I Might Cheat On My TiVo
I just purchased a 42” Panasonic plasma. In just one short week, I am already addicted to HD. I don’t have many HD channels however, the ones that I do have are a pleasure to watch. I find myself watching shows that I never would have watched, simply because it is in HD.
The only problem with this scenario is that the Series 2 TiVo doesn’t allow me to record HD. If I want to record HD content and I don’t want to go with satellite, I really only have one option. This option would require me to cheat on my TiVo and pickup Adelphia’s DVR so that I could record HD. I bet you never thought you would hear me say it but I may need to cheat on my TiVo and pickup an Adelphia DVR just for HD content. I’d hate to do it but if the Series 3 TiVo doesn’t come out soon I might be forced to do it.
Come on TiVo; provide us with an update on the Series 3 TiVo. How much is it going to cost? What will the service plan be like? When is it going to be released? Any type of news might help me to hold off on getting one of those crappy Adelpia boxes. I’m probably one of your biggest fans but I just can’t keep sitting around waiting. I’d hate to do it but I may just have to commit adultery and pick up an Adelphia HD DVR :(.
July 10th, 2006 at 11:45 am |
Unlike TiVo, there’s no upfront hardware cost or year commitment… So pick up the Adelphia DVR until the S3 comes out.
Then again, I don’t practice what I preach. I’ve had a Comcast Moto 6412 twice and returned it twice… and now watch HD naked. I could almost live without scheduled recordings, but pause/replay is key to watching sports in HD.
July 10th, 2006 at 12:23 pm |
I am cheating on my Tivo with a Cablevision HD DVR. The Tivo still does all my non HD stuff.
I have also grown to appreciate my Tivo strengths, the CV DVR is a POS
July 10th, 2006 at 4:10 pm |
It was HD that first had me cheating on my TiVo, then abandoning her like a deadbeat husband in a wife beater tee.
My Motorola box was free, save the same monthly fee as my TiVo. However, the box sucks raw chicken eggs. The software sucks, the interface sucks, the controller sucks, it is buggy, bitchy and a total pain in the ass. Oh, and I’m on my FIFTH one, four having bit the dust.
But it records in HD.
And thus, TiVo, I left you. I’m sorry. I’ll always love you. I just can’t be with you.
July 11th, 2006 at 12:38 am |
All of us with HD cheat on Tivo for the HD.
We all also know the POS DVD we are using will be kicked faster than you can imagine once the Tivo S3 comes out.
I have 3 tivos in the house still, but “try” to watch all HD on my Time Warner HD DVD.
BTW my 3 and 4 yr old kids like KidZone a lot!
The kicker is I still record all the HD shows on my Tivo in nonHD since there is always good odds the TimeWarner box will lose a show or have to be taken back every other week thus all programming gone with it. I have went through 4 TimeWarner DVR’s in the last 6 months alone. Everything about the non Tivo HD DVR’s other than the HD truly is awful.
Yes, once you go HD - you just cannot go back.
July 11th, 2006 at 9:24 am |
Welcome to to wonderful world of HD!
I think you are going through the exact same thing everyone goes through when that mesmerizing picture reveals itself in our home (did I add enough gravitas?
).
I too had to step out on my TiVo for the Comcast DVR and as John B. stated, the software is terrible and the interface is even worse, but I cannot watch TV in peace without the ability to pause/rewind live TV.
If you have the Moto box one piece of advice that I would share, especially with a plasma, is set the box to show “non-HD” 4:3 programming in stretch mode. You will eventually go back to your normal viewing habits and if you are not constantly watching HD programming, those black bars on the side of the 4:3 picture will start to burn in. I started noticing this on my 6 month old Samsung plasma about three weeks ago.
To do this, turn the box off and press the menu button (the menu will show on the TV screen). Move down (using remote or directional keys on the front of the box) to 4:3 mode and change it from “override” to “stretch”
(tip is not mine, courtesy of hometheaterblog.com)
The bars will still show up if you are watching a HD station but the show is not in HD (The Simpsons on FOX in my case). But, its not going to be a problem for a show or two, or you can turn to the non-HD version and just watch it in stretch.
I am waiting to see how the TiVo software on the Moto box may shake out, but if it is no good…Hello Series 3 TiVo!!
July 11th, 2006 at 10:12 am |
I, too, abandoned my dearest TiVO almost 2y ago when I picked up a Panasonic LCD (42″) and there was no alternative for HD. The MOXI powered Motorola box is the biggest POS on the planet. My old Win98 computer running beta software was more stable and responsive. I think these boxes NEED more memory they’re just not even close to the TiVO in performance. That said, the TiVO is sitting in the other room, still hooked to the digitial set-top box from Adelphia, and outputing to my SlingBox so I can watch baseball when I’m out of town on business. I have MLB.TV, but, it’s almost worse than the Moto box.
S
Halo Hotline
July 11th, 2006 at 10:47 am |
I am running a Series 1, two Series 2, and a COX HD-box.
I’ve been through 3 HD Cox-boxes in the past year and ALWAYS double-record anything important w/ Tivo.
The Cox-box died during the World Cup. Thanks to Tivo I was able to see the head-butt heard ’round the world.
Series 3, we NEED you!!
Paul
July 11th, 2006 at 11:59 am |
I actually got my TiVo box after my Comcast DVR and had all intentions of giving back the Comcast DVR, but couldn’t. I couldn’t give up recording HD or pausing or rewinding live content.
Hopefully, the Comcast TiVo deal actually materializes so at least the software on the Moto box will be improved.
July 14th, 2006 at 4:48 pm |
A stopgap measure would be to increase the resolution and bitrate of your live tv and default recording setting to the unused 720×480. Depending on what “source” and quality settings on your tivo you may have been watching 480×480 the entire time!
I suggest resolution zero with a maxbitrate of 7800+ and a vbr bitrate of 6300 for best results. This helped my 36 inch xbr wega in the picture sharpness area.
July 14th, 2006 at 4:51 pm |
You can view my reason for the bitrates and settings here
http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showpost.php?p=259837&postcount=158
July 19th, 2006 at 10:57 pm |
[...] ciper: You can view my reason for… [...]