DirecTV + Tivo, how does that work?

[SliceMan]

OK, let's say that I will buy a DirecTV receiver and 1 Tivo Box!

How does the Tivo manage the DirecTv receiver???
I mean if Tivo say, I want that match on NBA TV, Channel 601, from 6 to 8pm... The Tivo can switch the DirecTV tuner?

Mmmmm, Im sorry, I live in Europe and will arrive in the US next month...I'm not familiar with those boxes

Thanks guys,

SM!

[ZikZak]

Yes, the tivo can control the satellite or cable box. It does this with an IR blaster that sends remote control signals to it.

However, if you will be using DirecTV, consider the DirecTV/Tivo combo box which will receive and record all in one box. The picture quality will be much better. The disadvantage is that you will not get any capability for downloading to PC.

[SliceMan]

Thanks.
How many tuners has a DirecTV box? If it is only one, no need to buy a dual Tivo??

Yes I need to copy on PCs... So I prefer 2 boxes.
On top of that I've been told that they are not manufactured anymore (the DirecTV Tivo)?

And, another consideration: what is the main difference between a DirecTV DVR and a Tivo one???

:)

[litzdog911]

All of DirecTV's DVRs have two satellite tuners so you can record two different shows while watching a third recorded show, or record one show while watching a second Live show.

DirecTV only provides its own DVR software now, but you can easily find used DirecTV/Tivos if you really want the Tivo software.

[SliceMan]

Thanks.

So, the Standard DIRECTV® Receiver has 2 tuners and I can plug, behind, a 180-hr TiVo® Series2™ DT DVR (dual also) ?

That will work? :)

[bidger]

No.

TiVo doesn't sell a DirecTV-integrated DVR and the dual tuner they offer would only be able to record from one satellite receiver, not two.

[nosoup4u]

I'm going through this right now and it's enough to make one suicidal. As I found out you have three problems;
1. Tivo/DirecTV combos are no longer made. You might find a new one on ebay or settle for a used one.
2. I don't have one but by all accounts the new DirecTV DVRs are very user unfriendly and most who have already experienced Tivo one to throw them(the DirecTV DVR) in the trash.
3. Using a stand alone Tivo and DirecTV receiver can lead to channel changing problems. The IR blaster sometimes(sometimes often) has problems properly changing the channel on the DirecTV receiver. Tivos are also set up with a serial port connection to change channels but it only works with cable boxes because no satellite recievers that I have found have serial ports.

Good luck. I still haven't settled on what exactly I want to do.

[HiDefGator]

Stop fighting reality. If you want DirecTV then accept that the HR20 and not a Tivo are your best choice. If you want Tivo then get cable and a Tivo. Trying to use Dish or DTV with a Tivo is just silly.

[wolflord11]

Why is trying to use Tivo and Directv silly?

Now to answer some questions:

1. For best picture quality, get a Directv/Tivo unit. The Sat T60, DSR6000 and R10 all do that well. The downside is you cannot network them, without major work and hacks.

2. My Directv R15 is not all that bad. Unless you have been a fan of Tivo from Day one, you would never know the differences really.

3. Using a Standalone Tivo and Directv Receiver, you have One choice only: With the tivo it does not matter if it is a Series 2 ST or DT you can only record One Show/One Channel at a time. The DT Tivo does not support Dual Sat Recording. As for changing the channels, you have 3 options:

IR Changing (The D11/D12) This is the worst. It may work maybe 40% of the time if you are lucky.

Serial Changing. This works well, but boxes with this are becoming harder to find.

Low Speed Data Changing. Some Directv Boxes have this, and it is the best way to go. I have had no problems at all changing with this connection. The downside, only One Unit has this connection, and can also get Local Channels on Sat 72.5. That is the D10. Other units have this changing feature, but are older, and cannot get Sat 72.5

Your best bet is to get a Series 2 DT from Tivo, and look for a D10 Sat Reciever. Use Low Speed Data connection to change channels.

[steve614]

My observation:

If possible, get a standalone Tivo.

That way, you can network it which will allow you to:
1. Transfer TV shows on your Tivo to your PC.
2. View photos or listen to music from your PC on your TV.
3. Get content from the internet downloaded straight to your Tivo.
4. Play Tivo games. (ha - only if there's absolutely nothing to watch )
I could list more, but I'll give someone else a turn. :D

P.S. Don't let anyone scare you away from the IR blasters. Yeah you may experience the occational glitch, but if they were that bad, I'm sure you'd see WAY more complaints about it here.

[HiDefGator]

A standalone with DTV will only get you a single tuner. That alone makes it a bad combo. The digital to analog converison as it saves the data is also bad. Of course all this assumes you live in the past and don't require HD yet.

[SliceMan]

Ok, that sounds a little bit scary for me! :eek:

But the new DTV software does the same thing than the Tivo one?

As I said, Im not in the US yet, so I miss some basic information:
- Tivo is CABLE only, so we have only a limited choice of channels?
- DirecTV is SATELLITE and we can get a lot more of channels?

Imagine, if I want to watch a maximum of SPORT channels in Connecticut, what could be the solution?
I thought it was DirecTV with its Premium option, and to record them, a Tivo... :eek:

??

Thanks mate

[annenoe]

My observation:

If possible, get a standalone Tivo.

That way, you can network it which will allow you to:
1. Transfer TV shows on your Tivo to your PC.
2. View photos or listen to music from your PC on your TV.
3. Get content from the internet downloaded straight to your Tivo.
4. Play Tivo games. (ha - only if there's absolutely nothing to watch )
I could list more, but I'll give someone else a turn. :D

P.S. Don't let anyone scare you away from the IR blasters. Yeah you may experience the occational glitch, but if they were that bad, I'm sure you'd see WAY more complaints about it here.

I have DirecTV, 2 TVs, 3 Tivos (2 standalone Series 2, 1 HR10-250). I have absolutely NO issues with standard def viewing via DirecTV boxes - works perfectly. The major issue is how important Hi-Def is for you. HD, DirecTV and Tivo has only one solution (the HR10-250) which can be 'challenging' (tho' many of us have figured out how to make it work and are able to deal with the glitches).

[classicsat]

A standalone TiVo can work with either cable, IPTV, or satellite.
For the DT model, the DT functioality requires analog cable. The DT model only supports a single external box for sources such as satellite, IPTV, and digital cable. You will have full networking functinoality with no hacking.

Cable, with digital, has nearly all the same channels satellite has, although DirecTV has a few exclusive sports pacakges.

All TiVos can have their drive expanded. Most non-TiVo DVRs cannot.

As for a DirecTV TiVo:
It records the satellite stream directly with two tuners, but still has only one output (it has a couple sets of jacks, but they output the same thing). It is only satellite, and only DirecTV. Some networking features can be hacked in.

Standard DirecTV receivers have only one tuner. Done right, channel changing is not a problem. I don't have DirecTV, but I have little problem with IR on my satellite system.

The non-TiVo DirecTV DVRs are just not TiVos, they are different at best, and coming form nothing or another non-TiVo DVR, you might not notice. There is no hacking on these ones.