Just recently I started to optimize my TiVo setup for TiVoToGo. I ran CAT5 directly to my TiVo so that I don’t have to use 802.11b. I know that TiVo does not currently support USB2.0 however; once the anticipated upgrade comes out, I will be all set. Along with the network drop directly to my TiVo, I’ve also put a couple drops in other rooms throughout the house. Hopefully this extra speed with allow me to transfer my shows in near real-time. Another thing that I’ve considered doing is upgrading my server with more disc space. I know that once I start copying my shows to the server I will find that the space gets eaten up pretty quick. If you are interested in running CAT5 to your TiVo I would recommend going with the USB200M adapter from Linksys. My series 2 TiVo detected the adapter as soon as I plugged it in. I was up and running within five minutes!

As a side note, I’ve also noticed that HMO seems to be a lot faster. I’ve especially noticed the speed while viewing my pictures.

Obvious Diversion has posted an interesting article which talks about the main reason why you should consider purchasing a TiVo instead of a Media Center PC. The author points out the fact that a TiVo costs ~$99 while a standard Media Center PC costs ~$974.99! Check out the article for some more insight…

TiVo’s rebate program has made their DVRs extremely inexpensive. A couple of my friends have purchased a TiVo for around $50! That’s cheap compared to the $200 I spent on my TiVo a little over a year ago.

Just yesterday I ordered my 140 hr TiVo from the rewards program! As I said in a previous post, I plan on giving my current 60 hr TiVo to my Mom. I’m not sure that she completely understands the benefit of TiVo however; like most people I’m sure she’ll really enjoy it once she gets it.

TiVo’s rewards program is really a great thing. In just over 5 months I’ve been able to rack up the points required to get a top of the line TiVo! If you haven’t signed up for the program I suggest you do. When I first signed up, I thought to myself how am I ever going to get the referrals that I need. Once you get one referral the rest of them start coming. I had a couple family members and several friends purchase a TiVo and use me as the referrer. After all, I’m probably the only family member/friend of there�s who has a TiVo website. As you can imagine I talk about TiVo often and tout it as the next best thing since slice bread :).

Like I said before, you need to sign up for the program and get yourself a new TiVo!

TiVo, please, please, please release TiVoToGo. A countless number of people are asking for its release so that they can start watching their programs on other devices. I cannot tell you how many searches I get each day for “TiVoToGo release date” or “TiVoToGo beta”. Please don’t keep us waiting much longer. Besides, TiVoToGo would be a nice early Festivus present :).

The Easy Valley Tribune has an interesting article about why several products should be considered as a threat to TiVo. The article points out the fact that many cable companies have multiple tuners. In my opinion, this has long been a problem with TiVo. When I tell people that they can only record one show at a time they are often turned off and decide to go with a cable company DVR. TiVo needs to recognize this limitation. I understand that dual tuners will cost more however; it would be useful if they provided the option and allowed the consumer to decide whether they want to pay the extra cost. The second major point that the article makes is the fact that many cable DVRs can record HDTV. Yes, TiVo offers a DVR with HDTV recording capability however; it costs a lot of money and requires DirecTV!

I am not trying to make this post sound as if I am bashing TiVo. It is just that I think TiVo needs to recognize these limitations and act on them if they want to continue to gather new subscribers.

Just the other night I was sitting with my wife watching TiVo when I realized that I live with a TiVo Boss! I am not sure if somebody has already used this term before or not so, I thought I would mention it. A TiVo Boss is somebody who directs you on how to use your TiVo. For example, a TiVo Boss often lets you know when you should Pause, Rewind or Fast Forward their program! My wife is a perfect example of a TiVo Boss :). Just the other night we were sitting in our living room watching TiVo when I realized that all of her demands represented a true TiVo Boss. I thought to myself, for somebody who did not want a TiVo at first she is pretty bossy about it :). Do you live with somebody like this? Are you a TiVo Boss?

You might think the answer to this question is easy. Any normal TiVo geek would setup their two TiVos to use MRV and enjoy the fact that they have two TiVos. This is in fact not what I plan on doing! I’m only one referral away from getting a free TiVo! I’ve already decided what I’m going to do with my current TiVo once I get a new one. I plan on giving my current TiVo to my Mom :). Every time I go over to my parents I am disappointed by my parent’s lack of geekeyness (sp) and the fact that my Mom can’t watch what she wants when she wants to :). So, being the great son that I am I’ve decided to give my Mom my old TiVo once I get the new one…. What would you do with a second TiVo? Have you setup your parents with a TiVo?

Engadget has posted a great interview with TiVo’s CEO Mike Ramsay. The only question that they forgot to ask was when TiVoToGo will be released. This is one question that a lot of people are asking. To be perfectly honest, at first I wasn’t that excited about TiVoToGo however; I think that I’ve gotten caught up in all the hype surrounding its’ release. I just hope that TiVoToGo is a good as everybody is expecting it to be. I do wish that I had it for my up coming trip to Vegas. It sure would be nice to watch some of my most favorite shows while on the plane. Maybe TiVo will release it before I leave for my trip :).

I was recently reminded of an older article that I once read on the NY Times (free subscription). The article mentions an ailment that many TiVo users suffer from namely the “TiVo Twitch”. The TiVo Twitch is made up of the following symptoms:

…twitch sufferers are often seen reflexively pressing a nonexistent seven-second replay button, even when they’re not in front of the television. Their brains helplessly fire the deeply ingrained ”Let me catch that again” command when they’re listening to the car radio, enduring a flaky cellphone connection or savoring a hard-won apology from a spouse.

Just this past weekend, I found myself suffering from the twitch. It happened while I was visiting my in-laws and watching the Buffalo Bills game. At one point during the game I caught myself wanting to hit the replay button. At that very moment I thought about the TiVo twitch…..

Do you suffer from this ailment? Have you found yourself trying to replay TV when you don’t have your TiVo around? I think that sometimes we take our TiVo for granted and don’t realize how much more enjoyable TV is with TiVo.

Just yesterday I was contacted by a SnapStream representative. The rep wanted to know if I would like to advertise their product (BeyondTV) on this website. At first I was very excited about this offer. I thought that having SnapStream advertise on this site would help me pay for hosting and other costs associated with running this site.

After thinking about this some more I decided to reject the offer. I based my rejection on the fact that having SnapStream advertise on this site would be kind of hypocritical. Why would I want to advocate SnapStream’s product when I think TiVo is the best DVR type product on the market. I pride myself in being a TiVo advocate. While I think SnapStream has an interesting product, I do not think it is anyway better then a TiVo.

To make a long story short, I’ve decided to put together an advertising page for this site. If anybody who sells a TiVo related product would like to advertise here, please review the following page.