Anyone have a tivo with no land-line phone?

[TandJ61574]

Our son (who does not live with us) got a tivo series2 and does not have a land-line phone (only a cell phone).

Does he have to have a land line to use tivo services?

TIA

 

[RadioNate]

mine is not plugged into a phone. sometimes it gets 'angry' and tried to dial in and then tells me I have to make a call but it works w/out the phone.

I think it's an 800 # it calls, is there any land line you could connect it to once a month or so, that would stop the annoying 'make your call' notices

 

[mrsv98]

With the Series 2, he can use a wireless connection. I have a LAN set up in our house and the Tivo connects thru that. It works great, really fast and efficient.

 

[TandJ61574]

TY RadioNate. I know it needs a phone line to download the programs/messages etc. but will it still record and pause shows?

Someone told me that it will still pause but will not record?

 

[TandJ61574]

mrsv98 do you mean like a wi-fi laptop?

He has a reg. computer with cable connection but no wi-fi laptop.

 

[RadioNate]

our records and all that BUT I actually have no idea what series it is. We also have a wireless connection in the house. I didn't think it was using that to connect but now that it has been mentioned I don't know...

DH is on a plane too so I can't ask him.

 

[Nette]

We have a TiVo 2 with no land line... This was a HUGE problem when we moved because we switched cable companies and it needed to dial out to be reconfigured. All of the other functions (downloading schedules, etc) are done on the LAN (computer network... can be wireless or otherwise)

So what we did was take the TiVo over to my parents house and use their land line to configure it to OUR cable specs... brought it home and it is fine...

This seems to be a "feature" with TiVo... we called the service line (on our cell) and they told us that you have to configure via phone... no idea why.

Jeannette

 

[foolishmortal]

Tivo with no landline here...works just fine and don't know what I would do without.

 

[mrsv98]

mrsv98 do you mean like a wi-fi laptop?

No, the series 2 has the capability to connect to the service via a wireless network. If your son has a router that he connects thru, he can buy a plug-in wireless adapter to go in the back of the Tivo. It should already have the software, but if not, he can call Tivo and request it (he waould have to have it plugged into a phone somewhere for this).

It is very simple and easy and you never have to worry about not being able to get thru or interrupting a download.

The forums on Tivo.com are great for finding out more info.

 

[TandJ61574]

ty very much for your responses!

 

[swilphil]

I have a land-line telephone, but not cable. Can I still get Tivo? How much does it cost? I've never paid much attention to Tivo because I thought you had to have cable to get it. Do they install it or do you do it yourself? I also don't have a phone outlet in my living room, and my husband wouldn't do a very good job running a phone line from the kitchen to the living room.

 

[bicker]

The most recent service update, 7.2, includes the update that removes the need for a land-line. Unfortunately, not many of the Tivos on the shelves in stores have 7.2 loaded -- it needs to be loaded through a service update, so the land-line would be necessary, at least for the first telephone call. By next year, many of the new Tivos will have 7.2 loaded by default, and the network connection will be fine for the guided set-up.