Tivo/DVR any good? | FerrariChat

Tivo/DVR any good?

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by The Zapper, Jan 4, 2006.

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  1. The Zapper

    The Zapper Formula Junior

    Oct 12, 2004
    320
    Munich
    I'm thinking about finally taking the plunge. Been reading various sites and with all the different boxes it's kinda confusing. I have DirecTV. Does anybody have recommendations or experiences they'd like to share? Money is an issue, so it would either have to be in the lower price range and/or I'd have to look for discounts.
    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. Fastviper

    Fastviper F1 Rookie

    Nov 20, 2003
    4,525
    Texas
    Full Name:
    Dash
    I have the dvr form the cable company.

    For lazy TV watchers like me, it is hands down the best invention ever!

    I would get 2 so you have an extra one.
     
  3. The Zapper

    The Zapper Formula Junior

    Oct 12, 2004
    320
    Munich
    Any particular box you'd recommend?
     
  4. Fastviper

    Fastviper F1 Rookie

    Nov 20, 2003
    4,525
    Texas
    Full Name:
    Dash
    I honestly have no Idea. Since the cable company set it up and handed me the remote, I havent really gone close enough to the box to see who made it. All I know is they are geniuses hands down.
     
  5. Dom

    Dom F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 5, 2002
    8,475
    I've had one for the last few months, and can't believe I ever lived without it (and I don't even watch that much TV).

    I just got the system from Dish network for an extra $5/month. Just be sure to get a system with 2 receivers so that you can record one show while watching another (doesn't happen very often for me, but when it does, I am glad I have this system).

    Dom
     
  6. justhrowit

    justhrowit Formula 3

    Feb 12, 2004
    1,027
    Dallas
    Full Name:
    Jay D.
    I have the box that came with DirectV!

    As mentioned above....Tivo is the hands down best thing ever...when it comes to watching T.V! I've had it for about two months now! It's awesome, and after rebates...it was free! can't beat that! I have no qualms at all about the DVR that came with directV. If you worried about getting the DVR through them....don't be!

    Jay
     
  7. lawandorder360

    lawandorder360 Formula Junior

    Nov 24, 2004
    368
    NE Ohio
    I have TiVo and love it. It is my life. Once you get it, you will find that you cannot go without it.

    OK, enough of the rambling. If you are concerned about money, I would suggest you do the same thing I did and just buy the least expensive model. It holds a lot of shows, not much compared to the most expensive systems, but a good amount. I only had a problem once where the whole hard drive was filled. It has not happened since.

    I suggest you call DirecTV and see what kind of a deal they can give you as a current customer. To compare, you can always go to a store like Circuit City and talk to one of their KNOWLEDGEABLE sales staff, not one of the guys they hired just to have more people on the floor. I had a bad experience when my dad and I were buying our new HighDef TV. We asked one sales guy if he preferred plasma or lcd and why, and his response was, " Umm...........yea............well.......I like the plasma.........because.......umm........"

    We returned the next day and had a wonderful salesman that showed us the differences between the two models we were considering, showed us how to take out the lcd bulb, etc. After that experience, we left the store with a tv that day, along with an extended warranty, satellite tv, high def programming, and $500 dollar tivo system. (that we weren't looking to buy).<--- Just to tell you, this is not the "least expensive" model I was talking about earlier in my post.

    The moral of the story is...get TiVo, and make sure you go into a store and find a smart sales guy. Ask him any questions you have, concers, etc, and he should be able to get you a good deal.
     
  8. Webby

    Webby F1 Veteran

    Sep 12, 2004
    6,821
    TiVo is awesome! The seniors in the quad down the hall got it for their room and now people are constantly watching TV in their room rather than in the lounge
     
  9. MOUNTAINWOLF

    MOUNTAINWOLF Karting

    Nov 3, 2005
    179
    I have had tivo for 3 weeks now & haven't even bothered to see how it works. What's the biggie ?
     
  10. Fastviper

    Fastviper F1 Rookie

    Nov 20, 2003
    4,525
    Texas
    Full Name:
    Dash
    1. No commercials
    2. You can pause a show and watch another show at the same time go back and watch the rest of the first show and fast forward through the commericials.
    3. you can tape 50 movies.

    time wise it is just the best thing.
     
  11. Modenafan

    Modenafan F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 19, 2004
    12,069
    Moorpark
    Full Name:
    Jon
    I didn't even have a working VCR until last week when I got a Directv HD DVR. I'm recording everything and watching in 1/2 the time I used to. I can't believe the difference. After rebate the cost was $399. If you don't need HD, then the cost is much less. You might want to check with Directv and see if they're offering any specials. Sometimes they will give you a deal with a guarantee of 1 year service.
     
  12. MrScarface

    MrScarface Formula 3
    BANNED

    Aug 8, 2005
    1,093
    Austin
    Full Name:
    Adam
    I have Tivo. Awesome. The feature I like best you can can program it to record a whole season of whatever shows you watch.
     
  13. rcallahan

    rcallahan F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Jul 15, 2002
    3,307
    Santa Barbara
    Full Name:
    Bob Callahan
    TIVO will change your life (no kidding)! I've had 2. The first one recorded then if I wanted burned it to a DVD. Now I have the high def recorder it can record 200 hours of South Park!
     
  14. mozola

    mozola Karting

    Oct 4, 2005
    82
    Ohio
    Full Name:
    John
    dvr is incredible; call your cable company, they should have an option to get a dvr cable box... for me it's only $8 a month through Time Warner
     
  15. taber

    taber Formula 3

    Mar 4, 2005
    1,582
    San Francisco
    Full Name:
    Norman
    My friend has it and their place, I played around with it and it cool to freeze and rewind tv, then FF and catch up to the show realtime again! But I never asked about how much it costs.

    Can you tell me more about TiVo in terms of subscription?
    Will it stop functioning if I don't pay the monthy fees? Should I just find a cheap Series 1 and drop in a 300GB HDD and get the lifetime subscription, and if it breaks and just buy a new one?

    Also, what's the difference between DVR and TiVo ? Just the names, or is there more?
     
  16. ylshih

    ylshih Shogun Assassin
    Honorary Owner

    Mar 21, 2004
    19,806
    Northern CA
    Full Name:
    Yin
    Tivo will work w/o the subscription (though I think you need at least 1 month to get the initial start-up and latest firmware updates downloaded). It will just work as a DVR (digital video recorder) with pause, FF, FR, user-initiated program record. What makes Tivo different than a DVR is the Tivo service which looks for programs you've selected (episodes of a series) and programming it thinks you might like (e.g. kung fu movies if it notices you watch those). The subscription is required for this capability.

    An old Tivo will still work as a DVR, but you can only put in 1 or 2 hard drives that are each less than 160GB. The later Tivo's don't have this restriction. You also need to know how to hook up a hard drive to your PC and run some downloaded software to format and initialize them if you want to upgrade an old Tivo yourself, you can't just drop in a bigger hard drive.

    Cable and satellite boxes that DVR capability also have guide service, but the personalized stuff works at differing levels as they all make attempts to emulate Tivo to a greater or lesser extent.
     
  17. LetsJet

    LetsJet F1 Veteran
    Owner

    May 24, 2004
    9,334
    DC/LA/Paris/Haleiwa
    Full Name:
    Mr.
    Do the new ones have commercial skip?

    I've got an older ReplayTV unit that holds 300+ hours and has commercial skip.

    I understand the newer DVRs have a skip button you have to press. Is this true?
     
  18. ylshih

    ylshih Shogun Assassin
    Honorary Owner

    Mar 21, 2004
    19,806
    Northern CA
    Full Name:
    Yin
    Tivo has a hidden 30 sec skip button that can be enabled with a key-code combination. They tried to co-exist with the TV networks, so they soft-peddled the feature unlike Replay. Replay ended up in lawsuits with the industry as a result of their more aggressive commercial skip feature and they were virtually defunct for a couple of years, though resurrecting themselves in the last year or so.

    Tivo supplied DirecTV up until recently when DirecTV dropped them, haven't seen the replacement DirecTV DVR's yet. Echostar has a 30 sec skip button also. Not sure about the cable DVR's.
     
  19. LetsJet

    LetsJet F1 Veteran
    Owner

    May 24, 2004
    9,334
    DC/LA/Paris/Haleiwa
    Full Name:
    Mr.
    That's why I'll never let this go..... I can watch a 30 min shot in 18min w/o ever having to touch a button.

    Great for treadmill / stepper
     
  20. iceburns288

    iceburns288 Formula 3

    Jun 19, 2004
    2,116
    Bay Area, CA
    Full Name:
    Charles M.
    Yes, very, I use both of mine all the time.
     
  21. taber

    taber Formula 3

    Mar 4, 2005
    1,582
    San Francisco
    Full Name:
    Norman
    Looking at some of the "hacking tivo" guides/FAQs it seems totally do-able to customize your tivo. Of course you could always buy an 80hour box, but what's the fun in that?
     
  22. Koby

    Koby Formula 3

    Dec 14, 2003
    2,307
    The Borough, NJ
    Full Name:
    Jason Kobies
    Tivo is a life changing appliance. Be warned, you will find you self watching much more tv because of it. I'm addicted.

    Direct TV no longer uses Tivo but based on the description on their website it is basically and exact copy.

    The commercial skip/30 second jump is a function for those who cannot time the step back feature of the fast forward, get your >>> down and you will have no need for it.
     
  23. otaku

    otaku Formula 3

    Aug 12, 2005
    1,391
    Boise,Idaho
    Full Name:
    Josh
    I wouldn't get tivo. For a number of reasons but a big one just came out recently- they delete some of your stuff on occasion like rentals and also others. I'm happy with what my cable company gave me.
     
  24. 285ferrari

    285ferrari Two Time F1 World Champ
    Sponsor

    Sep 11, 2004
    20,845
    Southern Md
    Full Name:
    Robbie
    I have Dish Network---anyone have a reccomendation for this system. Is the DVR made by Dish Network any good?? I have a high def. receiver for the Plasma screen and 3 other regular receivers. Thinking of switching out the one in the bedroom and hooking the DVR in there.
     
  25. ylshih

    ylshih Shogun Assassin
    Honorary Owner

    Mar 21, 2004
    19,806
    Northern CA
    Full Name:
    Yin
    I have Dish currently. I have 3 rooms connected, 2 are on a dual-tuner, dual output DVR unit (model 625) and 1 is on an Hi-Def, no-DVR unit, feeding a Tivo in Standard Def (so I have a DVR in all 3 rooms, except when I'm watching HD). I'm pretty pleased with the Dish DVR, you get DVR on both outputs, though it is basic (no personal agents). The Dish menus are a bit clunkier, but you should be used to them since you have that now.
     

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