TiVo has been facing some stiff competition in the form of cable and satellite company-provided digital video recorders and streaming video services like Hulu, making its subscription plan and expensive hardware look less and less appealing. The Bolt could be the DVR that puts TiVo back on top. At $299.99 for a 500GB model and $399.99 for a 1TB version, it's still a relatively pricey device, but it's more affordable than the previous generation of TiVos, and comes with a year of service included, so you don't need to commit to a monthly fee in the first year. Add four tuners, robust content management, out-of-the-home streaming of recordings and live television, and an easy-to-use (albeit text-heavy) interface, and you have a very compelling DVR that works with both cable and over-the-air (OTA) television. It's our new Editors' Choice for digital video recorders.

Design

The TiVo Bolt is almost Apple-like in design: simple, white, and curved. It looks like a slightly warped box that lifts off of the ground half an inch in a gentle slope on the left side. The front bears a black TiVo logo at the top of the curve, and a small green power LED on the right side of the panel. The back holds an HDMI port, a coaxial cable/antenna connector, an Ethernet port, two USB ports, an eSATA connector for adding storage, 3.5mm and optical audio outputs, the power connector, and a Remote Finder button that makes the remote beep audibly. The CableCARD slot hides behind the Bolt's casing, on the underside of the device.

The remote is a large, curved dog bone of a wand, with a white top panel and black underside. It has two large circular pads: one with directions around a Select button for menu navigation, and one with playback controls around a Pause button. They feel very similar under the thumb, which can make navigating menus in the dark a bit awkward. The remote also has a number pad, four color buttons, and a set of TV controls, including a separate TV Power button.