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There is no version of Tivo specifically for european countries other than the UK. However the device will work anywhere in mainland europe where the applicable standards (PAL/220v/50hz) are the same. I think france is SECAM, but most other places should be OK. Of course, you won't have local listings, but if you happen to use Sky Digital for your TV (I hear that many non-UKers do so) then you can get it to work. There are several members of the UK tivo forum who are in Italy, Holland etc. Check it out here.

Good luck!

Tivo/TurboNet cards will work without additional software installations, no pulling out your hdd. See this post by a TiVo employee.

This rocks...when TiVo rolled out v2.5, I had to reinstall the TiVoNET drivers and reconfigure my TiVo to grab its updates that way. (I think I'll still have to crack it open again to reinstall netcat, ExtractStream, and friends. If the upgrade manages to preserve those, that would be even better.)

(Looks like the upgrade hasn't come through to me yet.../proc/version still says "Linux version 2.1.24-TiVo-2.5" after rebooting.)

Before you send it back, walk around your property with a compass and a tube from a paper towel roll, or something similar. Using the azimuth and elevation figures from the TiVo setup screen, hold the tube up at the indicated angle and see if you can find a place with a view of the satellite. It may not necessarily be "southern", depending on where in the US you are. Where I am, the view is definitely southwest. Many installers are lazy and won't spend the time to find a good site. You can install the dish yourself, it's not hard to do. Try to find a mounting spot on the side of your house, that's much preferable to a pole. You may find that one of these brackets open up possibilities. As for Series 2 - keep in mind that at the moment, these are available only in "standalone" models, not with DirecTV integration. I'd hold out for getting the DirecTiVo to work. I now have two of these, and they're wonderful. I had a standalone TiVo before, and loved it, but DirecTiVo is "lust"! There's lots of help for TiVo users on the TiVo Community Forum (sigh - I hope their new server can survive being Slashdotted yet again...)

That should be (no space for those copy/pasters...): http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?s=&threadid=54620

Actually, it is meant to support the hacker community. Tivo/TurboNet cards will work without additional software installations, no pulling out your hdd. See this post by a TiVo employee.

They won't support it if you call them, but that's why there's http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/

Actually, it is meant to support the hacker community. Tivo/TurboNet cards will work without additional software installations, no pulling out your hdd. See this post by a TiVo employee.

They won't support it if you call them, but that's why there's http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/

The data is indeed encrypted. Tivos will still have to dial-in to get the decryption keys, which presumably will expire to keep people from stealing subscriptions. More info here.

At least IBM was kind enough to warn you of this on their spec sheets:
60GXP Spec Sheet, Pg 50 of 209
120GXP Spec Sheet, Pg 2 of 2
There's probably one of these for the 75GXP line. But I think it is implied from the get go already, if the clicking doesn't kill you first.

What ever you do, just don't put two of these babies in a TiVo!

Yep, this stuff exists in one form or another already. There's been an ethernet adapter out for TiVo for awhile (TiVoNet), using a 10Mbps NE2000 clone. TiVoNet stuff

A new one, made by the same guy who makes this new AirTivo, is now shipping called TurboNet that's a 100Mbps card. TurboNet stuff

The software to support web services and everything all exist as well. ExtractStream, a video extraction piece.

Your best bet to keep up on all this stuff is at the Underground Playground section of AVS/TiVo Community's message forums.

Hope that helps!

Don

The $199 lifetime subscription promotion is valid only for units that had an active monthly subscription to the TiVo service as of 11:59pm PST on February 25, 2002 -- the day before the price increase was initially announced on the TiVo Community Forum by TiVo spokesperson Richard Bullwinkle.

The PrivacyFoundation.org report linked above broke the news that the way the anonymized data is FTP'd up to TiVo's homebase leaves a way that an insider employee (or an unscrupulous, lying company) could potentially correlate your syslog to your name, instead of just your zipcode.

IMJHBT (I May Have Just Been Trolled), but do this:

Enable backdoors. Then use the keystroke sequence that allows you to view log file (it might be Select, Clear, Select, Instant Replay, Select or something like that--check out tivocommunity.com and search for "backdoors". Then look at the file containing a log of all your remote control presses. Now don't tell me not to get in a tizzy because it isn't "warranted".

If they did that to you at work on your computer, I'd bet you'd be in a tizzy. I'll bet if the version of XP you're using at home did that, you'd be in a tizzy. The fact that it's TiVo and that it's an undoubtedly cool product does not in any way make this right. I support TiVo--I subscribe to their monthly service, I use my TiVo faithfully, but it does not make this sinister tactic right, especially when they send me e-mails and messages to the TiVo about how much they value my privacy.

Maybe you're not so bothered by it, but there's no way you can justify what they're doing simply because it's new technology and they need to get a foothold. They need to get a clue.

This was incredibly disturbing.

I recently found online a set of backdoors that can be enabled on the TiVo through the 'Select A Program To Record' mode. Check out tivocommunity.com and search for backdoors.

By enabling backdoors, one of the options allows you to display TiVo's logs on the TV screen. While this is pretty benign information, including things like the status of the scheduler and the daily PPP outcall status, one of the log files appears to be every remote control action you perform with the TiVo controller. I shit you not. From what I remember, the first field is the timestamp, and other field indicate TiVo mode, channel, and various sundry associated with the IR event. Even more scary is that things like volume up and volume down are logged, along with a very precise timestamp. Correlate that to a music show on MTV, and bam--TiVo instantly knows you like the new *NSync or Britney song.

If this were solely used for diagnostic purposes, it would not be so bad, except that TiVo acknowledges that they zip the log files and upload to TiVo as part of the daily call it makes to update its program information.

I urge everyone with a TiVo to contact Philips about this matter and tell them that you don't agree to this or abide by the sending of these longs. Furthermore, if you can hack your TiVo to get the Bash prompt (again, see the link above), I'd set something up to wipe that log before the daily call. This is an absolutely scary invasion of my privacy, and though I love my TiVo, I love my privacy much, much more.

I know that's not what you wanted to hear :), but I've done extensive research and never heard anyone mention this. However, if you really want to be sure, ask your question at the premier TiVo forum:
TiVo Community Forum> DIRECTV Receiver with TiVo

TiVo does indeed have some very positive qualities. I'm addicted to a particular online forum where people discuss the magical box:

TiVo Community Forum over at the AVS Forums

Do you DirecTiVo or SA TiVo?

Thanks for the link, although /. inserts spaces into it to stop page widening, the correct link is this

Just a funny OT, the 404 message is very interesting on that site... some cool javascript black magic happening there, apparently...


The requested document is totally not here!
No /404 here.
Even tried multi times.
Nothing helped.
I'm really depressed about this.
You see, I'm just a web server..._

*sigh*
Man, I'm so depressed I could just cry.
And then where would we be, I ask you?
It's not pretty when a web server cries.
And where do you get off telling me what to show anyway?
Just because I'm a web server,
and possibly a manic depressive one at that?
Why does that give you the right to tell me what to do?_

and it appears to continue indefinitely

Enabling Backdoor Mode

The Backdoor mode can be entered using the remote by doing a "Browse By Name" for "0v1t" (TiVo spelled backwards with zero and one instead of "O" and "I") followed by the "Thumbs-Up" key. The only known way of exiting Backdoor mode is to reboot the TiVo (see "C-E-C Fast-Forward" below).

The backdoor code for 2.0 systems is done the same way, except the code is "2 0 TCD". There is one space between the "2" and the "0", and another space between the 0 and the TCD".

The backdoor code for 2.5 systems is done the same way, except the code is "B D 2 5". There is one space between each character.

The backdoor code for V1.5.2 UK (latest) is: 10J0M (thats zeros and ones).

Almost Complete Codes List

2. 30-second commercial skip

There is a way to enable that, but it takes the place of your Skip-to-End button. I haven't tried it myself, but I think you just press Select-Play-Select-3-0-Select. That and more codes and backdoors can be found here.

What kind of bitrates does it support, what does it really save, what kind of quality, and why should I ever want to see anytyhing compressed with anything from real.*?\?

About the same as the older standalone TiVo (which I think is around 6Mbit/sec for "best" quality, and much lower like 1.5Mbit for "standard"). It is variable bit rate MPEG2 (with an option for CBR). "Best" and "High" both look fine for anything that doesn't have a lot of strobes or super quick cuts one after another. "Standard" works fine for cartoons most of the time. I don't think I ever use medimum.

And why can't I connect it to my computer and won't all nice satelite recievers have this from the beginning anyways?

Ask the MPAA...or head off to the TiVo underground and slap on an Ethernet, just don't let the MPAA know :-)

I'm as cynical as the next guy, but this is simply wrong. I have a brand new Sony SVR-2000 with the 2.5 code and it's fully hackable. Backdoors are on and I've enabled numerous hacks. For further info see Almost Complete Codes List. Now, what happens in the future is anybody's guess. However, based on the fact that the 30 sec. jump hack was removed in 2.0, then added back in 2.5, I'd say Tivo is still more sensitive to customer demand than anything else.

I'd love to know the percentage of people who own DirecTiVo units who are actually using the dual tuners.

100% of the people I know with DTiVo use both tuners, since it is free (but does require the extra cable run). I expect less then 100% of DTiVo ownsers use it though since many just buy DTiVo because it costs a lot less then the stand alone TiVo. You could go somewhere with lots of DTiVo users and post a poll. They don't seem to have one there already...

TiVo's Chief Evangelist didn't seem to consider them competition in this AVS Forum thread. "We have more in common than in competition," he says. So I wouldn't be surprised if some kind of licensing for TiVo's technology is already in the works.

Don't get me wrong. I love my Tivo. Works so much better for me than a VCR. I can't count the number of shows I've missed because I forgot to program the VCR, or I made some minor mistake in the programming process (when is it on? which tape has enough room? did i set up the weekly recording list properly? did I remember to put in the right tape and push the right button before I left for work? should I leave the clock on manual and risk a blackout, or did KTEH finally fix their sync box?). Not to mention shows I never knew about because scanning TV listings is boring.

So I go through some menus and just tell the Tivo to record this show or that. And it does. Unless the Tivo has already decided to record it on its own. Perfection, no?

No. There's still too much that can go wrong. Browse through the Tivo forum and you'll find dozens of posts from people hassling with weird problems. Disk errors. Software bugs. Signal acquisition failures. System crashes.

The awful truth is that DVRs are not consumer appliances. They're mutated PCs that are sold bundled with a TV listing database service. I can cope with that -- but then, I've been second-guessing neurotic computer systems for longer than I care to think about. (If I got one of those T shirts, a lot of people would have to dust off their typewriters.) And I still get screwed sometimes when a software upgrade screws up my box and I miss a bunch of shows before I impose a fix through a combination of persistence, intuition, and blind luck. It would be a lot easier of they didn't try to hide the basic platform from the user. But then, they'd never get backing if they didn't pretend this was a consumer item, not a hacker toy.

Perhaps Replay TV is better. (The basic technology does seem to be a little better thought out.) Perhaps TiVo would be better if they didn't keep doing new software releases. I doubt it though. Everybody has to use the same basic off-the-shelf technology to sell this toy at a reasonable price. So we're stuck with immature, kludged together technology. If you can cope with that, OK. Otherwise, stick with your VCR.

All that being said, they're isn't a lot of difference between Tivo and ReplayTV. Once you factor in the lifetime subscription for a Tivo (which you have no choice about, unless you plan to smash the Tivo exactly 19 months after you buy it) the prices are the same. Features are pretty similar. (There are claims that Tivo is deliberately trying to make it hard to not watch commercials, but I have little trouble skipping them.) Tivo has an active hacker community (even aftermarket upgraders), but Replay technology strikes me as more extensible, with its built-in IP support.

A major difference is that Tivo is part of the entertainment industry, while SonicBlue is an outsider. That's not a clear plus for either one -- Tivo boxes are less likely to be orphaned, but Replay boxes have functionality that isn't dictated by Hollywood lawyers.

Bottom line -- if you must buy a DVR, buy the one that has the features you like and you find easiest to use.

Check out The Tivo forums. There is alot of information there.

Its a Directivo, and there are some issues. Mine came with a "defective" remote, that Philips replaced in about a week.

I basically walked in to a Circuit City, scoped them out, and found out about the price. I am already a DirecTV subscriber, so that wasn't an issue. New subs get a free installation.

Three nights later I'm 'taping' Dolby Digital 5.1 movies from Starz East. Heh.

Yes they did. Check in the Underground section of the AVS TiVo forum. It's called TiVoNet. You can even buy it from 9th Tee.

So.. is there any way to get a TiVo that can make use of Ethernet, such as from my DSL
I'd like some way to get those results without hacking up my TiVo -- I just want it to work!

you want a TiVo to have functionality it does not, without hacking it? i wouldn't hold your breath. go for the TiVoNet kit, lots of people have install'em and they work fine. hop on over to the Underground forums at www.tivocommunity.com to get more info.

Tivo is making it harder to skip commercials and is inserting some of their own. Replay has a "skip ahead 30 seconds", while TiVo does not
uhm, you got that flipped around. replaytv inserted their own ads over pause screens (but has since stopped doing that), TiVo has never (and says they will never). and TiVo 1.2 and 1.3 software does have a 30 second skip functionality (changes the 'skip to live' button, check out the forums at www.tivocommunity.com for how to activate it) and 2.0 probably does also, just nobody's figured out how to activate it. the article you mention is misleading (very much like the privacy foundation report about tivo) in that it simplies implies that TiVo could be doing this in the future, without any evidence to back that they will (like saying "if you go outside, and run across the street, lightning will hit you, a plane will crash on you, and then a poodle will pee on your remains", it COULD happen, but the likelyhood is so insignificant....). not that anybody would believe it, but the president of TiVo has stated numerous times that the company will NEVER have any 'in your face' advertising. food for thought.

1.Make a skip-forward-15-seconds button (the only feature of ReplayTV I envy)?

If you still have software version 1.3, you can enable this functionality by setting the appropriate environment variable. Details should be here somewhere. Try the search engine.

Sadly, this ability seems to have been removed in software version 2.0.1. Sucks, but it's not quite as evil as what this article talks about, since it was never an official feature anyway, just some leftover code that wasn't really supposed to be there.

2.Make it so that when you press record mid-way through a show that you've been watching it doesn't discard what you've already watched?

The guy above me is correct. Software version 2.0.1 adds this ability, with one caveat: If you want to include the buffer in your recording, you have to also record the rest of the show in Best quality. Apparently, switching qualities in mid-recording proved too troublesome to deal with.

I read this on tivocommunity.com a few days ago.
Bascially you start a ppp connection over the TiVo's serial port and this allows it to download programming information wihout using the phone line. You can read the whole message here. Very cool stuff.