[Paul Stimpson]

Hi Ron,

Welcome to the family.

40 hours does seem like a lot but remember that is 40 hours at "Basic" quality (IMHO about the same quality as VHS) and you will probably end up getting 19 or 12 hours depending on whether you use "High" or "Best" quality.

The only real difference between the different models is how many hard drives the unit has (Newer ones have 1, earlier ones [generally before 6020] had 2) and the earlier models may not have had the NICAM mod done. The NICAM mod is a small hardware fix that stopped a popping noise on the sound of NICAM channels; If you're using Freeview, Sky or cable then it doesn't matter if it's been done or not. Even if you haven't had it done and you're watching analogue TV it doesn't necessarily mean you will have a problem. The earlier the model the you get potentially the longer it's been used for but if you get an early twin drive one you will at least get the bracket for the second hard drive (a saving of a tenner) if you ever want to add one. The main thing here is the age of the drive but if you're planning on an upgrade soon that doesn't really matter.

Do you plan to do an upgrade yourself and would you being doing it immediately? Are you confident whipping the top off PCs and doing stuff or would you prefer to buy a preconfigured drive? If you want to do it yourself there are always plenty of people here who will be more than happy to offer advice.

There are 2 people here who run businesses: healeydave from www.TiVoland.com sells complete TiVos which have already been upgraded as well as big replacement drives and just about every spare item you could want. Steve (blindlemon)from www.tivoheaven.co.uk does upgrade hardware, drives and accessories. He also does quality upgrades if you have a big screen TV and want them. Both Dave and Steve are highly respected members of this community and I would expect either of them to provide you with good advice and spotless service. I have personally ordered a complete machine from Dave.

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[Paul Stimpson]

I must disagree with the previous coment, my wife cannot do any of the above mentioned things, but using the TiVo is second nature. Even with Video Plus I would never have asked her to set a timer recording on our old VCR but she is happy seeting SP or one off recordings with the EPG. I would say TiVo is very friendly even to the average techno phobe.

I would agree with that. A few months after I got ours my partner confessed that she thought it would be so complicated that she would never be able to watch the TV again but she hadn't said anything because she knew I wanted it. She went on to say that she loved it and couldn't imagine TV without it any more. She loves having one remote for everything and being able to produce the kids' favourite shows instantly for bribary,

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[Paul Stimpson]

As far as upgrading is concerned I think i'll leave it for a while. I would be happy to do a HD upgrade myself, even install the os, but all the guides i've seen involve making a backup of your tivo drive - what happens if the drive goes altogether - would it be a good idea to make a backup as soon as i get it?

Probably a good idea. I'd be more inclined to slap a cheap 120GB drive straight in there and be done with it. That way you know the drive will last and there's not the difficulty of preserving settings and recordings.

Once thing which does concern me is what Paul mentioned about the Nicam problem. The ability to record from analogue while watching sky would be essential - how do you know if a tivo has had the mod, and is it easy to do if required?

I don't know what the mod is exactly but from what I've heard I understand it it's not terribly involved if you can wield a soldering iron competently. Maybe somebody knows if there is a version or serial number after which the mod was done in the factory or if engineers that did them stuck some sticker or mark on the machine afterwards so you'd know.

Also, I have a question about stacking - space under the telly is limited, might have to remove a shelf- is it safe to stack something like sky box or vcr on top of the tivo if you use, say 3/4" spacers for airflow - do they overheat readily?

They're generally not too bad and have a temperature display in the System Information menu. I'd much rather put the TiVo below an STB than on top of it as those tend to kick out quite a bit of heat.

Cheers,
Paul.