORE TV than before.
For example, I'd probably TiVo "House" since I love the show, but I hardly watch it anymore. If I had TiVo, I'd spend my late nights watching episodes of a show I wouldn't have watched before.
Then again, I would likely NOT watch so much reality TV, either...