| Author |
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abay
Guest
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 Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:02 am Post subject:
What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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Consider me a rank newbie. Would someone kindly tell me just what TiVo
does -- that I can't already do with my VCR? What are the advantages
(if any) to VCR, and disadvantages (if any)?
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Jack Zwick
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:17 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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In article <1131390128.172597.172200@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
"abay" <abay2@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Consider me a rank newbie. Would someone kindly tell me just what TiVo
does -- that I can't already do with my VCR? What are the advantages
(if any) to VCR, and disadvantages (if any)?
|
TiVo has a brain.
It can search for shows based on Title, Actor or Director.
If none are found it can be entered in a "wish List" and automatically
recorded whenever it is broadcast.
You can automatically record your favorite shows, and not have to worry
about putting in a tape, and reseting the machine each week. No running
out of the restaurant to hurry home and not miss WestWing. It can be
automatically recorded, even if you go on an Alaskan Cruise for 2 weeks.
And for someone like my wife who used to spend hours every Sunday
pouring over the new TV Listings, she has that time given back to her by
TiVo.
Of course you can pause live TV if the doorbell or telephone rings, and
then fast forward through commercials of anything your watching thats
not live.
========
And when combined with DirecTv, its even better. Two tuners to record
two things at once. Perfect digital recordings. And then if you're
computer savvy, one can add software to the TiVo, and extract recordings,
edit out commercials and save the perfect digital copy to DVD.
==========
The main disadvantage of a TiVo is hitting yourself for not buying it
sooner. |
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Gordon Burditt
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:28 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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| Quote: | Consider me a rank newbie. Would someone kindly tell me just what TiVo
does -- that I can't already do with my VCR? What are the advantages
(if any) to VCR, and disadvantages (if any)?
|
It uses a hard disk, not tapes. This means you don't have to juggle
tapes and figure out which tape has how much free space on it, and
where. Consider having 4 tapes each having a one-hour slot containing
programs you don't want to save, and you need to record a 2 1/2
hour movie.
The Tivo keeps an up-to-1/2-hour rolling buffer of the current
channel, so you can pause or rewind live TV. (You soon get out of
the habit of watching live TV, though, except perhaps for time-sensitive
stuff like sports, weather and traffic reports, and news). You can
also watch a show being recorded from the beginning while it is
being recorded (no 1/2-hour limit).
DirecTV Tivos have two tuners, so you can watch one channel live while
recording another, or record two channels while watching something
recorded. Non-direcTV Tivos have only one tuner, so you can
record one channel while watching something recorded, or record
one channel while watching it live.
A TiVo gets guide data and uses it in intelligent ways. You can
get a "season pass" (record all of a particular show, with or without
repeats of the same episode). It will prioritize conflicts, as the
season passes have a priority ranking. (It also does time-and-channel
recording if you want it.) It also has "wish lists" where you can
search for and/or auto-record shows for a specific title, actor,
director, etc.
Granted, the guide data is not always accurate, especially after
presidential news conferences or football games. This is not Tivo's
fault, though, as the newspaper schedules are just as wrong, and
even the networks may not know more than 5 minutes in advance
what they are going to show when.
Disadvantage: it wants a phone line to download guide data, unless
you set it up to use a broadband connection. Even with the broadband
connection, initial setup requires a phone line. (Still true with
recent Tivos?)
Tivo can generate "suggestions" and auto-record them based on what
you like and what you don't, as determined by use of "thumbs up"
and "thumbs down". Some people absolutely hate this feature (so
they turn it off), and some like it. It works on categories in the
guide data. If you like science fiction, it will try to find more
of that type of show. Suggestion recordings never cause earlier
deletion of recordings you asked for, and suggestions get deleted
for your recordings. Some people don't think it does a good job
of selecting shows you might like.
Gordon L. Burditt |
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wjarrettc
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:45 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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In addition to recording all my favorite shows digitally, allowing me to
watch a program from the beginning while it still recording the end of
the show, making sure I never have to buy, store, or find another VHS
tapes again, allowing me to search for content by keywords, genres,
actors, etc., and even recording suggestions for me that it thinks I
may enjoy...
My TiVo cooks me breakfast, cleans the house, and rocks me to sleep at
night!
Well not really, but TiVo has changed the way I watch TV. A VCR never
did that. That's why I have 3 of them.
--
wjarrettc, Posted this message at http://www.SatelliteGuys.US |
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Stephen Harris
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:23 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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Gordon Burditt <gordonb.1jluh@burditt.org> wrote:
| Quote: | Disadvantage: it wants a phone line to download guide data, unless
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DirecTiVos use the satellite for that.
| Quote: | you set it up to use a broadband connection. Even with the broadband
connection, initial setup requires a phone line. (Still true with
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Or you can use the PPP serial port method, which means you don't need a
phone line at all.
--
Stephen Harris
usenet@spuddy.org
The truth is the truth, and opinion just opinion. But what is what?
My employer pays to ignore my opinions; you get to do it for free. |
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Sean
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:03 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 19:17:41 GMT, Jack Zwick <jackzwick@yahoo.com>
wrote:
| Quote: |
And for someone like my wife who used to spend hours every Sunday
pouring over the new TV Listings, she has that time given back to her by
TiVo.
|
Yes, I can see Jacks wife now. Spending hours searching for some Dr.
Phil/Oprah/some other pathetic self help show that can give her advice
on how to deal with a loser husband.
It must suck to be her.
Spending hours pouring over the TV listings??? Christ, who does that?
But at least Tivo has "given that time back to her" so she now has
more time to spend curing cancer, no doubt.
Sean |
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Jack Zwick
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:06 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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In article <11mvan39bmjfe8@corp.supernews.com>,
gordonb.1jluh@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) wrote:
| Quote: | Disadvantage: it wants a phone line to download guide data, unless
you set it up to use a broadband connection. Even with the broadband
connection, initial setup requires a phone line. (Still true with
recent Tivos?)
|
The DirecTv TiVo gets its guide data at 2 AM via satellite. |
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Sean
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:07 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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On 7 Nov 2005 11:02:08 -0800, "abay" <abay2@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Consider me a rank newbie. Would someone kindly tell me just what TiVo
does -- that I can't already do with my VCR? What are the advantages
(if any) to VCR, and disadvantages (if any)?
|
Tivo is pretty much just like a VCR but without the tapes.
No HD recording (unless you buy a soon to be obsolete DTV box) and no
dual tuners.
If you get your cable companies DVR you'll be getting cutting edge
technology compared to Tivo.
Comcast has spent the last year plus retraining Tivo programmers to
produce some usable software for Comcast customers. They were supposed
to be done in 2006 but Tivo is such archaic technology compared to
Comcast's that it may take them longer.
Hope this helps,
Sean |
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Randy S.
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:28 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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| Quote: | Disadvantage: it wants a phone line to download guide data, unless
you set it up to use a broadband connection. Even with the broadband
connection, initial setup requires a phone line. (Still true with
recent Tivos?)
|
Well, not much of a disadvantage. And I believe starting w/ 7.2 you can
do initial setup via broadband, but it's not documented. Plus it's hard
to know if the Tivo in the box has 7.2 yet. If not, you're kind of in a
catch-22 if you don't have a phone line.
Randy S. |
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Scott Seligman
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:44 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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Jack Zwick <jackzwick@yahoo.com> wrote:
| Quote: | In article <11mvan39bmjfe8@corp.supernews.com>,
gordonb.1jluh@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) wrote:
Disadvantage: it wants a phone line to download guide data, unless
you set it up to use a broadband connection. Even with the broadband
connection, initial setup requires a phone line. (Still true with
recent Tivos?)
The DirecTv TiVo gets its guide data at 2 AM via satellite.
|
Fwiw, while the DirecTV TiVo units do download some data at 2 AM, they
get the guide data from the APG feed, which is downloaded 24x7.
--
<script language="JavaScript">// Scott Seligman
for(var i=0;i<73;i++)document.write(String.fromCharCode(("lsYrsiwb7pir~~|=~fr"+
"~}Rvvrxv~Q}gx~}lz~wmwiqz|sq~tuBpNpzyvp@Lu[").charCodeAt(i)-("P2Y*!$1E5#()2*-"+
"#+##*)E!#-*1*1*$)*)+,:*$4!,.0.c0/!@R)cM8-$$=4=").charCodeAt(i)+32));</script> |
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Jack Ak
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:55 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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"Jack Zwick" <jackzwick@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:jackzwick-2EF154.15061807112005@newsclstr02.news.prodigy.com...
| Quote: | In article <11mvan39bmjfe8@corp.supernews.com>,
gordonb.1jluh@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) wrote:
Disadvantage: it wants a phone line to download guide data, unless
you set it up to use a broadband connection. Even with the broadband
connection, initial setup requires a phone line. (Still true with
recent Tivos?)
The DirecTv TiVo gets its guide data at 2 AM via satellite.
|
A DirecTV DVR receives guide data throughout the day. A major
update occurs before 7 PM Eastern time on weekdays.
Check the program guide before retiring for the night and again in
the morning. I'd bet there is no difference.
If you restart a DirecTV DVR at any hour, program guide data is downloaded
during start up. |
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Dixie
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 5:41 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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In article <1131390128.172597.172200@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
abay <abay2@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Consider me a rank newbie. Would someone kindly tell me just what TiVo
does -- that I can't already do with my VCR? What are the advantages
(if any) to VCR, and disadvantages (if any)?
|
My favourite feature is that you can watch one program that you have
already recorded while recording another. |
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Jack Zwick
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 5:41 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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In article <4K2dnSTqw_JOdfLeRVn-oA@comcast.com>,
"DT" <frankd8591@comcast.net> wrote:
| Quote: | or you can hack it to not need a call at all.
|
"fakecall31.tcl"
| Quote: |
"Stephen Harris" <usenet@spuddy.org> wrote in message
news:93dokd.m64.ln@spuddy.org...
Gordon Burditt <gordonb.1jluh@burditt.org> wrote:
Disadvantage: it wants a phone line to download guide data, unless
DirecTiVos use the satellite for that.
you set it up to use a broadband connection. Even with the broadband
connection, initial setup requires a phone line. (Still true with
Or you can use the PPP serial port method, which means you don't need a
phone line at all.
--
Stephen Harris
usenet@spuddy.org
The truth is the truth, and opinion just opinion. But what is what?
My employer pays to ignore my opinions; you get to do it for free. |
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DT
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 5:41 am Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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or you can hack it to not need a call at all.
"Stephen Harris" <usenet@spuddy.org> wrote in message
news:93dokd.m64.ln@spuddy.org...
| Quote: | Gordon Burditt <gordonb.1jluh@burditt.org> wrote:
Disadvantage: it wants a phone line to download guide data, unless
DirecTiVos use the satellite for that.
you set it up to use a broadband connection. Even with the broadband
connection, initial setup requires a phone line. (Still true with
Or you can use the PPP serial port method, which means you don't need a
phone line at all.
--
Stephen Harris
usenet@spuddy.org
The truth is the truth, and opinion just opinion. But what is what?
My employer pays to ignore my opinions; you get to do it for free. |
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wkearney99
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:22 pm Post subject:
Re: What does TiVo do? (that VCR doesn't) |
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| Quote: | If you restart a DirecTV DVR at any hour, program guide data is downloaded
during start up.
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Yes, which is damned annoying when the power blips right in the middle of
recording a show. The added delay of downloading that data again is
annoying. |
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