Let's Get Personal

So at this point in my adventure, ReplayTV has proved that it's a VCR on steroids and has a brain to boot. Great! I've always had a thing for smart jocks. But what can it do for me? Time to check out "My ReplayTV".

Much like a personalized Web portal, ReplayTV offers customization in the form of Replay Channels. These channels can be either show-based, as in my request to record every Seinfeld rerun, or theme-based. Themes can be anything from actors to subjects to sports teams. Based on the theme you choose, ReplayTV will continually search programming information to retrieve programs that match your theme. I decide that Clint TV is long overdue. So I create a theme-based channel by entering "Clint Eastwood" through the onscreen keyboard and my selection is made, as is my day. All Clint, All the Time.

Play It Again Sam -- Sammy Sosa that Is.

Sports fans will worship the incredibly cool Instant Replay feature. At the command of your remote, you can instantly replay any scene, pass, touchdown, ace, whatever you want, again and again and again. I realized just how incredible this feature is when I watched the U.S. Open and paused mid-serve on Monica Seles then played and instantly replayed her acing Jennifer Capriati. It's truly amazing, Howard Cosell would be proud!

But sports widows beware! This potential for endless instant replay could conceivably turn a two-hour sporting event into an all-night affair. Better pick up some more beer.