Just curious: why do you want shows to be permanently deleted when you delete them? Is it to hide them from prying eyes peeking into the Deleted folder, or is it for another reason (e.g. to ensure the shows no longer take up any room)?

"So no, I don't trust Tivo to automatically reclaim my space to make room for something new."

But it does. That's how it was designed. That's how it works.

Michelle, you complained about something which is untrue. You were corrected by no less than 3 experienced TiVo users in less than a day. Yet you persist in your position. This is highly disappointing.

Michelle, I don't know how long you've used your TiVo, but some of these comments seem to indicate a lack of familiarity. While I agree that the interface could use a contemporary touch, it works wonders and is light-years ahead of our cable DVR.

You complain about having to delete shows twice. You don't. ONE press of the Clear key deletes the show — no need to go into the Deleted folder, unless you want to _permanently_ erase the show (e.g. a questionable movie). Otherwise, TiVo will reclaim deleted shows when it needs the room. In the meantime, they're available for _un_deletion, an essential feature. (Remember typewriters? They had no Undo function. Wasn't that fun? My cable DVR has no undelete, and this permanence gives me the willies every time I delete a show.)

You complain about how deeply essential functions are buried in the menus. TiVo thoughtfully gave power-users shortcuts: press the TiVo key, followed by TiVo or a digit. TiVo + TiVo = Now Playing; TiVo + 2 = "Two"-Do List; TiVo + 4 = Search "Four" Programs by Title. These are documented all over the Net. Your complaint about keystrokes needed to "Connect To The TiVo Service" is specious; it's only used during setup, or when debugging your network. TiVo connects automatically on a daily basis; you normally *never* have to use it.

You call the Now Playing screen "cluttered as heck". Can you elaborate on that? Each show is listed with one colored icon, title, and date — it's an exercise in minimalism. If it's the organization of the list which irks you, have you noticed the nice prompt at the bottom of the screen? It leads you to — gasp — a customization screen, allowing you to sort the list and group each series' episodes into a folder.

Finally, you gripe about having to unlock the 30-second skip, and claim that "Every other DVR I’ve ever used has this feature when you first turn it on." Cable DVRs are typically Scientific Altanta (which has NO 30-second skip) or Motorola (which requires programming the sequence into your remote, like TiVo). DirecTV and U-Verse have no 30-second skip. (They have a 30-second fast-forward instead.) It seems "Every other DVR" you've used excludes the majority of installed units.

Again, I agree with some of your comments, but many of them are wrong or ill-researched.