Introduction...

[sgip2000]

My name is Tim and I just purchased a TivoHD to be delivered on 6/25/09 for use on Verizon's FIOS TV in Oregon.

I have read the sticky on upgrading the drive using InstaCake and plan on doing so as soon as the unit arrives.

I have learned a lot of good info on this forum. Thank you to all who have contributed.

[mchief]

You would be better served upgrading the internal drive using MFS software and keeping the old drive for backup.

[bkdtv]

I assume you are a Mac user? There's no reason to use InstantCake for a new TivoHD if you are a Windows user. If you are a Windows user, you're better off using WinMFS, as described in Section V of the Drive Upgrade FAQ.

Be sure to see the Using TiVo and TiVo Tips links in my signature. These are also stickied at the top of the forum.

[sgip2000]

Originally Posted by mchief

You would be better served upgrading the internal drive using MFS software and keeping the old drive for backup.

Thank you for the tip.

I do plan on upgrading the internal drive and keeping the original for back-up.

[sgip2000]

Originally Posted by bkdtv

I assume you are a Mac user?

Actually I use Windows but I already have a copy of InstaCake so I figured I'd just use that.

[bkdtv]

Originally Posted by sgip2000

Actually I use Windows but I already have a copy of InstaCake so I figured I'd just use that.

When using only InstantCake, you get a maximum of 144 HD hours on a 1TB drive. With WinMFS, you get 157 HD hours. That difference may or may not matter to you.

[sgip2000]

Originally Posted by bkdtv

When using only InstantCake, you get a maximum of 144 HD hours on a 1TB drive. With WinMFS, you get 157 HD hours. That difference may or may not matter to you.

I assume you're referring to the space gained by using "MfsSuperSize", correct?

[bkdtv]

Originally Posted by sgip2000

I assume you're referring to the space gained by using "MfsSuperSize", correct?

Correct.

There's nothing stopping you from running WinMFS' MfsSupersize on a drive prepared with InstantCake.

[sgip2000]

Originally Posted by bkdtv

Correct.

There's nothing stopping you from running WinMFS' MfsSupersize on a drive prepared with InstantCake.

I may just do that. Thanks for the suggestion.

[jjberger2134]

Originally Posted by sgip2000

Actually I use Windows but I already have a copy of InstaCake so I figured I'd just use that.

Instant Cake is specific to each TiVo model (ie. 540, 649, 652). If you are planning on using IC, make sure that you have the correct version.

[sgip2000]

Originally Posted by jjberger2134

Instant Cake is specific to each TiVo model (ie. 540, 649, 652). If you are planning on using IC, make sure that you have the correct version.

I do, thanks.

[richsadams]

Originally Posted by sgip2000

I do, thanks.

Just as an FYI, it's best to get your new TiVo up and running to ensure that everything is as it should be before upgrading. In the off chance you need to return it, it will be easier to exchange it in the first 30 days (free) if it hasn't been tinkered with. Most CE products usually fail right away but giving your new TiVo 30 days or so to show any evidence of problems is a good idea.

Also note that if you've already set up your TiVo (recommended) and you use IC to image a new drive you will have to have your cable cards set up again (FIOS doesn't pair them to the box, but IIRC you'll need to call in the info) plus your Season Passes, etc. will all have to be re-entered. Basically using IC is like getting a brand new TiVo and you have to start all over again. So as recommended, using the original hard drive to image your new one is best.

We're in the same neighborhood, so don't hesitate to P.M. me if you get stuck.

BTW, welcome Tim!

P.S. Since you can't see links in these posts until you've posted 10 times yourself, this is the link to the upgrade thread to which everyone is referring (in case you hadn't already found it):

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...60#post5616160

[sgip2000]

Originally Posted by richsadams

Just as an FYI, it's best to get your new TiVo up and running to ensure that everything is as it should be before upgrading. In the off chance you need to return it, it will be easier to exchange it in the first 30 days (free) if it hasn't been tinkered with. Most CE products usually fail right away but giving your new TiVo 30 days or so to show any evidence of problems is a good idea.

Also note that if you've already set up your TiVo (recommended) and you use IC to image a new drive you will have to have your cable cards set up again (FIOS doesn't pair them to the box, but IIRC you'll need to call in the info) plus your Season Passes, etc. will all have to be re-entered. Basically using IC is like getting a brand new TiVo and you have to start all over again. So as recommended, using the original hard drive to image your new one is best.

We're in the same neighborhood, so don't hesitate to P.M. me if you get stuck.

BTW, welcome Tim!

P.S. Since you can't see links in these posts until you've posted 10 times yourself, this is the link to the upgrade thread to which everyone is referring (in case you hadn't already found it):

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...60#post5616160

Thank you for all the great advice. I will definately make sure everything is good before doing the drive upgrade.

[mattack]

Originally Posted by sgip2000

I assume you're referring to the space gained by using "MfsSuperSize", correct?

Hmm, I used the command line tools when I did my S3 upgrade (on a Mac).. booted from a Linux CD IIRC..

Did that do the MFSSuperSize thing for me? (I guess I can check the size when I get home..)

[sgip2000]

So, I just got my TivoHD setup today with the cable card, and I'm not too impressed.

The menus are painfully slow.

The fact that the menus aren't overlaid on the video is lame.

My biggest gripe is with the "Season Pass" feature. There is no option to set defaults for all series and there have been obvious repeats recorded when it was set to record "First Run" only.

What do you all do to work around these issues?

[bkdtv]

Originally Posted by sgip2000

So, I just got my TivoHD setup today with the cable card, and I'm not too impressed.

The menus are painfully slow.

The fact that the menus aren't overlaid on the video is lame.

My biggest gripe is with the "Season Pass" feature. There is no option to set defaults for all series and there have been obvious repeats recorded when it was set to record "First Run" only.

What do you all do to work around these issues?

Did you read the Using TiVo FAQ that I referred you to above? It answers most of these questions. A few snippets:

I just got the TiVo and it seems kind of slow. Will responsiveness improve with newer software?

Yes, TiVo significantly improved performance in v9.4 and again in v11.0.

Most TiVos ship with the relatively slow v8.1.7 software from 2007. Furthermore, all guide databases must be indexed in the background for the first ~48 hours after guided setup. The background indexing noticeably slows responsiveness during that period. Most users receive an update to the latest software (now 11.0b) after 4-5 days, and guide data must be re-indexed for another ~48 afters after that update, temporarily slowing responsiveness again. The TivoHD does not reach full responsiveness until 48-72 hours after the v11.0 install.

You can speed the software update process by forcing four connections in a row under Settings -> Phone & Network -> Connect to TiVo Service. Once your Phone & Network screen says "Pending Reboot," that means a software update is available for install. Normally, the TiVo would just reboot during the early morning hours to install the update, but you make that happen immediately by selecting Settings -> Restart or Reset System -> Restart the TivoHD. Software updates can take up to an hour to install.

What's the best way to navigate the guide?

• Use the channel +/- buttons to scroll through the guide a page at a time.
  
  
• Press SKIP (-->|) to move 24 hours ahead and REPLAY to move 24 hours back.
  
  
• In the Grid guide, use FF (>>) to move 1.5 hours ahead and REW (<<) to move 1.5 hours back.
  
  
• To move to particular channel in the guide, just enter the channel number (such as 35) and hit SELECT.

Be sure to customize the channels you see in the guide, as per the instructions in the previous FAQs.

Note some of these functions were added with a software update, so you won't see them until your box downloads the latest software.

I set my season pass to "first-run only." Why is it recording older episodes of a show?

"First-run only" is synonymous with new episodes only. But it does not mean future episodes only. On the TiVo, "first-run only" also refers to any episode that aired for the first time on television within the past 28 days.

This 28 day period applies to the actual date of the broadcast, not the date you created the season pass. If you just got your TiVo, and you created a "first-run only" season pass for Mythbusters on May 27th, then the TiVo would only record the May 6th episode if it was shown again on or before June 3rd (28 days later).

The TiVo keeps a record of all programs recorded in the past 28 days to prevent re-recording the same program twice. Once you've recorded a new episode, there's no chance of it being recorded again, because the TiVo will not record the same program twice within 28 days, and after 28 days, the program is no longer considered first-run.

There are a few shows like The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Big Brother that don't always provide good guide data for their re-runs. These re-runs lack episode titles and they use generic descriptions. Without good guide data, a TiVo series recording can't determine whether these are new or repeats, so it "plays it safe" and records them all. The conventional wisdom is to create a repeating manual recording (ex: M-F @ 11:00pm), but there is a much more elegant solution -- see TiVo Tips #8 for details.

Can I change the defaults for series recordings?

No. If you don't want to use the defaults of "new and repeat episodes" with "keep last 5 episodes" and keep until "space needed," then you need to change those when you create your recording, or at a later time through Season Pass Manager.

What are some other remote or menu shortcuts?

From Recorded List (press the "TiVo" button twice):

CLEAR = single-click delete of a selected program on recorded list
SKIP = jumps to end / beginning of recorded list and other menus
PLAY = plays the selected program on the recorded list, bypassing the info screen
1 = toggles between alphabetical sort and recorded date sort
2 = toggles folders/groups on and off

From TiVo Central (press the "TiVo" button once):

0 = Show the TiVo startup video
1 = Season Pass Manager
2 = To Do List
3 = Search Using Wishlists
4 = Search by Title
5 = Browse by Channel
6 = Browse by Time
7 = Set Up Manual Recording
8 = TiVo's Suggestions
9 = Showcases
SLO = Messages & Settings

[sgip2000]

Originally Posted by bkdtv

Did you read the Using TiVo FAQ that I referred you to above? It answers most of these questions. A few snippets:

I did read all of those and I did make sure it updated to 11c software. I guess I was just spoiled with Windows Media Center.

[bkdtv]

Originally Posted by sgip2000

I did read all of those and I did make sure it updated to 11c software. I guess I was just spoiled with Windows Media Center.

Even if you updated to 11.0c, the TiVo will still be noticeably slower during the first 48-72 hours after guided setup.

Like virtually every other DVR on the market, the TiVo is based on a Broadcom 300MHz CPU (the fastest DVR SoC available at the time), so responsiveness in the menus will not be comparable to a 2.0-3.0GHz PC. You should find trickplay operations very responsive, as those are all accelerated in hardware.

Broadcom is now shipping a dual-threaded 350MHz SoC for DVRs-- the Dish Network ViP722K was the first DVR to market with that chip in April. Even faster DVR SoCs are slated to ship late this year. That said, I suspect it will be another year before we see a next-generation TiVo.

[sgip2000]

Originally Posted by bkdtv

Even if you updated to 11.0c, the TiVo will still be noticeably slower during the first 48-72 hours after guided setup.

Like virtually every other DVR on the market, the TiVo is based on a Broadcom 300MHz CPU (the fastest DVR SoC available at the time), so responsiveness in the menus will not be comparable to a 2.0-3.0GHz PC. You should find trickplay operations very responsive, as those are all accelerated in hardware.

Broadcom is now shipping a dual-threaded 350MHz SoC for DVRs-- the Dish Network ViP722K was the first DVR to market with that chip in April. Even faster DVR SoCs are slated to ship late this year. That said, I suspect it will be another year before we see a next-generation TiVo.

Thanks for the info. I'm sure things will improve after a while as I get used to everything.