DVR boxes

holtjv · 01-17-2007, 10:00 AM

I currently have time warner digital for cable and its dvr box. I had had the dvr box that comes with dish network prior to moving.

The dish box interface was 100% more intuitive and faster to process. Has anyone else experienced this?

I thought about getting tivo and giving up the time warner box--I think I'm paying $10 for the box and service and tivo is 12.95. Anyone got tivo? If I hook it to my cable do I need a converter box and / or phone line?

thanks

RickM · RickM's Garage

My digital cable box (SA) has a built-in, TIVO licensed DVR. Two way communication is realized through the cable system and not through a phone line.

Hope this helps.

TerryH · TerryH's Garage

Tivo is still light years ahead of their competition, IMHO. On the surface all DVR's appear the same, but I've tried others, and end up back with Tivo and their peanut shaped remote. DirecTV gave me their brand new HD DVR. I installed it for 3 days and then re-installed my HD Tivo. The new one resides under our bed.

There is the convienence factor with using your providers DVR as the receiver is integrated. Not sure if TIVO makes integrated cable boxes for everyone. Best to ask your provider which DVR's are compatible.

Moses · 01-17-2007, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TerryH
Tivo is still light years ahead of their competition, IMHO. On the surface all DVR's appear the same, but I've tried others, and end up back with Tivo and their peanut shaped remote.

TIVO is near perfection. The peanut remote is the only remote you never have to actually look at. Simple and tactile. Great design.

Joeaksa · 10:22 AM

Have had Tivo for years now and could not live without it. Used a phone line for a long time then went WiFi and it downloads and does all communication through my home wireless net.

If you get it, do not pay the bux every month, they have a $200 for the lifetime service of the box and its loads cheaper in the end. I had a Series 2 with 40 hours storage, and last fall just increased its capacity to 180 hours storage.

You do not need the converter box with Tivo but be warned that if its like my cable some of the higher cable channels and all the HD cable channels need the converter box to "allow" them to be tuned. I can get all the normal channels just fine without the converter box and on the Tivo.

This does include Speed for Formula One races. This is why the Tivo was purchased for years ago and now I have expanded its use into daily programs.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Tivo has the best UI of any of them

http://www.weaknees.com for upgrades.

Joeaksa · 01-17-2007, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nostatic
Tivo has the best UI of any of them

http://www.weaknees.com for upgrades.

Weaknees is where I got my upgrade hard drive and stuff. They are excellent to work with and sell the complete units (upgraded or stock) direct as well.

holtjv · 01-17-2007, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Weaknees is where I got my upgrade hard drive and stuff. They are excellent to work with and sell the complete units (upgraded or stock) direct as well.

Glad I saw this--on the tivo.com site as I type..also getting off effing time warner now, too. drive me crazy.

thanks for the info joe et al. Jack

mikester · 01-17-2007, 10:50 AM

I've had Tivo for about 4 years now I guess and we purchased the lifetime service for it about 3 years ago. It's freakin awesome. I did have ours fail due to some power issues we had about a year ago but I was able to restore it with a new hard drive and a compatible image through the community forums.

I bought a second one about the time our original failed and with the rebate it was more or less free except for the 6.95 monthly fee. At that time they did not offer the lifetime service any longer - I'm not sure they still do I will have to check. Anyway, the only problem I have is that the HD Tivo is extremely expensive. Damn near as much as my HD TV cost so I'm not willing to upgrade it. Direct TV doesn't seem to have a lot of HD channels anyway. We us the Tivo for everything and when we have the chance we watch the HD channels straight to the TV through the HD Direct TV box. It's lame in that respect but the HD Tivo is just tooooooo damn expensive.

TerryH · TerryH's Garage

TIVO and Directv recently got divorced, but they still honor my 5 yr old lifetime TIVO subscription. The lifetime sub is on me, not on my equipment.

Directv was offering their new version HD-DVR for free to SoCal. Call their customer retention number and tell them you read on AVS forums about the beta test and want one like everyone else. However, I'm not sure the program is still in effect.

The retention number is 800 824-9081. It directly connects you to the people who can do things for you.

id10t · 01-17-2007, 11:46 AM

Build your own and use mythtv

NICKG · 01-17-2007, 12:01 PM

tivo has changed the way i watch tv...i record the shows i want to see and have all the extra time to get stuff done instead of being tieds to a tv...and no commercils..

Joeaksa · 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NICKG
tivo has changed the way i watch tv...i record the shows i want to see and have all the extra time to get stuff done instead of being tieds to a tv...and no commercils..

Not to mention you can copy the programs to your computer and save them forever.

Thats what is killing my hard drive space on my computer, copying all the racing stuff and other programs. Video takes up a lot of room! Up to 260 gigs on drive C and 400 on drive D right now...

holtjv · 01-17-2007, 12:35 PM

thanks guys. just ordered my tivo--a web special = refurb 80g box free + one year commit at 12.95/month. Or, get this (unless I'm missing something) I could get the same box for free with 155.60 prepaid one year service, which calculates to the same monthly $.

http://www.tivo.com/2.1.1.0.ws.asp

NICKG · 01-17-2007, 12:39 PM

haven't got that down yet...but i hacve the adapters at home already to do exactly that

scottmandue · 01-17-2007, 12:47 PM

Anyone here using the new directTV DVR? I am using the dish network DVR right now and it is not too bad (as a DVR) UI is a little clunky but usable.

I want to switch to direct because they have a better lineup and dishnetwork's customer service has gone down the drain... and I am starting to get static on the audio

just waiting for my contract with network to end.

Super_Dave_D · Super_Dave_D's Garage

I have the direct TV non-HD TIVO and the Direct TV HD DVR (seperate TV's). The only issue I have with the DVR is that its kinda slow on in the navigation department (My non HD TIVO is much faster). Dont expect to be able to page up or down with lightning speed like you can a regular HD Box. The first Direct TV HD Recorder was so slow I returned it. The newer one is much faster navigating but not as fast as I would like. Even with my issues - I still love it!!!

mikester · 01-17-2007, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Not to mention you can copy the programs to your computer and save them forever.

Thats what is killing my hard drive space on my computer, copying all the racing stuff and other programs. Video takes up a lot of room! Up to 260 gigs on drive C and 400 on drive D right now...

Dude, save them by burning them to a DVD. Man, if you loose your hard drive right now think of all the videos you'll loose.

Joeaksa · 01-17-2007, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mikester
Dude, save them by burning them to a DVD. Man, if you loose your hard drive right now think of all the videos you'll loose.

Not a problem! I got turned on to the small USB external housing recently. Costs about $20 at Frys or less on Ebay and turns an internal hard drive into an external backup device.

I have a you know what load of internal drives sitting around the house that I am not using, so pop one of those inside the USB housing and plug it into the desktop. Then back up everything on TWO hard drives (never trust just one) and that way I have the video on the desktop computer and two separate external hard drives.

Everything is sent via WiFi from the TIVO to the desktop then to another drive on the weekly backup. Videos are not deleted from the TIVO until they are secure upstairs on the server and backup disks.

I am a backup fool now but this happened after losing part of my data years ago. Never again...

scottmandue · 01-17-2007, 01:44 PM

The mythtv setup has me intrigued but I am not sure I want another computer at my house. Someone implied that there are plug and play boxes with this setup, anyone have a link?