Help me decide

[CallMeBob]

I need some help deciding on what to do. There are so many threads, so much information and more importantly so many differing opinions that I have been reading on this forum that I feel it's best just to ask all my question here.

I currently have Cox service in Hampton Roads, VA. I have two Cox DVRs, one in the bedroom and one in the Den. Problem is, with the upcoming fall season I am finding that I have too many shows that compete for the two tuners and limited amount of space on the Cox DVR. I could record shows in the bedroom, but since there is no MRV feature I would not be able to watch them on my 70" TV in my den. My solution is to rent a third Cox DVR for the den, but at $17 each a month it really adds up.

I have been seriously considering getting a couple of Tivo HDs and networking them so that I can transfer shows to solve my tuner problem. Another plus is the external HD to solve my space issues. But I have some concerns. I have read a lot about freezing, partial recordings, SDV, tiling and CC issues with the Tivo.

I know that most of the time on the internet people only post problems and those who have great experiences never post, but can anyone give me a straight answer as to what to expect if I make the switch to Tivo?

[Doh]

I think if you switch to Tivo you'll be much happier-- not just dual tuners but because Tivo is probably a significant upgrade from your current DVR (although I admit to saying that without knowing what your specific DVR is like).

If your provider is currently using SDV, then that's a real issue. Otherwise I agree that it's only a small minority of users who experience problems (which won't stop them from flaming me).

[CallMeBob]

I think if you switch to Tivo you'll be much happier-- not just dual tuners but because Tivo is probably a significant upgrade from your current DVR (although I admit to saying that without knowing what your specific DVR is like).

If your provider is currently using SDV, then that's a real issue. Otherwise I agree that it's only a small minority of users who experience problems (which won't stop them from flaming me).

Cox Norfolk hasn't gone SDV yet. Cox has stated that there will be no charge for the Tuning Resolver. Am I correct that the Tuning Resolver will be available soon?

As for the Cox DVR, honestly it's not that bad. My Cox DVRs have two tuners each, but on some nights I really need three. I rarely watch anything live and that's the big reason for considering Tivo...MRV. I want to record shows upstairs and transfer them downstairs so that I can avoid going with two boxes in the den. I had a HD DirecTivo for years and loved it, so I know what Tivo offers (well, some since the D* Tivo was gimped). I'm just concerned because every thread I read here is about someone having more problems and the one good thing I can say about the Cox box is that there are very few problems, at least for me.

[ZeoTiVo]

what you need is replies from people with Cox in Hampton roads as their experience is similar to what you might expect based on their experience. I live no where near there though ;)

[bcoxva]

Currently I have 2 TiVo HDs networked together. I have had TiVo HD DVRs for nearly a year on Cox. With my first one, I had little to no problems. When I got the second one just before Christmas, Cox had pulled the "extra" HD channels so for a while I was not getting all the HD channels available. This appears to have been some corporate policy thing that was, at least in HR, changed. I also did have some occasional tiling issues for several months, but none recently.

Unlike the poor souls in other parts of the country with SA cards, I have had no major (knock on wood) problems with the Motorola cable cards used in HR (though I have 4 single stream cards as I have been told they do not have multistream).

Cox can be slow to make newer HD stations available. I still do not have access to recently added HD stations for USA and Sci-Fi, but otherwise have all the HD stations (well, except for the temporary NBC Olympics ones). And their techs are not exactly proficient with cable cards (in fact every one I have had openly said they disliked the CC, though each and every one has been courteous helpful and professional just the same). In fact they look at my like why would I just not use the Cox DVR? The answer is simple. Once you have used TiVo then the cheap cable DVRs interface is just not usable (my sister has one, and she loses stuff on it all the time). Not to mention that I would be lost without the ability to network the 2 DVRs together.

But in general I can easily recommend using TiVo HD with Cox in Hampton Roads. So basically long answer to a short question, but I hope it helps.