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OK, I've been following this thread for a while now and thought I'd weigh in with what knowledge I have to offer.
Firstly, I'll say I do not own (and never have owned) a Tivo. I would have bought one as by all accounts they are great PVRs but up until last year I didn't live in FreeviewHD coverage, so I was using the Freeview Satellite service (in all it's SD glory!). I feel for all the current Tivo users out there who will likely soon lose the use of their (great!) devices.
Now, in regard to the EPG on FreeviewHD, the post by @mm1352000 in the thread here: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=126&topicid=205124 is the best I have seen it explained.
Basically it says that full 8-day EIT data is transmitted for TVNZ and Mediaworks channels on FreeviewHD for the Auckland signal area only (Auckland and Whangarei transmitters) The rest of the country (Waikato, Central, Southern) only receives Now/Next EIT data for TVNZ and Mediaworks channels. Full 8-day EIT data is transmitted in all areas (Auckland, Waikato, Central, Southern) for all other channels. No idea how you'd get that into the Tivo though...
Now in regard to replacement devices for Tivo? As has been pointed out several times in this thread, the choices in NZ (*I'll use some emphasis there!) are fairly limited. Basically the only current choices are the DishTV units or the Panasonic units. I can't speak to the DishTV units as I have never owned or used them. I did, however, buy a Panasonic DMR-PWT550GZ (last generation model) when I moved into Freeview HD coverage. I found it to be pretty good, but with some flaws and limitations:
Pros - Good HD picture, Decent HDD size (mine is 500GB, current models are 1TB I believe) Twin tuner* for watch and record, FreeviewPlus* for NZ 'On Demad' apps, Netflix and YouTube apps, Relatively easy to use, (ie technophobe Grandad should be able to use it after a quick lesson!), Can transfer recordings to PC via network as *.tts file, (this is possible on my model. I'm unsure if current models allow the same!)
Cons - Very clunky UI compared to MySky or (what I've seen of) Tivo, EPG can take ages to load, (think 10-20 seconds!), EPG is single channel at a time, (not 'Grid' style like MySky (or Tivo?)), Twin tuner* ties up both tuners when recording programmes on the same channel (and/or mux) back-to-back, FreeviewPlus* seems to be the cause of the "random black screens" other GZers have posted about.
Even given the limitations above, I still think the Panasonic units would be a suitable Tivo replacement for most 'light' users and non-geeks.That is to say, if all it's used for is to record the odd show every week or movie now and then it works pretty well. And it's simple enough to use that even Nana or Grandad should be able to use it after a quick lesson.
Now, for the 'Geek-user' Tivo replacement? Easy! This: http://vuplus.com/sub/sub0104.php ...just be prepared to spend some $$$!
(EDIT: @DMCM linked to this very machine at the top of this page as I was writing... Snap!)
(While I don't have one of these, I do have a Vu+ Solo2 (like someone linked to earlier in the thread) It's a similar to the unit above, but with 'fixed' (not 'plugable') Twin DVB-S/S2 tuners. The Vu+ units are rock-soild and very versatile. I haven't had a single problem with mine in the four plus years I've owned it.)
Now, as the tuners for the Vu+ Duo2 are 'plugable', you can configure one of these with 2 x Twin DVB-T/T2/C tuners for a Quad tuner FreeviewHD machine.
The beauty of the Vu+ units is that (unlike the Panasonic) they can record two or more channels on the same mux using just one tuner. The four tuners would therefore allow all muxes to be watched/recorded at the same time with no need to worry about overlapping timers and the like. I've experimented on my Solo2 and I've had 6 things recording concurrently across the two DVB-S2 tuners (transponders) with no problem. FreeviewHD would obviously have a higher bitrate per channel but I still don't think it would be an issue, (unless you were maybe trying to do something like 10 x HD records at once which might run into issues with HDD transfer speed!)
In regard to the UI of the machines, it's great! As these run on the (Linux based) 'Enigma 2' platform, there are a number of 'Images' you can run (Black Hole, Open ViX, Open PLi, to name a few) each with basically the same 'core' functionality, just different plug-ins, extensions, skins for each (and each customizeable to your hearts content!) For those who hate the Official FreeviewHD EPG, here's what the EPG can look like on a Vu+:
This is using the 8-day EIT data transmission on Freeview Satellite (DVB-S) on my Vu+ Solo2, but if 8-day EIT data is in fact being transmitted on FreeviewHD (as I linked to above), then the Vu+ Duo2 with DVB-T/T2/C tuners should be capable of the same (for the Auckland/Whangarei areas anyway...)
I'm about to start experimenting with a USB DVB-T tuner on my Vu+ Solo2 to see if it can get the EPG from the FreeviewHD MHEG 5 data, (as the UK uses MHEG 5 for their Freeview as well and it works on Vu+ boxes over there!)
Also, this is just one of the styles for the EPG you can use. There are many others. I use it like this because it's easy for my wife to use after having used MySky.
A 'Series Link' type function can be achieved with the use of 'Auto Timers' that look for similar/same programme names in similar/same time-slot each day/days/week.
Recorded programmes can be moved as you like, from the internal HDD, to a USB HDD (or even across the network to a NAS I think.. haven't tried that one yet!)
The Vu+ units also support the HbbTV standard on which FreeviewPlus (ie the 'On Demand' Apps for TVNZ, Mediaworks, and Maori TV) is based. However, I have been unable to get them working. The Apps load and you can view the show menus etc. but when you try to play anything, the advert starts, but then stops after a couple of seconds... really makes me think it must be some kind of DRM blocking it when it realizes it's not an 'Official' Freeview unit trying to access it. So, a downside if you want FreeviewPlus functionality.
Other downsides are that they take a bit of (initial) setup (getting all the settings for the basic functionality, extra functionality, plugins, layout style etc.) but nothing I imagine your average GZer would find too challenging. Another downside of these is they aren't readily available in NZ so you'd have to import yourself from somewhere like:
http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk
Not sure if they ship direct to NZ but you could always use a forwarding service. I got my Vu+ Solo2 before the forwarding services were a thing. Bought it on eBay from a French outfit (BFSat) who would ship direct to NZ.
Final downside is price.. By the time you add the extra tuner, import with shipping, add GST and then add, say, a 2TB (internal) HDD you're probably looking at close to $1K...!
Anyway, that's my 10 cents... Anyone who made it through all that probably deserves a new badge! 
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Regards,
Old3eyes
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