I recently received the Panasonic ShowStopper PV-HS2000 product for my birthday. I haven't been able to be without it since then. The model I received supports up to 30 hours of "VHS-Quality" recording (or 15 hour "medium" mode, or 10 hour "almost DVD" mode - you can mix recording types).

The Panasonic ShowStopper series uses the ReplayTV service (a free service guide, unlike the TiVo service which charges a monthly fee or a flat $249 for lifetime service). The unit I received for my birthday was replaced due to a "snow" effect which was caused by a faulty decoder chip. The new unit is hooked up, and is running the latest software revision (I forced it to upgrade as soon as I took it out of the box and completed the phone and input setup).

Setup of the box required little thinking. To hook the ShowStopper up, the box includes a very large poster telling you exactly what to do, and which cables go where. I personally don't need it, but the large pictures are very easy to follow. An install guide is available on the ReplayTV website, and can be customized to individual situations. My setup is fairly simple, as I am replacing the VCR with this, I hooked up the main antenna cable to the box. I then hooked up the included RCA (composite) cables, using the RCA Left/Right audio output on the ShowStopper to the Left/Right inputs on my TV, and the S-Video output on the ShowStopper to the S-Video input on the TV.
I personally prefer S-Video because it gives a deeper image, much cleaner and sharper than if I had used the RCA Video connection.

One drawback of the setup is that the ShowStopper does not include an Antenna-through (like most VCRs). So, if you want to watch another show while recording, you can't (you can, however, watch a recorded show while the box is recording). You will need an antenna-cable splitter to hook up to the TV or another device.

The user interface is very intuitive, and with the new software revision, recordings are almost as flexible as with VCRs. If you've never setup your VCR to do manual recordings, or adjusted the time to record, or even setup your clock - NO NEED TO WORRY! The Panasonic ShowStopper does all that for you. It synchronizes itself with an atomic clock during its synch-sessions (usually occurring in the wee hours of the morning), and updates the TV listings. The new software revision allows you to pad your recordings (extend them just incase you notice that the station starts the show before it is supposed to, which happens on almost every one). The original software version that you get out of the box does not allow this, and other things, so I would recommend updating. If you are new to the box, you will have to wait for a few days as it downloads the update in small increments. If you are impatient, you can update it ASAP by typing "243" and hitting the "Zones" button on your remote. This will bring up a list of options, and #4 is entitled "Net Connect." Choosing this forces your ShowStopper to connect to the network and update itself. Please be patient as this can take up to an hour depending on what needs to be updated. If you need to watch TV during this time, go ahead and switch the antenna cable to the TV, or if you have a cable splitter, deal with that.

Overall, the Panasonic Showstopper is an excellent toy. With a $100 rebate, you can get it for $299 (the PV-HS2000 model) at most Circuit City stores. If you find an Open-Box item, you can even get them for less. Great buy, and the service is free! There are other models available (PV-HS1000 and 3000), but they are a little harder to find. For you tweakers out there, you probably have already found out "hack" sites and whatnot. It's great to increase hard drive capacity to allow for longer recordings, but make sure nothing ever happens to your box as opening the box will void your warranty.