Tivo HD and Tivo To Go questions

[NeilV]

Hey all,

Just a few questions for those who have bought a Tivo HD within the last month or so....

1 - Can anyone tell me if Tivo HD has the downlaodable Tivo to Go service activated? A review on Amazon from last November states that it isn't activated.

2 - I can download and archive these files as many times as I want, and edit out commercials for archiving, correct? If I record FOX HD, and the 4Kids block, for instance, it'll download an HD quality picture that I can then edit and archive?

3 - If I hook up a TV tuner via SVideo and RCA Video/Audio inputs, I can record a show still that way, as well, correct?

Thanks :).

[Hokie-Dave]

1) I'm using TiVo To Go on my HD. TTG currently works with the TiVo HD, I guess it may not have when they first came out. I got mine 6 weeks ago.

2) Depending on your source you can download and archive shows. What I'm noticing though is that most of the HD stations that I get via Comcast that are not available OTA are copy protected so TTG will not allow you to archive them to your PC. As an example I can't archive Deadliest Catch which is on Discovery HD, but I was able to archive Carrier which was on PBS (WETA).

3) I think the only input that will feed the TiVo HD is the coax input for cable and the coax input for an antenna. I don't think you can hook up a tuner via S-Video to feed the TiVo HD like the Series 2. But I'll defer to someone else on this one.

[GoHokies!]

3) I think the only input that will feed the TiVo HD is the coax input for cable and the coax input for an antenna. I don't think you can hook up a tuner via S-Video to feed the TiVo HD like the Series 2. But I'll defer to someone else on this one.
You're exactly right.

Go Hokies.

[RonDawg]

Can anyone tell me if Tivo HD has the downlaodable Tivo to Go service activated? A review on Amazon from last November states that it isn't activated.

TTG/MRV has been available on the TiVoHD for several months now. When they were first released, it was not yet activated.

I can download and archive these files as many times as I want, and edit out commercials for archiving, correct? If I record FOX HD, and the 4Kids block, for instance, it'll download an HD quality picture that I can then edit and archive?

Yes, as long as the channel is not flagged as copy-protected. OTA channels, including those rebroadcast on cable systems, are not supposed to be flagged, but any channels that are exclusive to cable/satellite can be flagged. Which ones if any are flagged depends on cable provider and sometimes region.

If I hook up a TV tuner via SVideo and RCA Video/Audio inputs, I can record a show still that way, as well, correct?

No, because the TiVoHD and Series 3 models lack the input found on older models. It also lacks an IR blaster/serial port so even if it did, it cannot change the channels on an external box.

[NeilV]

Hmm, so I can still hook it up via COAX, then. That's good to know. I'd prefer itthat way anyway, as the Verizon DVR dosn't have a COAX out and I have to use the other method.

Hmm...So anyone have Verizon FIOS TV in the Northern NJ area with a Tivo?
I'm guessing I can probably download shows from analog channels perfectly fine, and HD versions of the analog channels. Downloading from HBO might be more doubtfull...

Thanks for the info guys. We are 100% digitally set here in Wyckoff thanks to FIOS and cable cards.

But down the shore, where TV is more of a luxury, we are not so good allot. I'm thinking that we should get one Tivo HD w/lifetime service and use that as our main viewing option for the house. Next door I guess we can rent cablevision IO boxes again..

[Hokie-Dave]

Hmm, so I can still hook it up via COAX, then. That's good to know. I'd prefer itthat way anyway, as the Verizon DVR dosn't have a COAX out and I have to use the other method.

Hmm...So anyone have Verizon FIOS TV in the Northern NJ area with a Tivo?
I'm guessing I can probably download shows from analog channels perfectly fine, and HD versions of the analog channels. Downloading from HBO might be more doubtfull...

Thanks for the info guys. We are 100% digitally set here in Wyckoff thanks to FIOS and cable cards.

But down the shore, where TV is more of a luxury, we are not so good allot. I'm thinking that we should get one Tivo HD w/lifetime service and use that as our main viewing option for the house. Next door I guess we can rent cablevision IO boxes again..

It sounds like you want to use your TV tuner box to feed the TiVo. You cannot do that. What you need to do is the coax from the wall straight to the TiVo. Then from Verizon you will get 1 M or 2 single stream cable cards that will let you get your expanded channels. The TiVO S3 or HD cannot control a set top box like the old Series 1/2 could.

[RonDawg]

Hmm, so I can still hook it up via COAX, then. That's good to know. I'd prefer itthat way anyway, as the Verizon DVR dosn't have a COAX out and I have to use the other method.

If you're talking about hooking up the TV to the TiVo via coax, that will not work as the TiVoHD and S3 models do not have a coax out.

If you're talking about hooking up an external tuner box to the TiVo via coax, that will not work either. Among other reasons, the TiVoHD and S3 models lack the ability to control an external tuner box.

If using your cable provider's own box is important (i.e. to use PPV/VOD or because they have deployed SDV), you will have to use a Series 2 model instead.

[WinBear]

The TiVo HD and Series 3 models do work with Verizon FIOS as long as you get a cable card installation from Verizon. I haven't had any issue using TiVo To Go on the FIOS channels I use, but I'm not a frequent user of that feature.

[NeilV]

MAybe I'm not explaining what I want to do properly..

Right now, I don't have my Verizon DVR hooked up to a TV at all. The HDMI out goes to my PC Monitor's HDMI in. The SVideo Out/RCA Audio Out goes directly in to my TV tuner card. In this case, a Dvico Fusion HDTV5.

I open up the Dvico program, select it to 'SVideo', and boom, I'm alble to see the box just like I would if I had a real TV next to my PC. I then record the shows I want using that method direct to MPG. But it's real time, and there fore a slow process when you go away for a week and have a bunch load of shows to 'dub' to hard drive.

With a Tivo to go service, I could have the option to download the ones that are 'in the clear' and for the ones that are not, I can 'dub/record' using the Fusion HDTV TV program.

Did that make any more sense?

[Bsteenson]

It sounds like what you propose would work, however I don't think you've getting the full HD data over S-Video.

Also, be aware that TTG transfers, especially of an HD program, are barely faster than real time.

BS

[NeilV]

Aww man, really? Even if you have a high speed connection, the download is barley faster than if I where to watch and record?

What's the point, then?

[classicsat]

The TiVo transfer goes over your home network, not outside internet, so your internet speed doesn't matter.

The point is having an HD digital recording, plus you can watch something else while the transfer is happening.

[NeilV]

Well, here's another question.... So, if it goes over the home network, how long would it take to transfer, say, a 1GB SD show? Lets say I tape Home Improvement off of Nick at Night and want to 'download' it to my PC. That'll take almost exactly 30 minutes, even with FIOS or Optimum setup on the home network? :(

Or is it just the HD feed that obviously would take super long because HD stuff tends to be huge?

[gastrof]

A gigabyte is a gigabyte, whether it represents a standard def video file, or a high def video file.

The amount of time involved in the transfer would be the same. It's the amount of playback time that'd vary, depending on what it was that took up that 1GB worth of space.

[NeilV]

So, I'm still not understanding right, apparently.

So, lets say a normal 1GB file takes me about 40 minutes to download on Optimum Online. It'd take the same forty minutes from the Tivo to the computer.

However, a 350MB file which takes say, 15 minutes, would also take 15 minutes from the Tivo to the PC, correct?

The 1GB file representing an hour HD show, the 350MB file representing a 30 minute SD show...

Just trying to make sure we're all on the same page here :)

Thanks

[GoHokies!]

That all depends on the relative speed of your internal network and your internet connection (assuming that Optimim Online is some type of download service on the internet).

It all depends on the speed of your network connections.

[steve614]

To give you a number, I'll use these examples I'm transferring right now from a TivoHD to PC.

A 1 1/2 hour show (SD analog) is 2.61 GB. Tivo Desktop estimates a transfer time of 33 minutes.

Another show 1 hour long (SD Digital) is 5.58 GB. Tivo Desktop estimates a transfer time of 1 hour 10 minutes.

Of course YMMV.

As you can see, it's not about the length of the show, it's about the size of the file.