Overall
 BeyondTV is simple to use, has clear controls, and provides several unique features such as SmartSkip and ShowSqueeze that make it stand out from other applications.
Usability : 4/5
BeyondTV is simple to use, has clear controls, and provides for several unique features such as SmartSkip and ShowSqueeze that make it stand out from other applications. However, BeyondTV needs to provide users with the ability to use more than one hard drive without having to manually swap them over when one is full. In my opinion, that's a strong limitation.
Interface : 5/5
The Beyond TV interface is professional and polished. Controls are clearly placed in the on-screen display.
Intuitiveness : 5/5
Beyond TV is intuitive and easy to use. As mentioned previously, some awkwardness exists due to the mix of Web and Windows interfaces, but many users will appreciate the fact that some of the more complex settings have been removed from the main interface and placed in the Web interface.
Features : 4/5
Beyond TV has some great features, and the ShowSqueeze feature is something not found in other products. However, because there are no parental controls, I cannot give it a perfect score for Features.
Documentation : 5/5
Documentation in Beyond TV is excellent.
Price vs. Value Ratio : 4/5
I'd have given this a 5 except that major releases are not free as they are with the competition.
Reviewer's Tilt : N/A
Overall : 4/5
Beyond TV falls just short of a 5 due to the lack of parental controls. I've been following this product for some time, and I know that users have been screaming for parental controls since before version 4 was released. I hope to see SnapStream change their priorities for this feature.
Wrap Up
Beyond TV doesn't quite fare as well as SageTV in my opinion, but it's an excellent product with several unique features not found elsewhere. I'd like to see more customizations for Beyond TV and the lack of parental controls hurt it in this review. However, if you don't have a need for parental controls and aren't into tweaking your PVR software, you need look no further than BeyondTV for a solution that will serve you well.
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