Tivo Dumb.

Hi
I've purchased Tivo thinking that I could use it instead of renting a cable box from TimeWarner cable, but was apperently placed into the very dumb situation that made me look like I'm dumb.

It only decodes a small portion of HD channels out of large number provided by the cable service. Having trying to reach Tivo customer service I was told to go here there up'n'down to read some of their activation gibberish and stuff and several reps would say that I have to contact my cable provider. Poor cable techie came to my place twice and spent nearly 3 hours each to investigate the issue and I've gotta give him and the company credit for that trying to swap card, swap decoder and still nothing worked. Than I've asked him to bring his own cable box instead of Tivo and it opened all of the HD channels that I'm suppose to get -- BINGO BOOM! Now I have a grounds to pressure Tivo and started throwing some arguments that it works with cable box but doesn't with Tivo and finally figured out that I have to activate and pay an ADDITIONAL $15/mo to decode HD channels and some further dump features that I would rarely need ever.

So have I've been fooled to purchase unit that is useless without additional activation and $15/mo service or I haven't? It realy doesn't make a sense for me to double my payments for same digital cable services. the same additional $15/Mo will give me rental of cable company box that does the same job without paying fo the unit at all.

All I wanted to purchase is pure cable box or two to decode HD channels, but instead Best Buy fooled me with that usless Tivo.

Appreciate your thoughts and input.