Help.....TIVO

[DwarfMaster]

I don't know anything about TIVO but I think we're going to get it for my Mother for Mother's Day.

Where do you buy the equipment?
How much does it cost?
Is there a monthly fee?
Does it work w/ all TV's...or Do I need to check her TV first for some type of compatibility?
Can anybody get Tivo...or do I have to go with the Cable Company ~ Comcast DVR?

What else do I need to know?

 

[Mermaid02]

We got ours at best buy- we LOVE it.... there is a monthly fee. I'm not sure what it is though- we were able to pay $300 for lifetime (I dont' think they offer that anymore though). Look it up on Bestbuy.com

 

[bicker]

We have our two TiVos hooked up to Comcast service, one to Comcast Digital and one to the regular analog signal (for the non-encrypted channels). We tried Comcast's DVC -- it sucks by comparison. We gladly pay TiVo for the superior user-interface and service.

There are several ways to buy the equipment, but the offers basically break down into device-plus-service, or just the monthly service fee. The device-plus-service is only avaiable on legacy machines. That typically means used TiVos, but the switch-over to the new pricing is relatively recent, so you can find some older TiVos, still factory-sealed and for sale as new.

Lifetime service is indeed no longer an option.

 

[Ready to go in Ok]

The only downside I have with Tivo is the phone cord. You can use cable, but I can't remember why this wasn't an option for us. But we had no phone line near our TV, so we had to run one along the wall from the kitchen until we could get the phone company to install a jack. Other than that, we are so addicted to Tivo, can't imagine life without it now! It is so cool to pause the tv when I get those annoying phone calls from mom right in the middle of a show!

 

[BeanoC]

The monthly fee is $12.95; then $6.95 for any additional Tivo's (we have three in our house!)

They will work with any TV. I highly recommend the Tivo brand 'stand alone' models, as opposed to DirecTV Tivos, which require their satellite service. A stand alone Tivo can be connected to your cable, an antenna, or a satellite dish. And now is the time to buy! You can get the 40 hour Tivo for free. At Best Buy and Target, they have them for $149, and you get a $150 mail-in rebate from Tivo. (Geez, I sound like a salesman!)

You'll absolutely love Tivo. It gives you so much freedom, and you can watch your favorite shows whenever you want to. If you like reality shows like American Idol or Survivor, it's fun to start watching them about 20-25 minutes into the program, so you can skip past commercials, and still be done watching it when it's actually over!

 

[Dan Murphy]

A good site to visit regarding TiVo.......

http://www.weaknees.com/

 

[Shugardrawers]

Just one caution. Cable companies are working to make Tivo incompatible with their systems. That way you have to rent theirs. We have Cox Cable and currently, it works for the most part with some glitches. The cable man can't figure out how it's working at all. Call your cable company and ask if it's compatible to begin with but don't take that as the gospel truth. I LOVE my Tivo.

 

[Micca]

I have Cox cable and their DVR and love it I think it's a nice gift.

 

[bicker]

The only downside I have with Tivo is the phone cord.

The telephone connection is no longer necessary, with new Series 2 TiVo boxes.

You can use cable, but I can't remember why this wasn't an option for us.

Older Series 2 boxes required the telephone connection, but even then, only for the first telephone call. You could even do that at a friend's house, and after that just use the Internet connection.

Just one caution. Cable companies are working to make Tivo incompatible with their systems.

That is no longer quite as much a concern as it once was. Even Comcast has totally reversed itself, and is now working with TiVo on Comcast's own next-generation Comcast-branded DVR.

Also, regarding HDTV, cable companies are required by federal law to comply with the CableCard standard, which the Series 3 TiVo will support, so that'll be the end of that issue, once and for all.

 

[Ready to go in Ok]

The telephone connection is no longer necessary, with new Series 2 TiVo boxes.

Older Series 2 boxes required the telephone connection, but even then, only for the first telephone call. You could even do that at a friend's house, and after that just use the Internet connection.

We could have used a cable though. I just honestly can't remember why we didn't.

But yeah, it is a couple of years old now.

 

[Ub_Iwerks]

So I can get Tivo WITHOUT having Cable??

 

[bicker]

Yes. It'll work with broadcast television as well.

 

[LoraJ]

TiVo just came out with a new version that has dual tuners and you can record two channels at once (if you have digital cable it can only record one digital channel at a time, but can record an analog station at the same time).

The new version also has an ethernet port so if you have an ethernet network in your home you can plug it directly in without using wireless adapters.

We'll be getting one of these as soon as my Best Buy has them in stock. They are available onlibe at Best Buy now though.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7713717&type=product&id=1140394006193

There should be a $150 rebate available but it isn't showing up at this time. Hmmm...


ETA:
I agree about the cable company DVR's. They just can't compare. We have one for our HDTV and I just hate its lack of features. Can't wait until the TiVo Series 3 comes out in the fall.

 

[bicker]

And later this year we should have our HDTV TiVo.... I can't wait!

 

[clh2]

Just a word of caution regarding TIVO rebates. Make a photocopy of everything you send in.

We had a very difficult time with our TIVO rebate, and the only way we got the rebate, was because we had the copies. I also seem to recall at the time, that many others were experiencing the same difficulties.

 

[DwarfMaster]

Thank you all for the replies...I'm off to Target now to check them out.

If I buy from Target ~ am I gonna have to call somewhere and activate it & sign up for the monthly service? Or will they do that there?
Are these things easy to install?

 

[bicker]

You activate your TiVo online, at TiVo.com.