[QUOTE=trlovejoy, post:39, topic:289543]
OK, here’s my question: Is there any way to use this thing without paying for the subscription from Tivo? In other words, can it be used as a manual DVR device? Thanks.
[/quote]
Not very well:
http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18
Time Warner in NYC charges $22 per month (for the FIRST HD-DVR.) I’m strongly considering picking up one of these for my living room.
A few questions:
Are there other / better / cheaper Tivo options if I don’t need a ton of storage?
I want HD channels, so I presumably need an HD version that will take a Cable Card, right? Any other models that would provide what I need for a better price?
Also, if I pick up a unit for the living room, how does that affect the need / usefulness of a 2nd unit for the bedroom? Someone mentioned picking up a cheaper version from Blockbuster - what kind of integration or benefits do multiple units have?
Thanks.
I’ve been eyeballing the Tivo Premier, the gaming systems (PS3, Xbox360), Sezmi (which isn’t available in my area yet), a Media PC hooked up to the HDTV, or a BluRay wifi dvd player for options that don’t involve me paying for Cable. The choices are confusing! I just want to be able to watch TV, when I want, what I want. I want to be able to watch Netflix…or something like that. Right now I’m using an antennae for the local stations.
You all seem to be well-versed on the options. Any recommendations on if Tivo is the best option…or what would be the best option?
Thanks!
Got mine from the last woot a few weeks ago. I called Comcast right after purchasing to schedule the cable card install for 2 weeks down the road. The Tivo came 3 days before the appointment, so that worked out good. They tell you to hook up the tivo a couple of days ahead of the card install in case it needs to download software updates. I did this and got it up and running with a wireless N adapter. It connected to Tivo fine but I didn’t see any online content like youtube and Netflix. I called customer support and they had me do a restart which triggered the software update and then everything was all set and activated.
The cable card install went fine. Took about an hour because they have to wait for everything to update to verify it’s all working properly. The wife was able to transfer some stuff from her laptop to the Tivo using the Desktop Plus software. I was able to upload a show to my Ipod Touch using 3rd party software.
Only gripe is that the Netflix interface in nowhere as good as the new Roku Netflix interface I’ve been using. Simply solution is I’m keeping the Roku hooked up. Also, Tivo records things it thinks you might like based on stuff you watch/record, except it seems to mostly be recording SD channels when the identical show is available in HD.
So far I’m very happy with this product. I’ll be happier when the wife finishes watching what was recorded on the old dvr so I can return it to comcast.
[QUOTE=randalotto, post:42, topic:289543]
Are there other / better / cheaper Tivo options if I don’t need a ton of storage?
I want HD channels, so I presumably need an HD version that will take a Cable Card, right? Any other models that would provide what I need for a better price?
[/quote]
You could use a regular TiVo HD, which tivo.com has “factory renewed” for $99 This is actually a pretty darn good price for a non-refurb 1TB model though.
[QUOTE=randalotto, post:42, topic:289543]
Someone mentioned picking up a cheaper version from Blockbuster - what kind of integration or benefits do multiple units have?
[/quote]
You can transfer shows from one to the other if both are on the same home network (either wired or with the optional wireless adapter). This only works for non-copy-protected shows though, which usually excludes most anything on HBO, etc.
[QUOTE=cmangel518, post:43, topic:289543]
I’ve been eyeballing the Tivo Premier, the gaming systems (PS3, Xbox360), Sezmi (which isn’t available in my area yet), a Media PC hooked up to the HDTV, or a BluRay wifi dvd player for options that don’t involve me paying for Cable. The choices are confusing! I just want to be able to watch TV, when I want, what I want. I want to be able to watch Netflix…or something like that. Right now I’m using an antennae for the local stations.
You all seem to be well-versed on the options. Any recommendations on if Tivo is the best option…or what would be the best option?
[/quote]
In my opinion a TiVo is overkill for anyone who doesn’t have digital cable and a CableCard. Otherwise, you’re missing out on many of the best features.
The simplest way to get Netflix streaming is a standalone box like the Roku the above poster mentioned.
If you also want Blu-ray, a Bly-ray player with Netflix support is another good option.
If you want to play console games then of course PS3 or Xbox360.
If you want DVR functionality for OTA broadcasts then an HTPC with one or more digital (ATSC) tuners would work for that, but the cost is higher, as is the complexity. As a bonus you also get normal PC functionality on your big screen though.
It all depends what you want and how much you want to spend.
[QUOTE=kmartind, post:46, topic:289543]
In my opinion a TiVo is overkill for anyone who doesn’t have digital cable and a CableCard. Otherwise, you’re missing out on many of the best features.
The simplest way to get Netflix streaming is a standalone box like the Roku the above poster mentioned.
If you also want Blu-ray, a Bly-ray player with Netflix support is another good option.
If you want DVR functionality for OTA broadcasts then an HTPC with one or more digital (ATSC) tuners would work for that, but the cost is higher, as is the complexity. As a bonus you also get normal PC functionality on your big screen though.
It all depends what you want and how much you want to spend.
[/quote]
I don’t mind spending some money…I’m just not impressed with our Cable companies in the area. The problem is I don’t know what I want. I have a general idea, but I think I may be asking too much…or maybe the technology isn’t there yet…or maybe I’m going about this all wrong. 
Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep researching!
[QUOTE=trlovejoy, post:39, topic:289543]
OK, here’s my question: Is there any way to use this thing without paying for the subscription from Tivo? In other words, can it be used as a manual DVR device? Thanks.
[/quote]
Nope.
Does anyone know how useful the box would be if TiVo, Inc. goes under? Would the subscription features be turned off?
[QUOTE=kmartind, post:34, topic:289543]
Both you and the OP are wrong on multiple levels.
…
For me, that makes a PC-based DVR basically useless; not even as worthwhile as the slow and quirky DVRs with small capacity that the cable company rents out. A TiVo is in a completely different class with regard to features and ease of use (and in this case, capacity as well).
*Yeah, I know that a CableCard slot device for a PC at least exists. However, every time I’ve looked I found approx 1-2 very expensive options with annoying limitations/issues making them cost prohibitive and useless.
[/quote]
Well, maybe some more context helps here: I want to unload cable or dish completely. Ideally, I would have a Netflix fee, and nothing else. So, could I get a card for my desktop that would run things like a DVR? I know tuner cards exist, but I wasn’t sure if there was software out there to give you the DVR interface. My fallback plan is sort of what you said: antenna hooked up to Tivo, but there’s another bill to pay. The minimum functionality I’d like to have is the ability to record over-the-air stuff. Everything else streams over the interwebs or through Netflix (yeah, sort of the same thing).
[QUOTE=amnewsboy, post:4, topic:289543]
Only drawback is having the CableCards installed, because cable installers are completely befuddled by them. (Even though there’s an instruction sheet in the box.) Plus, I needed a tuning adapter (which the cable company didn’t bother to tell me about until AFTER the installer came by).
You’ll also need to pick up the wireless adapter ($59 at Best Buy) or hook it in to your wired Internet connection.
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CableCards yes, you can however pick one up at your local service center and have it activated there. However, tuning adapter is not needed! The Tivo has a digital tuner built in and the CableCard provides the unscrambling of channels that a Tuning Adapter would do for an analog TV that can’t recieve digitally scrambled channels like an HDTV can.
I too 2nd the notion of getting a router and making it a Wireless Bridge vs. buying a wireless adapter for all devices. Simple network cables allow the devices to interface with the bridge.
I’ve had a refurbished one I got from TiVo for over a year now, it’s been great. I had a MythTV box and only watch OTA channels, but after the digital switchover, it was going to be too expensive to upgrade the machine to be as good as the TiVo XL.
I don’t know if they do this for everyone, but I started off doing a 1-year subscription for $129. At the end of the year, they offered me the lifetime subscription for $100 off, which was the same price as the 3-year. I decided to only pay once more for TiVo service on this box. As long as it lasts a couple more years, I’ll be happy.
And as far as space, I’ve never come close to filling it up, although TiVo will keep it full of Suggested Recordings, which it deletes first.
[QUOTE=mgherter, post:50, topic:289543]
Well, maybe some more context helps here: I want to unload cable or dish completely. Ideally, I would have a Netflix fee, and nothing else. So, could I get a card for my desktop that would run things like a DVR? I know tuner cards exist, but I wasn’t sure if there was software out there to give you the DVR interface. My fallback plan is sort of what you said: antenna hooked up to Tivo, but there’s another bill to pay. The minimum functionality I’d like to have is the ability to record over-the-air stuff. Everything else streams over the interwebs or through Netflix (yeah, sort of the same thing).
[/quote]
For that purpose, sure, pretty much any decent tuner card will have at least one ATSC tuner and will come with some basic, though usually somewhat ugly, DVR-type software. Even that would work OK for recording OTA channels, if you have a good antenna to connect it to. For Windows PCs with Windows 7 home premium or better (or Vista home premium or better), just use the built in Windows Media Center application, it’s much better than the tuner’s own sofware anyway. For Linux, there are also several different options. Just be sure the card you get supports (or at least works on) the OS and software you want to use.
Edit: Example Desktop Card (Amazon)
There are also dual-tuner versions, external USB, etc. And it should go without saying, but whenever buying a card, check the manufacturer’s web site for newer drivers/software and always use that if available. Drivers/software on the CD in the box are often old.
The real question is… when is the DirecTV Tivo coming out. It was supposed to come out awhile ago!
[QUOTE=kirkhilles, post:54, topic:289543]
The real question is… when is the DirecTV Tivo coming out. It was supposed to come out awhile ago!
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At this point I wouldn’t trust any date DirecTV announces - who knows if it even will come out?
[QUOTE=zsheffler, post:49, topic:289543]
Does anyone know how useful the box would be if TiVo, Inc. goes under? Would the subscription features be turned off?
[/quote]
Tivo’s not going anywhere, especially if they ever get the billion dollars that Dish Network owes them from a lawsuit they won that’s currently in a hail mary appeal by Dish.
Was looking to purchase from the tivo.com store since they had a refurbished HD XL on sale for $179, but I like ordering from Woot better.
Have had a TiVo Series2 for about three years and we couldn’t live without it. Finally excited to be able to upgrade to digital cable now!
[QUOTE=deathopie, post:56, topic:289543]
Tivo’s not going anywhere, especially if they ever get the billion dollars that Dish Network owes them from a lawsuit they won that’s currently in a hail mary appeal by Dish.
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I haven’t kept tabs on the status of the lawsuit but I think their last company report still showed a good 2.5 million or so TiVo subscribers, even with all the declines from cable companies pushing their own DVRs and trying to hide the fact that they are required to offer CableCards, not to mention the economic downturn in general.
The company could certainly be better managed, but there’s still a lot of potential.
The tivo hd xl is amazing. It is much cheaper than getting the new version. Yes you could use a cable card if you want to receive the scrambled channels. A lot of cable companies won’t even offer a dvr unless you go digital so this might be the only option for the basic 72 channel cable subscribers, or OTA’ers out there. The service costs 12.95 a month for the first unit and 9.95 for each sequential one up to 5. Once you activate the series 3 tivo hd xl you instantly get a $200 discount on a lifetime subscription for the new premiers purchased through tivo. The coupon code PLSR (entered at the start of activation online)also saves you $100 off a lifetime subscription. The tivo dvr’s are far superior when it comes to quality and logical design. Really makes a world of difference. You can save money by going lifetime but it is not just about money. It is like the difference between driving a pinto or a bentley to the prom, AND saving money. This is a good price along with the coupon code and upgrade online to premiere for the 2nd tv if you want a second. Or buy one on ebay and save some money for a tivo with lifetime subscription already on it.
Shipping Update
TiVo HD XL DVR has completely shipped via FEDEX Ground. All tracking has already been emailed out. You can also find your tracking number by following this link and use your ORDER NUMBER as the reference number.