Totally new to Tivo...

[FixItPete]

Like the title says, I am brand new to Tivo and just bought a TiVo HD DVR with Lifetime membership.

Cable provider: Cablevision IO with a 4250HD Box

So many questions!

1) Do I need to insert the card that is in the box right now in my Tivo to get all the channels that the box gets now?

2) If I want a bigger hard... WOW there is a lot of information on drives on this site. I think the myDVR expander is a little over priced. What are the options?

Anything else you can do to welcome a newbie?

:D Thanks,
Pete :)

[classicsat]

1. You probably should get separate cablecard(s).

2. Your best bet is upgrading the internal drive. If you don't want to open the DVR at all, your only option is the official WD My DVR drive.

[FixItPete]

Thanks! I actually want add the larger one internally, but I don't want to muck the thing up. I build my own PCs, etc... but with the Lifetime sub, I don't wan to screw it up. I can get the My DVR for $100 used... I dunno... maybe just wait and see how I like it as is and go from there.

Thanks again,
Pete

[Puppy76]

Personally I'm iffy on those external drives, as it doubles the chance of failure, and the external drives in particular don't seem like they'd be real great to have running for years on end without even any active cooling. Maybe they usually work fine, but I'm still planning on either buying a Tivo HD XL or the smaller unit and adding a new drive to it.

If that store that sells "Instant Cake" is for real, that dosen't sound too terrible to do for people like us that are comfortable working with computers. (I assume it's straight forward software, hopefully!)

I'm really glad the XL is available now, as for me, the recording capacity on the regular model in HD is just too small. I'm starting to run up against the limits of my standard definition model a bit, and it can hold 30-50+ hours the way I use it.

[ThomC]

Thanks! I actually want add the larger one internally, but I don't want to muck the thing up. I build my own PCs, etc... but with the Lifetime sub, I don't wan to screw it up. I can get the My DVR for $100 used... I dunno... maybe just wait and see how I like it as is and go from there.

Thanks again,
Pete
Your best bet then is to return the Tivo HD for a Tivo HD XL while you are still able to.

The card in your cable box DO NOT work for the Tivos.
You will need to have a service call by Cablevision to get the CableCards going.

Once the install is done you can return the Cablevision box and remote.
(Unless you want non-DVRed stuff like interactive TV or on-Demand.)

[FixItPete]

Thanks! What does (if anything) Cablevision charge to get the new card(s) up and running? Is there a best way to go about it?

P.S. I'll keep the unit I have coming... as sooner or later I get the guts to do the internal upgrade. :D

[richsadams]

Thanks! What does (if anything) Cablevision charge to get the new card(s) up and running? Is there a best way to go about it?

P.S. I'll keep the unit I have coming... as sooner or later I get the guts to do the internal upgrade. :DWelcome to the world of TiVo! :up: I'm not sure what your cableco charges for a "truck roll"...not likely very much. Ours charges $14.95. Hand the tech the cable card instruction sheet (http://www.tivo.com/assets/pdfs/CableCARDInstall_TiVoHD.pdf) provided in the box. They can install one "M" (multi-stream card if they have them - recommended) or two "S" (single stream) cable cards. If they install two "S" cable cards, just make sure that they install the first one and activate it initially, then the second one. Trying to activate them both at the same time will not work and is the most common mistake.

With regard to external or internal hard drive upgrade options, all the information you need is in the Official eSATA Drive Expansion: FAQ + Discussion (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5616160#post5616160) sticky thread.

As others have mentioned, simply replacing the internal hard drive with a larger one (up to 1TB) is your best bet. It sounds like you're comfortable with connecting drives to a PC so you should have no problems if you follow the instructions on the thread.

The best bet is to get everything up and running to ensure that all is well then when you're comfortable do your upgrade. It's really quite simple, elegant and worth it.

Best of luck and keep us posted! :up:

[debtoine]

Cablevision will charge you $45 or $46 to come out to your house to install the cards. If your Tivo takes a multistream (M) card, then you only need 1. If you need single stream (S) cards, then you'll need 2. They charge $2/month for cable cards.

deb

[SkeeterTV]

Welcome to the Tivo family!!! You're life will never be the same... in a good way :)

[naughtarus]

Your best bet with cablecards with the tivo hd is have your cable company do it. They need to make sure it is paired with the tive (VERY important). Then it needs to have authorization from your cable company.
In regards to hdxl, if you can get one, get it. 1 Terrabyte hard drive is no laughing matter. :D
Also, once you get the box running, ensure that you have the most recent software version to date. At this time the most recent for your current box is 9.4.
Naughtarus

[Puppy76]

Welcome to the Tivo family!!! You're life will never be the same... in a good way :)

Yeah, it's really true. I heard that beforehand, but I've gone through "stages" with mine. First few weeks, first months/year, etc. I'm to the point now where I just can't stomach watching live TV, it's just so unappealing.

[DougJohnson]

Personally I'm iffy on those external drives, as it doubles the chance of failure


Me, too.

If that store that sells "Instant Cake" is for real, that dosen't sound too terrible to do for people like us that are comfortable working with computers. (I assume it's straight forward software, hopefully!)


If you mean dtvupgrade.com, they're very real. They're good to deal with. Another excellent choice is winMFS (just Google it). That's free and works very well for upgrading an internal hard drive. -- Doug

[DougJohnson]

Yeah, it's really true. I heard that beforehand, but I've gone through "stages" with mine. First few weeks, first months/year, etc. I'm to the point now where I just can't stomach watching live TV, it's just so unappealing.

I don't even know what day, time, or channel my favorite shows come on. People think that is really weird. But they just show up on TiVo and I watch them when I am in the mood. -- Doug

[Puppy76]

I don't even know what day, time, or channel my favorite shows come on. People think that is really weird. But they just show up on TiVo and I watch them when I am in the mood. -- Doug

Thanks for the program name, I'll have to check that out. And yep, I don't always know when stuff's on either. I can't believe I used to have to figure out when a show came back from repeats!

[FixItPete]

:D Now I'm even more Psyched! :D

[RonDawg]

Thanks! What does (if anything) Cablevision charge to get the new card(s) up and running? Is there a best way to go about it?

You really should contact your local Cablevision office for specific pricing. You may be charged less than has been quoted, or you could possibly be charged more.

As far as the "best way" to go about it, here are some tips:

1. Do NOT wait until the day the Cablevision tech comes out to run Guided Setup on your new TiVo. The tech will probably not stick around until it's done. If possible, try to schedule the CableCard installation so that your TiVo can run for a few days prior, to make sure it's not defective.

2. As Rich mentioned, there is an instruction sheet that comes with the CableCard-capable TiVo's specifically on CableCard installation. If possible, have the tech review this sheet, but if he/she insists on not doing so, then be familiar with it yourself and make sure the tech follows it exactly.

3. If not all the channels you are paying for are coming in, don't let the tech fool you into thinking you'll "eventually" get them. If you don't get them before the tech leaves, you won't get them period. There is a problem with the provisioning of the CableCard, if not the card itself.

4. Only re-do Guided Setup after you are sure you receive the channels you are supposed to. Re-running Guided Setup is a lengthy process, and a tech is unlikely to be that patient. You can manually tune in the individual channels using the keypad.

[jlib]

Right, definitely don't do guided setup with the tech there. Do it once before he comes and and again after the CCs are provisioned.

Here are some other things you should do:

Update your user profile here to include location. Then read and post in the CableVision Cable Card (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=315932) thread to see if anyone has any advice idiosyncratic to your area.

Get unmodified TiVo working with Cable Card (specify a multistream card so you only will need one).

Anyone who is not be intimidated by opening a computer should do their own hard drive upgrade. Current prices for 1TB drives are $99-$129. The TiVo is very unchallenging for modern hard drives so quietness is way more important than performance. See the drive upgrade threads for suggested models and sale anouncements.

The thread that richadams higlighted is the place to start. Just scroll down on the very first post until you find the internal upgrade section. Any questions can be posted there. WinMFS is the utility you want to use (assuming you have access to a WinXP or latter computer).

Buy a 1TB drive at next sale and upgrade to new drive. Put original on the shelf for safekeeping in case drive ever fails. You can just reinstall original drive and you are back to were you started without needing the TiVo to be reconfigured.