Questions before buying a TiVo

[Nelsonandmurdock]

Hello, I'm new here and I'm sure these are dumb questions but I couldn't quite decipher these particular answers from the FAQ. MY wife and I are interested in picking up a Tivo this weekend but I have a variety of questions...

We have standard cable right now, but may be moving to a place with digital cable within the year. Do the Tivo's work with both or is there a specific one for each input? Also currently we don't have a cable box, but when we move we might need one depending on the cable companies demands.

We have an HD ready TV, but currently don't get any HD channels or signals, but when we move we might. Is there a Tivo that works with both?

Our TV is in a basement half a house away from the network inputs, is plugging the Tivo into the network preffered over using it in a phone jack? Also the only phoneline in our space is the houses main landline so we can't be tying it up for long, Does the TiVo need to commendeer the telephone line constantly or does it only need it in bursts occasionally, if so for how long?

Which retail spot has the best deals currently and who has the most knowledgable employees about Tivo?

Should we pre-pay or go month to month? What are the ups and downs of both?

If you long-time TiVo'ers could do anything over in purchasing a Tivo, what would it be?

Are there any new Tivo's coming out soon, should we wait for a new machine or go for one on the existing market?

Any early Tivo frustrations we should be prepaired for?

[bpurcell]

We have standard cable right now, but may be moving to a place with digital cable within the year. Do the Tivo's work with both or is there a specific one for each input? Also currently we don't have a cable box, but when we move we might need one depending on the cable companies demands.

S2 and S3 both work fine with standard cable and digital cable. S2 DT can only record one Digital channel at a time (but it can also record an analog channel at the same time as a digital channel). S3 can record two digital channels at the same time.

We have an HD ready TV, but currently don't get any HD channels or signals, but when we move we might. Is there a Tivo that works with both?

Only the S3 can record in HD.

Our TV is in a basement half a house away from the network inputs, is plugging the Tivo into the network preffered over using it in a phone jack? Also the only phoneline in our space is the houses main landline so we can't be tying it up for long, Does the TiVo need to commendeer the telephone line constantly or does it only need it in bursts occasionally, if so for how long?

Networking your Tivo is MUCH better than using a phone line. If you can network your tivo to broadband internet, you'll never have to use the phone line.

Which retail spot has the best deals currently and who has the most knowledgable employees about Tivo?

Deals are changing all the time. There was a deal with Dell.com last week for S3, but I don't know if that still exists. As for knowledge, I have yet to see a retailer who knew ANYTHING about tivo. Your best bet for info is right here on this forum.

Should we pre-pay or go month to month? What are the ups and downs of both?

Prepay is the best deal long term. The three year prepay averages out to a little over 8 dollars a month. If you can afford the upfront cost, pre-pay is the way to go. Just remember that all the contracts have a termination fee if you try to cancel early. If you prepay and decide to cancel before the end of the contract, you won't get a refund of the remaining months. If you do month to month, the cancel fee will be about the same amount as if you paid for the whole contract.

If you long-time TiVo'ers could do anything over in purchasing a Tivo, what would it be?

I would've immediately gone for the Tivo with the most options and the larger hard drive. Many new people go with the smallest and oldest model and soon regret not have more space and functions.

Are there any new Tivo's coming out soon, should we wait for a new machine or go for one on the existing market?[quote]

No official word. The S3 has only been out a few months. My guess is there MIGHT be an S3 coming out with a larger hard drive sometime this year, but that is a pure guess. There definitely won't be an S4 coming out.

[quote]Any early Tivo frustrations we should be prepaired for?

If your network and TV connections are a little complex, then you need some patience to getting it setup on you Tivo.

[Nelsonandmurdock]

Thank you so much for the help,I feel a whole lot more knowledgable and confident now :)

Two quick clarifications:

<<Only the S3 can record in HD.>>
Does it still record regular signals as well?

<<Networking your Tivo is MUCH better than using a phone line. If you can network your tivo to broadband internet, you'll never have to use the phone line.>>

If my choices are running a cable through 3 large rooms and up a flight of stair to run the network cable or hooking it to the phone line across the room, would it still be worth it?
And if I do have to resort to using it with the Phone line will it tie up the line much?

[convergent]

I'm only a couple of days into this, but I can answer some of your questions.

Hello, I'm new here and I'm sure these are dumb questions but I couldn't quite decipher these particular answers from the FAQ. MY wife and I are interested in picking up a Tivo this weekend but I have a variety of questions...

We have standard cable right now, but may be moving to a place with digital cable within the year. Do the Tivo's work with both or is there a specific one for each input? Also currently we don't have a cable box, but when we move we might need one depending on the cable companies demands.

The two TiVos that most stores seem to sell around here are the Series 2 Single Tuner and the Series 2 Dual Tuner. Either will work with standard or digital cable. The Dual Tuner will let you use both the standard (analog... <100) channels and digital channels separatly so you can watch and record two different things, or record two different things at the same time, provided they aren't both in the digital channels only.

We have an HD ready TV, but currently don't get any HD channels or signals, but when we move we might. Is there a Tivo that works with both?

The Series 3 is HD, but it is pretty expensive and currently lacking some of the other features currently in the Series 2. If you don't need to record in HD, then it will work fine with all the SD channels. My cable lineup for HD is pretty limited, so I skipped the Series 3 for now.

Our TV is in a basement half a house away from the network inputs, is plugging the Tivo into the network preffered over using it in a phone jack? Also the only phoneline in our space is the houses main landline so we can't be tying it up for long, Does the TiVo need to commendeer the telephone line constantly or does it only need it in bursts occasionally, if so for how long?

If you aren't networking with another TiVo or a PC, then the phone line will probably be OK to start. It isn't on all the time, and you can interrupt it if you need to make a call. So, it shouldn't be a big problem I wouldn't think. Obviously it is better to be on a network connection, and wireless is an option if cabling is out of the question.

Which retail spot has the best deals currently and who has the most knowledgable employees about Tivo?

For the Series 2 boxes, most of the retail outlets seem to have the same price... $0 after rebate for single tuner and $69 after rebate for dual tuner... up to 2 per household. There is more variance in price on the Series 3 which retails for $699 and no rebates. I went with Best Buy because their 4 year replacement plan is only $29, and I got an Open Box discount of $40 on one of them. This eliminates one of the complaints people have vs. the cable's DVR option.

Should we pre-pay or go month to month? What are the ups and downs of both?

I prepaid for 3 years to get the best price/month. You can cancel in 30 days with no penalty. All options other than this have a $200 penalty for early cancellation, so you end up paying them $200-300 minimum anyways... so the 3 year prepay is the best price performer.

If you long-time TiVo'ers could do anything over in purchasing a Tivo, what would it be?

Are there any new Tivo's coming out soon, should we wait for a new machine or go for one on the existing market?

Any early Tivo frustrations we should be prepaired for?

I didn't have any problems getting setup and going... first one yesterday, went back and got a second one today to do multi-room viewing. I doubt anyone has info on new TiVos coming in the future.

[Nelsonandmurdock]

Thank you so much for the additional answers!

<<and wireless is an option if cabling is out of the question>>

This may work out best, what would I have to buy to make the Tivo work wirelessley? (I'm pretty much a dunce when it comes to networking things)

So I guess my plan is to head out to Best Buy, pick up a Series 2 Dual Tuner and get a three-year subscription (cause I've heard that once you get it, you don't ever go back so I'm not really afraid of being unsatisfied)

I feel dumb even asking as I can't concivie of a way it would but my Tivo won't effect any of the other TV's in the house correct? They'll still be ablt to watch whatever they want regardless of what Tivo's using the cable for downstairs?

Also the subscription is keyed to the box and not to a number or ip adress correct? So when I move I can just unplug it and set-it back up?

[bpurcell]

Check first with the Tivo support page for a list of adapters that work with Tivo. The best option is the Tivo's own wireless adapter.

Plus you need a wireless router connected to your network. If your router is far from your adapter, the connection might be pretty weak. You might want to consider using an ethernet bridge instead.

[threephi]

Hi Nelsonandmurdock, you're going to love having a TiVo. If you want one, you already know why they're great ;). I'll take a crack at your questions, although there are others who will no doubt be posting shortly who can go into more depth in the digital cable area.

Hello, I'm new here and I'm sure these are dumb questions but I couldn't quite decipher these particular answers from the FAQ. MY wife and I are interested in picking up a Tivo this weekend but I have a variety of questions...

We have standard cable right now, but may be moving to a place with digital cable within the year. Do the Tivo's work with both or is there a specific one for each input? Also currently we don't have a cable box, but when we move we might need one depending on the cable companies demands.

We have an HD ready TV, but currently don't get any HD channels or signals, but when we move we might. Is there a Tivo that works with both?
Which model TiVo are you considering purchasing? The newest model, the Series 3, is currently the only one that will record or output in HD-quality. It also is the only one that uses CableCard, which means that it acts as its own cable tuner. If you don't have a box currently then I'm guessing you already use CableCard in your TV. The earlier Series 2 models require the use of a separate cable tuner which then sends the video signal to the TiVo so analog/digital doesn't matter for those units. In any event I am all but certain that all TiVo's including the new Series 3 can handle both analog and digital signals.

There are some issues involving CableCard however. In a nutshell the cable providers hate this technology (possibly because it challenges their revenue from proprietary hardware rentals) and seem to be doing all in their power to discourage its use. However they are required by the FCC to support it so it's not going away. In other words, cable companies can not 'demand' that you use a cable box, they must provide you with CableCards if you request them. And the new Series 3 boxes need CableCards for their full functionality. For more info check out the Series 3 forum (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=51).

Our TV is in a basement half a house away from the network inputs, is plugging the Tivo into the network preffered over using it in a phone jack? Also the only phoneline in our space is the houses main landline so we can't be tying it up for long, Does the TiVo need to commendeer the telephone line constantly or does it only need it in bursts occasionally, if so for how long?
Network connection is definitely preferred. It's faster and more efficient, and using it will enable more good stuff such as using the TiVo as a media viewer for photo and music content on your computer, and allow access to content that TiVo broadcasts over the internet. However the two best TiVo network features in my opinion, TiVo-to-Go (download programs from the TiVo onto your computer) and Multi-Room Viewing (record on one TiVo and watch it on another), are currently not available on the Series 3 because it is pending approval by the industry consortium that controls CableCard protocols. A lot of people use a wifi receiver for the network connection if that helps you.

If you use a tel line for your TiVo updates, it will make one call each day, usually late at night. In any case the TiVo monitors the line so it knows when the phone is in use. IMO network is really the way to go though.

Which retail spot has the best deals currently and who has the most knowledgable employees about Tivo?
Afraid I can't help you on that one since I've always bought mine online.

Should we pre-pay or go month to month? What are the ups and downs of both?
Well that's a financial decision you should make based on your own situation, but naturally the more time you pre-pay, the cheaper it is per month. I'd recommend getting the longest-term contract you can afford. If you don't anticipate using the TiVo for very long, why are you shopping for one in the first place? ;)

If you long-time TiVo'ers could do anything over in purchasing a Tivo, what would it be?
Interesting question. I don't think I'd change a thing. However I am lucky that I have been using TiVo long enough to have gotten a lifetime service plan, which they no longer offer to new customers.

Are there any new Tivo's coming out soon, should we wait for a new machine or go for one on the existing market?
The HD-capable Series 3 was recently released and this is the latest model available.

Any early Tivo frustrations we should be prepaired for?There are a lot of stories here on the forums about the difficulty getting the cable company to set up CableCards correctly, so that might be an issue. It's not really TiVo-related however.

[colforbin13]

If you go wireless, get the TiVo branded wireless adapter. You can find it in the online TiVo.com store for about $60. It's the fastest adapter for wireless transfers to your PC, or from one TiVo to another (if you ever get a second one). You'll also need to have some sort of wireless router to connect it to.

[Nelsonandmurdock]

Awesome, I have the wireless router, and I'm going to try to configure my Wii to go wireless tonight, so I'll be able to see how strong the signal is, and I'll go from there purchasing a Tivo adapter.

Thank you all for your help, I'm sure once I get my Tivo I'll be back in here expressing my wonderment and concerns.

[timckelley]

I currently have mine plugged into the phone line, and it works just fine. The TiVos only call in once a day, and are on the phone only briefly. If you pick up the phone to make a call, while it's in communication, it immediately disconnects, and your call goes through with no problem. The TiVo will call back later. Since it stores 2 weeks of guide data, it's no big deal if its daily call gets slightly delayed.

[timckelley]

If you long-time TiVo'ers could do anything over in purchasing a Tivo, what would it be?

I bet a lot of people will say 'buy lifetime while I could'. Fortunately, that's what I did with both. :) I owe thanks to this forum, because one month before they cut off lifetime, it was discussed bigtime on this forum, and the heads-up was what I needed to subscribe my 2nd TiVo for lifetime. Fortunately, I had only just subscribed it monthly about a month prior to the news, so I only wasted one month of $6.95 on it. Had I not been reading this forum, I would have been left in the cold, like so many other TiVOites.

[DeathRider]

If you go wireless, get the TiVo branded wireless adapter. You can find it in the online TiVo.com store for about $60. It's the fastest adapter for wireless transfers to your PC, or from one TiVo to another (if you ever get a second one). You'll also need to have some sort of wireless router to connect it to.

Why not buy it from the store here? 10% off...coupon code on main page.

I'm using a Linksys 802.11b USB adapter. I think the S2 only has USB 1.1

I like the remote scheduling myself. I logged into TiVo and recorded a show that started in 15 minutes (it was 7:45p and show started @8:00p) with no problem - and I was 250 miles from home :eek:

If on phoneline, TiVo has to wait for your box to checkin, could be upto 36 hours from wht I read.

My friend used to pull out a 50' Cat5 cable to plug his TiVo into the network and manually run the update once a week. I got the adapter and set it up on his TiVo, so he bought me one for mine :up:

[Nelsonandmurdock]

So I went out to Best Buy to pick up the 180-hr Series 2 Dual-Tuner to discover that they don't carry the 180-hr model, but only the 80 hour model.

Is that standard or is it just my Best Buy?
I was hoping to pick it up there to use some gift cards, but I guess I'll probably end up ordering it online from Tivo

[bpurcell]

So I went out to Best Buy to pick up the 180-hr Series 2 Dual-Tuner to discover that they don't carry the 180-hr model, but only the 80 hour model.

Is that standard or is it just my Best Buy?
I was hoping to pick it up there to use some gift cards, but I guess I'll probably end up ordering it online from Tivo

From my experience, that's pretty standard. I've never seen the 180 for sale at Best Buy.

You can also get it at Amazon.com for 299 minus the 180 rebate. I believe that's cheaper than buying direct from Tivo (if you can deal with the rebates).

[CharlesH]

I'm using a Linksys 802.11b USB adapter. I think the S2 only has USB 1.1All but the very oldest Series2 TiVos (1xx models) have USB 2.0. It doesn't make any difference for the daily updates (how many people have an Internet connection faster than 10Mb?), but it does make a difference for TiVo <-> TiVo transfers on your home network.

[DeathRider]

All but the very oldest Series2 TiVos (1xx models) have USB 2.0. It doesn't make any difference for the daily updates (how many people have an Internet connection faster than 10Mb?), but it does make a difference for TiVo <-> TiVo transfers on your home network.

I later saw theat it was usb 2.0, just needed the latest update to work. Now i have to decide if I want to get a second G adapter.

I purchased a TiVo G adapter to go with my S3, but since there is no MRV or TTG yet, will use TiVo G adapter with my S2 and the Linksys B adapter with the S3.