Archive through August 26, 2003
TV ClubHouse: Archive: Tivo/ReplayTV/PVR Etc. Questions & Answers & Tips:
Archive through August 26, 2003
Draheid | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 01:27 pm     I have a Sony SVR-2000 Tivo classic upgraded to 130 hours of basic recording time and a network interface to download it's programming via my cablemodem. I absolutely love this machine and often wonder how we got along without it. I know there are several newer versions on the market as well as some cable companies are now offering digital cable boxes with integrated PVR (Personal Video Recorders) as well. This thread is about sharing experiences, ideas, tips, and answering questions you might have. |
Karuuna | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 02:17 pm     Okay, help me out here. After my VCR didn't record, yet again, one of my favorite shows because I fell asleep with it on.. I'm ready for a change. Can someone with a TIVO give a completely clueless person a TIVO primer? Does it hook up like a VCR? Does it have some kind of internal battery so that if the power goes off for 5 stinking minutes it retains a clock and the recording settings? Can you hook it up to a TV with a VCR? Is it like a VCR in that if you have one of those stupid cable boxes you can't watch one station and record another? Heeellllppppppp..... |
Grannyg | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 02:40 pm     granny pats her foot and waits for somebody to answer Kar's questions because she has the same questions |
Draheid | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 02:47 pm     Karuuna, And granny since I took sooooo long to type this: Tivo is actually a computer based on the Linux operating system. When you enter programming choices, they are saved onto the hard drive inside. If you have a power failure, when the system reboots, just like your computer, the files for all your programming choices are still there and intact. The hookup is exactly like a vcr with a few additional options if you choose to use them. There are all the standard connections for cable in, Cable out to TV, audio/video in and out as well as most now also have S-Video outputs too. The only other connection you must make is either a telephone line or, if you buy a newer machine and a network adapter then you can connect it to your highspeed internet to retrieve programming guide information. A few definitions with the advantages: Season Pass: Select a program to record, choose the options such as how many episodes, how long to keep the episodes, whether you want ALL episodes, New Only, or All including duplicates and you're set. It will automatically record that show for you each time it is on based on your choices. Also, if there happens to be a schedule change, such as the football games pre-empting Big Brother, as long as the guide has the data of the new time, Tivo will automatically record at the appropriate time. Wishlist: You can search the programming guide by a variety of preferences such as actor, genre, etc. and have Tivo find such programs and offer you the opportunity to record them for you. You can even set a wishlist to 'Auto-Record' your favorite actor if you want. For example, if you like anything with Denzel Washington appearing, you would enter that and set auto-record. Then, as long as it doesn't conflict with another show in your season pass, you'll find any number of shows with him appearing from movies he stars in to any talk show appearances he may make. As your unit becomes familiar with what you like to watch, it will begin automatically recording shows of similar content for you to watch. You can choose to delete these, watch them, or set them to be kept until you have time to watch them. The more you watch and use it, the more familiar it becomes with your viewing preferences and therefore the better it will be at picking shows for you to enjoy. You can also setup a button on the remote to perform a '30 second' skip each time you press it. For example, as you watch a show and a commercial break comes on, pressing this button will skip to the next commercial. Usually 4 or 6 pushes and you're back to the show. If you overshoot, there is a 15 second 'replay' button too. If you need to get someting, press 'pause' then resume when you return. Ok, I'll stop there for now. If you have specific questions or anything, let me know and I'll be happy to explain. Oh, one other thing. It is also exactly like a VCR in that you can not record one program with Tivo and watch another EXCEPT if you choose to watch something that was previously recorded on the Tivo. There are a couple of other 'tricks' to make the experience more enjoyable just as there are for VCRs and I would be happy to explain them to you as well. Hope this helps - and if you make it all the way through this, then you're definitely ready to invest in one of these units.  |
Mware | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 03:06 pm     Dra, I have to beg to differ about one of the points you made. It is possible, with additional equipment, to record a show while watching a different one on TiVo. I know this because I had the very same question, shortly after I got mine last month. I spent about an hour on hold with their tech support line, and was told no, that it couldn't be done. I refused to accept that as an answer, so I went to their website and looked it up. Here are the instructions: Watch one show, record another I bought the splitter, and the extra cables, and it works! Good luck with it, Kar.  |
Grannyg | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 03:07 pm     Seems like I read somewhere that DirecTV (which is what I have) has the Tivo with the cable box thingie. Do you think that you can retrieve the programing guide through that? Also, do I understand that if you are watching something on TV then you cannot record something on another station but you can watch something else you have recorded on Tivo? I know you are sick to death of me with all my dumb stuff. By the way, when we get a chance I have some more questions about that other computer thing we were discussing. With being back at school and that stupid virus, there hasn't been much time for quizzing you but hopefully next week I will be back to normal, whatever that is.  |
Draheid | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 03:16 pm     Let me try to explain a little about your suggestion Mware and your question Grannyg. There are actually two version of the Tivo. Standalone is just that - like a VCR you add to your entertainment center. And DirecTivo which is part of a DirecTV satellite reciever. The standalone unit can only record one channel/program at a time. You have two choices here. A) Connect the cable to a splitter and provide one connection to Tivo and the other to your Television. Then connect the Audio/Video out from Tivo to the A/V input on your television. In this configuration, you can watch any channel you like 'real time' on the TV while the Tivo records programs for you. When you wish to watch something on Tivo, you set your TV to Line In (Line 1, A/V 1, etc. whatever your TV uses) and then use the Tivo remote to watch. B) Connect the cable from the wall directly to the Tivo and then a cable from Tivo to your television. Just like a VCR, you can set the Tivo to record while you watch another show on the TV simply by turning off the tivo as it records. What this means is simply that you can not watch one show WITH Tivo control while the Tivo is recording another. This is where the common misconception comes in, I think. Now, from what I understand (I have cable not Satellite), the DirecTV as well as the newer cable digital set-top box with PVR can actually record two shows at once or record one show and give you Tivo-like control of another because they have dual tuners built in and are designed specifically for that advantage. Hope this makes sense. Please ask if it doesn't and I will be happy to further clarify anything for you. Edit to add: In either configuration, you can watch a previously recorded show on the Tivo while it is recording a new show. |
Mware | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 03:22 pm     You're right on about that part, Dra. I forgot to mention the part about not having the TiVo control on the show you're watching while recording the other one. |
Karuuna | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 03:28 pm     Okay, I got all that! Yay! But am I correct then, that if you have a cable box that descrambles cable stations, that you can only record the station to which the cable box is set? Unless you set up some kind of splitter arrangement, but then you wouldn't be able to record premium channels? That's the one thing I hate about my current setup, setting the VCR to record is useless, unless you have the cable box set to the correct channel. Does anyone know if Comcast offers the new descrambler boxes with a built in recorder? |
Grannyg | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 03:42 pm     Makes perfect sense to me. Thanks!!!!! |
Draheid | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 03:43 pm     Karuuna, from the Comcast website, this page says:When will Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) be available? We are currently conducting a trial of DVR service, with TiVo-like features, in the Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia area. We hope to make this service available in additional markets in the future... |
Karuuna | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 03:49 pm     bummer, dude. Phone line? Does it need a separate phone line? Does it dial in to get program information? How often? Does it interfere with your regular calls? Or can it share a data phone line without throwing you off? Should there be a power outage (sorry for my fixation, but we live in a fairly rural area, and the power goes it, briefly, about every other day - my house is a mass of flashing digital clocks) - do you have to reset the time for power outages? Or does it dial up and reset the time itself? |
Draheid | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 03:55 pm     Karuuna, The machine has a built-in clock just as a regular computer (it actually is a computer, just specialized for this application). In addition, the first thing it does on each 'call' is set the time/date. It makes the call once per day and usually at very odd times. It will detect the availability of the phone line before attempting to dial so it can certainly share a line with other devices such as a dialup data line. In *most* instances, I think it usually calls during the overnight hours. Plus, when it downloads, there is usually about 10 - 14 days of programming data at all times so if it happens to miss a call occasionally, it's not a real problem unless there are any last minute schedule changes. You can also go in and check to see if it has called easily and, if not, tell it to "Make Daily Call" at that time manually. |
Reader234 | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 07:25 pm     darm darm darm!! Thanks Draheid!! I wanted to get this for the family for Xmas present, but now I'm more confused than ever!! We have comcast, basic cable, so maybe it TiVo works better w/ satellite? Or it works fine w/ basic comcast as long as the only think I'm "tivoing" is like a 'vcr' set-up? I think I understand your very clear definitions of wishlist and season pass... except I thought this depended on what package I purchase? ( I got really interested in TiVo when Oprah had the guy on her show, and they gave the whole audience a Tivo!! And they mentioned it isnt available in Canada... but it had nothing to do with Adven!!) |
Draheid | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 07:38 pm     Reader234: Well, Tivo is somewhat like a VCR with a few minor exceptions. For example, with an 80 hour unit, it's like having 10 tapes loaded with 8 hours recording time on each. Automated programming for any shows that you like to watch regularly, hyper timed fast forward to skip 30 second segments (commercials) with the push of a button, automated time-shifting should a programmed show change it's timeslot and you don't catch it, etc. Now, as I stated above, Comcast is slowly rolling out DVR enabled settop boxes soon. Some of these settop/DVR combos have additional abilities such as recording two channels at once, integrated with the digital cable so you can still record premium digital-only channels, etc. I would be happy to give more details or perhaps links to information to help further understand the options available. Hope this helps. |
Karuuna | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 07:41 pm     Okay, am I understanding now that unlike a VCR you also have to subscribe to TiVo? What are the approximate subscription rates? |
Draheid | Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 07:45 pm     In addition to the cost of the Tivo unit, you have two choices of programming service. Either monthly at $12.95/month or 'Lifetime' (the actual life of the unit, not you!) for $299. |
Mware | Sunday, August 17, 2003 - 07:23 am     Funny, I had always viewed it as 8 tapes loaded with 10 hours recording time on each. Oh, well. I must have an old model...  |
Seamonkey | Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 04:52 pm     I'm on Time-Warner digital cable and have the DVR box that also functions as the digital/premiumchannel box. No phone line involved, just the cable. Only 40 hours of storage, but so far that seems ok. Integrated into the interactive guide for setting up programs, watching, erasing. It can record two programs at once.. not sure If I could watch a third one or not. Includes a picture in picture feature. Other than what I believe to be some interference from my wireless optical mouse, I'm quite pleased with it. About $10 a month, but of course I also have to pay for the cable, premium channels and I also have a cable broadband network with four puters.. Time Warner OWNS me at the moment .. |
Sasman | Monday, August 25, 2003 - 06:45 am     i have tivo with directv. one of the big advantages with this setup is that the tivo is built into the dirctv receiver thus no need for another box with all of the additional cables. Directv charges an additiona 4.95/month for the service. I am able to record 2 shows simultaneously; the hard drive holds 40 hrs. which seems to be more than enough. The best thing about having tivo is that i seldom watch anything live; if you wait about 15 mins to start watching an hour show you can finish it at about the same time the live show ends by skipping all of the commercials. very efficient. |
Cinder | Monday, August 25, 2003 - 04:28 pm     Sasman- So you are saying that you don't have to pay the $12 something a month for TIVO because it is in your Direct TV receiver? I was looking at buying one of those receivers- but thought it would be $12 a month. |
Sasman | Monday, August 25, 2003 - 05:53 pm     cinder, yes. i paid about $230 for the receiver/tivo and then an additional $5/month to directv for tivo service which pays for the tv schedule that tivo needs to operate. |
Cinder | Monday, August 25, 2003 - 06:54 pm     Hmm. That sounds very tempting to me. I saw the $230 receiver yesterday at Best Buy. I HATE the fact that with the VCR you have to make sure you leave the channel on the channel you want to record. Thanks for the info. Edited to add- yep I found it on the website. if you have Total choice premier ($87.99) it is free. I think I would rather pay the $4.99. This will certainly be on my Christmas wish list- or the first time Best Buy has a good sale or something- OR (and this is more likely) I get all the rbates back that I recently sent away for. |
Geri | Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 06:59 am     I have a DirecTV Tivo unit with two recorders in it. This allows me to watch one show while taping another and it also allows me to tape two shows at the same time if I am not at home. It is the greatest invention since sliced bread. Heck, it is even better than sliced bread. We got our unit from DirecTV as part of a promotion so our unit was only $179 plus free installation. (your satellite dish already has the output for the second line) I cannot recommend Tivo highly enough. It is especially great when you are watching a show and decide that you want to tape it. It tapes the show from the start and it only takes the push of two buttons to get it recording. |
Sasman | Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 07:02 am     geri, 1 slight correction - with tivo we don't tape, we RECORD.... otherwise, i totally agree with everything you have said; sliced bread can't hold a candle to tivo! |
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