Help me get this figured out.

[doo600]

I have 3 TIVO boxes with direct tv, none HD. I want HD but I'm not willing to give up my TIVO service and go with the Direct TV garbage box. I really like direct tv so I'd like to stay but I'm not sure it's an option anymore.

Question 1: Can I get a Direct TV/HD box and still have direct tv support it?

Question 2: If I switch to Comcast, which I do not really want to do, are my TIVO boxes useless or can they be used with their system?


I'm not sure what direct tv boxes I have, I know 2 are like 250mb and one is 30mb. Does that sound right?

[MirclMax]

Since you didn't know the particular model .. I'm going to go on the assumption that you have an integrated DirecTV receiver w/TiVo Service .. that is .. you the cable(s) that comes from your satellite dish goes into one box, and that's your TiVo. (The other option would be that you have a DirecTV receiver box that is controlled by your StandAlone TiVo box...) ..

So.. your integrated box .. the "DirecTiVo" will still be supported by DirecTV, but will cease to get HighDef channels. Which obviously does you no good. My only point is that it will still function.. just in a limited manner..

As far as switching to Comcast .. again, assuming you have a "DirecTiVo" then no what you have will not work with a cable company's signal at all.

My advice to you by the way.. if you do switch... you can put your DirecTV service on "Hold" for up to 9 months at a time. Assuming you have a plan that you like and so forth, you might want to do that in case new hardware comes down the pipe that would make you want to switch back.

Good luck.

[doo600]

yes, it is all in one box (integrated). So is the best way to proceed to just get rid of Direct TV and start from new?

[Arcady]

That's what i did. I replaced several DirecTiVo boxes with a Series 3, TiVoHD, and a Series 2. I'm much happier than I was with DirecTV.

[richsadams]

FWIW worth DT compresses their HD signal a great deal more than do cableco's resulting in poorer PQ. We use Comcast as well as OTA and switiching between the two on the same HD broadcast shows very little difference.

By its very nature HD signals are compressed to some extent already, but DT's existing HD channels use MPEG-2 compression. Word has it that they will be using a new satellite sometime in 2008 which will use MPEG-4 compression.

More on DT HD here. (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=319777)

There are also rumors that DT may reinstate their relationship w/TiVo and offer TiVo GUI HD boxes one of these days so MirclMax's advice to put your account on hold might be worthwhile...couldn't hurt.

Comcast is also rolling out the TiVo GUI on their HD DVR's (small area on the East Coast so far) but things have been moving at a snail's pace since their agreement going on three years ago. Our experience with Comcast DVR's was miserable at best, so I'm not so sure I'd ever go back, but it's something to consider.

More on Comcast TiVo here. (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=369644&highlight=comcast+tivo)

Me? I'd buy a TiVo HD ($253 at Amazon w/free shipping) (http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCD652160-Digital-Video-Recorder/dp/B000RZDBM2/ref=sr_1_1/104-0982212-1509518?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1186524350&sr=1-1&tag=themusicsource35819-20) with a one-year pre-paid subscription (a little less than $11/mo.) and go with Comcast for good quality HD at a reasonable price for now.

[classicsat]

You have to give up one of the three:

TiVo; no new HD from DirecTV can be recorded on any TiVo DVR in HD. To DVR in HD, you need their non-TiVo DVR.

HD; See above. To use TiVo with DriecTV, you have to live with SD, either from and MPEG2 only DirecTV TiVo, or a Series 2 TiVo connected to a DirecTV receiver (HD or otherwise).

DirecTV; The only HD TiVo to get most of the latest channels are the TiVoHD and Series 3. With those, they are cable and OTA only, so to use one for other than OTA, you need to subscribe to cable.

[doo600]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll just hold on a little while and hope TIVO and Direct TV work things out. I had comcast years ago and it was a bad experience so I absolutely do not want to give them my business again.

[richsadams]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll just hold on a little while and hope TIVO and Direct TV work things out. I had comcast years ago and it was a bad experience so I absolutely do not want to give them my business again.I know where you're coming from re; Comcast. :mad: In all fairness they've been pretty good here in the recent past though.

It'll probably be a while before DT and TiVo get back in bed together for a major launch, but you never know.

I think these are the last couple of articles I read about it:

Rekindling the love: TiVo, DirecTV announce big update, more collaboration (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070801-updates-show-more-signs-of-new-love-between-tivo-directv.html).

DirecTV TiVo owners to get update in early '08 (http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/directv-tivo-owners-to-get-update-in-early-08/)

[doo600]

Thanks for the links Rich...that's exciting news. I'm definitely gonna hold on and hope for the best next year. :up: