Seriously, though, the TiVo "guide" capability is what makes it so superior to a "dumb" DVR....
Indeed it is. #1 reason that other DVR's aren't as useful. After a couple of months of learning, our Tivo found dozens of shows and movies that we enjoyed. Shows that we otherwise had never heard of. Very useful.
And to a new user...
Yes, it can pick up on strange trends. For a while, my Tivo thought I enjoyed Nazis. I recorded a WWII documentary about Hitler. After that, for a short time it would occasionally record things related to Nazis, like a Jerry Springer skinhead episode. How lovely. But it's easy to correct (three thumbs down, or you can reset the suggestions). And it quickly learned that I wasn't really interested in all Nazi programming.
It only records 'suggested' material if the Tivo isn't doing anything else and it has the space to do so without losing any of your requested recordings. Or you can disable that feature all-together if you only want Tivo to record what you tell it to.
