I wanted to chime in here. I have dish network, but also a TiVo premier box hooked to an outside ota hd antenna.
What I use it for... and it is truly amazing.... is the new TiVo stream add-on unit.
TiVo stream, a device with the look and size of the Apple TV g2.
Hooks up to your home router, but only wired, not wireless. It does not have to be located next to or connected directly to the TiVo unit itself. Just share the same router.
The TiVo unit itself must "also" be hard wired to the router, not wireless using the tivo wireless adaptor. Both must be networked hard wired to your home router.
What the TiVo stream device lets you do is watch and or download any show live or recorded off your TiVo unit.
This is new coming from TiVo inc.
The TiVo stream, along with the free TiVo app for iPhone or iPad, lets you download a recorded show off your home TiVo unit onto your i-Device for on the go playback. Since the video file is downloaded onto your device, no network is required for on the go viewing.
This works flawlessly.
The app has 30 second skip, just like the TiVo unit, and the same TiVo sound effects. Same blue tivo color scheme.
What's so great?
Well, when at home with your i-Device, you tap wireless into your home network, access your TiVo unit recordings, download them onto your i-Device, and take them with you.
Leno, Lettermen, Big Bang, Ellen, whatever. Just exactly like viewing at home off your home TiVo on your tv.
If you have an i-Device and want to bring prime time with you on the go, this really works.
All it requires is the one time up front purchase of the TiVo stream device, the free app, and naturally the fee based home TiVo unit.
I for one always wanted to easily bring South Park, prime time, and history channel tv with me on the go, and that is exactly what TiVo stream allows you to do.
I know of no other way to so easily watch fresh prime time tv on your iPhone or iPad.
One might possibly purchase old and past releases thru iTunes (if available), or possibly record shows using a media pc, and then spending hours converting the video, hopefully retaining somewhat hit and miss video quality and lip sync. Then adding the result to iTunes, then loading onto your device.
But why all that pain?
Much more than this can be so easily achieved using the TiVo stream, along with the home TiVo unit.
Downloading recordings off the home TiVo unit to your i-Device is done when connected thru your local home network, using the free TiVo app on your i-Device, and the TiVo stream thingy connected to your same local home network as is the TiVo unit itself.
TiVo at one time allowed something like this using Roxio DVD software and your TiVo.
But conversion took FOREVER, and the end result was a mess.
Roxio converted video seldom played, quality looked awful, and the audio sync was usually totally off. Also, i-Devices were not supported, only TiVo to pc using Roxio DVD software.
This new TiVo stream device is so flawless that if I only owned an iPhone or iPad, it would be well worth it to buy a TiVo, and the TiVo stream, and if nothing else hook the TiVo up to an outside ota hd antenna.
Then have the ability to take prime time tv anywhere with you on your i-Device.
And when at home, you can watch your TiVo sourced shows live on your i-Device anywhere in the house as long as your i-Device is connected wirelessly to your home network.
I have been on a quest for years and years to be able to record and convert prime time tv to a file, then load it onto a portable video player or laptop. It never worked. Too many steps, way too much converting of video, and the end result failed to be anything above crappy quality video with extremely poor audio sync.
Can't believe this TiVo stream works so easily, and more so, flawlessly.
I'd say a must have for anyone with any i-Device wanting to take the latest south park with you on the go. Or Leno. Or Lettermen. You name it.
Btw, got my TiVo stream from crutch fields. A bit over a hundred dollars. No monthly fees.
The TiVo unit does require a monthly fee. But if you buy on promo and a contract, after the year contract is up you can re negotiate a much reduced monthly TiVo fee.
Just threaten to stop service.
Ps. I know... I sound like a frickin info commercial. But when something new like this works so well, is good to pass the news around. Especially for me with anything video/portable device related. Like I said, it's been a quest.
And I'd suspect other portable devices and phones are supported other than apple devices?
I don't know. I never checked.