Anyone got Tivo? What are pros and cons to having one?

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: K1052
A pro is that you can program recordings using Yahoo TV if you are away from your Tivo.

I just discovered that and it rocks, it's free all you need is Tivo, broadband and a Yahoo e-mail address.

http://tv.yahoo.com/onlinesch/tivo/introscreen

if you don't have Yahoo, you can also do it at Tivo.com

Good point but I use Yahoo! TV daily, so it's nice having that feature available.

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Thanks, I already have a Hauppauage 150 or 250, might be a 250.

Why did you choose the more expensive external USB over the PCI TV tuner card?

It seems both software companies offer free trials, I'll probably take advantage of both and see which suits our needs better.

I have all my slots filled up with Promise Raid cards for my server


Ausm

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Kwaipie
I have 3 TiVos and a Comcast DVR (for HD recording)
Once I had my first TiVo on my main television and got so used to pausing and FF'ding through commercials, I picked up additional units for my office and bedroom. The TiVo interface is far and away the best user interface for this type of activity. Comcast has even gotten in bed with the folks at TiVo for their next DVR. All 3 TiVos are wirelessly connected to my network, I have an application to xfer and convert .tivo files to .mp4 for my G5 ipod. Now I can go to bed at 11 and still watch The Daily Show and Colbert Report on the train into work the next morning.

The best thing about TiVo is that you watch what you want to watch when you want to watch it. On average, TiVo owners watch an additional hour of television a day compared to non-owners.

I'm a video n00b.

Is there a way to automate encoding TV shows to a PDA friendly format every night? So while I'm sleeping it's encoding. Then I wake up, sync my desktop with PDA, take a shower then by the time I'm ready to go it's all downloaded to my Dell Axim x50v?

 

[Yreka]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
Oh, and the only CON is it makes you hate live TV. I'm always trying to fast forward through commercials.

QFT, I am so bad now if there is something on Live TV I want to watch I will just record it and watch it later.

 

[Yreka]

Originally posted by: Hammerhead
CON:
Can't record HDTV

Mine can.

Only con there is you have to use Direct TV

 

[Kwaipie]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: Kwaipie
I have 3 TiVos and a Comcast DVR (for HD recording)
Once I had my first TiVo on my main television and got so used to pausing and FF'ding through commercials, I picked up additional units for my office and bedroom. The TiVo interface is far and away the best user interface for this type of activity. Comcast has even gotten in bed with the folks at TiVo for their next DVR. All 3 TiVos are wirelessly connected to my network, I have an application to xfer and convert .tivo files to .mp4 for my G5 ipod. Now I can go to bed at 11 and still watch The Daily Show and Colbert Report on the train into work the next morning.

The best thing about TiVo is that you watch what you want to watch when you want to watch it. On average, TiVo owners watch an additional hour of television a day compared to non-owners.

I'm a video n00b.

Is there a way to automate encoding TV shows to a PDA friendly format every night? So while I'm sleeping it's encoding. Then I wake up, sync my desktop with PDA, take a shower then by the time I'm ready to go it's all downloaded to my Dell Axim x50v?

The program I use (which will download and convert on a schedule) will convert and format for iPod and PSP as well as a couple of other formats. I have mine scheduled to start downloading at 12AM and converting at 2AM. It's not the fastest converter out there but it gets the job done in time. The program name (which escapes me at the moment) was a free download mentioned in an iPod article in the latest PopSci magazine. I'll post tonight when I get home if someone hasn't already dug up the answer.

 

[RossMAN]

Kwaipie,

That would be awesome if you can post the program name tonight. It doesn't matter if it's the fastest, if it gets the job done, that's all I really care about

 

[JonTom]

I prefered SageTV to BTV, and bought it. Recently upgraded to STV4, it is GREAT.

Recorder SW is a precursor to STV, and not needed unless you plan on having a tuner card in a remote PC that you want to use. Put the tuner card in the PC that you have STV on and recording functionality is built in.

Client SW is the opposite, and is handy. I have STV on my HTPC, with 2x PVR150, hooked up to my TV. Then my laptop has the client SW loaded on it, and I connect it to the bedroom TV for full access to the STV server, including guide, etc, just as if I was downstairs.

There is a plugin called Automate Sage to IPod in the user customizations forum. Never tried it, don't know how it works if at all.

 

[DarkManX]

is there any 3rd party devices that could play the recorded content of a computer running sageTV or something simmilar? Im talking about something like those stand alone mp3 players that you would plug into a home theater that stream music of your computer.

 

[JujuFish]

I'm not sure if they still do, but they used to record information on all of the shows you watched. There is/was a number you could call to opt out of this data collection. That would be a con to me.

 

[RossMAN]

I was almost set on SageTV until I read this thread
http://htpcnews.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=17799

I'll probably download both trial versions when I'm ready.

 

[Apathetic]

I *love* my TIVO. It has completely changed how I watch TV. I no longer know (or care) what day, time, or channel most of my favorite shows are on. I work a lot of odd hours (the whole being on call thing) so I never have to worry about missing a show I like.

I now have absolutely NO patience for commercials. The only time I see comercials is when I'm watching live TV at a friend's house or watching a football game (I still like to watch those live) but I usually hit "mute" or just leave the room to fix a snack.

Dave

 

[Kwaipie]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Kwaipie,

That would be awesome if you can post the program name tonight. It doesn't matter if it's the fastest, if it gets the job done, that's all I really care about

Program is called TVHarmony http://www.tvharmony.com
ymmv

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Kwaipie

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Kwaipie,

That would be awesome if you can post the program name tonight. It doesn't matter if it's the fastest, if it gets the job done, that's all I really care about

Program is called TVHarmony http://www.tvharmony.com
ymmv

Thanks for the update

Now I just have to choose between Sage and Beyond which won't be easy.

 

[JulesMaximus]

There are no cons.

Yes, you can record two shows at a time but you either have to be watching a previously recorded show or watch one of the shows you are recording.

 

[imported_JoePa]

My Tivo locks up about once a month. Tivo's solution is to unplug it and plug it back in. I don't know about the newer boxes but mine only allows for certain wireless usb adapters. My house is networked but I still need the wireless card.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: JoePa
My Tivo locks up about once a month. Tivo's solution is to unplug it and plug it back in. I don't know about the newer boxes but mine only allows for certain wireless usb adapters. My house is networked but I still need the wireless card.

We have a TiVo series 2 which rarely locks up, it's happened maybe twice in 1 year. We're using wireless USB adapter to our 802.11b router and it works great.

 

[Hammerhead]

Originally posted by: Yreka

Originally posted by: Hammerhead
CON:
Can't record HDTV

Mine can.

Only con there is you have to use Direct TV

I dumped my tivo for a my cox cable dvr. It can record in HD and I can record 2 shows at the same time.

 

[RedCOMET]

I love my Tivo also. THe only con is that i can't watch live tv while i record something unleiss i have a cable splitter. That wouldn't be too bad, but i also have digital cable.

I paid 299 for my 40 hr TiVo and a lifetime subscription. I love it.
my future plans are to mod my TiVo and add another hard drive to it. to increase recording capacityl

 

[imported_JoePa]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
We have a TiVo series 2 which rarely locks up, it's happened maybe twice in 1 year. We're using wireless USB adapter to our 802.11b router and it works great.

I also have a series 2

 

[allisolm]

I have 2 series 2 and just got the new features. Now I can listen to Live365 radio stations, podcasts, view photos from yahoo photos, get traffic reports, local weather, browse all the movies playing locally and buy tickets and even play games. Love my TiVos.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: allisolm
Love my TiVos.

The sign of a true Hot Dealer

 

[Paulson]

I've got a series 2 SA (Stand Alone) TiVo and 2 DirecTV TiVo's... I like the DirecTV TiVo's a lot better, 2 Tuners, they're hacked so I can extract the recordings if I want to put shows on dvd and take them with me. I also have enabled the HMO (Home Media Option) which DirecTV currently disables on their units, because they don't want to support home networking and I've installed TiVoWebPlus on them so I can remotely schedule recordings and the changes happen instantly (unlike tivo online where you have to schedule so far in advance)... I can also undelete shows I've deleted and do a whole bunch of other nifty things

I guess I couldn't live without TiVo though because I'm so hooked on TV now and I never miss the shows I want (which can be good and can be bad too)...

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: RedCOMET
I love my Tivo also. THe only con is that i can't watch live tv while i record something unleiss i have a cable splitter. That wouldn't be too bad, but i also have digital cable.

I paid 299 for my 40 hr TiVo and a lifetime subscription. I love it.
my future plans are to mod my TiVo and add another hard drive to it. to increase recording capacityl

if your box has a standyby button, you can put it in standyby and change the TV tuner channel.

 

[Yreka]

Originally posted by: Hammerhead
I dumped my tivo for a my cox cable dvr. It can record in HD and I can record 2 shows at the same time.

I can record 2 at once as well, my only bit@ch is DirectTv. Unfortunately the cable company in my area rapes you worse than D*, otherwise I would probibly go the route you did.