[JCPO]

Okay, here's the deal. I currently have digital cable service and want DVR technology. My cable provider says that Tivo will not work because they "scramble" their signal. They want me to get DVR from them, however in order to do that I have to also subscribe to their HD package (I don't have an HD compatible TV). The Tivo website says it is compatible with digital cable.
My dillema is whether to roll the dice, buy a Tivo box and subscription or go with DirectTV.
Can anyone give me advice? I don't trust my cable company. Thanks!

 

[Turtleboy]

Your cable company is lying to you (or they are ignorant).

Tivo will work fine with your cable.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

Okay, here's the deal. I currently have digital cable service and want DVR technology. My cable provider says that Tivo will not work because they "scramble" their signal. They want me to get DVR from them, however in order to do that I have to also subscribe to their HD package (I don't have an HD compatible TV). The Tivo website says it is compatible with digital cable.
My dillema is whether to roll the dice, buy a Tivo box and subscription or go with DirectTV.
Can anyone give me advice? I don't trust my cable company. Thanks!

If you had a high def TV and wanted to want to record HD signals, then you would need the DVR from the cable company since TiVo's HD version isn't available for sale yet.

If you want to record standard def signals, then you can use a TiVo. You will have to use the IR Blaster (included with TiVo) to change the channels on your cable box.

Who is your cable provider, and what box does you cable company use?

 

[ZeoTiVo]

Okay, here's the deal. I currently have digital cable service and want DVR technology. My cable provider says that Tivo will not work because they "scramble" their signal.

my first guess is the CSR you talked to was burned by irate people calling in after hooking a TiVo directly to the cable without a cable box and not understanding why they could not get the digital channels. You will need a cable set top box to hook the TiVo to and that cable set top box will have to be tuned to whatever channel TiVo is recording on.

They want me to get DVR from them

There is also a very distinct possibility the cable company gave out some "informal" training on "TiVo does not work with digital" for this reason. I like the way they skirted the issue by not talking about using a cable box and saying TiVo could not unscramble the service, which in itself is true but not the real picture.

I can hardly wait for cable Card TiVo that will help shut down such slick moves by cable companies and make them compete more directly with the added features of a real TiVo

 

[mike3775]

Comcast told me that Tivo would not work after the rolled out their DVR technology.

They said I need to get hold of them to get put on a list to recieve said DVR's

That was last year(around this time). I still have Tivo and it works fine.

As far as the HD thing, I think you are misinformed. They do not require you to get the HD channels to get the DVR. They do require you to get digital to get the DVR as its built into the box itself, but not HD, as I have digital, and can get the DVR if I wanted to, but not getthe HD channels(which I refuse to get)

 

[DCIFRTHS]

Comcast told me that Tivo would not work after the rolled out their DVR technology.

They said I need to get hold of them to get put on a list to recieve said DVR's

That was last year(around this time). I still have Tivo and it works fine.

As far as the HD thing, I think you are misinformed. They do not require you to get the HD channels to get the DVR. They do require you to get digital to get the DVR as its built into the box itself, but not HD, as I have digital, and can get the DVR if I wanted to, but not getthe HD channels(which I refuse to get)

I understand that you don't have to get HD to get the DVR. What I am saying is that you will have to get the cable DVR to record HD. As an alternative, you could also get a Sony HD DVR.

In any event, you can use TiVo with a cable box.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

Comcast told me that Tivo would not work after the rolled out their DVR technology.

They said I need to get hold of them to get put on a list to recieve said DVR's

That was last year(around this time). I still have Tivo and it works fine.

man, that will certainly put a crimp in the partnership between them

 

[JimSpence]

Call the cable company and ask for a digital non-DVR cable box.
This will work with standalone TiVos.

If they say they don't have a non-DVR box, call them a liar and go to DirecTV or even Dish Network. These monopolies need to learn some lessons.

 

[piper]

Okay, here's the deal. I currently have digital cable service and want DVR technology. My cable provider says that Tivo will not work because they "scramble" their signal. They want me to get DVR from them, however in order to do that I have to also subscribe to their HD package (I don't have an HD compatible TV). The Tivo website says it is compatible with digital cable.
My dillema is whether to roll the dice, buy a Tivo box and subscription or go with DirectTV.
Can anyone give me advice? I don't trust my cable company. Thanks!

TiVo works with any cable box and you do need some form of cable box to get the digital channels.

I guess what they mean about the HD thing is that their DVR is an HD capable cable box/DVR and to get the most out of it you would need to subscribe to the HD channels which is obviously a waste of time if you don't have an HD set.

I think you would be perfectly ok getting the cheapest cable box and subscribing separately to TiVo.

 

[JCPO]

I've got NPG cable and have a General Instrument digital cable box. Thanks for your help.

 

[JCPO]

So does that mean that I can't watch one channel and record another at the same time? Thanks for your help.

 

[jsmeeker]

So does that mean that I can't watch one channel and record another at the same time? Thanks for your help.

Not with just a single cable box.

 

[megazone]

So does that mean that I can't watch one channel and record another at the same time? Thanks for your help.

You can watch an analog channel while the cable box is being used by the TiVo to record something else. You just use an RF splitter on the cable before the cable box and connect the other branch to the TV and use its tuner.

And you can always watch an existing recording too.

 

[DickK]

I don't trust my cable company.

Ahhhh, so grasshopper. You show great wisdom.

 

[cleadeb]

1. Does anyone know when the TiVo HD DVR is going to be available? I am looking to get a new HD TV, but don't want to record on TiVo without using the HD capability.

2. Is there any HD DVR that I can buy today that works with the HD TV's and let's me still subscribe to TiVo so that I can record in HD? I can't get DirectTV or Comcast Cable (I am in a condo and have RCN digital cable).

3. Will I need to get a CableCard from RCN, and will they give one to me? Thanks!!

 

[mattack]

1. Does anyone know when the TiVo HD DVR is going to be available? I am looking to get a new HD TV, but don't want to record on TiVo without using the HD capability.

2. Is there any HD DVR that I can buy today that works with the HD TV's and let's me still subscribe to TiVo so that I can record in HD? I can't get DirectTV or Comcast Cable (I am in a condo and have RCN digital cable).

3. Will I need to get a CableCard from RCN, and will they give one to me? Thanks!!

#1 -- obviously Tivo does. None of the rest of us know, or you'd see a zillion threads about it.

#2 -- The DirecTV/HD box. If you face the right direction, you legally should be able to place a dish pointing the right way to get DirecTV. It does OTA HD too, but you need a DirecTV subscription too.

#3 -- cable companies are now legally required by the FCC to provide cablecards to people who want them. But you only would need a cablecard for an HDTV with cablecard slot if you get scrambled programming, and/or for the as-yet-not-officially-announced (the quote that someone puts in their sig doesn't count for the type of announcement I mean) Tivo/HD/cablecard one.

Basically -- wait for CES. Hopefully there'll be an announcement in a few days.

 

[cleadeb]

Thanks, Mattack. I wasn't aware that the FCC is requiring cable providers to provide cable cards to subscribers who request them. Good information.

I can't get DirectTV. I live in a 35-story high-rise without balconies. There is nothing I can mount the dish to, so that is not an option for me.

The HD TV I am looking at has a cable card slot, and that is why I asked about this.

Do you know if there is an HD DVR that I can purchase today (that is NOT a DirectTV one and is NOT one that companies like Motorola are making that can only be provided by the cable providers)? Or do I have to wait for the TiVo HD box? Thanks again