[markgray]

Having got my TiVo pretty much as soon as they came out, I 'retired' it sometime in January 2005 due to having Sky+ and a PC-based PVR, but after being tempted to buy a new PVR (bad habit with gadgets), I decided to try and wake up the TiVo first. So far, so good. It's currently fetching a nice new set of programme guide data. Not so sure about the remote but it's not a total disaster if that breaks.

It's a completely original, unmodified TiVo. I suspect it's the original two-disk version. So, the question is, what's best/still available in the way of upgrades for it? I'm fairly confident at PC upgrading but have bad eyesight so the thought of opening things I don't understand (read - TiVo boxes) fills me with dread, even though I understand what most of the bits do. The option of send-away upgrades used to exist but I suspect that's long gone.

I'd have loved to be able to get recordings onto a nearby PC for permanent archiving, if that was possible, but I'm pretty sure that it's not (capture card excepted). I'd also like much bigger disks. Those were two of the reasons I nearly bought the PVR (built in DVD-RW drive and 250GB, respectively). I'd have had to bin the TiVo to make room (sacrilege though that undoubtedly is). I'm not sure what benefit most of the other bits and pieces mentioned around here would bring, or if they're still available.

Anyone here help out a longtime TiVo fan but upgrading novice?

PS - I know most of this is probably available in FAQs etc, but given the last updated date on those I thought I'd ask for the latest 'big picture'.

 

[blindlemon]

I'd have loved to be able to get recordings onto a nearby PC for permanent archiving, if that was possible, but I'm pretty sure that it's not (capture card excepted). I'd also like much bigger disks.

You need to upgrade the drive (more capacity, and better quality if you opt for Mode 0 as well) and add a cachecard (networking, archiving to PC).

I'm fairly confident at PC upgrading but have bad eyesight so the thought of opening things I don't understand (read - TiVo boxes) fills me with dread, even though I understand what most of the bits do. The option of send-away upgrades used to exist but I suspect that's long gone..

All the above are available pre-configured but forum rules prevent me from telling you where from

Alternatively, the DIY option is not as hard as it sounds as there are better howto's available these days, and the helpful folks here will always be happy to offer advice if you get stuck

 

[chrisd]

You need to upgrade the drive (more capacity, and better quality if you opt for Mode 0 as well) and add a cachecard (networking, archiving to PC).

All the above are available pre-configured but forum rules prevent me from telling you where from

Lol. Do the rules say that other people cannot point the comments below your username

 

[markgray]

Thanks both. Nice subtle hint there.

Looks like I need to start saving rather a lot of pennies for a big drive + cachecard.

I'm guessing the deal with the 2.5.5 vs 2.5.5a is the teletext 'bug'. 2.5.5 behaves on my big plasma TV but if a future TV upgrade is liable to break and a 2.5.5 -> 2.5.5a upgrade isn't possible on big disks, is it a good idea to do the upgrade now while I still have the original disks in place or will this break my TiVo or prevent the disk upgrade?

 

[Pete77]

Thanks both. Nice subtle hint there.

Looks like I need to start saving rather a lot of pennies for a big drive + cachecard.

I'm guessing the deal with the 2.5.5 vs 2.5.5a is the teletext 'bug'. 2.5.5 behaves on my big plasma TV but if a future TV upgrade is liable to break and a 2.5.5 -> 2.5.5a upgrade isn't possible on big disks, is it a good idea to do the upgrade now while I still have the original disks in place or will this break my TiVo or prevent the disk upgrade?

Well already upgraded Tivos with Lifetime Sub, Cachecard and 512MB of RAM and upgraded 250Gb hard drive have been selling for as little as £235 including delivery on Ebay recently. It would be cheaper to buy one of those and then sell your own non upgraded Tivo on Ebay for £130 or so if it has a Lifetime Sub (worth almost nothing now on Ebay though if it has no sub I'm afraid)? Or there has been a guy selling Cachecards and 512MB of RAM on Ebay very cheaply (at only a tenner or so more than he might have bought the stuff from the USA in bulk at with the very cheap per unit delivery charge that buying in bulk provides) although he seems to have stopped lately.

You will need to wait till September to see many of these upgraded units for sale as people are going off on summer holidays now.

See www.tivoheaven.co.uk and www.tivoland.com for the professional Tivo upgrader outfits, although given the price that upgraded units are now fetching on Ebay it would be cheaper and easier to buy one of those...............

Of course I know blindlemon won't agree but I'm just facing facts here in terms of where the market is going and the current economics of upgrading a non upgraded unit.

Also I reckon Freeview Playback units with Series Link, dual tuners and PDC that adjusts recording to late program time shifts will be offering a better choice than Tivo for many customers within 12 to 18 months from now. The good thing on Freeview Playback is that there is competition between manufacturers to produce a better software interface there, unlike Sky+

 

[markgray]

Truth be told, I don't need the TiVo - I have both Sky+ and a Windows MCE based freeview PVR - but save for picture quality (mode 0 would sort that) neither do the job better than TiVo - not even close. Since having the TiVo switched on I've already found stuff I'd like to watch that I wouldn't have known about (unless, on the offchance, I have DigiGuide running and it pops up a reminder 15 minutes beforehand), plus I've managed to fill the disks on both the Sky+ and PC and looking for capacity any way I know how (yeah, I know, I should delete stuff - it's by far the cheaper option).

eBay doesn't sound like a bad idea but I'm still reluctant to deal with 'high value' stuff there.