TiVo provides service in Canada.

You cannot buy a TiVo in Canada and if something goes wrong you'll have to ship back to the States for warranty but they do provide the service.

PVR's also pickup the programming guide from a U.S. channel apparently and work just fine. We have an RCA PVR that works just fine. We also have a Shaw cable digital cable box PVR that work similar to TiVo but not quite as well.

With a stand alone PVR at least you can still program it yourself too.

You can't legally get U.S. satellite TV in Canada.

What can you get illegally?

Not much.

They have much better encryption these days.