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TIVO

Jaxidian

Jaxidian

Platinum Member
Me and my gf have decided to purchase a TIVO unit. I've done some research and talked to a few people who have them (although they don't know much about them). After this, I'm still not sure what model/version/etc. to buy, so I figured I'd ask all you smart folks...

Issues/problems why the choice is not obvious:
- We have no analog phone line to initialize the system (my best option at an analog phone line is to bring it into work and take the fax machine offline over night which I'd really rather not do)
- We have cable internet and a network to plug it into.
- I want to be able to shove the contents of the TIVO off onto my file server for temporary storage. I don't necessarily need to be able to view these on a PC or burnt to a DVD, I just want to have some dynamic additional storage for the TIVO.
- I'd like to be able to buy a TIVO with a small hard drive and upgrade it to a larger hard drive myself.

Other questions:
- If we purchase the lifetime service plan and our unit breaks, will we be able to buy another unit (or upgrade this unit to a newer version) and keep that lifetime plan?

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
Me and my gf have decided to purchase a TIVO unit. I've done some research and talked to a few people who have them (although they don't know much about them). After this, I'm still not sure what model/version/etc. to buy, so I figured I'd ask all you smart folks...

Issues/problems why the choice is not obvious:
- We have no analog phone line to initialize the system (my best option at an analog phone line is to bring it into work and take the fax machine offline over night which I'd really rather not do)
thats the only real option
- We have cable internet and a network to plug it into.
thats the best route. You'll need a USB wireless adapter too. Check out www.tivocommunity.com for compatability lists as not all work right
- I want to be able to shove the contents of the TIVO off onto my file server for temporary storage. I don't necessarily need to be able to view these on a PC or burnt to a DVD, I just want to have some dynamic additional storage for the TIVO.
the newly release TivoToGo function will allow you do this as well as burn to a DVD as needed. You will need to visit Tivo.com to download the Tivo Desktop software.
- I'd like to be able to buy a TIVO with a small hard drive and upgrade it to a larger hard drive myself.
A great idea. again, visit tivocommunity.com to see what options you have, as some drives are problematic, and IIRC you have a 250gb cap. It's not a hard conversion to do.

Other questions:
- If we purchase the lifetime service plan and our unit breaks, will we be able to buy another unit (or upgrade this unit to a newer version) and keep that lifetime plan?
no, the lifetime service is tied to the box, not you. I've kept monthly fee because should a box crap out or a better box comes out that I want, then I don't want to lose the lifetime fee, although many have success selling the old unit on ebay and recouping most of the money.
Thanks in advance for the help!
Click to expand...

I have both a Series2 40hr box and the Toshiba SD-400 DVD/80hr Tivo unit and love them both. The Toshiba is a bit slow to eject DVDs, and it isn't 5.1 compatible, but those are the only 2 faults I see.

check your PM

 
Oh, and check out Fatwallet for some Hot Deals on buying the units. And there is also a thread about getting your service fees knocked back to $6.95 a month after you've had t for a couple of months...
 
- If we purchase the lifetime service plan and our unit breaks, will we be able to buy another unit (or upgrade this unit to a newer version) and keep that lifetime plan?
Click to expand...

The lifetime service is the lifetime of the unit. In my opinion this is TIVO's biggest flaw. They should at least give you a discount on a new service plan.

One thing is a lot of people don't realize is that with one tuner you can't watch a show and record something different. There are ways around this, some easier than others but a two tuner solution would be the best solution. You really have to get in the habit of not watching live TV and only watching shows already on TIVO.

I connected my TIVO to my internet router and have never hooked it to a phone line, worked fine for me.
 
Originally posted by: CalvinHobbes
- If we purchase the lifetime service plan and our unit breaks, will we be able to buy another unit (or upgrade this unit to a newer version) and keep that lifetime plan?
Click to expand...

The lifetime service is the lifetime of the unit. In my opinion this is TIVO's biggest flaw. They should at least give you a discount on a new service plan.

One thing is a lot of people don't realize is that with one tuner you can't watch a show and record something different. There are ways around this, some easier than others but a two tuner solution would be the best solution. You really have to get in the habit of not watching live TV and only watching shows already on TIVO.

I connected my TIVO to my internet router and have never hooked it to a phone line, worked fine for me.
Click to expand...


that's where having 2 Tivo's networked over wireless is awesome....watch live TV, and record at once.
 
Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
Me and my gf have decided to purchase a TIVO unit. I've done some research and talked to a few people who have them (although they don't know much about them). After this, I'm still not sure what model/version/etc. to buy, so I figured I'd ask all you smart folks...

Issues/problems why the choice is not obvious:
- We have no analog phone line to initialize the system (my best option at an analog phone line is to bring it into work and take the fax machine offline over night which I'd really rather not do)
thats the only real option
- We have cable internet and a network to plug it into.
thats the best route. You'll need a USB wireless adapter too. Check out www.tivocommunity.com for compatability lists as not all work right
- I want to be able to shove the contents of the TIVO off onto my file server for temporary storage. I don't necessarily need to be able to view these on a PC or burnt to a DVD, I just want to have some dynamic additional storage for the TIVO.
the newly release TivoToGo function will allow you do this as well as burn to a DVD as needed. You will need to visit Tivo.com to download the Tivo Desktop software.
- I'd like to be able to buy a TIVO with a small hard drive and upgrade it to a larger hard drive myself.
A great idea. again, visit tivocommunity.com to see what options you have, as some drives are problematic, and IIRC you have a 250gb cap. It's not a hard conversion to do.

Other questions:
- If we purchase the lifetime service plan and our unit breaks, will we be able to buy another unit (or upgrade this unit to a newer version) and keep that lifetime plan?
no, the lifetime service is tied to the box, not you. I've kept monthly fee because should a box crap out or a better box comes out that I want, then I don't want to lose the lifetime fee, although many have success selling the old unit on ebay and recouping most of the money.
Thanks in advance for the help!
Click to expand...

I have both a Series2 40hr box and the Toshiba SD-400 DVD/80hr Tivo unit and love them both. The Toshiba is a bit slow to eject DVDs, and it isn't 5.1 compatible, but those are the only 2 faults I see.

check your PM
Click to expand...

About the lifetime question, I know that the subscription is tied to the box, but lets say you have an image of the drive in the unit. Then the unit craps out, you buy another box and reload that image onto the new units harddrive. will it now have a lifetime sub? Are there "unofficial" work arounds for this?
 
Originally posted by: KK
Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
Me and my gf have decided to purchase a TIVO unit. I've done some research and talked to a few people who have them (although they don't know much about them). After this, I'm still not sure what model/version/etc. to buy, so I figured I'd ask all you smart folks...

Issues/problems why the choice is not obvious:
- We have no analog phone line to initialize the system (my best option at an analog phone line is to bring it into work and take the fax machine offline over night which I'd really rather not do)
thats the only real option
- We have cable internet and a network to plug it into.
thats the best route. You'll need a USB wireless adapter too. Check out www.tivocommunity.com for compatability lists as not all work right
- I want to be able to shove the contents of the TIVO off onto my file server for temporary storage. I don't necessarily need to be able to view these on a PC or burnt to a DVD, I just want to have some dynamic additional storage for the TIVO.
the newly release TivoToGo function will allow you do this as well as burn to a DVD as needed. You will need to visit Tivo.com to download the Tivo Desktop software.
- I'd like to be able to buy a TIVO with a small hard drive and upgrade it to a larger hard drive myself.
A great idea. again, visit tivocommunity.com to see what options you have, as some drives are problematic, and IIRC you have a 250gb cap. It's not a hard conversion to do.

Other questions:
- If we purchase the lifetime service plan and our unit breaks, will we be able to buy another unit (or upgrade this unit to a newer version) and keep that lifetime plan?
no, the lifetime service is tied to the box, not you. I've kept monthly fee because should a box crap out or a better box comes out that I want, then I don't want to lose the lifetime fee, although many have success selling the old unit on ebay and recouping most of the money.
Thanks in advance for the help!
Click to expand...

I have both a Series2 40hr box and the Toshiba SD-400 DVD/80hr Tivo unit and love them both. The Toshiba is a bit slow to eject DVDs, and it isn't 5.1 compatible, but those are the only 2 faults I see.

check your PM
Click to expand...

About the lifetime question, I know that the subscription is tied to the box, but lets say you have an image of the drive in the unit. Then the unit craps out, you buy another box and reload that image onto the new units harddrive. will it now have a lifetime sub? Are there "unofficial" work arounds for this?
Click to expand...


not that Ive ever heard of. As far as I am aware, you can only image a drive in the same box. You cannot image a drive and put it in a different box, as there is something else it is checking.
 
The subscription is hard-coded into the box - I researched this extensivly when my Dad's first Series1 died on him a year after getting the lifetime sub. At the time, there was like one company that'd transfer your subscription, but it wasn't cheap.

FWIW, the Series2 units seem more study then the original series 1 units.

If you can borrow a wired ethernet adapter, you may be able to setup a standalone Series 2 without a phone line. Hook the USB adapter into the Tivo before it's even powered on and connect it to the network. Start it up and set the dialing prefix to ,#401 (that's comma, pound, four zero one). Run through the setup as normal. That worked for me, but I've heard on the Tivocommunity forums that it's hit or miss. For the greatest chance of success, plug the wired ethernet adapter into the Tivo before you ever plug it in. Apparently the Tivo won't see the network and adapter unless it's there upon bootup.

Also note, that method DOES NOT work with wireless adapters. You need to complete guided setup some how (both calls) before you can use a wireless adapter.
 
You CAN put an image into another box, but it doesn't affect your subscription. In fact, DirectTivo users have been doing just that in order to get tivo 4.0 functionality. By doing so, however, you MUST deactivate the nightly calls or you might be tivo banned.
 
The lifetime is attached to a hardware code (likely something loaded into the bios) that you can't change. If the TIVO dies and you lose the box you can buy another and keep the broken one on your account (you don't pay for it), the second box is eligible for the $6.95 per month price reduction. Keep in mind the Tivo box only needs to last 24 months to pay for the tivo lifetime. You can also have the broken box repaired (which is a good option if you are under warranty still and haven't modified the box).
 
Originally posted by: CalvinHobbes
About the lifetime question, I know that the subscription is tied to the box
Click to expand...
Bummer - looks like we won't be getting the lifetime subscription.

Originally posted by: KK
And there is also a thread about getting your service fees knocked back to $6.95 a month after you've had t for a couple of months...
Click to expand...
I'll have to take a look at that thread. When I do, I'll post a link to it from here for others who might be interested to easily follow. Thanks for the heads up!

Originally posted by: MrBond
If you can borrow a wired ethernet adapter, you may be able to setup a standalone Series 2 without a phone line. Hook the USB adapter into the Tivo before it's even powered on and connect it to the network. Start it up and set the dialing prefix to ,#401 (that's comma, pound, four zero one). Run through the setup as normal. That worked for me, but I've heard on the Tivocommunity forums that it's hit or miss. For the greatest chance of success, plug the wired ethernet adapter into the Tivo before you ever plug it in. Apparently the Tivo won't see the network and adapter unless it's there upon bootup
Click to expand...
A few questions in response to this. First of all, does the unit not come with a network card? Do I have to buy my own network card? Is it an internal one I have to install or a USB one? If a USB one, does it really matter what brand I buy or will most any USB network card work? I really don't know anybody who has a TIVO personally who lives nearby so borrowing something like this isn't likely something that will happen. In the long-run, we plan to keep the TIVO unit hooked up to our network so if this card is something I'd have to borrow, I'd much rather just buy it and keep it. Can you point me to where I might be able to buy it (assuming it's not a freebie)? Lastly, this process you mention - does this work on any Series 2 or newer model?



So most of my questions have been answered or have caused me to think about things more.

However, something that I'm still not quite clear on is models of TIVO and such. The only thing that have been mentioned are Series 1 and Series 2 units. Are there newer ones as well? It's rather obvious I don't want a Series 1 model. Are there different kinds of Series 2 models (other than the size of the hard drive)? Are there newer models? I'd like some more feedback on this.

Something else that nobody has mentioned anything about is the ability to copy vidoe files from the TIVO unit to a PC and then back to the TIVO unit. Is this possible? Is this partly possible? If I copy it to a PC do I have the ability to watch it on the PC or not (just curious, not a requirement)? Some more feedback in this area would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a ton for all the info so far! I'm looking forwards to getting a TIVO! 🙂

Edited for formatting
 
all new models are Series 2... I have the aforementioned Series 2 Toshiba Tivo/DVD player. From what I've heard, though, the Series 1 models are more hackable than Series 2. you'd have to buy it on ebay, though.

just about any usb ethernet adapter will do the trick. I bought the cheapest one availible on NewEgg and haven't had a problem in it.
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
all new models are Series 2... I have the aforementioned Series 2 Toshiba Tivo/DVD player. From what I've heard, though, the Series 1 models are more hackable than Series 2. you'd have to buy it on ebay, though.

just about any usb ethernet adapter will do the trick. I bought the cheapest one availible on NewEgg and haven't had a problem in it.
Click to expand...

Do the Series 2 models support any significant features that the Series 1 models don't?

I'm glad to hear that about the USB NICs. I bought one about 5 years ago just in case and I'm finally gonna get to use it! 🙂
 
Tivo series 2 boxes support home networking options (streaming mp3's or pictures from your main PC through the Tivo... I use this a lot at parties. it's nice to be able to just queue up a playlist in the living room rather than burning a bunch of cd's or playing the music from my PC in the computer room). they also support remote scheduling, which allows you to schedule programs over the internet through Tivo.com, and I'm assuming Tivo2Go (transferring files from Tivo onto the PC) is only availible on Series 2... I believe there are third party programs that are also capable of ripping shows from the Tivo box, though.

check out http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/ you'll probably find the upgrade and underground forums interesting 🙂
 
As far as the USB network adapter - there's only two offically "tested and verified working" models - one is the Linksys USB200M, not sure offhand what the other model is. They have a list of adapters that supposidly work on the website, but Tivo hasn't tested those themselves.

I wasn't taking any chances, since like you the only option I had besides getting the guided setup to work over my LAN was bringing it to work to setup. I obviously don't have a TV here and the projectors are locked up, so I planned on memorizing the button presses to get me through guided setup. Luckily I didn't have to do that. So I bought the Linksys adapter from Newegg, under $30 shipped for it.

You want to get a Series 2 Tivo. The Series 1's don't support wired/wireless networking without a third-party addin card. The Series 1's were also of shoddy quality, particularly the modems. My Dad bought a series 1, the modem was dead just shortly out of the warranty period. He returned it and paid $100 for a refurb model with a 90 day warranty, which died shortly after 90 days.

His Series 2 works great though.
 
Ok, got a new question now. Tivo vs TivoToGo? Supposedly TivoToGo allows me to easily copy things to my computer. How does this differ than normal Tivo?
 
Originally posted by: Jaxidian
Ok, got a new question now. Tivo vs TivoToGo? Supposedly TivoToGo allows me to easily copy things to my computer. How does this differ than normal Tivo?
Click to expand...

with normal the normal Tivo service, the shows stay on the Tivo and cannot be transferred to your computer (without the use of a third-party program).
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
Originally posted by: Jaxidian
Ok, got a new question now. Tivo vs TivoToGo? Supposedly TivoToGo allows me to easily copy things to my computer. How does this differ than normal Tivo?
Click to expand...

with normal the normal Tivo service, the shows stay on the Tivo and cannot be transferred to your computer (without the use of a third-party program).
Click to expand...

So if I were to go with the TivoToGo, then the only benefit is that I get to easily copy things from the TIVO to my PC (although with standard TIVO I can still copy things from the TIVO to my PC, just using some sort of hack program)?

If I were to get the TivoToGo, what format are they and what process do I use to copy them? For example, can I just use Windows Networking to copy them and they be of DiVX format?

Thanks again!
 
Originally posted by: Jaxidian
Originally posted by: loki8481
Originally posted by: Jaxidian
Ok, got a new question now. Tivo vs TivoToGo? Supposedly TivoToGo allows me to easily copy things to my computer. How does this differ than normal Tivo?
Click to expand...

with normal the normal Tivo service, the shows stay on the Tivo and cannot be transferred to your computer (without the use of a third-party program).
Click to expand...

So if I were to go with the TivoToGo, then the only benefit is that I get to easily copy things from the TIVO to my PC (although with standard TIVO I can still copy things from the TIVO to my PC, just using some sort of hack program)?

If I were to get the TivoToGo, what format are they and what process do I use to copy them? For example, can I just use Windows Networking to copy them and they be of DiVX format?

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

TiVoToGo isn't something you "go with". It's a new service that is being added by TiVo to all stand alone series 2 models. They just are not doing it all at one time. TiVoToGo was added to my unit yesterday during the daily update. My son in Virginia doesn't have it yet, nor does my daughter in CT.

Also you can burn the programs to DVD after youn transfer them to PC.
 
Originally posted by: Jaxidian
Me and my gf have decided to purchase a TIVO unit. I've done some research and talked to a few people who have them (although they don't know much about them). After this, I'm still not sure what model/version/etc. to buy, so I figured I'd ask all you smart folks...

Issues/problems why the choice is not obvious:
- We have no analog phone line to initialize the system (my best option at an analog phone line is to bring it into work and take the fax machine offline over night which I'd really rather not do)
- We have cable internet and a network to plug it into.
- I want to be able to shove the contents of the TIVO off onto my file server for temporary storage. I don't necessarily need to be able to view these on a PC or burnt to a DVD, I just want to have some dynamic additional storage for the TIVO.
- I'd like to be able to buy a TIVO with a small hard drive and upgrade it to a larger hard drive myself.

Other questions:
- If we purchase the lifetime service plan and our unit breaks, will we be able to buy another unit (or upgrade this unit to a newer version) and keep that lifetime plan?

Thanks in advance for the help!
Click to expand...

You don't need a phone line for the initial setup. Read this:

Originally posted by Bornstar:
If you want to configure your TiVo without using a phone line, buy a wired ethernet adapter (I used the Belkin F5D5050 but I hear the Linksys USB200M works too) then put in ",#401" (comma pound four zero one) for the dialing prefix. You need to connect the adapter prior to starting up the unit the first time. If you screw that up, go back to the beginning by using the back arrow and then select "set up as demo unit". Once it's playing the demo, unplug it and plug it back in. Make sure that the adapter has already been connected. Then select the option to use it as a consumer model and make sure to input the dialing prefix. Works great for me.
Click to expand...

So, you will need to get a *wired* USB adapter in order to use the TiVo with your cable modem. You can use a wireless adapter, but wireless isn't supported out of the box... it requires a software update. If you want to go wireless and don't want to buy both a wireless and a wired adapter, you'll need to use a phone line.

The new TiVoToGo software allows you to pull shows off your TiVo onto a computer. However, it does not work in reverse. If it did, very few people would buy the large capacity units. You will be able to burn shows onto VCD or DVD once you have them on your computer.

As far as upgrading the size of the drive, it is doable. There are websites that sell kits.
Just watch what you are doing. If you are going to upgrade, get the 40 hour unit and put as big of a drive in it as you can.

The lifetime membership only follows your TiVo around, so if it breaks out of warantee, then you are SOL. I opted not to go for the lifetime membership as I don't have an extra $300 lying around to save $13 a month. Besides, in the time it would take to break even, Series 3 will probably out or at least on the horizon.

Now, I have a question... If you and your girlfriend are buying the TiVo together, who gets it if you break up? This little box will become a very important aspect of your life. I can see a custody battle in your future! 😀

Seriously though, I love my TiVo, so I hope you will enjoy yours just as much as I have enjoyed mine.

Ryan
 
Are you set on a Tivo? Have you considered a ReplayTV? I have two of those and I love them. You can easly network w/ your PC to "archive" your shows.
 
rgwalt, thanks for the detailed summary.

tw1164, I have not considered an alternative to Tivo but would be open to one if there is a strong case for it and I'm comfortable with the reliability of that alternative. Tivo seems like the "safe" way to go to me but please enlighten me. Why would I consider a ReplayTV instead of Tivo?

Thanks!!
 
RelayTV had always been the only choice for networking your shows, but with T2G now Tivo allows that to some extent. I had a Replay, and while they ar a good machine, I would liken it to a Mac versus a PC. Somewhat less idiot-proof and more niche than Tivo.
 
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