[geeks] TiVo Observations (new owner)

[Bill Bradford]

On Mon, Jul 12, 2004 at 02:04:13PM +0000, Lionel Peterson wrote:
> 2) What is up with those "TiVo Suggestions"? I found several odd
>    programs recorded (3 stooges, Kim Possible, Charlies Angels:
>    Full Throttle, etc.) are any of them "funded" by third-parties?
>    (Could I pay TiVo to recommend a show be taped?)

Just turn off Suggestions, that's what I do.

> 3) The video picture is very good, comprable to Replay...

You should see the picture on a DirecTiVo, where it just records the
raw MPEG stream to the hard drive instead of re-encoding.  Its better
than the maximum-quality setting on a "standalone" TiVo.  

> 4) Is there a way to shut off "random" recording? I haven't had
>    a real problem yet, but a couple times TiVo would "announce"
>    that it wanted to change channels to record a show (one of it's
>    suggestions) while I was watching something else. Since I have
>    a cable box, it can only record what I watch.

Yeah, turn off suggestions.

> 5) My Replays seem less intrusive (I don't really want TiVos advice)
>    but that may also be because my Replays are on TVs without cable
>    boxes, so they can easily record one channel while I watch
>    another.

That's one advantage of the DirecTiVo - two tuners.

> 6) Wireless connection of the TiVo worked great out of the box - I
>    activate/set-up the box using the phone line, then after it's
>    *big* update (hours on the phone!) it detects my WiFi adapter
>    and prompts me to configure it. I took an old rebate special,
>    an old NetGear MA111 (USB WiFi dongle) and it i just worked. I
>    wish my Replays had that option.

I wish the DirecTiVos had the Home Media Option already. 8-(

> 7) The ability to "network" TiVos is quite expensive - anyone use
>    it? By comparison, Replay can network out of the box (though
>    only wired connections are directly supported), controlling one
>    unit from another, streaming shows from one to another,and *I
>    think* I can copy shows from one box to another... TiVo wants
>    $50/box to enable this kind of sharing, and to enable that
>    option you need to be on a paid subscription...

The *only* thing I liked about the Replay was the ease of "ripping"
shows off it over the network.  The other lack of features made me
return it the next day.

Bill

-- 
bill bradford
austin texas