TiVo in Canada

Record shows aboot hockey, eh?

Many television fans north of the border have been frustrated by the lack of TiVo presence in the land of beer and bacon. In the past, Canadians who wanted the service had to go through some pretty intense hacking and smuggling. It involved bypassing the TiVo service completely and instead utilizing XML listings acquired from the Internet. The hardware itself needed a good hacking in order to effectively use it as a programming guide. At the end of the day, most who wandered down the road of illegal TiVo service were left with a network so different from the original TiVo that it featured its own logo.

None of this was very convenient (or legal). However, connecting to the service has improved in the last couple years - the result of some serious demand, including an online petition that received nearly 2,000 signatures. That's not exactly immense - a single Harry Potter book release line probably sees more consumers - but it was apparently enough to get TiVo's attention.

Although Canadians can now receive the necessary box from south of the border, TiVo admits on their site that there is really no way to purchase the hardware without importing it from the United States . From there, however, the service is now available. Canadian residents simply need to follow the special instructions laid out for them in the early stages of the activation process.

Canadian residents should know that they're taking a risk by investing in a TiVo box. If the hardware they receive is defective, they're essentially out a few bucks. TiVo won't refund their money or offer any kind of warranty protection for customers living outside the U.S.

Still, most consumers own products without warranties. Personally, when it comes to warranties I think of the Simpsons episode where Homer cries, “Extended warranty! I can't lose!” with a crayon stuck halfway in his brain. For the most part, that's where the big box retailers make their coin. These days, service plans are available for pretty much anything - but do you really want to spend $30 for a two-year warranty on a $140 MP3 player? Worthwhile or not, the fact that Canadian TiVo fans can't get a warranty shouldn't hold too many of them back from buying one.