Brian425 0 #1 January 24, 2006 Any advice? I am making the move into current TV technology and I am trying to decide what type of DVR to buy. The cable company's DVR, Tivo or another brand. Any advice would be welcome. The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #2 January 24, 2006 Tivo if you want room to room transfer and keyword recording. Cable DVR if you just want to record and pause/replay.Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildblue 7 #3 January 24, 2006 Yeah, what he said. Tivo is cool, the service is cool. Online scheduling, room to room, tivo to pc, all the apps you can run from the Tivo (playing music that's on your pc, show pictures, internet radio, Yahoo weather/traffic, transfers to PC/DVD) -- lots of bells and whistles you don't get with the cable PVRs Tivo keeps adding features and updating software, and the 'suggestions' that it automatically records are usually pretty on - you might find shows you wouldn't have known you liked. If you're technically inclined at all, look into MythTV or Beyond TV. Personally, I wouldn't want the hassle... of course, I wouldn't have paid for a Tivo except that I got one hell of a deal on one. If you go with Tivo, help one of your friends out by putting their email address in as a referral - they get 'tivo points' good for useless crap :Dit's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian425 0 #4 January 24, 2006 I am considering the 80-hour Humax DVD recorder with TiVo® for $150 plus the lifetime service. I figure that in 2 years the life time service will essentially pay for itself. Any exoerience with recording DVDs? The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #5 January 24, 2006 I just got my new tivo working tonight. Already set up recordings through their website (you can also do it through yahoo tv listings, but i havent gotten that to work yet). I also got TivoToGo working so i can transfer recordings from the tivo to my computer and look at the pics on my computer through my tivo on my tv. Really easy to use. Looks like yahoo will offer a bunch of other services through tivo in the near future. I've played with a comcast DVR and it works fine, but doesn't have all the bells and whistles. Only problem i have with the tivo (which i knew i was gonna have) is the time in takes to change channels. There's no "channel up"... it has to put in each digit for every channel. So if you just want to browse through the channels, it takes forever. But everyone I know thats had a tivo for a while says "why would you flip channels??" I was also worried about compatibility with high definition. It can't record in high def, and I don't think it displays in high def, but I can watch the high def channels and record them. I thought it was gonna be much more of a pain in the butt to do that. To watch in actual HD, I just have to switch inputs on the tv. My vote is for tivo, but ask me again in a few weeks. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #6 January 24, 2006 I am super happy with my DirecTV TiVo. It has dual tuners (record on both while watching a 3rd that has been recorded, or watch on one and record on the other). I have had it for 2 years. DirecTV recently decided to no longer "market" the TiVo... They still have a contract with TiVo, so if you ask for a TiVo unit they have to sell you one, but otherwise you get the DirecTV knockoff. I have played with my parents Comcast DVR - and it sucks the big one compared to the DirecTV unit... It seems to be missing half the cool features and all the user interface friendliness. I am kind of a computer nerd, but at the same time I like my technology to be 100% seamlessly integrated into my life. I should never have to think about using technology, it should adapt to me... That us what my TiVo is to me. I never have to think about how to control it, it just works intuitively. For an example, I only watch a few TV programs... But I like watching the morning news while getting ready for work. So I have the TiVo programmed to record all the news programs with "save max 1 episode". That way, no matter when I wake up, or get home after work, the news, and only today's news, is ready for me. I typically only watch a few minutes of it, scanning ahead to the weather and important stuff. The time line is very clear and very quick... The Comcast box has a lag time that makes it annoying... You hit rewind and it takes a few seconds to do it... Or, when you hit play, it overshoots... Whereas, the TiVo learns your reaction time, so if you stop a rewind, it will offset a few seconds so it starts where you wanted it to, not where it ended up. But, what makes it so effective is that it is integrated with the DirecTV program guide and tuner... I don't think I would like the stand alone units... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Racenic 0 #7 January 24, 2006 TIVO ROCKS!!! I also have DirectTv/Tivo Plus there is a company that sells hard drives, you can install to add more hours of recording. (Not sure if this is possible with cable units) in fact the sell the whole tivo units. www.weaknees.com I can record over 140 hours before I have to delete. Good luck and enjoy, Nick D The key to Immortality is- first living a life worth remembering” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #8 January 24, 2006 I got a lot of advice about this a few months ago. Do a search and you'll find some more info.She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Katzeye 0 #9 January 24, 2006 What is this room to room transfer? I use comcast DVR and it suits me fine, but it's another $10 per box to add to other rooms... Is a chicken omelette redundant? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
okalb 104 #10 January 24, 2006 QuoteAny advice? I am making the move into current TV technology and I am trying to decide what type of DVR to buy. The cable company's DVR, Tivo or another brand. Any advice would be welcome. I have had tivo for years. I wanted a second unit for the bedroom, so I decided to try the one from the cable company. I send it back after 2 weeks and bought another Tivo. If you have never had the real Tivo, you will think what the cable company gives you is great. Once you have Tivo, everything else is crap. -OKTime flies like an arrow....fruit flies like a banana Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #11 January 24, 2006 If you have 2 or more Tivo recievers you can record on one of them and then transfer the recording to another or to a networked PC.Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian425 0 #12 January 24, 2006 HMMM, I just ran into an possible show stopper fot TiVo. No HD TiVo for cable yet. I should be out in a few months. So it looks like for the short term, I'm going to get the Time Warner hd DVR for now. Then when HD TiVo comes out, I'll buy that. The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #13 January 25, 2006 QuoteI should be out in a few months Good for you, sister Joking aside... that seems like a good choice. I didn't know Tivo didn't support HD yet.Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian425 0 #14 January 25, 2006 Yup, when it comes out, I will buy the HD TiVo. There are too many good features on TiVo to pass it up. Plus once you own it, you are done (if you buy the lifetime service). The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildblue 7 #15 January 25, 2006 The tivo series 3 is supposed to have 6 tuners! I imagine it'll be pricey.... from pvrblog.com: QuoteThe biggest features are that Series 3 will have dual tuners and be CableCARD and HDTV ready! The dual tuner thing should be qualified though, because it will actually have 6(!) tuners. It will have 2 cable tuners, 2 ATSC tuners (for high def over the air) and 2 regular old NTSC tuners. But it will only be able to record two programs at onceit's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #16 January 25, 2006 Anybody know if the new Tivo will have an HDMI output? I'm having a heck of a time with Comcast's DVR. The HDMI signal keeps going out on me. I've returned 3 of them in as many weeks. Spoke to a Tech support rep for Comcast yesterday and he claims it's a problem when you are using multiple output such as HDMI, coaxial cable and component video. He claims the box has trouble switching back and forth between output sources. I don't know whether he's just making up answers or if the Scientific American box is really that big a piece of crap. Guess I'll wait until the new Tivo comes out, assuming it has the HDMI. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
