VOD, HD, and unactivated units

[mlk43611]

Hi All,

I'm considering purchasing a refurbished HD for $179.

Question 1: To continue VOD on the same tv that has the HD Tivo unit, we would have to have cable cards AND a cable box, yes? Is that practical, configurable? (I haven't priced cards yet from our cable company, Buckeye Cable.) We watch VOD enough to give pause as to whether to get a TiVo or just go w/the cable company's (forever pay us) DVR program. I really want to be able to transfer programing back and forth between a DVR and computer -- not an option, I don't think, with cable DVR.

Question 2: Can you transfer tv shows between multiple TiVo DVRs if only one of them is activated? TiVo is also selling refurbished Series 2 units for $50. Some of the TiVo docs says units won't work w/o activation, but some of the FAQs mention that a lot of *functions* don't work, not the whole unit. What CAN an unactivated TiVo unit do?

Thanks!

-- mk --

[dianebrat]

A#1
Tivo's can not handle VOD/CH1 stuff where you use the remote to initiate it, you will need a cable company box for it.

In general , and in my case Comcast, you get a free digital box on your account, and a free CableCARD, they just go into different inputs on the TV, no big deal if you're that big on VOD.

A#2
no, you can not have MRV enabled on machines that are not with an active subscription.
But you can pull a PC into the mix via Tivo To Go that can download items from the TivoHD.

Diane

[mlk43611]

Hi Diane,

Thanks for your response.

I spoke w/our cable company, and they charge $3.35 a month for the card, plus they'll continue to charge $8.45 a month for the digital box. No freebies from them! <s> Also, they require that they install the card, which costs $100. For that price, I asked if they'd be hooking up the TiVo, too, and they said that technically the install doesn't include that, but since they have to have the TiVo correctly installed to test the cards, the installers generally will hook up the TiVo.

What is "MRV" ?

Thanks.

-- mk --

[jkalnin]

$100 - holy rip-off. Here is the installation in a nutshell: Open slot on front of Tivo, put in m-card, call office, give a few numbers, wait for them to work magic, check channels work then leave.

That should be free. I wouldn't pay them $10 let alone $100 to do a minimal task like that.

MRV is multi-room-viewing. A function on active Tivos to send files back and forth between them without going to the PC first.

[dianebrat]

$100 - holy rip-off. Here is the installation in a nutshell: Open slot on front of Tivo, put in m-card, call office, give a few numbers, wait for them to work magic, check channels work then leave.

That should be free. I wouldn't pay them $10 let alone $100 to do a minimal task like that.
I gotta say, even Comcast insists on a $39 truck roll, so it's the way of the world, it still doesn't make it right. I can tell you that if you're upgrading service, Comcast can occasionally be convinced to subsidize some of the cost.

MRV is multi-room-viewing. A function on active Tivos to send files back and forth between them without going to the PC first.

I'd count TTG (Tivo to go) under MRV in that you can view on a PC *or* another Tivo, and that might make a difference if someone has a PC or two in other rooms where they would like to view Tivo content.

Diane

[mlk43611]

Hi All,

Thanks for the additional info.

Yes, I'm feeling a little ripped-off by the $100 call, but their policy is that don't allow customers to install the cards; they're brought to the set and installed by their technicans. Financial incentive, perhaps, for not going w/the cable company's own DVR programming option.

-- mk --