TiVo vs. Cox DVR

A DVR's hard drive determines how much content the DVR can store internally. TiVo DVRs can store recorded television show and other media such as personal pictures. The TiVo Premiere and the TiVo Premiere XL offer two different hard drive sizes. The TiVo Premiere's hard drive stores 20 hours of high-definition programming or 400 hours of standard-definition (SD) programming. The Cox DVR has 80 hours of HD programming capacity. The TiVo Premiere XL has the largest hard drive and can hold 150 hours of HD programming or 1,350 hours of SD programming.

Both the TiVo DVR and Cox DVR are dual-tuning DVRs. A DVR with a dual-tuner can record up to two channels simultaneously. However, if two shows are being recorded, the DVR "locks" the user from being able to change channels unless one of the recordings is cancelled. If one tuner is recording a show, the second tuner can be used to change channels. Where the DVRs differ is in their multi-room viewing capabilities. Using one Cox DVR, viewers can pause a program and resume the show on a different television. This can be done with a TiVo; however, TiVo requires one DVR per television to transfer programs from television to television.

Cox has partnerships with movie companies and other services to provide on-demand and pay-per-view services. On-demand programming offers access to movies and television shows that aren't airing on television. With pay-per-view, viewers can purchase viewing rights for exclusive events. TiVo has built partnerships with third-party vendors to include streaming services for those who use a broadband connection with their TiVo. These partnerships include television show streaming via Hulu, movie streaming with Netflix and music streaming with Rhapsody.

TiVo includes an upfront cost. The TiVo Premiere costs $99 and the TiVo Premiere XL costs $299. Also, TiVo requires a service subscription of $19 per month with a one-year commitment, as of 2011. Alternatively, customers can purchase Product Lifetime Service, which is a one-time up-front payment for service costing $499. Customers with multiple TiVos will receive a "multiple service discount," which reduces the service fee for secondary TiVo boxes. Lastly, TiVo users have to rent a CableCard from the cable provider, and the rates will vary. Cox DVRs have a separate charge in addition to monthly cable service. The Cox DVR costs $9.95 per month with an additional $3.75 charge for DVR service.