Tivo

[Zanshin]

Just got a Tivo standalone unit and set it up.  Like it so far.  Anyone else have one?  Any handy tricks to share witha newbie?

[Wingspan]

i love my tivo. if you can, take it off the phone line and put it on a broadband network, then you can schedule things from afar...and stream music through it (handy if you have a lot of music on your PC, and the tivo set through a stereo.

season passes are a must.

oh...since you just got it, how many times has it recorded Walker Texas Ranger for you? i am convinced that all tivo record this regardless of what else you watch.

[Zanshin]

...I'm disappointed that it doesn't play .wma files.

If anyone cares, this works great if you want it to play formats other than .mp3.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=295778

[JTrotter Fan]

Hallmark Channel, if you get it, starting at 1am Eastern.  I think it runs like 3 or 4 episodes every weeknight.

[Zanshin]

 

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

My DirecTV DVR is ok.  Lots of disk space (100 hours worth), but the software is still a bit buggy.  The most annoying thing is that it sees any episode of a show that it hasn't already recorded as "new"... which is a huge PITA for shows like South Park that air so many times a week.  But since it has so much space, it's only really annoying when a repeat is recorded instead of a new show (when 3 shows are scheduled at the same time).

Anyway, if I didn't have some sort of DVR, I wouldn't watch TV.  As it is, the wife and I are starting to prefer renting the DVD sets of shows.  We just got House season 1, disc 2.  Gotta say "House" is quickly becoming my favorite show on TV... despite that I've only watched it on actual TV (not DVD) once.

[Wingspan]

As it is, the wife and I are starting to prefer renting the DVD sets of shows.  We just got House season 1, disc 2.  Gotta say "House" is quickly becoming my favorite show on TV... despite that I've only watched it on actual TV (not DVD) once.

i've been doing that with Six Feet Under & Curb your Enth. . never watched it on HBO...but watch the DVDs as soon as they come out.

[Phillyiggles_fan]

If you go to TiVo's community website there are was to put some of the shorcuts (like 30 sec skip) back into the remote, that they took out to make the Madison Ave Ad men happy.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/archive/index.php/t-183498.html

I have a problem with it recording partial episodes sometimes and not just when the show starts late due to an NFL game or something.  Can't figure it out, especially seems to happen with Sci Fi network.  Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[The BIGSTUD]

I'm probably the only one I know that isn't obsessed with Tivo. It's very nice, but I could definitely live without it. Sometimes it causes my audio to get fuzzy and I have to change the channel and back to fix it. Also the picture gets grainy because of the caching. It's a very nice product, but it has it's flaws.

[Geowhizzer]

I'm probably the only one I know that isn't obsessed with Tivo. It's very nice, but I could definitely live without it. Sometimes it causes my audio to get fuzzy and I have to change the channel and back to fix it. Also the picture gets grainy because of the caching. It's a very nice product, but it has it's flaws.

Don't have it.  Heck, I haven't recorded anything on my VCR in over a year.

[jeffreyjpa]

Have had the Comcast digital cable DVR for about a year and a half, and it rules. We now plan to begin watching one hour real-time commercial TV episodes 15 minutes late most times, just to blow through the commercials and catch the ending as it ends in real-time. I've found that I now get pissed off when I can't fast-forward through commercials during commercial TV.

Geo, once you have kids and try this, you can't go back...we pause shows constantly, and don't miss any of it. It also ends "what did they say?" while watching shows in real-time...just play it again. Obviously, an invaluable feature for watching sports.

[Geowhizzer]

Geo, once you have kids and try this, you can't go back...we pause shows constantly, and don't miss any of it. It also ends "what did they say?" while watching shows in real-time...just play it again. Obviously, an invaluable feature for watching sports.

I don't really watch much TV other than sports anymore, and usually I just put on the game and work at my computer while it's on.  Family time at the TV is usually a DVD or something of that ilk.

If I ever upgrade my satellite package (we added a room to our house last year and need to extend the service to that room), I will probably get it then.

Of course, some day I'll have to get high-def TV as well... 

[Zanshin]

If you go to TiVo's community website there are was to put some of the shorcuts (like 30 sec skip) back into the remote, that they took out to make the Madison Ave Ad men happy.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/archive/index.php/t-183498.html

I have a problem with it recording partial episodes sometimes and not just when the show starts late due to an NFL game or something. Can't figure it out, especially seems to happen with Sci Fi network. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Thanks, I popped the 30-sec deal back in there. 

As far as the timing thing goes, the only thing I could think to do would be to pad a few minutes on each side.  I know you can adjust that feature.

[Zanshin]

Geo, once you have kids and try this, you can't go back...we pause shows constantly, and don't miss any of it. It also ends "what did they say?" while watching shows in real-time...just play it again. Obviously, an invaluable feature for watching sports.

I don't really watch much TV other than sports anymore, and usually I just put on the game and work at my computer while it's on. Family time at the TV is usually a DVD or something of that ilk.

If I ever upgrade my satellite package (we added a room to our house last year and need to extend the service to that room), I will probably get it then.

Of course, some day I'll have to get high-def TV as well...

I got this mostly with my wife in mind, but it's pretty great.  I really didn't want to spend anymore on TV than I was already spending...but then I thought about how I don't watch TV because nothing is ever on when I want it on.  So, basically, I pay $13 a month (including the box) to actually use my TV service.

And with the kid, it's a big help.  Always have a couple of Bear in the Big Blue House and Blue's Clues episodes handy-- and it great to stream them to the laptop to take them in the car, etc. 

[MURP]

Have had the Comcast digital cable DVR for about a year and a half, and it rules.

same here, its about the only thing Comcast does well.