I should get. the 40 or 80 hr?


That would depend on the price difference, I think. If the difference is trivial (say, $400 for the big one, $300 for the small one) then I'd get the bigger one, but only for the improved flexibility.

My TiVo is an old standalone model, with a 30 hour capacity. I don't think I have ever had anything I wanted to see get overwritten because there wasn't enough room.

TiVo records on a dual-tiered First-in/First-out system. On the top tier are the programs you specifically told it to record. Those programs stay in the TiVo until you specifically delete them, or until you truly run out of room, at which point a new top tier program will overwrite the oldest program.

On the second tier are the programs that TiVo records on its own -- program TiVo thinks you'll like. All of these programs have to be over-written before TiVo will delete any top-tier program. And TiVo will never overwrite a top-tier program with a second-tier program.

I've made it sound more complicated than it is... just think of a list of programs in your TiVo, most recent ones on top. And then when you get to the bottom of the list, a second list (with different icons so you can easily recognize them) of second-tier programs (chosen by TiVo) that you can watch but which are in more imminent danger of being overwritten by new programming.

I've never felt the need for more than 30 hours.

But wait -- there is the issue of picture quality here. My TiVo holds 30 hours, but that is at the lowest quality. I don't have cable -- everything my TiVo records comes in through the antenna on top of my house, so it is pointless to record a low quality signal in high quality mode. If picture quality is an issue with you then you must get the larger disk. Highest quality uses five times as much disk space, I think.

tanstaafl.