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difference between phone line and internet connection?

1327 Views 17 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  megazone
What are the advantages (If any) of hooking a Tivo up to your modem vs just plugging a phone cord into the jack on the wall?

FYI- I am looking into getting a Series 2 DT
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TTG, and it doesn't tie up you phone line. If you have more than on unit, there's MRV as well.
You also have some on-line options such as Amazon Unbox for movie/show downloads.
online scheduling is a nice addition when connecting directly to the network.
i was under the impression that online scheduling was possible via phone line but it required 24 hour advanced notice. this is for my tivo hd i believe so maybe it doesnt apply to the series 2 dt. Either way does it take so long. It seems it should be immediate. The unbox makes perfect sense but the scheduling does not.
normychas said:
i was under the impression that online scheduling was possible via phone line but it required 24 hour advanced notice. this is for my tivo hd i believe so maybe it doesnt apply to the series 2 dt. Either way does it take so long. It seems it should be immediate. The unbox makes perfect sense but the scheduling does not.
phone line is 24 hours since the TiVo has to call in after the online shcedule is done to pick up the request

over broadband (internet) the TiVo checks every 15 minutes for schedule requests
Going to an internet connection allowed me to disconnect from the local phone company.
Plus you get some nice yelloe stars.......and if you are real lucky you might get some neat video clips with TiVoShanan!!!!!
jlb said:
Plus you get some nice yelloe stars.......and if you are real lucky you might get some neat video clips with TiVoShanan!!!!!
yellow stars are recorded late at night. They are there on phone connection or broadband connection. maybe some are different but yellow stars of some sort will be present
The real statement is, there are no disadvantages to using your internet connection if you already have one and can wire/wireless it up easy :D
normychas said:
i was under the impression that online scheduling was possible via phone line but it required 24 hour advanced notice. this is for my tivo hd i believe so maybe it doesnt apply to the series 2 dt. Either way does it take so long. It seems it should be immediate. The unbox makes perfect sense but the scheduling does not.
Yeah, i should have been more clear on my post. Its just more convienient to use when hooked up to the network.
MikeMar said:
The real statement is, there are no disadvantages to using your internet connection if you already have one and can wire/wireless it up easy :D
the problem is I will have to buy both a wireless router and a network adapter
ragnrok23 said:
the problem is I will have to buy both a wireless router and a network adapter
Worth the purchase... just make sure the adaptor is Tivo friendly, or just get the Tivo brand one.
ragnrok23 said:
the problem is I will have to buy both a wireless router and a network adapter
THen it comes back to
do you intend to use TiVoToGo?
do you intend to use MultiRoomViewing?
do you intend to download movies from UNBOX/Amazon for a fee?

if all you expect to do with the connection is get the guided data updates and other normal updates that come from TiVo then the phone line will work just fine.

also it is quite easy later to get the TiVo adapter and networkin g equipment and start to use it with minimal setup fuss on your TiVo. Just changing the connection settings and not touching season passes or scheduled recordings etc..
right now, the only I planned on using was the Amazon feature

does anyone know what time/how often that Tivo will use the phone line? ALso is it a LD call?
ragnrok23 said:
right now, the only I planned on using was the Amazon feature

does anyone know what time/how often that Tivo will use the phone line? ALso is it a LD call?
if you want to use Amazon then either run a cat 5 wire from the modem to the DT (it has an ethernet jack) or get the TiVo wireless adapter and wireless router - any cheap G router will do the trick. You will be glad you did it
ragnrok23 said:
right now, the only I planned on using was the Amazon feature

does anyone know what time/how often that Tivo will use the phone line? ALso is it a LD call?
Whether it's an LD call or not depends on your area, TiVo doesn't supply an 800# anymore but has many local numbers.

A rough rule is if you had AOL as a local call, probably TiVo will be local too.
ragnrok23 said:
What are the advantages (If any) of hooking a Tivo up to your modem vs just plugging a phone cord into the jack on the wall?
Features you can't use with a phone line that you can use with a network:
- Universal Swivel Search
- Download TV & Movies (Amazon Unbox, TiVoCast)
- Guru Guides & KidZone Guides (you can use KidZone, just not the online guides)
- Yahoo Music, Photos, and Weather
- Fandango movie info and tickets
- Live365 Music (and soon Rhapsody music)
- Online scheduling with 15 minute windows - phone can be over 24 hours
- Streaming digital music
- Viewing digital photos
- Multi-room viewing
- TiVoToGo/TiVoToComeBack
- Hosted apps from Apps.tv and PlayTeeVee.com
- 3rd party HME apps such as AudioFaucet or Galleon.tv

And probably more that I'm forgetting. I simply wouldn't use the phone line if I had *any* way of using the network instead.

If you really need to use the phone, and want to know if the call is local: http://www.tivo.com/findanumber/
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