HD TiVo

mrpacs

mrpacs

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Oct 11, 2008
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I have 2 Series 2 Tivo's connected to 2 non-HD TV's in the house. On my 3 HD TV's, I have the crappy Comcast DVR. My wife has been begging me to toss the Comcast DVR's for TiVo with HD. Anyone use the TiVo HD? anyone use the TiVo HD with Comcast Service? I think I have to get a CableCard from Comcast? Thanks.
 
ProperModulation

ProperModulation

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mrpacs said:
I have 2 Series 2 Tivo's connected to 2 non-HD TV's in the house. On my 3 HD TV's, I have the crappy Comcast DVR. My wife has been begging me to toss the Comcast DVR's for TiVo with HD. Anyone use the TiVo HD? anyone use the TiVo HD with Comcast Service? I think I have to get a CableCard from Comcast? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yes, you'd need cable cards from Comcast to use the HD Tivo. I haven't made the jump since we'll hopefully be buying a house later this year and I don't want to buy HD Tivos if I can't use them wherever we end up. This is a great place to do some reading if you are interested in anything Tivo HD:

TiVo Series3 HDTV DVRs - TiVo Community

If you end up getting one, please post a review! I spent about 10 minutes with a COX HD DVR last week and immediately took it back to the store. I'd rather stick with non-HD Tivo than live with their horrible HD DVR.
 
mrpacs

mrpacs

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ProperModulation said:
Yes, you'd need cable cards from Comcast to use the HD Tivo. I haven't made the jump since we'll hopefully be buying a house later this year and I don't want to buy HD Tivos if I can't use them wherever we end up. This is a great place to do some reading if you are interested in anything Tivo HD:

TiVo Series3 HDTV DVRs - TiVo Community

If you end up getting one, please post a review! I spent about 10 minutes with a COX HD DVR last week and immediately took it back to the store. I'd rather stick with non-HD Tivo than live with their horrible HD DVR.
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Thanks PM. I'm already a frequent poster on TivoCommunity!
 
ProperModulation

ProperModulation

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mrpacs said:
Thanks PM. I'm already a frequent poster on TivoCommunity!
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heh! I have gotten a lot of good info from that place but I don't think I've ever posted there. I really hope that wherever we end up that we have digital cable and can use the TivoHD. Non-Tivo DVRs just don't cut it after you've used a Tivo for so long.
 
mrpacs

mrpacs

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ProperModulation said:
heh! I have gotten a lot of good info from that place but I don't think I've ever posted there. I really hope that wherever we end up that we have digital cable and can use the TivoHD. Non-Tivo DVRs just don't cut it after you've used a Tivo for so long.
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Agree 100%. My wife prefers our 21" LCD non-HD TV with Series 2 TiVo in our office to the Sammy 52" LCD in the Family Room because it has the crappy Comcast DVR.
 
memebag

memebag

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mrpacs said:
Not compared to a TiVo. Have you ever used a TiVo? It's a lot more user friendly.
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Nope. I used to have an UltimateTV DVR, but Tivo always seemed kind of expensive and goofy. So anyway, what's wrong with Comcast DVRs? How are they user unfriendly?
 
mrpacs

mrpacs

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memebag said:
Nope. I used to have an UltimateTV DVR, but Tivo always seemed kind of expensive and goofy. So anyway, what's wrong with Comcast DVRs? How are they user unfriendly?
Click to expand...

My BIGGEST gripe with the Comcast DVR versus TiVo is the FFWD/REV quality. with TiVo, it is always precise stop and go. with the Comcast DVR, it's never precise. Sometimes it doesn't even work correctly, (the FFWD/REV). The FFWD/REV functionality is the same on all 3 of my Comcast DVR's. I even tried swapping them out with the same craptastic results.
 
limegrass69

limegrass69

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The problem we have in our cable system is that they use switched digital video (SDV) to deliver some of their HD signals. A cable card is not able to decode these signals. My cable company (Cablevision) says that they plan to release an adapter dongle that will allow third party devices like TiVO and PC's to receive the SDV channels. From what I've read, other cable operators are in the process of deploying that hardware.

Cablevision's DVRs can receive the SDV channels. Hopefully they'll resolve the inequity soon.

Another interesting thing they plan to deploy is a remote storage DVR. Your programs are stored on their servers and delivered to any cable box in your home. The nice thing there is that you don't have to worry about a potential hardware failure (although today's DVRs are pretty reliable). The downside is that you have to worry about the cable company's bandwidth management. If all of your neighbors are watching their DVRs and VOD on a Saturday night, it's possible that there won't be sufficient bandwidth to view your recorded content. I am curious to see how they'll manage all of that.
 
mrpacs

mrpacs

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I just pulled the trigger on an HD XL. I'll let you know how I make out after it is installed. Thanks all.
 
memebag

memebag

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mrpacs said:
Overall ease of use, responsiveness, buttonology on the remote, (Although I use a universal remote), Ability to skip ahead at 15 minute increments, dedicated 8 second rewind button. That's all that comes to mind.
Click to expand...

OK. The Comcast DVRs we have are far from great, but I don't see us investing in Tivo HD and a Tivo service plan just for those differences.
 
mrpacs

mrpacs

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memebag said:
OK. The Comcast DVRs we have are far from great, but I don't see us investing in Tivo HD and a Tivo service plan just for those differences.
Click to expand...

Well I had used TiVo's for years prior to using the Comcast DVR so I got spoiled. My wife HATES the Comcast DVR with a Passion. Again, have you ever used a TiVo? If not, you have no idea what you are missing.
 
memebag

memebag

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mrpacs said:
Well I had used TiVo's for years prior to using the Comcast DVR so I got spoiled. My wife HATES the Comcast DVR with a Passion. Again, have you ever used a TiVo? If not, you have no idea what you are missing.
Click to expand...

Again, I haven't used a Tivo. I'm not investing in one to find out what I'm missing, though. The Comcast DVR is like $10 a month, which is less than the Tivo service. And I don't have to buy any hardware. I guess I'm too cheap to enjoy a quality user experience.
 
mrpacs

mrpacs

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memebag said:
The Comcast DVR is like $10 a month, which is less than the Tivo service.
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Incorrect my friend. The 1st Comcast Box is $14.95 and any box after the 1st box is $21.95 each. I have 3 Comcast boxes. TiVo service is $12.95 month to month and less if paid annually even less if paid for 3 years upfront and even lower if lifetime sub.
 
memebag

memebag

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mrpacs said:
Incorrect my friend. The 1st Comcast Box is $14.95 and any box after the 1st box is $21.95 each. I have 3 Comcast boxes. TiVo service is $12.95 month to month and less if paid annually even less if paid for 3 years upfront and even lower if lifetime sub.
Click to expand...

OK, then I'm too lazy.
 
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