Direct TV Tivo questions from Newbie:

[Sunshy]

Hello, my family back home has Direct TV with a few channels added (from South America). They do NOT have an HDTV. I'd like to get them a used Series 1 or 2 Tivo unit with lifetime so they can record shows (they still have trouble getting their head around what it really is :confused:) and not have to pay an additional monthly fee. However, since I don't know anything about Direct TV, I have the following questions:

1. Am I still able to buy a Tivo unit that will work with their setup?
2. Do I have to buy a Direct TV Tivo unit or can I purchase a standard series 1 or 2 tivo unit?
3. Which one would be best?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,

[John T Smith]

1 - not new (until the next generation model is issued, maybe in 2009) so try eBay

2 - DirecTv uses a unique signal that only works with their brand of equipment... you may buy a regular Tivo, but you then have to have a DirecTv converter box and feed the output signal from that to the Tivo as if to a TV

[Sunshy]

Thanks for the reply John. So I can look on Ebay or Craiglist for a 1st or 2nd generation Direct TV Tivo unit with lifetime and it will work with my mom's system? I'd rather not get the converter as the signal is already degraded somewhat going through the Tivo outputs. I haven't seen any used Direct TV Tivo units with lifetime subscription. Are these even still available?

I found some locally here:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/ele?query=Direct+TV+Tivo&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max

But like I said, I don't want to burden them with another monthly payment. I just want one with lifetime subscription like I have.

[JimSpence]

If they replace an existing receiver with a DirecTV TiVo there won't be any additional mirroring fee. There would be the DVR fee of $5.99.

[Sunshy]

Ah, that answered my question. I guess that's unavoidable without the converter you were talking about. Thanks for the replies.

[ADent]

DirecTV does not offer lifetime. For awhile TiVo managed these units and TiVo offered lifetime - but when DirecTV took over they tied the lifetime to the account, not the receiver. There are hacked units with 'lifetime' service out there.

Weeknees does sell refurbished units, but there are people around here throwing away their units as they switch to HD.

No degradation in signal with DirecTiVo. The DTiVo records the pre-compressed DirecTV signal. DTV's signal is not always the best, esp on the lesser watched station, but DTiVo does not degrade it at all.