TiVO or not?

[eclipse525]

This may be a silly question BUT here goes. I'm considering getting a TiVO but I don't have a PhoneLine. I only use my cell phone for calls. Now with that said, I do have Cable Internet. Can I use a TiVo without having a phoneline connection? Can TiVO connect via my internet connection?

Thanks!

~e

[bebo]

you'll need one at first unfortunatly.

You need to get a tivo 2 then sign up for the updated system software that has internet support.

then after that, you'll be able to work without a phone line.

I have a similar setup to you.

[evoluzione]

yeah you'll have to take it to a buddies when you first set it up, it needs to make a phone call that once, then after that, you can connect it to your cable network (you'll need an adapter for this, wired or wireless, plugs into usb port on TiVo). then it will download all the program data that way, which it does every night.


even with all the initial hassle, i'd rather live without a TV than have a TV with no TiVo. go ahead and get that TiVo, you'll be glad you did :)

[eclipse525]

Thanks for your help. I'm curious as to why it needs to connect via the phone-line the first time and then it can update via my cable internet connection afterwards? Also, what adapter do I need? Oh yeah the most important question... which TiVo do you all recommend?


~e

[lopresmb]

check and see what your cable provider has in terms of DVR service. That's what I have and its great. you don't have to buy the hardware, and its only like $6-7 more a month more and its just added into your cable bill.

--I looked at TiVO, but you have to buy the box (at least $100) and then you have to pay for service, not as good a deal in my situation.

[evoluzione]

check and see what your cable provider has in terms of DVR service. That's what I have and its great. you don't have to buy the hardware, and its only like $6-7 more a month more and its just added into your cable bill.

--I looked at TiVO, but you have to buy the box (at least $100) and then you have to pay for service, not as good a deal in my situation.



yeah but TiVo is so much better in it's operation, it's like the difference between a Mac and a PC, in my opinion. cool features like being able to schedule recording over the internet, showing iPhoto pics on your TV via a wireless network, and play mp3s (no aac support though :( ). you can network two or more TiVos if you have them, so you can racord a show on one, and view it on another...etc etc.


if you're looking to get a TiVo, i would recommend buying the Pioneer 57H (do a froogle search or something). they have a built-in DVD recorder and seem to be the best ones around. if you want the cheapest, go to BestBuy or somewhere local, grab it for $100, they should be selling it for that. and go month to month on the service, not lifetime (the lifetime is the box, not yours)

[greatdevourer]

MythTV or just get an HDD recorder. You pay a flat rate of £150 (ish, I think), then you have lots of storage and no subscription fee. I really don't know why you all use TiVo that side of the puddle...

[e²Studios]

I too am not sure why you need to have a phone line for the initial setup. I use Vonage VOIP and no matter what i tried i couldnt get the damn thing to dial out when we changed providers. I had to go to my neighbors house and ask if i could use their phone line for a few hours and update my TiVo, luckily they are TiVo users and know how it feels. Once you have TiVo you will never want to watch TV without one, and the cheap imitators have nothing on the TiVo interface!

Go get yourself a TiVo, find a neighbor or a family member/friend that will let you borrow their phone line and a TV so you can do the initial setup and then thats it, you're done with phone lines! go buy yourself a Linksys 802.11b USB adaptor, or a wired usb to ethernet device and then all your updates are done thru the internet. http://Tivo.com has a list of supported networking devices. You may want to chek out http://tivocommunity.com, its a great resource.

Good luck!
Ed

[evoluzione]

I really don't know why you all use TiVo that side of the puddle...


as i mentioned before, there are a number of benefits to having TiVo over the alternatives. the interface, the ease of use, the "transparentness" of it all, make it much better than anything else available, in my opinion.

[aricher]

as i mentioned before, there are a number of benefits to having TiVo over the alternatives. the interface, the ease of use, the "transparentness" of it all, make it much better than anything else available, in my opinion.

I agree wholeheartedly. I've been to friends houses with other brands - some purchased separate from the cable company, some supplied by the cable or sat. provider. NONE of them compare to Tivo. The Mac-connectedness, "smart" recording, relaying between 2 boxes, remote internet programming, etc. I could go on and on. Other brands are slow and sometimes glitchy beasts. The Mac vs. PC elegance factor here is key. Yes, you pay for the box and a subscription but it's worth it. I paid for the lifetime subscription ($249.) when I bought it - it's paid for itself already.

[yellow]

Real TiVos are where it's at. My only complaint after nearly a year of heavy use? I cannot delete multiple things at once. With a super huge hard drive, going through and deleteing 50 Simpsons Episodes can be a chore.

[Zman5225]

just canceled my TIVO after a year or service or so. Want to buy one?! :)

[eclipse525]

just canceled my TIVO after a year or service or so. Want to buy one?! :)

Why did you cancel?

[Zman5225]

Why did you cancel?

The service was good and all, but I just moved down to the Phoenix AZ area and Cox gave me a deal on a HD DVR. It's cheaper for me to use their HD DVR with hd service then Tivo was charging a month. Though for those of you that don't know, you can call Tivo and threaten to cancel to get free months or 6.95 a month lifetime fee. They offered me both but it was still cheaper with Cox.

[watcher2001]

as i mentioned before, there are a number of benefits to having TiVo over the alternatives. the interface, the ease of use, the "transparentness" of it all, make it much better than anything else available, in my opinion.
As stated by others, I agree 100% with this assesment. Before I got TIVO I had a hard time understanding what all the fuss was about. Now that I have got my own though (Through Directv BTW) I find myself wondering how I ever lived without it. It has truly changed the way I watch TV. I love it.

[yellow]

Does a regular TiVo work with an HD signal?

[mrgreen4242]

Does a regular TiVo work with an HD signal?
Nope, there is an HD TiVo, I think though. (You can take an SD signal from your HD box and record/playback the signal in SD of course).

Also, you don't always need a phone line to set a new Series 2 TiVo up (the newer models). As long as the box has the most current updates on it it will be preset to use a USB network adaptor with the right dialing codes. Even if not, you can get it going at a friend or neigbors house and bring it home, which is a one time thing, so it's not all that bad.

As far as getting one, I can't say how much I love mine. I've had a Series 1 Sony 30 hour model (upgraded to about 120 hours) since Feb. 2001 and I wouldn't ever part with it. Aside from being dead useful, the remote is absolutely the most intuituve and best designed device I have ever seen. It's like the Mac of remote controls.

Tips: check out tivocommunity.com, great site for help, advice, tricks and hacks. Also, if you don't get a lifetime membership call back and try to cancel after about 10 months and see if they will lower the fee to $7/month for you (worked for me)!