Hmmm, reasons why a Tivo is better than a cable-company DVR:
1) I can pull shows from my Tivo and watch them on my PC. Same thing for shuttling shows between two or more Tivos.
2) I can pull shows from my Tivo and encode them for use on a PSP, iPod, etc.
3) I can rent movies from Amazon.com and download them for use on the Tivo, or the PC, for the same money.
4) I can pull up MP3's and photos from my PC and display them on my TV. Also viewing of photos from Picasa and Photobucket.
5) I'm not putting my DVR in the hands of the same company that offers me my service, so I'm not up to any shenanigans with content lifespan.
6) You can add additional internal storage to a Tivo to increase recording capability. External storage can be added via eSATA on the Series 3 and Tivo HD units.
7) Series 3 and Tivo HD units can record dual HD streams, just like the cable company DVR.
8) Program guide information for 12 days in advance.
9) Remote programming of any Tivo over the Internet, also via a Verizon cellphone (for a monthly fee on the cellphone).
10) Weather + movie time information without turning on the PC.
11) Viewing home movies uploaded to the Internet.
12) Access to Rhapsody's music selection, if you have a Rhapsody account.
13) A UI that is easy to use and not some crap that the cable company whipped up.
Try here for more info:
http://www.tivo.com/mytivo/domore/index.html
I have 6 Tivo's at home, one for each TV in my house. I've been using the service since 2001, and it's still much better, more versatile and more intelligent than anything the cable company can whip up. If Comcast was so good at it, why would they be licensing the Tivo software for their own DVR's?
Yes, there is an upfront cost to the box, though there's many many things that people have done to hack the Tivo and make it do much more. Check out
www.tivocommunity.com for some ideas.