ReplayTV RTV4532 320-Hour Digital Video Recorder

Unsatisfactory. Do not buy the lifetime subscription. Do not buy the product unless you don't mind awful customer service. I have had two models (RTV3030 and RTV5504). The hard drives will fail. You will need technical support. Here is what you can look forward to.





Their customer support office is closed during the very time when someone is likely to encounter a problem or want to activate a new system. Their hours are from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Pacific time with no weekend or holiday hours. If a customer turns on his TV on a Friday night and discovers a problem with the ReplayTV unit he must wait until Monday and call during hours when he is likely at work and not able to be in front of the device. Tivo, their competitor offers support 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM including weekends.





The customer must pay long distance charges for the 20 - 30 minutes they wait on line for a representative due to higher than normal call volume. It is ALWAYS higher than normal and they discontinued the toll free number.





The consumer must pay $60 for "warranty" service. The warranty covers parts but not labor. If your device needs repair you must:





1. Actually reach a technical service representative.


2. Follow all of the troubleshooting steps he has been trained to walk you through.


3. Have him determine that it is a defect in the device.


4. Agree to pay $59.95 for warranty repair (refurbished replacement) and give credit card information.


5. Wait for 24 to 48 hours for an email from a different department with return authorization and address. (After they charge your card)


6. Call to find out why you never received it. (I was told by a representative that this is not an individual experience.)


7. Box the unit according to instructions.


8. Ship at your own expense.


9. Wait for weeks.


10. Go to the tracking web page to find out that that your RMA number cannot be found.


11. Wait until office hours again to call to find out why. ( I will need to complete the steps later as this as far as I have gotten.)


ReplayTV RTV4532 320-Hour Digital Video Recorder