Thinking about purchasing Tivo

[flex67]

Hey guys, I am now recently thinking about purchasing a Tivo. I do not know much about how it works. When I get Tivo, I am going to have my Comcast cable going straight into the Tivo box. Can anyone tell me how many channels will I continue to get doing it this way without the Comcast digital box (the Comcast digital box will be relocated to another room). I currently subscribe to all of Comcast channels (the whole package) even the HD channels..

[ZikZak]

If it's a series 3 tivo, you'll get them all. Other tivos require a cable box to decode any scrambled or digital channels.

[bpurcell]

If it's a series 3 tivo, you'll get them all.

Assuming you get the Cable Cards installed. Otherwise you'll just get the same channels as any other Tivo.

Without a cable box, or Cable Cards on an S3, you will only get the nondigital channels. For most cable companies that is the Basic and Extended channels. Look at your lineup to see.

[gastrof]

If I understand right, Series 3 TiVos do NOT work with cable boxes.

If hooked up to cable, you either get analog unscrambled channels only (by feeding a cable directly into the Series 3), or you get cable cards which will give you scrambled and digital channels as well (provided you HAVE digital service).

There's no way for a Series 3 to control a cable box.

(Also, is the Original Poster aware that TiVo requires you to pay a service fee so their box will work, which has nothing to do with the monthly cable bill?)

[1gang1]

If Comcast provides those Cable cards, then you can get all channels without a box, if Comcast does not (and does not want to) know, what the cable cards are, then, sorry, you are limited to those crappy "analog" channels #1 - 100.

[ZikZak]

If Comcast provides those Cable cards, then you can get all channels without a box, if Comcast does not (and does not want to) know, what the cable cards are, then, sorry, you are limited to those crappy "analog" channels #1 - 100.

If Comcast doesn't "want to know" about cable cards, your next call should be to the FCC.

[rcr2]

Going the FCC route is a non-starter. I haven't heard anything back about my complaint that Comcast is refusing to supply CableCards to me in the NJ/NY metro region.

Comcast is no longer responding to me emails and calls get the same answer "we have none and we aren't going to help you get one any time soon".

Hence, I am returning my Series 3.

[ZikZak]

The FCC is the gummint. Of course a complaint will take a year. The point is to threaten the cable company with that complaint.

Tell comcast that you are recording the call and the recording will be forwarded to the FCC, and see what happens then. You might still have to return the S3, but Comcast may choose to supply your cards rather than submit to a fine.

[barbeedoll]

Hey guys, I am now recently thinking about purchasing a Tivo. I do not know much about how it works. When I get Tivo, I am going to have my Comcast cable going straight into the Tivo box. Can anyone tell me how many channels will I continue to get doing it this way without the Comcast digital box (the Comcast digital box will be relocated to another room). I currently subscribe to all of Comcast channels (the whole package) even the HD channels..
I have my Series 2 boxes hooked up with a cable box. I get the 72 basic channels offered by Cox in my area. I also get HBO, for which I pay a little extra. If you get a cable splitter for the coaxial cable coming from the wall, you can plug directly into the TV and then plug the other wire into your Tivo.

That way, you can record and watch live TV (with no Tivo features, darn it) even if you don't have a dual receiver.

Has worked for me on my current six Tivos. For the seventh, the Series 3, I got two cable cards....but still no cable box. I get all the high number hi def and music channels for the same price as basic with the hi def.

You need to decide if you want HDTV, or if you want to be able to do multiroom viewing.

Barbeedoll