[jojodoesit]

I qualify for the lifetime offer on a HD Tivo but now I learn from this forum that DirectTV is not accessible?


Also, does the new HD Tivo retain these annoying limitations, or have they addressed them by now?

No slow motion, and the weirdest responding remote I've ever used. (weird not in a good way..)

ONLY a 30 minute buffer? Very limiting compared to all other DVRs I have, which are obviously only limited by my free space..

18 minutes of static screen after you've watched a show, before finally returning to live TV? Totally nonsensical.

NO PROVISION for offloading more than one show in sequence (for overnight offloading to VHS)? (Tivo To Go has other caveats and limitations which irk me, but I've used it in a pinch.)

My series 2 actually switches channels at night to some inane 30 minute Tivo Ad. I've missed the middle of many good shows and I've promised myself I'd never buy another Tivo offering. This is an outrageous policy! Have they stopped it yet??

Thanks for any info so I can make my decision, $300 is a good price for 400 hr Tivo but,
Tivo's stupid policies look very bad with so many better solutions out there (but then again PC and standalone DVR devices are far less "handsfree" than Tivo),

jojo

 

[aaronwt]

What the heck is VHS?

 

[jojodoesit]

What the heck is VHS?

LOL, I have enough coasters now, ty..

VHS stands for very handy storage.
I've never lost 4 hrs of programming on a tape.

VHS shows will still be playable in 15 yrs, DVDs won't last 10 yrs. With DVDs, every new day, it's go or no go, no wiggle room..

jojo,

thanks for confirming for me that this new acct works, i'm a newbie here and this forum appears to be well run (so far)

 

[astrohip]

jojo-maybe I'm misreading something, but other than the 30 min buffer, my TiVos (I have an S2 & S3) have NONE of the behavior you refer to.

I have slo-mo, I have a great remote, I have never had 18 mins of static on the end of a recording, and my TiVos never change to another channel if they are recording something I have requested. What did I misread?

And given the choice between a VHS tape or a DVD being needed 10 years from now, I don't think there's a question. DVD.

 

[Krellion]

No slow motion, and the weirdest responding remote I've ever used. (weird not in a good way..)

All TiVos have had slow-motion since the beginning; the Series3 and TiVoHD both have it as well. Not sure what you mean by "weirdest responding" when referring to the remote.

ONLY a 30 minute buffer? Very limiting compared to all other DVRs I have, which are obviously only limited by my free space..

People have brought this up for as long as TiVo has been around. Some will respond that you shouldn't watch enough Live TV for that to matter. I find the half-hour length is usually good enough for me, though I wouldn't mind it being extended to an hour.

18 minutes of static screen after you've watched a show, before finally returning to live TV? Totally nonsensical.

From what I've seen, the keep or delete screen that comes up at the end of recording will only stay there for two or three minutes before returning to the Now Playing list or the recording's information screen. After that, it's another five or ten minutes (at most) before it returns to Live TV. Some people would prefer that it doesn't even do that.

NO PROVISION for offloading more than one show in sequence (for overnight offloading to VHS)? (Tivo To Go has other caveats and limitations which irk me, but I've used it in a pinch.)

This has been requested many times as well. I don't really make use of the Save to VCR function, so I can't really comment much on this. TiVoToGo will probably be your best bet, once it's enabled for the S3/THD next month, and there are plenty of ways to convert it to DVD format if needed.

My series 2 actually switches channels at night to some inane 30 minute Tivo Ad. I've missed the middle of many good shows and I've promised myself I'd never buy another Tivo offering. This is an outrageous policy! Have they stopped it yet??

This recording is the Teleworld program that is used by TiVo to send out special videos and trailers for use on the Main Menu (the star item). Some people are annoyed by this, but it will not interrupt previously scheduled recordings to record this. Your TiVo will usually ask to change the channel to record it, but if you haven't used the remote for a certain amount of time (10-15 minutes, I think), it assumes you're not watching and won't ask. Your best bet it to record whatever program you're watching.

 

[nrc]

I qualify for the lifetime offer on a HD Tivo but now I learn from this forum that DirectTV is not accessible?

Just to be clear: No, neither the Series 3 or TiVo HD will work with DirecTV.

 

[HiDefGator]

VHS shows will still be playable in 15 yrs, DVDs won't last 10 yrs.

I wouldn't bet money on either of those being true.

 

[jojodoesit]

jojo-maybe I'm misreading something, but other than the 30 min buffer, my TiVos (I have an S2 & S3) have NONE of the behavior you refer to.
And given the choice between a VHS tape or a DVD being needed 10 years from now, I don't think there's a question. DVD.

Since you've so carefully worded your reply, you sound like you could get a PR job at Tivo. I can't believe you don't know about these annoying quirks (and only TIVO has them, so I must assume they would be easily avoided or fixed).

The 18 minute post screen fills up most of the buffer after every show is run from Now Playing..

I've never come across a slow motion button in 5 yrs. You like the response of the remote?, I don't. They modified it a long while ago, probably under pressure from content providers.

Just record what your Tivo does overnight and see how it commandeers your channels. This plays havoc with other recording devices which are programmed to record on the channel I specified before retiring to bed.

"And given the choice between a VHS tape or a DVD being needed 10 years from now, I don't think there's a question. DVD."

You mean quality is your highest concern?

I have 2 and 3 yr old DVDs which are already highly pixelated and many DVD which won't load at all. Don't know what's on them... Out of 1000's of VHS tapes 2 have broken. And the tape is repairable anyway. Some are from 1981 and still watchable (but I would recommend re-dubbing tapes every decade at least).

Thanks for replying, I come in here to learn,
jojo

 

[aaronwt]

I have many DVDs from 1998 that are just fine. I have hundreds from 1999 to 2001 that are still fine. I have my own recorded DVDs from several years ago that are still fine. No problems with any of my discs. Unlike the video tapes I trashed in 2001. Although I will be trashing any DVDs(except for a select few) I still own on Dec. 31st. I'm over 400 HD titles now and need the extra space soon in my other cabinet.

 

[jojodoesit]

I have many DVDs from 1998 that are just fine. I have hundreds from 1999 to 2001 that are still fine. I have my own recorded DVDs from several years ago that are still fine. No problems with any of my discs. Unlike the video tapes I trashed in 2001. Although I will be trashing any DVDs(except for a select few) I still own on Dec. 31st. I'm over 400 HD titles now and need the extra space soon in my other cabinet.

Yeah, you're right at the time juncture when you'll start losing your disks.

Re-dub your files now!

 

[jojodoesit]

Just to be clear: No, neither the Series 3 or TiVo HD will work with DirecTV.

Thanks, that solves this for me.

Does Apple TV do what Tivo does?

 

[doconeill]

Since you've so carefully worded your reply, you sound like you could get a PR job at Tivo. I can't believe you don't know about these annoying quirks (and only TIVO has them, so I must assume they would be easily avoided or fixed).

My TiVo units don't have them either. I've got three DirecTV units and an old Series 1. SOMETIMES the remote can be sluggish. Try a FiOS HD DVR sometime...

The 18 minute post screen fills up most of the buffer after every show is run from Now Playing..

I don't have any idea what you are talking about here.

I've never come across a slow motion button in 5 yrs. You like the response of the remote?, I don't. They modified it a long while ago, probably under pressure from content providers.

Button under the Pause button in the middle of the peanut remote. If you don't have a peanut remote, either you have one of the Sony T60s (which should still have it, but I don't know where), or you don't have the right remote (I think DirecTV sent some "universal" remotes with some refurbs). As for the response, you could be having hardware issues, or IR interference. If you are using an IR blaster to change channels on a STB and changing channels is slow, that could be due to the STB being slow to respond.

Some software versions have had response issues in the past. You should say what model and software you are talking about.

Just record what your Tivo does overnight and see how it commandeers your channels. This plays havoc with other recording devices which are programmed to record on the channel I specified before retiring to bed.

Turn off Suggestions. This is not a corporate secret.

"And given the choice between a VHS tape or a DVD being needed 10 years from now, I don't think there's a question. DVD."

You mean quality is your highest concern?

I have 2 and 3 yr old DVDs which are already highly pixelated and many DVD which won't load at all. Don't know what's on them... Out of 1000's of VHS tapes 2 have broken. And the tape is repairable anyway. Some are from 1981 and still watchable (but I would recommend re-dubbing tapes every decade at least).

I have 20+ year old VHS tapes. I can still play them. But they don't look good. The signal fades over time with VHS tapes no matter what. Re-dubbing isn't a good idea, as each generation will look worse than the previous due to signal loss. I've also lost several tapes to bad players, but never a DVD.

DVD is digital - it's more of an all-or-nothing system.

There are also differences between recorded and pressed DVDs in terms of age.

None of my pressed DVDs show any problems, unless they have been damaged - much like CDs. I've got 20 year old CDs that are perfectly fine, and other recent ones that don't play cleanly because my kids have messed with them and they weren't kept properly in cases.

Thanks for replying, I come in here to learn,
jojo

Really, I thought you were here to argue...

 

[ToddNeedsTiVo]

Also, does the new HD Tivo retain these annoying limitations, or have they addressed them by now?

Okay, I'll bite. These are some bizarre questions...in fact, I dare say they're almost troll worthy.

TiVo HD was never intended to support input from an outside source box like a satellite or cable box. Antenna and/or cable only, and optional CableCARD use.

You've never come across a slo mo button? Have you actually looked at the remote? Or were you somehow provided with the wrong one by a third party?

What are these changes brought about "under pressure from content providers" you speak of? Manually activating the 30SS? There doesn't seem to be many functional differences in the remote among the various TiVo models.

Weirdest responding remote you've used? Recent fast forward/30SS glitches notwithstanding, I think many people find it the most intuitive remote to use in their pile. I know I certainly do.

I'm rarely concerned with the contents of the buffer in excess of a few minutes. If I want to watch something taking place in the buffer that would exceed 30 minutes, and I'm going to fall more behind than that, I'd hit the record button and let it keep the rest of the program, including what may have been in the buffer prior to that moment up to its start time, if also present in the buffer. Besides, I'm normally watching something previously recorded. I never channel surf.

At first, I thought you meant static, as in snowy reception, but you meant a non-moving image. So the TiVo displays a menu after a program ends. What's your point? Answer the prompt to keep or delete and then navigate to another program or return to live tv. Or, the keep/delete prompt will time out to the menu.

After a period of time, the menu returns to live tv. Call it a screen saver of sorts. You act as if you're somehow obligated to wait for this timeout to occur instead of moving elsewhere on your own. What does this duration have to do with the buffer? Again, you act like you're trapped in the menus, (im)patiently waiting for live tv to resume on its own.

Okay, I've dubbed maybe 5 programs to a VCR in 4 years, so I'm gonna take a pass on this one. But I agree that cherished recordings should be recopied every few years on media of choice.

Your S2 TiVo, when not configured to use its internal tuner because you have a separate cable/sat box, expects to have exclusive control over the tuner of that box. The fact that you seem to be simultaneously using the output of that device to make recordings with other equipment is hardly TiVo's fault. Absent this bizarre dual-use scenario, why would I possibly care what channel(s) TiVo tunes to when I'm away and no recordings are underway?

 

[jojodoesit]

All TiVos have had slow-motion since the beginning; the Series3 and TiVoHD both have it as well.

Is it on the remote controller?

One more gripe I have, there needs to be a macro button to tell the Tivo not to delete any show I've specifically told it to record. This should be the default setting, but I'd settle for a macro switch somewhere. I've purchased 8 DVRs over the years, not including Tivo, and none of them delete files mindlessly.

I'm out of town a lot and it's a huge chore (without a space remaining readout) checking to see what my Tivo will delete before I get back...

Will they ever fix this?

 

[flc]

Does Apple TV do what Tivo does?

Nope... not in anyway, shape or form

 

[flc]

One more gripe I have, there needs to be a macro button to tell the Tivo not to delete any show I've specifically told it to record. This should be the default setting, but I'd settle for a macro switch somewhere. I've purchased 8 DVRs over the years, not including Tivo, and none of them delete files mindlessly.

Every DVR I've come across has to delete older programs to record new ones when space is full... You can set TiVo never to delete programs when setting up recordings? (from memory right now, but there is a "dont delete until I do" option)

 

[Revolutionary]

The 18 minute post screen fills up most of the buffer after every show is run from Now Playing..

The menu screens that come up after a recording has finished playing 1) do not last 18 minutes before booting to live TV (5 minutes back to Now Playing + 5 minutes if no input before Live TV), and 2) do not affect the recording buffer in the slightest -- let alone "fill it." Unless your problem is that the buffers are filling with the last tuned channels while those menus are up? But I can't comprehend how you could have a problem with that -- if you haven't touched the remote in 10 minutes, then why do you care what channel the buffers are on?

Also, do keep in mind that I said "buffers" -- the THD and S3 both have 2 buffers, one for each tuner.

I've never come across a slow motion button in 5 yrs. You like the response of the remote?, I don't. They modified it a long while ago, probably under pressure from content providers.

Well, I don't know what to tell you about that. What model Tivo are you familiar with? Because every single Tivo-built Series 1 and every single Series 2 (and every single Series3/THD) has a slow-mo button on the remote. But really, do you think we are lying to you? I have a Toshiba Series2 w/ DVD and a Series3--both have a slow-mo button. I promise, the THD has one too.

Also, I'm not sure what you mean by the "response of the remote" and its being modified "under pressure from content providers." Unless you are a twitcher who is used to Death Adder responsiveness from every component that touches your hands... Either way, many people regard the Series3/THD boxes as the snappiest that they have handled (I know mine smokes my SD-H400) -- the present 9.1 problems notwithstanding (and soon to be corrected).

Just record what your Tivo does overnight and see how it commandeers your channels. This plays havoc with other recording devices which are programmed to record on the channel I specified before retiring to bed.

This is a non-issue for the THD and Series3. They do not permit input from another device, so there is no "coordination" involved. Also, while Tivos occassionally do tune to pre-programmed channels to receive certain "proprietary content" (like Showcases or those Now Playing featured ads), they have never been programmed to interrupt a scheduled recording for that purpose. If you enter an overnight recording, your Tivo should record it no matter what. But again, there are 2 tuners in the HD boxes, so unless you are recording 2 programs in the middle of the night that are on at the same time as the proprietary Tivo content, this should never be close to a problem.

I have no comment about VHS vs. DVD. I archive to fixed storage (from my S2, and soon from my S3 ).

 

[orev]

You are not using your TiVo properly, and your home theater setup is wired incorrectly. Correct me if I'm wrong:

You record stuff using the tivo, then you record that stuff off to VHS tapes using the "save to vhs" feature. You also setup your VCR to record stuff onto VHS using a timer, independent of tivo. You have the VCR input connected to the output from the tivo, and the output of the vcr into your tv.​

You should have specified that the "18 minutes of green" was showing up when you watch the VHS tapes you made, not when you are actually watching something directly off the tivo. Tivo does not lock you into any menus, but watching a recording of the menu would appear to have you locked in to it.

Offloading to VHS (and even DVD) is really a poor way to be archiving shows, and there is no provision for multiple saves like you request because you are likely the only person who is doing such a thing. VHS has terrible quality, and will most certainly degrade in 15 years -- if you can even find a working VCR in 15 years. DVD media will also degrade. The solution is to use tivotogo and re-encode the files into xvid or maybe h.264, and archive those on an external hard disk. Make 2 copies if you are worried about that. You are much more likely to be able to watch something in 15 years that was on a hard disk (and subsequently copied to newer hard disks) than on a VHS tape.

If you want to fix your cable setup (assuming you have cable, but the same is true for an antenna), you should:

1. Find where the cable comes in from the wall
2. put a splitter on it
3. run 1 of the splits into the tivo, then out of the tivo into the tv
4. run the other split into your vcr, then out of the vcr into the tv. Your tv will need to have multiple inputs.
5. when you want to archive from tivo to vhs, you will need to rewire so the output from tivo goes into the vcr, but you will need to put it back when you want to record something using the vcr timer.

If you have satellite then you need 2 boxes from your satellite company. There's no way to have 2 independent sources coming from 1 satellite signal.

 

[doconeill]

Is it on the remote controller?

I said as much, but you seem to have ignored my post. Do you have the TiVo peanut-shaped remote with the TiVo button center top? It's the button under the Pause button in the middle, with "Slow" printed on it. If you don't have a peanut remote, you have an old Sony T-60 (which has a different remote, but should still have a Slow button I believe - do the DVD combo units have non-standard remotes as well?), or are using a universal remote - and not having a slow button is not the fault of TiVo in that case.

One more gripe I have, there needs to be a macro button to tell the Tivo not to delete any show I've specifically told it to record. This should be the default setting, but I'd settle for a macro switch somewhere. I've purchased 8 DVRs over the years, not including Tivo, and none of them delete files mindlessly.

I'm out of town a lot and it's a huge chore (without a space remaining readout) checking to see what my Tivo will delete before I get back...

Will they ever fix this?

Ask them to add a "feature". It's not a bug - they can't fix it. If you want a macro, get a remote capable of using them (like the higher-end Harmony remotes).

Given your posts, I'm thinking one of the following:

1) You are simply trolling in general. I hope not.

2) You don't have an actual TiVo - but you seem to be commenting enough on TiVo features that I don't believe this is the case

3) You have a TiVo, but somehow in 5 years you haven't found the button actually labeled "Slow", and don't understand the basic functionality of a TiVo.

4) You have a seriously broken unit.

 

[JYoung]

FYI,
Here's the last thread the OP started.