:eh: TiVo = DVR.

now if you mean the cable company DVRs > TiVo. well, that's subjective. there are pros and cons to each.

the TiVo suggestions can be disabled. but i actually like that feature, and it works well. it makes suggestions depending on how you rate shows. the more you rate, the more accurate it'll be.

regardless, whatever you set to record always takes priority. also, setting things to record is much superior on the TiVo. there are many more options on how to go out and search, etc. the GUI as a whole is more intuitive, easier to use, and more robust, as far as i can tell. (i'm comparing to the comcast DVR, of course. i assume cox is similar.)

the negative? with my TiVo anyway, it controls the cable box by sending commands to tell it to change the channel. so it's an extra annoying step that makes the channel change take that much longer (if you're watching live TV). however, it never fails to control the box accurately. with a cable company DVR, obviously it works as it's own self-contained cable box. that's my only gripe.

with any of these, you'll pay a subscription fee. if you want a DVR for free, you'll have to build one out of a PC, and get the right software.