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With your kind permission, there's a long-running thread at tivocommunity.com

http://www.tivocommunity.com/t...

  where this would be an apropos entry.

140 bucks per month for Dish... I'm really thinking about going to just streaming and getting the Tivo with 4 ota tuners.

There are TiVos with 4 digital cable tuners that can be used simultaneously (provided one also rents a cable card from one's cable company, and possibly a Tuning Adapter as well to enable getting Switched Digital Video), but I'm almost certain there are no models with 4 OTA tuners.

TiVo is kinda moving away from OTA and concentrating on cable these days, and probably looking to get into deals with cable companies to provide hardware/software packages which the cable companies would rent to subscribers, rather than rely on individual TiVo owners for as much of their overall income as previously.

Of course you can always get 2 dual tuner Series 3 or Series 4 TiVos or the low end Series 5.

Much information, from TiVo owners helping each other out, is available here:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/index.php

Not to be confused with anything on the actual tivo.com site--they have people who monitor TCF, but it is independent of TiVo, Inc.

If the Netflix app on your TiVo works better than the one in your tv, then you're in a small subset of people http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=491641.

I have a Sony smart tv and Netflix on it works 10 times better than the TiVo's Netflix app. If Sony had introduced smart TVs before they stopped making TVs with CableCard slots I probably would have dropped my TiVo.

So maybe smart tv app usability is still heavily dependent on manufacturer input.

No, that's not 70% false. I said all the channel are copy once or copy never rather than copy free. If every channel copy once, then what I said is true. I personally don't give a shit about the distinction between once and never, because for using mythtv (which was the subject of the post) the two are indistinguishable....neither can be used at all.

2nd, I guarantee you there are copy never channels. I've heard from a number of users about copy never channels. For instance, here's a thread about Comedy Central being marked copy never:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=481464

I would probably only know that the second core had finally been enabled for non-UI tasks if I had read an unofficial changelog (because TiVo does not produce one) in an unofficial TiVo forum. I believe you mean here:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=480226

I will disregard your underlying message that missing an announcement that never came from TiVo nor actively pursuing an unofficial TiVo forum signifies that one does not actually own a TiVo. That's fanboy behavior. I do, however, congratulate you on your problem-free experience. I don't know how you small minority of users manage it.

If you've got Series2 TiVos, then you'll need Digital Converter boxes that the TiVo's will control, the same way they do the cable boxes right now. They run ~$40 each (you'll probably want one for each television).
Before I jumped shipped we had already switched to a Series3 and an HDTV, so I'm not sure which models are recommended. Try looking/asking here: http://www.tivocommunity.com/.

Things to keep in mind:
If you replace one of the TiVos with a Series3, TiVoHD or TiVoHD-XL they come with built-in Dual Tuners and can output to SD also.
The Series3 models are also the ones that support NetFlix, BlockBuster, and AmazonVideo.

I would recommend looking into a HTPC that can be plugged into the TV to support Internet Video. I commented on some of the things here:
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1464648&cid=30306402 (linked rather than reprinting).

In a nutshell, I'd suggest to look at something that can run Zinc (or something like it) (if you are going to want to go down the road of using Over-The-Internet Video to supplement Over-The-Air).

Another alternative I didn't mention in that posting was that a PS3 would make a decent "companion device".
Out of the box it plays DVDs and Blu-Ray (I know you don't care, about the HD, but its nice to know it isn't going to go obsolete). Sony also their own video store that carries a lot of shows "timely" (similar to iTunes and AmazonVideo).
Add in something like PlayOn running on a Networked Windows PC and you've got the NetFlix and Hulu content running on your TV.

If you've already got a PS3, XBox360 or Wii, you can download a two week trial of it and give it a whirl to see if it might work.

You can do all of this with an SD TV, you'll probably have more wires, and it will be a more complicated/cumbersome setup, but if you've already got most of the equipment (TVs and TiVos), then its not a terrible road to go down.

Other things to keep in mind, are that most people I know with CableTV also have CableModems. The cable companies will often charge higher rates if you JUST get the internet connection from them.
When I dropped Cable, I dropped them for everything and switched to DSL from Verizon. I already had a land line, so it was just a self-install kit, and phone call or two to get it all connected, but its something to keep in mind.

Verizon had a two week "cancellation" clause, so I didn't cancel my cable, till I'd had the DSL line put in, switched everything over, and had already disconnected from the cable in my house.

Most of the decisions really come down to personal choices that are based in large part around what you already have.

If I can help answer any more questions, just track me down at my username@ att and then just add a .net to the end. :)

Cool, then the deal to get both Up & Monsters Inc on Bluray very inexpensively (that I read about from http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=437001, but apparently has been on lots of 'deals' web sites) is more tempting. I don't have a bluray player yet, but intend to get one eventually.

The idiot that wrote the article at Anandtech is not "somewhat confused", he is flat out wrong on the fundamental facts of what he based his conclusions on.

The acronym DTA does not stand for "Digital Transport Adapter", it stands for "Digital Tuning Adapter".

Furthermore, DTAs are not "little more than a basic QAM tuner attached to an RF modulator"; they are, in fact, two-way DOCSIS devices designed to not for the purpose of decoding an encrypted channel but rather for the purpose of allowing un-watched channels to give back space to either other channels or your Internet connection (Switched Digital Video (SDV)). http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=357703.

As someone who actually has a CableCard-equipped TV (bedroom wall) and a CableCard-equipped DVR (TiVo HD), I am more than a little unhappy at the introduction of SDV (not least because it is going to add yet another delay to channel changing above and beyond what's already experienced when tuning ClearQAM channels) so I am not defending the cable industry here but it's astounding how fundamentally wrong on basic technical facts the Anandtech article is (6 or 7 years ago they used to be a solid tech-y folks, what happened?)

Ah newegg... I wouldn't trust them to ship a drive, at least, OEM-packaged ones...

From this report on someone buy 10 drives (with pictures), and getting them stacked together, and wrapped in bubble wrap, then peanut filling... it's no wonder the drives fail. You can't stack drives on top of each other (they rattle around, and when they rattle, large shock forces are generated when they bang off each other). And bubblewrap? And peanuts? No drive manufacturer allows even such packaging when they do warranty claims because that's practically a recipe for destroying all drives.

Newegg's drive shipping leaves much to be desired...

They send all of the channels in like cable -- you can use third party CableCard devices on them just fine.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=315826

You can't get those channels because of SDV, which is exactly what the message you're responding to claimed was a valid reason for suing. (Plus, there will be a SDV adapter soon.. check out the FAQ http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=357703)

Next time try the search function.

There is a thread about exactly that topic http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=399594

The short of it is (as the NYT article also explained), Unbox is "being replaced" only in the same sense that Apple's "dot Mac" service was recently "replaced" -- i.e. new services are being added while the old ones remain available but under a new brand name.

That thread has a more interesting reference tohttp://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/05/not_boxed_in_jim_denney.php/ where a TiVo VP of Product Marketing is reported to have said that Amazon Unbox will announce HD capabilities "in the not too distant future". Personally I don't find the quotes supplied in that article very convincing (they're awfully indirect and incomplete) as they feel like they may have been strung together to imply a context that wasn't present but it is a tantalizing prospect.

Hmmm, the article doesn't mention the impact this will have on Tivo users who use Amazon Unbox. I quickly perused the Tivo Community Forums and saw no mention or concern there. I wonder if Unbox be grandfathered in until a solution is ready for Tivo?

Most likely because no Tivo users in the affected broadcast area bothered to complain or have seen this often enough that they're busy pursuing the only effective resolution -- complaining to their cable company and/or local broadcaster.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=390326&highlight=broadcast+flag/

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=385828&highlight=broadcast+flag/

There are too many steps along the broadcast path where a stupid user can accidentally reset the flag and they unfortunately do so far too often.

None of the alarm-ringing "articles" on this have offered reason to believe that NBC-qua-NBC set this flag vs. it having been set by a local affiliate station or local cable provider.

FURTHERMORE, the CNet reporters have failed to understand the distinction between the broadcast flag the FCC was not allowed to impose and the broadcast flag that CableLabs is allowed to impose on anybody making a system capable of using a CableCard (which both Tivo and MS do).

Most likely because no Tivo users in the affected broadcast area bothered to complain or have seen this often enough that they're busy pursuing the only effective resolution -- complaining to their cable company and/or local broadcaster.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=390326&highlight=broadcast+flag/

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=385828&highlight=broadcast+flag/

There are too many steps along the broadcast path where a stupid user can accidentally reset the flag and they unfortunately do so far too often.

None of the alarm-ringing "articles" on this have offered reason to believe that NBC-qua-NBC set this flag vs. it having been set by a local affiliate station or local cable provider.

FURTHERMORE, the CNet reporters have failed to understand the distinction between the broadcast flag the FCC was not allowed to impose and the broadcast flag that CableLabs is allowed to impose on anybody making a system capable of using a CableCard (which both Tivo and MS do).

Couple things I wouldn't mind seeing in a new version of the TIVO that I think would make things easier....1. allow a tech to install both cards at first without screwing everything up. often they just want to install the cards, then place it in the entertainment center where it will stay and deal with getting it to work. 2. create some software menu options to allow you to reset the cable cards, or even turn on/off the slot. 3. Make the cable-card diags a bit easier to access.

here.... seems like there's still a transition period where channels are being offered in both SDV and analog

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?t=357703

CableCARD is two-way - even the S-Cards had support for two-way communication. The limiting factor is not the cards, but the licensing - CableLabs requires that anyone who wants to implement bidirectional CableCARD devices implement OCAP. OCAP is, unfortunately, an evil, evil system, preventing any company making a box (like, say, TiVo) from running their own software directly on their own hardware - they'd have to get it CableLabs licensed, get it distributed to all the major cable MSOs, and get them to make it available at a reasonable (additional monthly) cost to the people using their boxes. Read this for more about what's wrong with OCAP.

And yes, PCI cards (referred to as OCUR, or OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver) cards, are available that can accept a CableCARD - unfortunately (a) they are only available as part of a specially licensed OEM system, and (b) so far, they don't seem to actually *work*. Awesome.

I'm sure TiVo would love it (although Amazon's Unbox division wouldn't). But CableLabs has been dragging its feet on it (so there's no standard approved yet) and it will be a long time after the standard is complete before you see cable companies actually making cards available. And even then it may not be possible for TiVo to use them, given CableLabs' licensing terms.

Actually, CableCARD already supports two way communication - but CableLabs won't certify anything for it unless it implements OCAP. OCAP is pure evil, totally gutting the purpose of CableCARD, making any third party box just another host for their crappy software - the box vendor can't run their own software directly on their own box. This explains better than I can about the evil, nasty, insidious twisting of the DVB standard that is OCAP - and why no consumer-electronics vendor worth a crap wants anything to do with it.

Just wait awhile, till it starts forgetting to record shows, or recording random crap you don't want. Or it records something, and won't let you watch it. Or just starts crashing. Or you get more than a few recordings on it, and the GUI becomes unusably slow. I've heard of so many failure modes - and the solution is always "well, we'll give you another box, and see what happens". Guess what - that never solves it, the new one starts doing the same thing before much longer. The GUI is by all accounts wretched, and pretty much universally loathed.

See this, or this, or this, or this, or this for some reviews of the steaming pile that SA calls a DVR. And in two months, let me know how that 8300HD is working for you.

Yes, the integration ban did start as of July 1st - all new deployed boxes (cablecos may continue to reuse already-deployed boxes) *must* use CableCARD (or some form of separable access control - DCAS is supposedly coming, but it's nowhere near deployable yet). However, CableCARD most certainly supports bidirectional communications - it's CableLabs that won't license a device for bidirectional communication, at least not unless it runs OCAP. Read this to find out why OCAP is evil.

CableCARDs themselves have always supported bidirectional communication - it's just that CableLabs won't license any device for bidirectional communication that doesn't implement OCAP. Read this to learn why OCAP is evil.

CableCARDs have always been capable of bidirectional communication. The problem is that CableLabs won't allow anything that doesn't implement OCAP to do bidirectional communication. See this for more information about the pure, unadulterated evil that is OCAP - then please call your representative, and/or the FCC, and tell them why you think OCAP is bad, and CableLabs and the cable industry at large should be forced (yes, forced) to open up bidirectional comm via DOCSIS (what they're using now anyway) for all consumer electronics vendors, not just those who will suck the big OCAP dick.

I just purchased my Tivo Series 3 (the wife and I are Tivo nuts and we just bought an HDTV so it was required) and here's my notes so far.

1. Cablecard installation sucks. Make sure when you talk to the provider that they ALWAYS bring 2 Cablecards. It just took for times for TimeWarner to actually get cable going. None of this is Tivo's fault as much as its lack of understanding on the cable company side. The problems are in two places: one - firmware upgrades can take FOREVER, it literally took my 3 days to update the Cablecards, two: provisioning the TWC head-end folks have not quited figured this out yet and it took the guy talking to a friend to get the cards provisioned correctly. So when they come out make sure they try to flash the cards before they leave HQ and know someone on the other side that knows how to provision.

2. The lost 90 GB is not much of a problem. Tivo Series 3 have an eSATA connection that can be enabled through a backdoor code (see http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?t=350510 on how to do so). Then you get yourself a $50 enclosure and $300 1 TB drive and your rocking for approximately the same price.

3. I wish the OLED wasn't even there and I had $50 back. You can't see it half the time and its so small its tough to read from across the room.

4. THX: I don't have a home theater (working on that but gotta be a little more frugal now) so I wouldn't worry about it.

The $300 price point is the magic number and when it comes in watch out because these will start flying on the shelves.

Except for the fact that they really suck...

Ahem, courtesy of google:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?p=4916582#post4916582
http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/strangerthanfict ion.php
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200704 05071706AA5ai4P

The problem is widespread, and lo-and-behold software is available that lets a PC not only play it, but rip it.

Killer

Where do you get your TiVo? Is it something you bought third party? If so, how does it work with digital cable? According to the website you'd need the $800 dollar model to get HD.

I bought my Series 1, a Sony SVR-2000, from Sound Advice (a Tweeter company). Bought my Series 2 from Crutchfield. I bought the Series3 from the TiVo Community store—they had the best price at the time.

There are two CableCard slots in the back, one for each tuner. You plug your coaxial cable from the wall into the back of the unit, and stick the Cablecards in the slots. Cable company authorizes the cards, and you're good to go. My cable company (Brighthouse Central Florida) had to come out to plug the cards in and authorize them, but there was no charge, and the whole thing took about 15 minutes.

If you want HD, you need the Series3. I bought mine for $680. The TiVo Community store has 'em for $619, and you may be able to find 'em cheaper.

TIVO owner: Hold on guys, while I play this show I recorded on my tivo.

TIVO: Sorry, I've deleted that show because a local company 'accidentally' set the macrovision copy protection flag on the broadcast.

There are some pragmatic benefits to using free software to store/watch/stream/listen to/etc your media.

(and its not as hard as you make out)

I found this out when I got a TiVo Series 3. I noticed that every show I recorded, including ones that were deemed copyright cleared (eg: cable in the classroom) were marked as "Copy Restricted" on my TiVo. This means that the show cannot be saved or copied off the Tivo.

I found out this was because my cable company was setting the CCI flag to 0x2 for all channels in my cable system with the exception of local broadcast stations. This means my local cable company was overriding the wishes of the content provider (in this case Cable in the Classroom) and copy protecting the content.

Other people have been restricted from even recording a channel to TiVo because the CCI flag was set to 0x3.

When I complained to my cable provider, Comcast, about them blanketly applying the CCI flag of 0x2 to everything they basically told me to shut up and take it.

If you have certain model DirecTV TiVo unints they can be easily(for me at least)hacked.
Start looking here http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay. php?f=8
Look for posts regarding the Zipper.
This hack will enable the USB ports and add a bunch of features such as 30second skip,TiVoToGo,a web server,shell,telnet and so on
You will need to purchase 1 or 2 ISO files but,the total for them was like $25

The R-10 model CAN NOT BE HACKED without a hardware modification....period! don't believe the hype...it's junk...get a cheapo
used unit with no drive from http://www.weaknees.com/ and use your current drive in the R-10 or upgarde.
I have 2 units with the Zipper on it and 350gig drives in each and it is heaven!
Good Luck

My hardware:
DirecTiVo Series 2. The original 40Gig HD was removed and upgraded to a 160Gig drive about 2 years ago.
Powerbook G4 867MHz
Linksys USB100M

Most of the instructions to follow to upgrade HD are in these two threads:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?t=265929
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?t=250680

Software for Mac:
http://www.tivotool.com/

Most of the setup is automated, you just have to answer a couple of questions that pop up when you run the setup scripts. I enabled vserver and chose to have it load at bootup. I downloaded TivoTool and it provides a Mac interface to vserver. TivoTool basically does everything on the Mac that TiVoToGo does on Windows. The main difference - you have to hack your TiVo to run it (not that complicated).

As others have stated, I also feel that this is a slap in the face to Mac owners. I can't understand TiVo's mentality on this. It is absurd to think that there is nothing wrong with charging us for something that is freely provided to Windows users. With this mentality, there is no wonder that the hacker community has developed free tools for the TiVo that are actually better than the $69 Roxio program.

TivoTool is awesome. With it, you can rip movies from DVD (encode with mpeg4) and upload them to TiVo, as TivoTool has a "TivoServer" program built in!

My hardware:
DirecTiVo Series 2. The original 40Gig HD was removed and upgraded to a 160Gig drive about 2 years ago.
Powerbook G4 867MHz
Linksys USB100M

Most of the instructions to follow to upgrade HD are in these two threads:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?t=265929
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?t=250680

Software for Mac:
http://www.tivotool.com/

Most of the setup is automated, you just have to answer a couple of questions that pop up when you run the setup scripts. I enabled vserver and chose to have it load at bootup. I downloaded TivoTool and it provides a Mac interface to vserver. TivoTool basically does everything on the Mac that TiVoToGo does on Windows. The main difference - you have to hack your TiVo to run it (not that complicated).

As others have stated, I also feel that this is a slap in the face to Mac owners. I can't understand TiVo's mentality on this. It is absurd to think that there is nothing wrong with charging us for something that is freely provided to Windows users. With this mentality, there is no wonder that the hacker community has developed free tools for the TiVo that are actually better than the $69 Roxio program.

TivoTool is awesome. With it, you can rip movies from DVD (encode with mpeg4) and upload them to TiVo, as TivoTool has a "TivoServer" program built in!

From what I understand, Verizon is dragging their feet on coming out with a Cablecard for FiOS TV, which is a real shame because I hate cable boxes and I don't really care about their VoD options or guide. IR blasters suck.

For the normal consumer, no one (not even Tivo) expects someone to fork out $800 then the cost of the monthly service with the Series 3.

It was meant for the prosumer/videophile arena.

Take a look at some of the feautures:

*) THX certification.

This was done to appeal to the high-end market. No one else would really care about such a cert.

*) Ability to output native resolution.

This is a HUGE feature with the Series 3. Why? Because high-end video setups use external dedicated hardware video scalers. In that sense, you don't want the Tivo scaling and processing the video signal... you want your dedicated equipment to take care of that job.

*) CC 1.0-only.

With CC 1.0/1.0+ support you don't have access to services like VoD, PPV, etc. The general consumer likes having these services however a videophile who's main goal is PQ (player quality) would be happy to sacrifice this in order to get native rate output (feature meantioned above).

With all this in mind, it puts the $800 price tag more into perspective. If you look at this as a prosumer/videophile-targetted piece of equipment, then price really isn't all that bad.

If you hang out on http://www.tivocommunity.com/ it was pretty common knowledge there that this unit wasn't intended for the casual user.

$800 is a chunk of change, but as a videophile this unit has features that I've wanted for a very very long time. I forked out the dough this morning at http://www.tivo.com/vip/.

• Stick with DTV and HDTiVo: (-) No MPEG4 HD channels (-) HDTiVo still needs phone connection (+) OTA channels work and I get great signal
  
• Switch to TWC and S3: (-) No SDV channels (-) more expensive (+) OTA channels work and I get great signal
  

I think you are wrong about transfering the service.

Any TiVo that has a lifetime subscription purchased on or before January 21,2000 is eligible for a one-time transfer to a new TiVo, including the S3. Check out the post here on the TiVo forum by a TiVo employee.

TiVo Series 2 is MIPS based. Series 1 is PPC based. Series 3 has yet to be determined.

You know you can change that, right?

Check here and read this thread.

These reboots are caused by a software bug that has recently been identified to affect a number of units by TiVo. An update should be pushed in the next week or two. Check out the thread at http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?t=292962 for updates from TiVo rep TiVoJerry.

If you think the whole Mac/PC beef is religious in nature, try the Tivo/anything else one.

Ain't that the truth.

Go to an online TiVo forum and ask about feeding your TiVo listings from XMLTV rather than subscribing. Bask in the hostility.

My HR10-250 is getting installed tomorrow. But I hate how DirecTV is stripping all the cool HME options from their Tivo-powered boxes. So to me this upcoming series 3 Tivo powered by DirecTV would be a killer TV product.

By the way, $600 is NOT the going price for the DirecTV HDTivo if you are a good DirecTV customer, see this thread for details on getting that price down. My cost was more like $200 after rebates and service credits. I'm fully expecting this device to be obsolete within a year, but to me it is worth it for $200.

How about hacking it to put 30 second instant skip back in? Think TiVo favors that? And ditching the floating commercials. Got a hack for that yet? We won't even talk about TiVo to GoTo the DVD burner of your choice so that you can keep from filling up your 240 Gigs with programs you prefer to keep like you used to keep $1 VCR tapes halfway to forever.

Your section on the Bad should have included all the things TiVo has taken away (e.g. 30 second skip), or never provided when they could (e.g. Replay TV style automatic commercial skip) to the benefit of their customer base. I don't see TiVo presenting as rosy a picture as you do.

I've had my TiVo for over 4 years now. I love it to death. I think that TiVo did a hell of a lot of things right. Some quick examples:

1. Unlike, say, Microsoft, they never discouraged their users from hacking their boxes. As a result, a huge community of TiVo hackers emerged (see http://www.tivocommunity.com/). I upgraded my TiVo's 30 gig hard drive to two 120's, and installed a cachecard/network card combo from 9th Tee, which means I can do fun tricks like scheduling shows and season passes from the road, or watching shows in my bedroom on my XBOX.

2. Really great support. I've only had to call TiVo a couple of times, both for channel lineup issues, but they were always extremely friendly and helpful over the phone. For example, after I moved into my new house, I realized that Adelphia had just upgraded the cable in my area, and TiVo didn't have the lineup yet. So I called support, and the next day, TiVo called me back to tell me that my lineup was added. Simply awesome.

3. Choosing Linux. When I telnet into my TiVo, I get a bash shell. I've installed an ftp server, web server (TiVoWeb), and even installed cron. How cool is that? Plus, this excellent decision has led to new software being developed exclusively for the TiVo (such as a caller id display that uses the TiVo's built-in modem, so you can see who's calling without getting up off the couch). Simply brilliant.

4. The interface. They obviously put a ton of work into it, and it really shows. It just kicks so much ass.

Now obviously, they dropped the ball in a couple of areas. The Comcast merger was just a more recent one. I think these are the two biggies:

1. I think that their biggest problem has always been slow adoption; as long as I've had the thing, I've been seeing ads pop up on TiVo Central giving me hot deals on new TiVo units, which I'm supposed to share with my friends and family. Great, I can save Dad $50 on his new unit. But if they really expect me to convince Dad that he can't live without a season pass on those Seinfeld reruns he loves so much, then they should be giving me the 50 smackers. I'd probably have 10 people signed up under me right now if I got some sort of compensation for it. (By the way, click here [freeminimacs.com] to get a free Mini Mac!):-)

2. Too expensive. The hardware and service together really do cost too much, unless you got in early like I did (back when lifetime service was $200). They should do what my damn cell phone company does: Knock the hardware down to like $99, and make me pay a very affordable $9.95 a month. If I try to cancel before 2 years are up, hit me with some obscene early termination fee. Yes, I hate it when cell phone companies do this, but that's how they stay in business. Besides, it's not like I'd be foolish enough to cancel my TiVo service anyway. TiVo is heroin. So far, I've paid $499 for TiVo and lifetime service, so TiVo won't make any more money off of me. If they were using my above plan, I would have paid in $589 so far, with more coming in every month.

I would really hate to see TiVo go. I hope they don't. But I suspect that even if the service dies, thanks to the openness of their hardware platform, someone (maybe me) will figure out how to write a script to pull show data off of Yahoo! TV or something. And with Microsoft and MythTV and several others entering the PVR market, there's no question that TiVo's invention is here to stay.

It is really great that TiVo is going to offer ads our way, thats the way it should work, and ultimately, lead to better advertising.

Well I know it's bad form to reply to your own posts, but I just found out that TiVo *finally* had something to say about Mac support!

It's coming in mid-2006. TiVoPony is an official TiVo guy.

Evidence of his noisy analog signal:

SOURCE:
Discussion Thread from the tivo community blog
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?t=259169

Pissedmonkey quote:

"And the real joke is that I'm using attenna reception, no cable, no satellite. (Yes yes, I know it doesn't make sense. I moved to the woods, and I'm 0.3 of a mile out of Time Warner's service area. Also, trees are too dense for satellite.)"

... you'll see that this was a bug found by someone using their TiVo over antennae, not cable, which could have distorted the signal.

The whole macrovision flag is for PPV shows, not regular shows.

... you'll see that this was a bug found by someone using their TiVo over antennae, not cable, which could have distorted the signal.

The whole macrovision flag is for PPV shows, not regular shows.

Read: http://www.pvrblog.com/pvr/2005/09/tivo_72_os_adds .html
Quoted from one of the posters: This is a BUG!
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?p=3233152&&#post3233152
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?p=3236586&&#post3236586
TiVo recognizes the Macrovision flag but there have been NO cases of a network or studio actually utilizing it.
Even HBO whose websites says OnDemand stuff can't be DVR'ed... well, I could TiVo my OnDemand stuff just fine. I did all the time. That was before 7.2 and I don't have HBO any longer but it did work.
Again - this is a BUG. Neither the local station or FOX intended for this syndicated rerun to be flagged like this.
Are bug bad? Sure. But it's not worth getting all up in arms at TiVo about.

Read: http://www.pvrblog.com/pvr/2005/09/tivo_72_os_adds .html
Quoted from one of the posters: This is a BUG!
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?p=3233152&&#post3233152
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?p=3236586&&#post3236586
TiVo recognizes the Macrovision flag but there have been NO cases of a network or studio actually utilizing it.
Even HBO whose websites says OnDemand stuff can't be DVR'ed... well, I could TiVo my OnDemand stuff just fine. I did all the time. That was before 7.2 and I don't have HBO any longer but it did work.
Again - this is a BUG. Neither the local station or FOX intended for this syndicated rerun to be flagged like this.
Are bug bad? Sure. But it's not worth getting all up in arms at TiVo about.