Tivo series 3 in Canada

[jano]

Hi Everyone ,

I got a Tivo Hd TCD 652160 series 3 box for Christmas.
I don't have an HD tv so i don't care about the HD reception.
My question is : I live in Vancouver BC , using Shaw cable . I have a basic digital box so i have channels up to ch 134 . Can i hook up my Shaw digital box to the Tivo box and receive the same analog and digital channels ?
Can i use it without the cable card ?

thanks a lot jano

[rocko]

If you want to record digital channels on an S3 then you must have a cable card(s). This thread talks about the topic in detail.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=315266

[jano]

Thanks, looks like it was a waste of money . We don't have cable cards in Canada so i might have to sell it . Too bad i would love to use a Tivo .....

[Charlie E]

Hi Jano,

We're looking to buy an HD TiVo PVR (Series 3) right now. We currently have a Series 2 which we purchased in November 2007, and we are very happy with it. Our new problem is that we have recently moved and have upgraded to HDTV, so we can't record those channels on the Series 2.

We live just outside of Toronto and are willing to look at buying your Series 3 TiVo if you are going to sell it. Also - if our Series 2 TiVo would work for you, we can figure out a reasonable trade.

Let me know what you think.

(As an aside, if you can figure out a way to make a TiVo work for you - it is fantastic!!)

[unixb0y]

Hi Everyone ,

I got a Tivo Hd TCD 652160 series 3 box for Christmas.
I don't have an HD tv so i don't care about the HD reception.
My question is : I live in Vancouver BC , using Shaw cable . I have a basic digital box so i have channels up to ch 134 . Can i hook up my Shaw digital box to the Tivo box and receive the same analog and digital channels ?
Can i use it without the cable card ?

thanks a lot jano

You might be able to get over the air (OTA) HD in vancouver

this thread goes into details
http://www.discovervancouver.com/forum/High-Def-HDTV-air-Van-t99009.html

I know that most people in the Toronto Area get their HD signal OTA from Buffalo.

[ciper]

If you want to record digital channels on an S3 then you must have a cable card(s) or use an antenna. This thread talks about the topic in detail.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=315266
FTFY

[rocko]

FTFY

My bad. I get such crappy OTA reception I tend to forget about it - the main difference between an S3 and the THD. Thanks.

[potsie]

Sorry about the 'newbie-istic' nature of this question... I have never owned a TiVo, but I am going to purchase one. I live in Canada and would like to purchase a series 3. If a cable card is not yet available in Canada through my cable company can I use the series3 as an analog TiVo? Does it have the same features and capabilities as the S2? Can I just use it like and S2 until the technology catches up? Also, living in Canada can I purchase a TiVo unit from eBay with the lifetime fee already paid and use it in Canada? How does that work? Thanks in advance for your information!!!!!! :)

[RonDawg]

If a cable card is not yet available in Canada through my cable company can I use the series3 as an analog TiVo? Does it have the same features and capabilities as the S2? Can I just use it like and S2 until the technology catches up? Also, living in Canada can I purchase a TiVo unit from eBay with the lifetime fee already paid and use it in Canada? How does that work? Thanks in advance for your information!!!!!! :)

If your cable provider still has analog channels, and that's all you plan on using it for, then yes a Series 3 will work just fine. You could even use it for OTA to get HD broadcasts (if available in your area), the issue is that you may not get any guide data for those channels.

As far as features, it actually has more features available to it than the Series 2, such as streaming from YouTube and NetFlix. The latter may not be (yet) available to Canadians, as Amazon Unbox is also not available for you, I don't see why YouTube wouldn't. A Series 3 can also take advantage of an external add-on hard drive for added storage.

As far as Lifetime subscription, yes you can use it in Canada. It just means that you don't have to pay a monthly or yearly fee for the TiVo services, and lasts the lifetime of the box. However, since the majority of TiVo failures are due to easy to replace items such as hard drives and power supplies, it is possible to keep one running for many, many years. A few members here have TiVo units that are close to a decade old.

[potsie]

Thank you for the great answer RonDawg! What steps do I need to take if I purchase a TiVo unit from the USA that already has the lifetime service paid for? Is there something I have to do to transfer ownership? Once I receive it do I simply hook it up and enter my zip/postal code? You said I may not receive guide info for some channels, is that only for the OTA HD? or analog as well? Thanks again!!:up:

[Worf]

I have a series 3 in Canada - I know for sure Shaw does not support cablecard, nor are there plans to do so.

However, analog works great, I love the OLED display (replaced the clock on my VCR), and TiVo To Go works very well, even with the regular Series 2 that's available in Canada. (There's a reason why TiVO's only offering Series 2 in Canada).

YouTube works fine in Canada as well now after TiVo got that sorted out, the other streaming services (Netflix, Amazon) don't.

And yes, setting it up in Canada is very easy - just go into the setup and when it asks for Zip code, it'll say hit <Info> or something for Canada. Do that, and it'll let you enter in a postal code, and you're all set. OTA channels might not have guide information, but analog cable should.