Tivo Box Antenna and DirectTV or DISH? Recs please!

[linbj99]

Hi Everyone - I am new to this so bare with me!

I have a TIVo right now (basic box, 2 yrs old 40hr) used with cable.

I am moving and going to choose between Dish and DirectTV. I am leaning towards, DIRECTV? Recommendations? Does it work smoothly with TIVO box I have.

2nd - I am going to have my Tivo Box and DVD in my bedroom closet. Can anyone tell me about a little antenna I will have to have on the box so I can sit in the living room and change the channel. Does this exist? Some kind of wireless antenna I guess I will need...

THANKS YOU GUYS!

Lindsay in DFW

[yunlin12]

Hi Everyone - I am new to this so bare with me!

I have a TIVo right now (basic box, 2 yrs old 40hr) used with cable.

I am moving and going to choose between Dish and DirectTV. I am leaning towards, DIRECTV? Recommendations? Does it work smoothly with TIVO box I have.

2nd - I am going to have my Tivo Box and DVD in my bedroom closet. Can anyone tell me about a little antenna I will have to have on the box so I can sit in the living room and change the channel. Does this exist? Some kind of wireless antenna I guess I will need...

THANKS YOU GUYS!

Lindsay in DFW

If you want to use your current Tivo with either of the sat, then there's no difference between them, beside the channel packages and price comparison. You would have to use an IR blaster to control the sat receiver in either case. Check this thread:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=128743
where people posted their expiences with different receivers.


Howeverm with DTV, you have the option to get a DirecTivo combo box, which gives you broadcast quality recording (sat broadcast in MPEG 2 format), dual tuner, but you lose the extra such as Tivo To Go, HME, Kidzone. etc. DTV is no longer selling the combi DTivo box, so you would have to go e-bay, or call them and ask for it explicitly. They'll try to sell you the R-15, which is made by NDS, and the DVR functionality in that box won't live up to your Tivo experience.

You can go Dish and get their DVR, similar to DTV's R15 offer, which will disappoint you since you've been using Tivo.

To remote control and receive video from Tivo, you can look for 2 items:

1. a remote extender, which receives the IR remote code from your remote, convert it to RF so it can go thru walls, then the other end of the extender picks up the RF signal, converts to IR, and send an identical IR signal to your Tivo at the remote location.

2. If you don't have a way to wire the video output of Tivo to where you watch TV, then you need a video sender. Most of them work in 2.4GHz range, with 4 band selection (A/B/C/D), so they may interfere with your 2.4GHz phone, or 802.11g wireless network, the 4 bands (A/B/C/D) are in the same freq as 802.11g channels 1,2,3,4. If you put the sender and receiver together, they may over come the noise. Also put 802.11g netowrk to higher channles can help, too.

I don't have any specific model to rec, but do a search on Amazon, there are lots of them, read the reviews.

[nhaigh]

Also think about what you want in the future. If you see HD and TiVo as an requirement then you will really need to stay with Cable.

[ChuckyBox]

Hi Everyone - I am new to this so bare with me!

Maybe if you supplied a picture of you we could decide if we want to bare ourselves with you. Until then, I am keeping my clothes on, and will stand by while you bare yourself. If I can bear it.

In the meantime, I would not give my money to either Dish or DTV. Both companies are run by CEOs who are the types that would try to extend their own lives by stealing the organs of Third World orphans.

[samo]

In the meantime, I would not give my money to either Dish or DTV. Both companies are run by CEOs who are the types that would try to extend their own lives by stealing the organs of Third World orphans.
And cable companies are run by saints.Give me a break!
Back to OP question. With DTV you may be able to get DirecTiVo and have dual tuner and better picture quality than your present TiVo. If you go with Dish your DVR will have RF remote so you wouldn't have to buy extenders to place receiver in a closet.

[linbj99]

If I want HD, recs? Will either work

[atmuscarella]

linbj99,

Just a couple of comments:


For both Dish and Direct you are leasing the equipment for their no up front cost packages.
Again for both Dish and Direct you have to make 1 year plus commitments for their no up front cost packages.
Currently there is no optimal solution when it comes to HD from satellite, currently stand alone series 2 TiVos can not record in HD and the upcoming Series 3 will not work with satellite.
If you have to have satellite HD now and want to be able to record it in HD, Dish is ahead of Direct their current HD DVR is designed to work with their future HD signals, Direct will be releasing a new HD DVR soon that will be designed to work with their future HD signals - Directs current HD DVR (which is a TiVo) will not be able to decode future MPEG 4 HD signals.


Good Luck,

atmuscarella

[greg_burns]

If I want HD, recs? Will either work

If you want HD recordings then you will want to get the S3 when it comes out Second Half 2006®. The S3 will not be compatible with satellite at all.

Or get the older DirectTV HD-Tivo (HR10-250). But if you are going to buy new, I would wait for the S3.

[dj maniac]

Ok, I just ordered direct tv HD reciever. I have a series 2 tivo. What am I going to be able to do? What am I NOT going to be able to? Am i making a big mistake? Is my Tivo going to be useless? I'm sorry about all the questions, I'm just freakin out here. I have a Panasonic 42" EDTV.

[atmuscarella]

dj maniac,

I am not had my hands on a Direct TV HD Receiver but you should be able to connect your series 2 tivo to it just like any other satellite or cable STB, of course your TiVo will only be able to record and play back in SD. You indicated your TV was an ED TV which I think means 480p instead of 480i so you might get a better picture if you also connected your HD receiver to your TV directly for when you watch live TV, but because your TV isn't an HD TV I am not sure how much better the picture will be than just viewing it through your TiVo - post back on how it works out.

Good Luck,

atmuscarella

[dj maniac]

So it will record it just won't be in HD? I'm fine with that, I just don't want to let go of my Series 2!! I hope it works out. I'll post the results, If anyone's got the same hook up I'd appreciate the feedback. Thanks for the reply atmuscarella.

[greg_burns]

My HD cable box outputs a widescreen picture through it's low-def s-video connection. The Tivo records that and plays it back widescreen. :cool:

Maybe your new receiver will be able to do the same.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=291435


Cable/Satellite Box Compatibility & Codes List (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=1340519&&#post1340519)