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Archive through May 26, 2004

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions: 2004 Aug - Oct: Tivo or DVD recorder?: Archive through May 26, 2004 users admin

Author Message
Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Monday, April 26, 2004 - 5:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'm not asking any real technical questions. My 11 year old VCR is starting to act up -- again. I don't have cable or satellite, but I still find enough on network and VHF (or is it UHF?) stations to record when I'm away or watching something else. And -- I'm going on vacation for a week next month and want to record more than six hours of TV while I'm gone. (I think Starting Over will still be new programs and the last of the new episodes of evening programs will still be running.)

So do you have or would you buy Tivo or a DVD recorder? I don't know why I'm having a problem actually committing to buy one or the other. Please talk me into it. What do you like / dislike about Tivo or DVD recorder?

If you have Tivo, are you paying the fee monthly or did you pay one lump sum when you bought the machine?

Have to say I don't care for the TVCH general board as much after it was broken down into folders. I used to enjoy perusing all the threads. Now I don't much go in and out of folders to look at more threads.

Mags
Member

06-26-2001

Monday, April 26, 2004 - 9:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I have a TiVO and LOVE it. I got it through DirecTV. It cost me $100 plus $4.99 a month. (I think they are having a deal on them now as well).

I love Tivo because I don't have to think about recording anything anymore. It does everything for you (Season Pass).

I haven't seen many DVRs out there that don't cost an arm and a leg. I will eventually get a DVR so that I can record the stuff I want to save from TiVO.

Luvmyjrt
Member

09-18-2003

Monday, April 26, 2004 - 1:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I have a Panasonic DVR and absolutely think it's the best thing in the whole wide world. I only use a cell phone, so got rid of my land line and Tivo doesn't support that. So a DVR was my only option. It is set up to automatically record all my favorite shows and the hard drive holds 60 hours of programming. I can also record on a DVR if I have something I want to keep forever. I believe the brand is Panasonic and it was around $700, but so worth it! If it weren't inanimate, I'd marry it........but it refuses to pick up heavy stuff and take out the trash! Here's a link to the version I have:
Panasonic Model DMR-E80H

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

Luvmyjrt
Member

09-18-2003

Monday, April 26, 2004 - 1:06 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Oh, and Color.........Starting Over is on my record list as well! It's easy to set it up to prerecord, and great for when I forget a show is on. Just flips right to it for me!

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Monday, April 26, 2004 - 2:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
FWIW: Tivo is currently offering $50 off for Mother's Day special by visiting tivo.com/mom

We have been using our Tivo for about 2 years now and rarely use VCRs anymore. Anytime we do want to save a program, we can simply dump it onto one of the VCRs for storage. With the 2nd hard drive I installed, we now have up to 130 hours of recording space on the Tivo.

Also, we went ahead and purchased the lifetime service instead of the monthly subscription since it would end up less expensive in the long term.

Hope this helps.

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Monday, April 26, 2004 - 4:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Like Draheid, we have Tivo too, and also purchased the lifetime service. I LOVE it, couldn't live without it...and highly recommend it!

The only thing I don't like is that we only have ONE tivo and TWO tvs! LOL

Wendo
Member

08-07-2000

Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 1:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Add another on the Tivo train. Love mine, have had it awhile, went with lifetime service.

I'm thinking of getting a second with a built in DVD recorder for archiving favorite shows.

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 2:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I decided. I ordered my Tivo today. Should be here Tuesday. Yesssssssss! "I'm so excited. I just can't hide it." You just never know what will do it for me.

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 5:10 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Just a very recent experience to make things more exciting. I had no idea that the episode of Tru Calling on Thursday night was going to be 2 hours long - if I had been using a VCR, I would have missed the 2nd half of the season finale!!! Tivo to the rescue, automatically grabbed the full 2 hour show and we enjoyed watching it today. :-)

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 6:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Dra, Hopefully I will get Tivo delivered Tuesday, hook it up, do the initial download over Tuesday night -- and be watching via Tivo starting on Wednesday. As you know, I am / was concerned about hooking it up, but not about learning to operate it once it's "wired". I can't wait.

Pismofilmdude
Member

05-06-2004

Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 5:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Did you get it hooked up yet? I'm thinking about getting one, and want a first timers advice on their ease of use.

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Saturday, May 08, 2004 - 5:40 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Yes, I did. Hook up is pretty simple for me as I have only antenna -- no cable or satellite involved. I no longer want to use VCR, so that got pulled out. Still have DVD player hooked up.

I do want to be able to record a program and watch another, so had to get splitter. Got it. So hooked / wired it all up. Nothing?! Called Tivo support. Had one wire in wrong place in back of TV. It works!

I love it!! Got TiVo / Series 2 brand DVR with biggest hard drive available -- 140 hours of recording at basic quality. It can do so much!! Good instruction book with it. Doesn't take too long and you figure out how to do the basics. Fine points / tips & tricks -- you learn as you go. I love it and don't regret spending the $$. TV no longer controls my life!

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 7:30 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Dra / anyone, TiVo question. I've got to look further at the instruction book -- is there any way to stop TiVo from recording it's suggested programs? I don't mind too much just deleting programs day-to-day, but I'm going to be gone for a week. I don't want it to be recording extra shows than what I already have it programmed to record.

Bob2112
Member

06-12-2002

Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 7:51 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Colordeagua: Somewhere under the Messages & Setup menu you should be able to find an option for TiVo Suggestions. It will be under another menu like Settings, Preferences or My Preferences. That should give you a yes/no option for recording Tivo Suggestions. This is one of the first things I turned off on all my receivers.

Even if you did not turn it off, the recorded suggestion are usually the first things to be over written when the Tivo needs more space.




Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 8:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Colordeagua: On my system, this option is located under
'Messages & Setup -
My Preferences -
TiVo's Suggestions
'
and select
'No, don't record TiVo's Suggestions'

It should be the same or at least a very similar location on your menus.

Hope this helps.

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 9:24 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks, Bob and Dra. Ain't TiVo a wonderful thing?!!

Cathie
Member

08-16-2000

Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 7:00 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hmmm...I was looking at Tivo at Sam's Club yesterday. They have the series 2 with 140 hours of recording for $318. Is that a good price?

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 9:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Cathie: Tivo direct, Best Buy, & Circuit City all have the 140hr Series 2 for $349 after $50 rebate. I would say the $318 is a good price, especially if that doesn't require the rebate process. It's even better if that's before rebate.

Please remember that Tivo requires their service subscription to function properly and the service is either $12.95/month or $299 for lifetime subscription.

Hope that helps.

Cathie
Member

08-16-2000

Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 8:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks, Dra! I checked and the $318 price is without rebate--they even offer it on their web site if anyone is interested. My only problem now is that I don't have a phone line anywhere near the entertainment center. Don't know whether to buy now to get the good price and then work on having hubby run another phone line or get the phone line in first. I'll have to work fast because once it hits 90 degrees outside (supposedly next week) he will refuse to go in the attic--what a sissy, lol!

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Sunday, May 23, 2004 - 7:03 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Dra, yes, I am addicted to Tivo. It was so good to be able to record EVERYTHING that I wanted while I was on vacation for a week -- not just six hours. That would have been impossible. And just in the last couple of days since I've been back, I really am getting into watching what I want WHEN I want. And because there is so much recording time, I can record more for sometime-in-the-future viewing than I normally would. I am so happy I got it and don't at all regret spending the $$$.

Not1worry
Member

07-30-2002

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 1:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'm glad this thread is still around. We have a DVR through our cable company right now and we adore it. I seriously don't want to imagine my TV watching without some sort of digital recording. I ended up selling my treadmill because I could record exercise shows instead.

Problem is, we are moving and the area we are going to doesn't have Time Warner cable. I'm not even sure they have digital cable. So I'm looking at one of the satellite systems and purchasing a Tivo. Our DVR now has 40 hrs., so 140 hrs. sounds great.

What is the deal with the phone line? Why does Tivo need a phone line?



Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 1:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Bob!!! You're needed here!!

Not1worry: Bob is, IMO, the resident expert in DirecTivo (Tivo built into a DirecTV satellite receiver) and can probably much better advise you on this issue.

Bob2112
Member

06-12-2002

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 2:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Not1worry: If you are getting satellite, then you need to go with the DirecTivo option which is a DirecTV receiver integrated in with the Tivo software. The deals for new customers make it affordable to get 2 or 3 of these units and each is able to record 2 programs at once. With the completely free installs, you should be able to get one DirecTivo and 2 regular receivers for free. The total Tivo charge with DirecTV is $5.00, regardless of how many DirecTivos you have. There is no lifetime option with DirecTivo, but at $5.00 per month, your unit would likely die before you reached the break even point.

Until this past January I was with Dish Network and had one PVR unit and 2 other receivers. Their PVR does not use the Tivo software, so it does not adjust to record times when programs are shifted to other times/days or the length is extended 5 minutes. It does let you set the programs using a TV guide, but it actually just records the start and end time to do the actual recording and does not record based on the title of the show. Most Dish PVRs are single tuner, which means you can only record one channel at a time. I wanted to upgrade to a dual tuner and the best price for an existing customer was $550. That is almost double what it cost me to switch to DirecTV with 3 DirecTivo units. Last night alone I know we had 4 different programs recording at 8:00 PM, so the extra tuners come in handy.

The base units come with 35 hours of record time and factory units with larger record times cost quite a bit more. Someone who is handy with PCs (i.e. has installed a hard drive in a PC) would be able to extend the capacity from 35 hours to 140 hours for around $100. It's not too difficult, but requires being comfortable opening up the box and messing with the hard drives. First time took me 3 hours and the next 2 times took about an hour.

With DirecTivo, the phone line is used to upload information about any pay-per-views you have watched, along with other anonymous information about viewing history. You will need it for the install, but can remove it afterwords. After 28 days, you will not be able to purchase pay-per-view and you will occasionally get a message telling you that you have not phoned in for xxx number of days. The TV guide data will stay up to date because that comes down via the satellite.

For standalone Tivos, I believe they get the TV guide data through the phone line, so you would have to keep it plugged in to keep the guide data up to date.

ETA: Now you know it took at least 15 minutes to type this, since Draheid's post was not there when I started.


Not1worry
Member

07-30-2002

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 2:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks, Bob! You are just chock full of good info. So if I go with DirectTV, I'll definitely get their Tivo. That would be great to have 3 recorders!

We never use pay per view (we have so much recorded, who has time for pay per view). So I'm glad to know I won't need the phone line permanently.

My first thought when I read what you wrote about upgrading the capacity was, "Well, I'll just come here and ask you how to do it."

DH's eyes keep glazing over when I try and talk to him about this, so I guess the choice is mine. As long as he gets to watch his boating shows and motorcycle shows, he'll be happy. I'm off to the Direct TV website to check it all out.

Thanks!

Daydreamer
Member

09-16-2003

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 6:06 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Can anyone tell me what I need to record one program and watch another on my Tivo? I see above it's some type of a splitter, but exactly what do I need to purchase? Also, I have cable (no box) and a combo VCR/DVD player hooked up to my Tivo, will I still be able to add the splitter?

Thanks very much in advance!