View Full Version : Tivo is so cool!
Okay, so I'm years behind most of you, but we just got a DirecTivo box in our house, and OH MAN is it cool! We got it just in time for a free STARZ weekend, so we loaded it up with lots of movies we wanted to see. American Chopper is on Season Pass. We've "rewound" live TV more than I thought we would, and it's great to be able to pause live TV in order to read a book to my daughter, or change a diaper (hers, ha ha). And the fact that it automatically records the last 30 minutes of the show I'm watching, PLUS the last 30 minutes of the show that I WAS watching is hella bitchin'.
I don't like the menu as much as the standard DirecTV menu, but it will do.
This weekend will be the big test, with Sebring & F1 being on during my house window installation!
:thumbup:
DirecTV with TiVo simply rules. Great picture, two tuners, perfect quality digital recording, and very reliable recordings (as long as the schedule is right).
Welcome to the TiVolution!
DirecTiVo kicks butt! Just wait until you get to experience racing and football with it. You'll wonder how you ever lived without it!
Now if they'd finally get the HD version released....
RacinM3
03-17-04, 04:34 PM
It is awesome. Just be sure to add 2-3 minutes to the end of programs. TiVo loves to skip the end. And pray that you don't have one show ending/one show starting at the same time, while something else is recording!
It is a 2-tuner Tivo, right?
Not into electronics, I may have to retire the VCR.
Warlock!
03-17-04, 04:59 PM
:thumbup:
Yup. As a Tivo virgin until about a month ago, I must say that it's TFC...
Winter Warlock!
Brickman
03-17-04, 05:04 PM
We have two. One 35 hour one and a new Samsung 100 hour. The worst thing is you hear something on the RADIO and you wish you could turn it back 60 seconds because you weren't sure you heard it right. Doh!
It really makes watching races easier. Never miss anything (race, news show) because you set up your season pass.
Okay, so I'm years behind most of you, but we just got a DirecTivo box in our house, and OH MAN is it cool! ...
I don't like the menu as much as the standard DirecTV menu, but it will do.
...
:thumbup:
Welcome to the land of Tivo. You know that you can go back to the DirecTV style menu. Just bring up the live guide and the bottom of the display tells you how to change your menu options. It's been so long since I've done it, that I don't remember the steps.
Anyway, Tivo is awesome!!!!! :D :D
Insomniac
03-17-04, 07:53 PM
ReplayTV is much better. ;) Sadly, I'll be switching to Tivo to get a dual tuner DirecTV setup in the fall. :cry:
PVRs are one of the best things to hit the consumer electronic market in the past decade along with DVDs.
RaceGrrl
03-17-04, 08:23 PM
Tivo rocks. I too, find that I want to "rewind" on radio programs, and to skip the commercial segments.
I think that nrc's and my Tivo testimonials (or nagging, however you want to interpret it) have resulted in at least two or three folks here going with Tivo. Makes a Grrl very proud. :)
solpadeine
03-18-04, 12:48 AM
Welcome aboard Rich. Next up, you need to work on upgrading the hard drives on that thing. Drop two 120 GB drives in and you'll be all set for seasons worth of ChampCar races. Read all about it in TiVo Community (http://www.tivocommunity.com). Just wait for your friends to start telling you to shut up already about the TiVo.
Ha ha! Yes, I think my coworkers are already saturated with Tivo information. A couple of them don't even own TVs ( :eek: , they're from Berkeley, go figure...), so they probably hate me now.
Thanks, everyone, for the tips.
Since I am in the process of updating my DishNetwork to HD, I am giving some thought to PVR's. I don't know if HDTivo is available at Dish, so the point may be irrelevant.
My question: is the extra equipment co$t and the monthly fee for use of said equipment really worth it? I just can't see it, yet everyone is in universal agreement that it is great. Everyone.
Convince me please. :)
Since I am in the process of updating my DishNetwork to HD, I am giving some thought to PVR's. I don't know if HDTivo is available at Dish, so the point may be irrelevant.
My question: is the extra equipment co$t and the monthly fee for use of said equipment really worth it? I just can't see it, yet everyone is in universal agreement that it is great. Everyone.
Convince me please. :)
Dish has an HD PVR available. Model 921.
Brickman
03-18-04, 01:03 PM
http://customersupport.tivo.com/tivoknowbase/root/public/tv1217.htm?
Convince me please. :)
Well, as a spankin' new member of the club:
1. It's only $5 a month more (two mochas, or 5 Newcastles on sale, or two gallons of Northern California premium unleaded :mad: ).
2. The picture quality alone vs. a VCR is amazing. Also, you can stop watching a recording, and a day later when you return to the recording, it asks if you want to resume where you left off.
3. Season Pass. Like Emeril? Just do a search under Season Pass for "Emeril", and it will record every new episode (or reruns if you want) for you, and puts it all in an easy-to-use menu for retrieval.
4. Did you think you just caught a glimpse of Janet's boob? Rewind! Rewind again! And again....yes, it's her boob! Oh, and while you were rewinding live TV, it was recording "ahead", so the 3 minutes you spent watching the boob (OK, be honest, 10 minutes), can now be spent fast-forwarding through commercials until you "catch up" to live TV again.
5. Do you have to pee? If you're not single, and/or leaving the bathroom door open still doesn't afford you a good view of the TV, just hit "pause" while watching live TV, as if you were watching a recording all along. Expel your Newcastles at your own pace, get a new one on your way back, and resume watching Sebring!
6. My favorite part so far is the digital recordings replacing a VCR. It's all there on a menu, ready to go. Delete them when you want, watch when you want.
:)
4. Did you think you just caught a glimpse of Janet's boob? Rewind! Rewind again! And again....yes, it's her boob! Oh, and while you were rewinding live TV, it was recording "ahead", so the 3 minutes you spent watching the boob (OK, be honest, 10 minutes), can now be spent fast-forwarding through commercials until you "catch up" to live TV again.
A word of caution you may or may not care about. The Tivo people know what you record and what you rewind and watch again. They reported that the Janet costume failure was the most re-watched part of the superbowl.
A word of caution you may or may not care about. The Tivo people know what you record and what you rewind and watch again. They reported that the Janet costume failure was the most re-watched part of the superbowl.I was going to ask about that, how did they know? Does Tivo (TM) require a phone hookup? I know that Dish wants you to, but it does not require it. Does DishHDPVR require phoneline?
I was going to ask about that, how did they know? Does Tivo (TM) require a phone hookup? I know that Dish wants you to, but it does not require it. Does DishHDPVR require phoneline?
None of the Dish receivers REQUIRE a phone hookup as long as you don't want to purchase pay-per-view. I believe it is required for Tivo to be hooked up to a phoneline but the Tivo users should confirm that.
Everything you ever wanted to know about TiVo's plans for High Definition recorders: LINK (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=151443)
Summary: DirecTV has a DirecTV receiver with High Def and TiVo planned for release sometime this spring or summer. All indications are that it will rule. It will record HD locals off the air, HD content from DirecTV and and regular content from DirecTV.
Why do you want a digital video recorder, G? Because if you regularly watch TV then you're a slave. You're either a slave to TV schedules and commercials or you're a slave to your VCR and the constant care and feeding it takes to make one work reliably (if that's even possible).
TiVo sets you free. Schedule your programs and then forget about TV schedules and watch what you want, when you want to. Skip commercials and dead time and watch sports in half or a third the time. You don't realize how much television schedules impact your life until you're free of them.
TiVo is one of the most popular DVRs because it's easy to use, rich in features and very reliable. Standalone Replay units are competitive depending on your feature preferences and priorities, but in the small dish arena, TiVo really rules. The combination of digital satellite and digital recording are a match made in heaven. It's really hard to beat. Dish offers their own DVR, but it's neither as technically capable or reliable as DirecTV with TiVo.
Lately cable companies have been starting to offer cable boxes with DVR capabilities built in. Most of these are in the same class as the Dish units. They're basically digital VCRs with limited capability and questionable reliability. They're attractive from a price perspective, and better than a VCR but that's about it.
A word of caution you may or may not care about. The Tivo people know what you record and what you rewind and watch again. They reported that the Janet costume failure was the most re-watched part of the superbowl.
More accurately, they know what someone recorded, replayed, or whatever, but not who. The data that TiVo collects does not contain information connecting your identity to what you recorded or watched. TiVo has a very active hacker community and they have disected the information sent back to TiVo and verified that this is true as promised in TiVo's privacy policy. More importantly, you can call TiVo and opt out of data collection completely if you like. This too has been verified by privacy conscious hackers.
Originally all TiVos required a phone connection. They received guide data and extra content through dialup. Now most models have the option of connecting through a broadband connection, but some models (DirecTV combos) require some hacking to use the network.
oddlycalm
03-18-04, 03:02 PM
Glad you're enjoying it Rich. PVR's are definitely the killer app for TV. For any shows with commercials (like races), you save 1/3 of the time simply by rapiding out the commercial (or automatically on some ReplayTV's). The fact that I can spend 1/3 less time watching the exact same program, minus the barking idiot advertising, is sublime. It's not only the time savings either. I've found TV to be a much more friendly medium less advertising, especially in an election year! :thumbup:
oc
Insomniac
03-18-04, 06:06 PM
I was going to ask about that, how did they know? Does Tivo (TM) require a phone hookup? I know that Dish wants you to, but it does not require it. Does DishHDPVR require phoneline?
Doesn't Dish charge you $5 more if you don't hook up the PVR to a phone line?
Insomniac
03-18-04, 06:09 PM
TiVo is one of the most popular DVRs because it's easy to use, rich in features and very reliable. Standalone Replay units are competitive depending on your feature preferences and priorities, but in the small dish arena, TiVo really rules. The combination of digital satellite and digital recording are a match made in heaven. It's really hard to beat. Dish offers their own DVR, but it's neither as technically capable or reliable as DirecTV with TiVo.
One of the smartest moves Tivo made was partnering with DirecTV and having dual tuner models. No standalone PVR including standalonm Tivo's can come close to the integrated ones. I wish Tivo would remove the 30min pause limitation.
Doesn't Dish charge you $5 more if you don't hook up the PVR to a phone line?
For some models you are charged a monthly 'PVR Fee'. Has nothing to do with the phone line.
Insomniac
03-18-04, 06:18 PM
For some models you are charged a monthly 'PVR Fee'. Has nothing to do with the phone line.
I was looking at this: http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/getdish/dhp/index.shtml
*In addition to a $5.00 per month equipment rental fee per receiver, a $4.99 per month additional outlet programming access fee will be charged for each dual-tuner (DISH 322 or DISH Player-DVR 522) receiver. The $4.99 programming access fee will be waived monthly for each such receiver that is continuously connected to Customer’s phone line each month.
I was looking at this: http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/getdish/dhp/index.shtml
Ah, I don't have one of the dual tuner models so I'm not familiar with those.
I have three receivers including a 510 PVR. None has ever been plugged into a phone line.
Insomniac
03-18-04, 09:14 PM
Ah, I don't have one of the dual tuner models so I'm not familiar with those.
I have three receivers including a 510 PVR. None has ever been plugged into a phone line.
Maybe it is only the Digital Home Plan.
Maybe it is only the Digital Home Plan.
Nope, I'm on the Digital Home Plan. Just a different pricing model for the dual tuner models.
nissan gtp
03-18-04, 09:53 PM
tivo is great :thumbup:
next.... HD from Champ Car racing. I mean, I have to, right :D
Insomniac
03-19-04, 09:34 AM
Nope, I'm on the Digital Home Plan. Just a different pricing model for the dual tuner models.
Then i don't know. Web site says one thing. I've had different people in the same company tell me different things. Since you actually get billed, mind telling me waht receivers you have, what package and how much you pay? Are there additional fees and taxes over the advertised rates?
Then i don't know. Web site says one thing. I've had different people in the same company tell me different things. Since you actually get billed, mind telling me waht receivers you have, what package and how much you pay? Are there additional fees and taxes over the advertised rates?
Last month:
DISH VOD SERVICE FEE 4.98
DIGITAL HOME PLAN WITH AT180, 3 RCVRS, LOCALS 64.99
SHOWTIME, HBO 22.99
STATE/LOCAL TAX (SALES/GROSS RECEIPTS) 5.81
Total 98.77
The VOD thing is the PVR fee. This list is a little deceptive because the HD fee doesn't show. They give a discount for paying by the year which I did. The HD fee is about 10 a month. Their online bill doesn't break out the 64.99 but the basic 180 channel package is 44.99. The extra 20 is for the locals and number of receivers.
For receivers I've got the 6000 HD unit, a 510 which is a PVR and a 301 which is/was their standard free receiver.
Insomniac
03-20-04, 10:11 AM
Last month:
DISH VOD SERVICE FEE 4.98
DIGITAL HOME PLAN WITH AT180, 3 RCVRS, LOCALS 64.99
SHOWTIME, HBO 22.99
STATE/LOCAL TAX (SALES/GROSS RECEIPTS) 5.81
Total 98.77
The VOD thing is the PVR fee. This list is a little deceptive because the HD fee doesn't show. They give a discount for paying by the year which I did. The HD fee is about 10 a month. Their online bill doesn't break out the 64.99 but the basic 180 channel package is 44.99. The extra 20 is for the locals and number of receivers.
For receivers I've got the 6000 HD unit, a 510 which is a PVR and a 301 which is/was their standard free receiver.
Are you getting charged an extra $5? I would expect it to be 44.99 (AT180) + 5 (locals) + 10 (2 additional receivers) = 59.99. I thought one receiver was included in the programming package.
Are you getting charged an extra $5? I would expect it to be 44.99 (AT180) + 5 (locals) + 10 (2 additional receivers) = 59.99. I thought one receiver was included in the programming package.
Just checked the printed bill and it's not itemized there either. :rolleyes:
I think the extra 5 is probably the rental/lease fee for being on the DHP.
Insomniac
03-20-04, 10:50 AM
Just checked the printed bill and it's not itemized there either. :rolleyes:
I think the extra 5 is probably the rental/lease fee for being on the DHP.
Or the $5 for not having it plugged into a phone line?
Or the $5 for not having it plugged into a phone line?
As I understand it that only applies to the dual tuner models.
From what I've read in the satellite forums the dual tuners will nag at you if they can't phone home but they still work. None of the rest do that.
Sean O'Gorman
03-20-04, 02:06 PM
The $5 is the commission that nrc and RaceGrrl get for always plugging TiVo. You don't think they do it for the sole purpose of other people getting enjoyment out of watching television, do you? :)
The $5 is the commission that nrc and RaceGrrl get for always plugging TiVo. You don't think they do it for the sole purpose of other people getting enjoyment out of watching television, do you? :)
Don't I wish. :) DirecTV does charge a $5 fee for TiVo service, but Klang is talking about Dish and their DishPlayer DVR, which is something completely different. Some folks have taken to calling any DVR a "TiVo" but there really is a big difference in features and reliabiliy. TiVo: accept no substitute.
Five dollars, please.
oddlycalm
03-20-04, 04:02 PM
The best feature of the DirecTV/Tivo is the fact that it avoids the whole programming guide activation fee issue. In my experience, the biggest single hurdle in the market for either Tivo or ReplayTV is the monthly fee or steep lifetime activation fee. Comparing $4.95/month each for up to 8 TiVos versus $12.95/month or $300 for each TiVo or ReplayTV is a very large difference.
So what does the future look like? Here's a link to an article titled "Tivo Will Die", which is one tech writer's opinion the HDTV, giant cable and satellite providers, and technical advances will unwittingly conspire to kill off Tivo and ReplayTV. Yes folks, there is doom and gloom even in Tivo land. ;)
Tivo Will Die (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1738&e=1&u=/zd/20040318/tc_zd/121934)
Don't bet on this guy's scenario. If I had a dime for every time a tech writer issued a prediction that didn't come true, I'd be able to sponser an OWRS team of my own. My take is that it's not over till the fat lady sings, and that I expect 2-3 more years out of my current PVR's before I make the move to HDTV and a high capacity HD PVR capability.
When I look at how money is being invested, the Denon/Marantz folks didn't purchase ReplayTV because they are idiots who are cut off from the real world. They are using the ReplayTV program guide and interface in their new Denon Multimedia Server, winner of TechTV's "Best of Show" award at January's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. We will no doubt see similar products from Sony and Philips that use the Tivo interface, and these products are only just the beginning of a whole new category of products.
While there will always be demand for lowest common denominator services and idiot proof VCR type function, there will also inevitably be a higher end market of people looking for ways to be able to seamlessly incorporate all of their digital media content (TV, MPEG video and audio, digital home pics and movies) into one server device in their AV systems that can also talk to their computers and other devices. Serial IDE now makes it possible to incorporate huge amounts of disc storage into such devices relatively cheaply. Consider the shear number of boxes necessary to have HD PVR, HD DVD, HDTV Sat or Cable, MPEG Audio, MPEG video and a network switch to allow several of them network access, and you can see why consolidation of many of these functions into one server will need to happen.
As of now, Tivo and ReplayTV are the only two viable services that have fully developed program guides and cable and network access. My take is that we are in the early innings with PVR technology, not the late innings.
oc
You're right, the pundits have been writing this kind of obituary ever since TiVo arrived. If I had listened I would have missed out on three years of enjoyment from a truly amazing device.
These writers fail to recognize a few things. TiVo doesn't need tens of millions of subscribers to be a viable business. They're nearly at break even with just over a million subscribers. Their costs continue to come down and their subscriber base continues to grow even as cable companies have started rolling out their "TiVo killers". They've achieved all this with relatively little marketing. TiVo believes that their subscriber growth will accelerate as people become more aware of PVRs and the convenience the provide.
On top of that, open cable standards are coming. While the cable operators will fight it, the bottom line is that eventually you will be able to buy a standard cable box in the same way you buy a standard telephone. When that happens the only leverage the cable operators will have is cost, and there will always be a market for people who want something better.
Insomniac
03-20-04, 08:50 PM
As I understand it that only applies to the dual tuner models.
From what I've read in the satellite forums the dual tuners will nag at you if they can't phone home but they still work. None of the rest do that.
Ohhh, at first I thought you said you had a 522. Then I wonder what that extra $5 is.
Insomniac
03-20-04, 08:50 PM
TiVo: accept no substitute.
Unless you can get a ReplayTV. :P
Insomniac
03-20-04, 08:54 PM
Comparing $4.95/month each for up to 8 TiVos versus $12.95/month or $300 for each TiVo or ReplayTV is a very large difference.
I was told it is $4.95 no matter how many you have and if you have Total Choice Premier it is included at no charge.
TravelGal
03-20-04, 10:25 PM
After reading these messages, I hate to ask complete rookie questions BUT it's clear that here is where I'll get my answers.
1) Currently we have a cable box and two VCR's. That means we can watch one program while recording two *different* programs. Is there a Tivo set up that does this? We essentially have three tuners while paying for one box.
2) How far in advance can you program the Tivo? Last time I checked, it ws 14 days. VCR has no limits.
3) Do you "fast forward" through the commercials or are they simply snipped?
4) After recording, can you watch, say, all the Alias' right in a row? THAT would be the feature that would sway me to Tivo!
My questions are so basic that you can PM or email me if you like so you don't have to bore the others into a stupor. Thanks in advance.
Insomniac
03-20-04, 11:59 PM
After reading these messages, I hate to ask complete rookie questions BUT it's clear that here is where I'll get my answers.
1) Currently we have a cable box and two VCR's. That means we can watch one program while recording two *different* programs. Is there a Tivo set up that does this? We essentially have three tuners while paying for one box.
First, I'm going to assume that you are not considering DirecTV or Dish so that rules out all of those models and you are considering the standalonme products. Most of my experience is with the ReplayTV but the features are very similar to TiVo.
With standalone TiVo you can only record one program and watch a recorded program with that unit. With your cable box and two VCRs, you have 3 tuners. the TiVo only has one tuner. I don't know your entire setup, but you could replace one of your VCRs and probably be able to record two shows and watch another.
2) How far in advance can you program the Tivo? Last time I checked, it ws 14 days. VCR has no limits.
I believe the TiVo guide goes 10 days in advance. You can setup season passes to record recurring shows. I know with ReplayTV you can setup a manual record for any date, time and channel. You can also setup as many as you want. (Most VCRs have a limit)
3) Do you "fast forward" through the commercials or are they simply snipped?
You can fast-forward or jump through in certain time increments (30 seconds on ReplayTV). There was also a model of ReplayTV that did it automatically.
4) After recording, can you watch, say, all the Alias' right in a row? THAT would be the feature that would sway me to Tivo!
You can't setup a playlist, but watching a show is as simple as selecting it and hitting play. You never have to FF or Rewind a tape. You don't need to manage tapes. It is much easier and more convenient than a VCR.
Some other things they can do that a VCR can't. You can start watching a show while it is recording. You don't have to wait until it is done. You can playback recordings while recording. A VCR can only do one or the other. TiVo can record shows for you that it thinks you might like based on what yuou record. Did the phone ring while you were watching the end of Alias and you weren't recording it? Hit pause, or rewind it after you get off the phone. Ever want to record a marathon longer than the length of a tape? Yoiu have to swap tapes. With TiVo, you can record a lot more (as long as you have space). With ReplayTV, they give yoiu a 30-day money back guarantee. You can try it and return it if you aren't happy. Nothing to lose. I hope this helps you.
TravelGal
03-21-04, 01:01 PM
Thanks, it helps a lot. Actually, we consider anything as long as it does at least as much as what we have now and doesn't cost the earth for the upgrade. We considered replacing one of the VCR's with the Tivo but, with the time limitation, we didn't see the point. That is, GETTING the program is the first question. EASE is the second question. LOL!
The key sentence (for me) was that I could set up the season pass. I've never understood, when the standard vacation is still 2 weeks (14 days) why the Tivo limit was 10 days. From what you said, I gather that a "season pass" would get around that. "Specials" or any one-off event would be missed but regular shows or events could be captured.
The other key sentence is about simply clicking the show you want. Managing tapes is a gigantic pain in the patoot, as you must know. That's why we looked into it in the first place.
I think the fact that I would consider the DirectTV or Dish Network option might change some of the rest of your reply. As an aside, one thing we often do is WATCH a program live (like a race) and record something ELSE while we're watching the live show. Or, as a race, we watch it live AND record it. We have three tuners and, with the judicious use of splitters, all three tuners are getting the same signal so we just switch the TV from one mode to another. It's that flexibility we hate to give up, especially if it costs MORE!
The earlier point that we'll need one ISP for all functionalities is a good one. I'm thinking we'll struggle along this way (we DO have HDTV) for a while longer but I'm always looking.....waiting for that moment when it makes sense to switch. I know it will lower TravelGuy's blood pressure when we do and that is factored into the equation also. :-)
oddlycalm
03-21-04, 06:58 PM
one thing we often do is WATCH a program live (like a race) and record something ELSE while we're watching the live show. Or, as a race, we watch it live AND record it.
After reading how you use VCR's TravelNut, my comment is that PVR's were made for you folks, and you will hate that you waited so long once you have one and see how it works. :D
Trying to relate what you do now to what you would do with a PVR is probably a bit futile, because until you own one, you really can't fully imagine how you will use it. Suffice it to say that you won't be giving up any capability. What you will be giving up is the nightmare of jacking around with tape endlessly, and waiting for bog slow VCR functions to happen.
You can accomplish the same thing with a PVR, but you might go about it differently. First of all, unless you enjoy watching commercials, you would rarely just sit down and watch the beginning of the broadcast. There are approx 20 minutes of commercials per hour, or 1/3 of the total run time. So, for a 2hr race, you get 40 mintutes of your life back to do other things. Just wait until 40 minutes after the start time, and start watching then. For any race other than F1, I generally wait longer, as I know there will be full coarse yellows as well. For a 2hr CART race, I rarely spend more than an hour actually watching the actual race. Things like qualifying I rarely watch real time any longer. Sometime I watch qualifying while the race is recording, then watch the race. I can watch both in the time it takes the race to be broadcast.
The other thing you might alter is when you watch one program live while recording another. Depending on your service and your PVR, there are several ways around this. DirecTV/Tivo allows you to do as you are doing it now. I use a splitter than allows me to record all non-digital channels while I am watching something else, or vice versa. In practice, I use this capability infrequently because most non-network shows air mulitple times, and the issue of commercial enters in as well.
The schedule functions allow looking through the various broadcast times, and simply avoiding the conflicts. Since the major networks are non-digital, I can record them regardless of what else I am doing, and the splitter allows me to record and watch at the same time, though I rarely do for the aforementioned reasons. I often record HBO or Showtime from their East coast feed, so that by the time evening arrives for us, those shows are ready and waiting to be watched. I tend to record movies and shows that air multiple times in the middle of the night, or during the day when nobody is watching. Since I have a menu system with a "find all episodes" function, this is really easy to do. What I do most often is to watch something already recorded while a new show is being recorded. That is possible with all PVR's, and it alone eliminates most conflicts.
Most people's only complaint about PVR's is not having enough space to record everything. Both Tivo and ReplayTV boxes can have extra storage added after the fact, so that's no longer much of a limitation. There are also special offers from time to time as well. I picked up my 320hr Replay 4500 w/ automatic commercial advance for only $399. It has so much programming stored that it requires sub-menus that break it down into Movie, TV, Sports, News, etc. as well as a main menu that is comprehensive. I added a larger drive to the Tivo that I got at Fry's for $75, and I now have 120hrs on it.
oc
oddlycalm
03-21-04, 07:20 PM
There was also a model of ReplayTV that did it automatically.
Yup, the ReplayTV 4000 and 4500 series had automatic commercial advance. That was exactly what got parent company SONICblue sued into bankruptcy by the broadcast industry, and why you will never see it offered again.... at least by a US based company that they can get their hands on. ;) It's back to the 30 second step button for the 5500 from Denon/Marantz.
I will probably wait an extra year or two before migrating to HDTV simply due to the Commercial Advance feature on my RT4500. While ReplayTV only claimed it works 85% of the time overall, it works 99% of the time on network TV and most of the other channels I happen to watch. To have the commercials automatically snipped out is not only a convenience, there is a deep and lingering satisfaction that comes from having their blaring mind pollution deleted, and a peacefullness the comes from not being jarred out of one's state of mind by barking idiots. :D :thumbup:
oc
Welcome aboard Rich. Next up, you need to work on upgrading the hard drives on that thing. Drop two 120 GB drives in and you'll be all set for seasons worth of ChampCar races. Read all about it in TiVo Community (http://www.tivocommunity.com). Just wait for your friends to start telling you to shut up already about the TiVo.
Don't forget the TurboNet card and MFSFTP so that you can download your favorite races to your computer and burn them to DVD.
Insomniac
03-21-04, 09:02 PM
Thanks, it helps a lot. Actually, we consider anything as long as it does at least as much as what we have now and doesn't cost the earth for the upgrade. We considered replacing one of the VCR's with the Tivo but, with the time limitation, we didn't see the point. That is, GETTING the program is the first question. EASE is the second question. LOL!
There is no question that one unit can do what one VCR can dio and will be a LOT easier to use.
The key sentence (for me) was that I could set up the season pass. I've never understood, when the standard vacation is still 2 weeks (14 days) why the Tivo limit was 10 days. From what you said, I gather that a "season pass" would get around that. "Specials" or any one-off event would be missed but regular shows or events could be captured.
Let me compare this to a VCR. With a PVR, you can say record X show every time it is on and keep X episodes. So, I can set-up my ReplayTV to record The Practice from 10-11 every Sunday and save 8 episodes. I have my ReplayTV set up to record Jimmy Kimmel every night. It just replaces the previously recorded one, or I could have it save more. How far in advance is your TV Guide? More than 2 weeks. If you know something is going to be on in one month, you can setup a manual record. Just enter the date, times and channel number. Or if you're a Boston Red Sox fan. You can set it up to record all of the programming related to that and allocate 4 hours to it. Then you don;t have to know what time and day every game is on. The only limitation set by the Guide is what yoiu can see the schedules for. You can set it up to record at any time after those 10 days if you know what you want.
I think the fact that I would consider the DirectTV or Dish Network option might change some of the rest of your reply. As an aside, one thing we often do is WATCH a program live (like a race) and record something ELSE while we're watching the live show. Or, as a race, we watch it live AND record it. We have three tuners and, with the judicious use of splitters, all three tuners are getting the same signal so we just switch the TV from one mode to another. It's that flexibility we hate to give up, especially if it costs MORE!{/QUOTE]
DTV and DISH offer dual tuner models. So with these, you can record 2 shows and watch a recorded one or Watch one live show while recording another. Effectively replacing two of your tuners. As I understand ypur setup, if you want the flexibility to record tow shows and watch another one live, you either need two PVRs and a cable box/cable ready TV or a dual tuner DTV or DISH PVR and a second receiver or 2 DTV or DISH single tuner PVRs and a third receiver.
[QUOTE=TravelNut]The earlier point that we'll need one ISP for all functionalities is a good one. I'm thinking we'll struggle along this way (we DO have HDTV) for a while longer but I'm always looking.....waiting for that moment when it makes sense to switch. I know it will lower TravelGuy's blood pressure when we do and that is factored into the equation also. :-)
An ISP is not required. I don't think the latest units allow show sharing over the Internet anymore. You can dial in to get your guides.
Insomniac
03-21-04, 09:15 PM
Yup, the ReplayTV 4000 and 4500 series had automatic commercial advance. That was exactly what got parent company SONICblue sued into bankruptcy by the broadcast industry, and why you will never see it offered again.... at least by a US based company that they can get their hands on. ;) It's back to the 30 second step button for the 5500 from Denon/Marantz.
I will probably wait an extra year or two before migrating to HDTV simply due to the Commercial Advance feature on my RT4500. While ReplayTV only claimed it works 85% of the time overall, it works 99% of the time on network TV and most of the other channels I happen to watch. To have the commercials automatically snipped out is not only a convenience, there is a deep and lingering satisfaction that comes from having their blaring mind pollution deleted, and a peacefullness the comes from not being jarred out of one's state of mind by barking idiots.
oc
Don't forget about the 5000, and if you're adventerous, you can put the 5000 image on a 5500 model and get CA and Internet sharing. :) I think the CA really depends on how good your local cable co is. you can get a high % or a lower one. Mine will overrun into a show by a sec or two which eliminates the "black" screen so it skips too far. The good thing is it doesn't actually cut out the commercials so you can go back. But hitting the 30s skip 6 times or 3 and 30s skip isn't too hard. ;)
The important thing to emphasize is that the amount of guide data you have (10-12 days ahead, 2 days back usually) doesn't limit in any way how far in advance you can schedule recordings. Even if you only know the name of the program, with TiVo you can create a Wish List that will find your program and record it no matter when it airs or on what channel.
Got a favorite movie that is rarely on TV? Just set up a Wish List and let TiVo find it when it finally airs. You can even create a Wish List to find programs with your favorite actor, director or music acts.
If you like, you can manually set as many recordings as you like by date and time, just like an old fashioned VCR. That's something you rarely need to use unless there is a problem with a program's guide data.
TravelGal
03-22-04, 12:27 PM
Thanks guys. Yes, the key is that the programming guide has nothing to do with how far in advance you can record things. Now that *that* problem is solved, I'll try to digest the rest of the information. It takes me a while because I can usually only put 1/2 a brain on it. Too much stuff swirling around the old bean most of the time. I'll re-read when I have more time later in the week.
I have enjoyed my PVR from my cable company. Not quite up to the integrated directv units, but darn enjoyable as well. It certainly covers my butt when I fell asleep just after the start of the F1 race this weekend. Now if I could only make up for the poor video/audio quality on the lower channels....
Sean O'Gorman
03-22-04, 03:32 PM
I have enjoyed my PVR from my cable company. Not quite up to the integrated directv units, but darn enjoyable as well. It certainly covers my butt when I fell asleep just after the start of the F1 race this weekend. Now if I could only make up for the poor video/audio quality on the lower channels....
Who do you have for cable? I have COX here in Parma and the digital channels are great, but channels 1-81 are not digital! The sound on SPEED sucks, and the picture on many other channels are awful. But the high speed internet is worth staying with them.
Insomniac
03-22-04, 04:06 PM
Who do you have for cable? I have COX here in Parma and the digital channels are great, but channels 1-81 are not digital! The sound on SPEED sucks, and the picture on many other channels are awful. But the high speed internet is worth staying with them.
You guys need to keep making techs come out. I had that issue with Adelphia. It took them a while and a bunch of $20 credits, but they fixed it eventually. With digital, normally you either get it or you don't. There isn't really anything in the middle.
oddlycalm
03-22-04, 06:27 PM
The one thing no technology can save you from is the braindead network affiliates that routinely make unannounced last minute schedule changes. A close second are the networks themselves that play musical chairs with their prime time schedules as well as pre-empt or suspend shows for weeks at a time without comment. Network TV operates a whole lot like a third world bus company... :shakehead
The PVR can help by casting a wide net, and doing the searching for you, but if the schedule is wrong, you will be recording infommercials, strongman competitions and telethons instead of the programming you wanted to watch.
oc
Sean O'Gorman
03-22-04, 08:16 PM
You guys need to keep making techs come out. I had that issue with Adelphia. It took them a while and a bunch of $20 credits, but they fixed it eventually. With digital, normally you either get it or you don't. There isn't really anything in the middle.
The issue is city-wide. The first 80 channels are non-digital, therefore you get varying quality rates. SPEED always seems to be quieter than the other channels, no matter whose house I'm at. TBS seems to have awful picture quality at every house I'm at. It sucks, I wonder why they don't broadcast those channels in digital too?
Insomniac
03-22-04, 09:25 PM
The issue is city-wide. The first 80 channels are non-digital, therefore you get varying quality rates. SPEED always seems to be quieter than the other channels, no matter whose house I'm at. TBS seems to have awful picture quality at every house I'm at. It sucks, I wonder why they don't broadcast those channels in digital too?
Cost. Everyone would need a set top box for every TV.
Count me in as a ReplayTV evangelist. I've used them for about four years now. I currently have five 5000 series units networked in my house. I also have an older (non-networkable) unit sitting around for kicks. Also, there is an amazing freeware program called DVArchive that is the "killer app" for Replay owners.
Except for maybe the Direct-Tivo that you can get if you have a dish, for me (a tech junkie) the best choice is Replay. Non tech people may have a better experience using Tivo. Think of Tivo as the AOL or PVR's. They have a more refined interface and are more user-friendly overall but you couldn't pry any of my Replays from my cold, dead hands!
I won't go into the various pros and cons of why one is better (been done already) since it always ends up with personal opinions, etc. Tivo owners swear by their choice, Replay owners swear by their choice. Each have features that some people prefer over others.
Either way, once you start using a PVR, it changes your life!
Insomniac
03-23-04, 06:32 PM
Think of Tivo as the AOL or PVR's.
:rofl:
OK, I'm convinced. I need a PVR. Thanks!
One more question, when I get my DLP TV and I get a PVR-equipped HD receiver from dishNetwork and I sign up for their HD programming, what will I get in HD? I understand the extra channels, but what about network? Specifically, when Leno broadcasts in HD over-the-air on NBC, will dishNet also show that show in HD, or will it be standard 480i? I subscribe to locals. Do I need an external antenna to get OTR shows in HD, or will dish automatically send them in HD?
I asked their help line (my first experience with dealing with an outsourced cust service group in India) and they said that it would be in HD. The woman really didn't know the product whatsoever, so I am suspicious that she may have been wrong.
You will need an antenna to pick up local HD signals if available. Check out www.antennaweb.org to see what is transmitting in your area. Here in Houston we are lucky as all the networks are transmitting digital and all the transmitters are located in the same place.
Besides the HDPack (HDNet, HDNet Movies, ESPN and Discovery) if you are signed up for HBO and Showtime you will receive an HD channel for those as well.
Edit:
The only network programming available in HD via sattelite is CBS, BUT only if you live in a market where your local affiliate is owned and operated by CBS.
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