[timon]

I thought that FCC rules require all television sets and other TV receivers on the market to contain digital tuners by March 1, 2007. So why can Tivo still sell units without digital tuners

With less than 20 months to go before analog TV goes dark why would anyone buy a Tivo without a digital tuner? We're not talking about the full HD Tivo, just one that records digital channels.

 

[MickeS]

They only have to have digital tuners if they also have analog OTA tuners. Sell it without ANY OTA tuners - problem solved.

 

[timon]

They only have to have digital tuners if they also have analog OTA tuners. Sell it without ANY OTA tuners - problem solved.

But Tivo's have a OTA tuner so problem not solved

 

[MickeS]

But Tivo's have a OTA tuner so problem not solved

No, the Series 2 they currently sell do not have OTA tuners.

 

[drew00001]

I thought that FCC rules require all television sets and other TV receivers on the market to contain digital tuners by March 1, 2007. So why can Tivo still sell units without digital tuners

With less than 20 months to go before analog TV goes dark why would anyone buy a Tivo without a digital tuner? We're not talking about the full HD Tivo, just one that records digital channels.

The deadline only applies to TV not DVRs, VCRs, etc. Additionally, only OTA is required to go all digital Q1'09. Cable will follow suit but do not face any deadline.

As for buying an analog product (even a Tivo S2), I completely agree with you. It does not make sense at this time, as we cannot be sure when cable will go all digital.

As a sidenote, my parents just rented two digital cable boxes from Comcast. They are both over 70. In my mind, this means that planets have colided and analog cable will be gone in most markets at the same time as the OTA switch.

 

[timon]

No, the Series 2 they currently sell do not have OTA tuners.

I missed that they took the OTA tuner out. Now since the physical tuner is the same for cable or OTA they must have modified the firmware. That firmware better not find it's way into the older Series 2.

Personally I think that was a chicken way out. You can buy a $<300 TV that can receive OTA digital but the a Tivo box can't. They could have easily added a low end Series 2 like box that had a digital tuner. That's just plain chicken $#!+. Tivo needs to get of their butt and bring out a lower cost digital line.

 

[MickeS]

The deadline only applies to TV not DVRs, VCRs, etc.

That is not correct.

 

[Justin Thyme]

..why would anyone buy a Tivo without a digital tuner? We're not talking about the full HD Tivo, just one that records digital channels.

Actually, some folks are wondering why they would want digital channels if they can't put digital cable shows on their laptops or iPods. If they use a DT Tivo with a Set Top box decoding digital TV to SVideo, there are no restrictions, and the result is still very high picture quality.

Isn't Digital just wunnerful?

 

[timon]

The deadline only applies to TV not DVRs, VCRs, etc.

I think the March 1, 2007 date was for all devices that have a OTA tuner would be required to have a digital tuner.

 

[MickeS]

Actually, some folks are wondering why they would want digital channels if they can't put digital cable shows on their laptops or iPods. If they use a DT Tivo with a Set Top box decoding digital TV to SVideo, there are no restrictions, and the result is still very high picture quality.

Isn't Digital just wunnerful?

Very good point.

 

[alansh]

Right, anything that picks up OTA broadcasts must have digital tuner now.

The Series2 DTs don't support tuning over the air. Also, they sold some single-tuner refurbished 540s as 542s which also don't support OTA.

You're right that they only difference is the software. They can still use channels 3 or 4 as RF inputs.

 

[atmuscarella]

You can buy SD TVs for under $150 with digital OTA tuners and Walmart has several SD DVR/DVD burner combos with digital OTA tuners for under $300. One has a 160 gig hard drive, DVD burner, digital OTA tuner and costs $260.

There is no excuse for TiVo to have not come out with a low cost DVR with digital OTA tuners yet.

Thanks,

 

[MickeS]

There is no excuse for TiVo to have not come out with a low cost DVR with digital OTA tuners yet.

How about "there isn't much of a market for it"?

 

[classicsat]

I missed that they took the OTA tuner out. Now since the physical tuner is the same for cable or OTA they must have modified the firmware. That firmware better not find it's way into the older Series 2.

Yes, the difference is really just software.

They can flip a bit on each compile of the source code, or have the executing code detect the type of TiVo and operate accordingly.

Personally I think that was a chicken way out. You can buy a $<300 TV that can receive OTA digital but the a Tivo box can't. They could have easily added a low end Series 2 like box that had a digital tuner. That's just plain chicken $#!+. Tivo needs to get of their butt and bring out a lower cost digital line.

When they developed the Series 2 DT, they likely couldn't have. cost effectively built in a digital tuner to meet their desired MSRP.

They are, in fact, developing a lower cost Series 3, hopefully to be "released" at CES next year. (my hopefully).

 

[ZeoTiVo]

You can buy SD TVs for under $150 with digital OTA tuners and Walmart has several SD DVR/DVD burner combos with digital OTA tuners for under $300. One has a 160 gig hard drive, DVD burner, digital OTA tuner and costs $260.

There is no excuse for TiVo to have not come out with a low cost DVR with digital OTA tuners yet.

Thanks,

the S2 is an analog device
the S3 is a digital device

plenty of talk on the S3 lite running around the forum so TiVo seems to be well up on this.. .

NOTE - there is no requirement to disable already sold analog tuners, just not sell new ones. Any S2 will work just like it is now.

The only issue here is the source of analog signals being there or not. I am not up on whether this law requires that only digital can be broadcast or not

 

[atmuscarella]

Originally Posted by MickeS
How about "there isn't much of a market for it"?

It is highly unlikely that either of us know what the market is or how much of a market could be developed. But there is 1 thing I know for certain: If you don't make it you can't sell it.

For some reason Walmart and several CE companies think it there is a market for a combined DVR/DVD recorder with built in OTA digital tuners so I find it hard to believe their isn't a market for a similarly configured TiVo.

Thanks,

 

[MickeS]

For some reason Walmart and several CE companies think it there is a market for a combined DVR/DVD recorder with built in OTA digital tuners so I find it hard to believe their isn't a market for a similarly configured TiVo.

Wal-Mart and the CE companies operate on a completely different scale than what TiVo does.