View Full Version : Question about Tivo-New Possible User
davids2004
10-14-2009, 03:47 PM
As I no longer have uverse or a vcr, my next best option would be Tivo service. I have comcast service but do not have a box. Would the tivo box just link into my current cable service and I will still be able to watch live tv or record up to 2 shows at a time. If I am watching tv, then I can only record 1 show correct. So you can record 2 shows and watch one recorded show, or is it record one show while watching 1 recorded show. Also does it have to be connected to my internet or is that just to get extra features?
Thanks.
davids2004
10-14-2009, 04:16 PM
I also do not have a cable box of any kind. I have it hooked up from the wall to the tv with a coaxial cable. I was looking at the 20hd and 160-180sd box. It shows you need some type of cards. What are these cards use for and do you have to use them if you do not have HD.
Thanks.
scandia101
10-14-2009, 04:57 PM
If you only have analog cable, you could get by with the dual tuner S2. However, the most people would still recommend the Tivo HD or Tivo HD XL just to be a more future proof. These use cable cards for digital cable, but with analog cable you wouldn't need them. As for how many channels you can record while watching another channel, that depends on how you connect everything. If you split the cable as it comes out of the wall, you can keep yor TV connected as is and then connect a tivo to the other split and then connect the Tivo to the composite input (red, white, yellow) on the TV so that you could watch one and record two others. You could also accomplish the same thing by connecting the Tivo as above w/o splitting the cable and then connect a coaxial cable from the Tivo to the TV and then by putting the Tivo into standby mode, you could watch a third channel while 2 are recording.
jjberger2134
10-14-2009, 05:41 PM
Try reading through this thread written by bkdtv and is a "sticky" in the Series 3 forum...
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=419994
Pay particular attention to the known issues section, since you are using analog only. I recently bought a TiVoHD and while it was hooked up to the cable from the wall without Cable Cards, I exhibited the "gray screen" issues as described in the linked thread. This issue went away with the CableCard installation. If you are considering a TiVoHD, then you should really get Cable Cards to avoid this issue.
Cable cards are basically small cards - the size of a credit card, that are inserted into a slot on the TiVoHD. These cards are used instead of a cable box and allow the Cable company to allow the proper permissioning of your cable tier to be used by the TiVo.
I use Comcast as well, and recently was moved to an all digital tier since Comcast dropped analog in my area. It is only a matter of time until they do the same to you, so Cable Cards are most likely in your future if you pick up a TiVoHD.
... I recently bought a TiVoHD and while it was hooked up to the cable from the wall without Cable Cards, I exhibited the "gray screen" issues as described in the linked thread. This issue went away with the CableCard installation. ...
Lucky you. I have cablecards and still have the gray screens rather frequently on the analog channels......
davids2004
10-14-2009, 07:15 PM
Thanks for the response. So it may be something I may want to look into. I do not have any digital channels that I watch and my tv has a built in digital tuner.
mattack
10-14-2009, 09:17 PM
Are you sure that your cable company isn't going to switch sometime soon? One of my Tivos has cablecards, since I now only get up to something in the low 30s analog.. and the highest one I care about is 29, Discovery.
ZeoTiVo
10-15-2009, 07:17 AM
Lucky you. I have cablecards and still have the gray screens rather frequently on the analog channels......
use the digital version of the channel instead of the analog version then
NotVeryWitty
10-15-2009, 08:07 AM
use the digital version of the channel instead of the analog version then
Not all cable providers offer digital versions of all channels. Charter Communications in central Massachusetts (my provider) is an example -- channels 2-99 are analog, even if you have cable cards. :(
use the digital version of the channel instead of the analog version then
As NotVeryWitty said, not all cable providers have 'digital versions' of the analog channels. Mine is one of those which doesn't. If it did I would certainly use your workaround.
This gray screen bug has been in the code for ages now. I've given up hope that TiVo will fix it. But, hey, they did spend the resources to provide the Blockbuster feature that I'll never use. Whoopee.
CrispyCritter
10-15-2009, 09:39 AM
This gray screen bug has been in the code for ages now. I've given up hope that TiVo will fix it.
The gray screen analog bug hasn't even been around for one full update cycle. It was introduced in version 11 about a year ago. No reason to give up on it yet, they haven't had a full chance to find, fix and test (it wasn't even distinguished as a separate bug in the forums here until this year). If it doesn't get fixed in the next major update, then you've got a reason to worry.
The gray screen analog bug hasn't even been around for one full update cycle. It was introduced in version 11 about a year ago. No reason to give up on it yet, they haven't had a full chance to find, fix and test (it wasn't even distinguished as a separate bug in the forums here until this year). If it doesn't get fixed in the next major update, then you've got a reason to worry.
I guess you don't consider missing recordings on analog channels frequently for the past year a reason to be concerned. I view it VERY differently.
redwolf4k
10-15-2009, 10:12 AM
Although purchasing a Tivo HD would be future proof, if you could get a Series 2 tivo used for like $50, that would be a small price to pay to try it out for a year or two, especially if you only have basic cable with no box. It will VASTLY improve your recording experience over a VCR. Then, if you plan to get an HDTV or digital cable, then you can invest in a Tivo HD, or maybe some 4th gen series by then.
CrispyCritter
10-15-2009, 12:45 PM
I guess you don't consider missing recordings on analog channels frequently for the past year a reason to be concerned. I view it VERY differently.
I'm affected by it, and concerned about it. But it's just wrong to give up hope when they haven't even had a software update cycle to fix it in. This is something for which a fix has to be extensively and widely tested, and they only have that chance with their major releases. So I consider your post to be just wrong.
I'm affected by it, and concerned about it. But it's just wrong to give up hope when they haven't even had a software update cycle to fix it in. This is something for which a fix has to be extensively and widely tested, and they only have that chance with their major releases. So I consider your post to be just wrong.
Software upgrade cycles be damned. They've had over a year to find and fix it. That's an unacceptably long long time for a product which has as its primary function the recording of television programs to have an unrepaired bug which keeps it from reliably achieving that primary function!
CrispyCritter
10-15-2009, 07:49 PM
They've had over a year to find and fix it. Wrong again. They've had much less than a year since it was recognized as a bug and not a couple of TiVos malfunctioning.
You're totally out of touch with reality if you think TiVo can afford to spend a million dollars on a beta program just to test a fix early.
Wrong again. They've had much less than a year since it was recognized as a bug and not a couple of TiVos malfunctioning.
You're totally out of touch with reality if you think TiVo can afford to spend a million dollars on a beta program just to test a fix early.
I stand corrected. But it has been over ten months since it was recognized as a bug. I myself reported it to TiVo last mid December and was told that others were reporting the same thing.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=413026&highlight=gray+screen
Still unacceptable.
If you want a hard dose of reality try explaining to my wife why when she sits down to watch one of her favorite programs all that has been recorded is a blank gray screen. Believe me telling her that TiVo knows about the problem and will fix it some day --maybe-- doesn't cut it. Especially for months on end.
mattack
10-16-2009, 08:26 PM
use the digital version of the channel instead of the analog version then
Also, if you do have cable cards, and the cable company does digital simulcast, you have no choice.. you always get the digital version.
TiVoEvan74
10-18-2009, 12:33 PM
It's one of the things keeping me from buying an HD Tivo, so it could be hurting their sales, too!
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