- Record two basic cable channels, or one basic and one digital cable channel, at once
- Digitally record up to 180 hours of programming
- Ethernet ports offer ability to stream digital music and photos from a computer to TiVo and transfer programming to PCs
- TiVo service includes Season Pass, WishList, program guide, digital music, digital photos, and online scheduling
- Everything required for installation is supplied; subscription to TiVo service is additional requirement
Before purchasing this, I was using a satellite receiver with a dual TiVo DVR built into it. I loved how simple it was and I was kind of unsure about switching over to cable with a separate TiVo unit, but the ability to connect it to my PC is what ultimately drew me in (more on that later though).
Here is a summary of my review, if you would like more detailed thoughts feel free to read on. I'll try not to bore you too much. If you just want the bottom line, feel free to bypass my wall of text and skip down to the last section, Overall Satisfaction. :)
Packaging :: A+
Activation :: B-
Plan Pricing :: B+
Setup :: A+
TiVo Experience :: A
Customer Service :: A-
PC Connectivity :: A
Overall Satisfaction :: A+
Packaging (aka: Can I split a splitter?) :: A+
So I received the unit and opened it up, and for starters I was pretty impressed at the organization of the packaging. The basic installation poster was very easy to follow, the cables and items necessary for setup were neatly organized into separate bags, clearly labeled and such, it was nice to not have to suffer through any confusing instructions. One thing to note, the packaging contents does not list that it comes with a standard coaxial cable splitter (to use for the dual tuner), but it does. I bought one before I received the TiVo in preparation and didn't need it, don't make the same mistake I did!
Activation (aka: Deja Vu) :: B-
I went online to activate the TiVo service through their website and ran into my first problem. The website would accept my TiVo number (step 1) and ask my personal information (step 2), I'd click "next" and it would go right back to asking for my TiVo number (step 1!). I tried a couple of times to activate it over the internet but it would not work, so I had to call the phone number (talk to a real person, OH NO!). Upon calling, the wait time was a little longer than I would have liked, but once I got to an associate the process was very simple and took very little time. They activated my TiVo and set me up with my pricing plan which brings me to...
Activation (aka: Deja Vu) :: B-
...Just kidding.
Plan Pricing (aka: Where'd my money go?) :: B+
The only gripe I have about the pricing is that it's a little more than what I was paying before. Still, it seems like the standalone TiVo is more robust and so I'll put up the extra money for it. I won't get into the numbers though, because I think that's against the guidelines here.
Setup (aka: The TiVo bone's connected to the cable bone) :: A+
As I stated earlier, the basic setup poster that comes with the TiVo is very easy to follow. Setup for me was easy, but I was also coming from a very similar setup and am somewhat savvy about this sort of thing. My wife, being not so savvy, may have had a harder time, but I'm not convinced it would have been impossible for her. All you really have to do is hook up the TiVo in between your cable signal (basic and/or from the cable box) and your TV (or VCR if you want to be able to tape stuff from your TiVo).
TiVo Experience (aka: What ... he .... say?) :: A (overall)
So, everything's all set, I turn everything on, everything seems to be working! After looking around for a few minutes, I notice two things that are off...
1) The clock is wrong.
2) The sound is cutting in and out.
After checking all connections and determining that the sound issue is most likely something within the TiVo, I call customer service... (Oh No!! Another real person!!) ...we'll get back to my TiVo experience in a moment...
Customer Service (aka: Crappy hold music...) :: A-
I call up customer service and again have to wait a long time to talk to someone. Once they get on the phone though, I get to talk to a very pleasant and helpful person. They quickly determine that the time issue is only related to the daylight saving time change and will fix itself after updating the TiVo (Go to Messages & Settings > Setting > Phone & Network > Connect; note: you may have to, as in my case, do this multiple times as it may need to install multiple updates. When you go back in there, keep an eye on the upper left where it tells you the status of the last connection, it may say "Pending Restart" in which case you will need to restart the TiVo to apply the update. To restart the TiVo go to Messages & Settings > Restart or Reset System > Restart the DVR). They also suggest that the audio problem may just require a restart of the TiVo system to fix. I restarted the system and the audio problem went away completely, so I'm not sure what was going on there. They did make a record of the problem and he was very reassuring that if I ever experienced the problem again they would exchange the TiVo unit right away. With my two problems fixed (updates and restarting took care of them both, keep that in mind if you experience similar problems), I go back to my TiVo Experience...
TiVo Experience Part Deux
So back to my experience with my now fully operational, correct time telling, solid audio pumping TiVo. It takes me a while to go through and change all my settings (favorite channels, TV guide display, make a couple of season passes, etc.). Having come from a satellite receiver with TiVo built in, I feel right at home, although I do notice a few differences.
1) There's no button to go directly into your Now Playing list on my new TiVo remote (there was on my satellite TiVo remote), the quickest way is to press the TiVo button on top twice in a row... not a big deal, but I was so used to that button... I sure will miss it...
2) The channel changing for channels only available through the cable box has a delay to it. And here is a very important point to note. **** If at all possible, do not use the IR connector to change your cable box's channels. **** I received a cable box without a serial port on the back and brought it in to my cable service provider and requested to trade it for one that did. They were happy to do so, and I would suggest you try the same if possible. I've had experience with my father's TiVo using the IR changer and it was awful (He'd miss shows that he scheduled to record because the darn thing wouldn't work. We tried everything to get it to work right but it never did.). The Serial connection is so much more reliable, and changing a channel that is part of your basic cable is instant. But when the TiVo has to go to the cable box, it takes about 1-2 seconds to actually get there. Not too bad, but noticeable to someone coming from a system that instantly changed to any channel.
Another interesting thing to note, at one point I was moving around all the menus, making selections, changing stuff, and realized that I had grabbed my old satellite TiVo remote by mistake. I had been using it for the past 10-20 minutes without ever realizing! And it WORKED without a hitch! So if you don't like the stock remote, I'm sure there's an option out there that may accommodate you.
PC Connectivity (aka: I can finally watch "The Office" in my cubicle at my office!) :: A
So that brings me to the main reason I switched my system over in the first place. Connecting this thing to my PC. I opted for the TiVo branded wireless adapter, as I already have a wireless router in my home. It had no problem seeing my home network, and after putting in my network's password (SECURE YOUR WIRELESS NETWORKS PEOPLE!!!!), it's off and running. I download and install TiVo Desktop (available at their website) onto my PC and suddenly I'm able to see all the recordings that are on my TiVo from my computer, and can also see all my music and photos that are on my PC from the TiVo! I can get Podcasts and the weather and even movie tickets right from my TiVo. I can copy TiVo shows over to my PSP and iPod (that requires you upgrade to TiVo Desktop Plus for a one-time fee of $24.95), it's a beautiful thing! I immediately start to transfer over a recording of Scrubs and... nothing... the wireless connection is interrupted. I never did get it working, I'm not sure if the issue was with my router or the wireless adapter, but I ended up just running an ethernet cable from my TiVo to my router and it works fine now. Some day I might try to get the wireless connection working again, but oh well. Something to keep in mind though if you decide to go wireless, you may want to be sure to invest in a good router and adapter.
Overall Satisfaction (aka: THIS is what TV was meant to be!) :: A+
So this is what it all boils down to. After getting everything setup and running, I have to say I'm extremely pleased with it all. I, personally, am happy with the decision to move over from my satellite receiver with TiVo built in, to a standalone TiVo unit. To summarize the important things:
Positives
++ 180 hours of recording time, very nice
++ Dual-tuners (and I tried my best to mess them up, recording different shows, changing channels while something else was recording, they worked like a charm despite what I did to try to mess them up!)
++ What you can do with your PC is excellent
++ Season Passes, pausing live TV, fast-forwarding through commercials, instant replay... If you don't have these things you're really missing out!
Negatives
-Couldn't the monthly prices be a little lower? (Just a little??)
-TiVo: either cut down the time people wait on hold when they call you, or get better music!
-Wireless connectivity of the TiVo to the PC was problematic
Tips for buyers:
> You don't need a coaxial splitter. It doesn't list that one's included, but it is.
> Make sure to update your TiVo after hooking it up (Messages & Settings > Setting > Phone & Network > Connect), keeping in mind you may need to do this multiple times and may need to restart after certain updates.
> Restarting your TiVo may fix some problems, it seems to have fixed my audio problem.
> Try not to use the IR channel changing method. Use the Serial cable if possible. You may be able to exchange your cable box with your provider for one that has a serial port on the back, well worth the effort.
Buy TiVo TCD649180 Series2 180 Hour Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder Now
My Toshiba TiVo had video and audio input ports on the front that I used to plug my video camera into. This allowed me to upload home videos onto the TiVo and record them onto DVD. Unfortunately this TiVo device is having intermittent problems so I purchased the TiVo TCD649180 Series2 180 Hour Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder.The TiVo TCD649180 does not allow any input directly from external devices. I expect this is because TiVo now sells a video editing service called One True Media that requires you to upload your videos to the services web site which is the launching place for editing and sharing (and I assume saving to DVD but am not certain).
I returned the unit because of the inability to put my own videos on the TiVo for recording to DVD. If you use your TiVo for this type of activity you may want to rethink purchasing this device.
Read Best Reviews of TiVo TCD649180 Series2 180 Hour Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder Here
As you might already know, the TiVo service is great. I've recently upgraded my TiVo to the wireless g internet "always on" connection. I'm programming tv shows on my TiVo at home to record episodes and season passes from the comfort of my cubicle at work. It's really great. Also I'm buying movie tickets at my local theater through TiVo. Oh, and I'm able to keep up with my TiVo programing by downloading my TiVo programs to my home network using the free TiVo Desktop software. They just upgraded to the long awaited 2.3 version.TiVo suggestions are always cool. The more I rate ThumbsUp and ThumbsDown the better my TiVo gets at recognizing my personal likes and dislikes. Oh and the Hard drive is just about the right size for a busy work schedule and little time for TV.
Overall I'm very happy with this unit. The setup was a breeze. And this system has one of the most user friendly menus I've come accross. I suppose that is why TiVo has an outrageous customer sastisfaction rating. I heard a statistic somewhere where over 90% of all TiVo owners are won over by this stupid little contraption. Oh yeah, Googlezon. Look it up in google. Its an amazing hypothetical slideshow that was meant to educate hardcore traditional media moguls into viewing the new ways of media delivery. Googlezon.
Want TiVo TCD649180 Series2 180 Hour Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder Discount?
I have been using the DVR from Comcast Cable for the past 18 months. The service was indescribably bad! It would reset in the middle of a show, "forget" to record, and mysteriously stop responding to the remote. I investigated TiVo for about a month and settled on the Series 2 180 Hour because I didn't need an HDTV version, wanted to record entire seasons of shows and not completely fill up my memory, and a dual tuner so that I could continue to watch TV while recording (otherwise, what's the point, right?).I received the box, opened it up, and followed the poster instructions. The kits came with all of the cables and I was up and running in 10 minutes, literally! I comsider myself able to follow instructions, but not incredibly tech-y. Once I plugged in the unit, the on-screen instructions were also easy to follow. I had purchased the WiFi receiver to get updates I plugged it in, added the security information, and was ready to roll. Overall, I am very pleased with the setup process.
Even better, I've discovered Amazon's Unbox product. I entered my TiVo serial number, signed ton Amazon, and was able to download movies and rentals to my TiVo directly. I have ordered several moves while I was work and by the time I came home, they were downloaded and ready to watch. I am seriously considering stopping my Netflix membership for a while to give service a try.
1. Setup yes, it is easy. But not as easy as plug and play. There are lots of cords and steps. I am not a tech geek, but I do know how to follow directions, and I honestly ran into no problems setting up the first time. Comes with easy diagram to follow and everything you need. The only problem I had was adding my DVD player into the setup. I had the cable guy here for another reason and he offered to set it up for me. Well, an hour later and after splicing cords and adding splitters and switches, he had me "set up," but when I went to record a show, the TiVo wouldn't work. So I took the whole thing back apart (yes, every cord), and followed the easy diagram from TiVo and had it back up and running, WITHOUT his splitter and switch, in a few minutes (since I had done it before, it was much easier the second time around!). I even got my DVD player hooked up to the whole thing BY MYSELF... moral of the story: READ DIRECTIONS! If I had just looked it up in the TiVo manual in the first place, I wouldn't have had this problem. I have my TiVo hooked up to the TV via coaxial cable, so the connection between your Tivo and DVD player needs to be via coaxial cable .. that was my mistake. Anyway, don't expect it to take 10 minutes if you are not a big techie... it will take a good half hour or so to get it all set up and running.
2. TiVo vs. Cable Company's DVR I had heard that going through the cable company is cheaper and just as good. So I asked around. WHY Tivo? Well, first of all, the software is better. It's just easier to navigate the Tivo. Also, Tivo doesn't fail when it needs updates like their DVR. Last, your cable company doesn't have Amazon Unbox. That is the coolest thing ever. You can rent OR buy movies via Amazon (super easy checkout... one click) and they download to your Tivo and you can watch them. Amazing invention. You must have a wireless connection to do this, which is ABSOLUTELY worth every penny. Someone got it right when they invented the Tivo wireless adapter ... takes seconds to setup and works beautifully! You can also manage your recordings on your computer this way ... a VERY cool feature.
3. Recording shows Setting up recording is easy... you can either set up a show to record in the future, or while you're watching hit the record button and it will do it right then and there. The Tivo also automatically records "suggestions" for you based on other shows you have recorded, which is really kinda cool. If you don't like it, you just hit delete and it's gone, no harm done. You can search for movies or shows based on a Wish List that you create. All the setup is easy, step-by-step, on-screen ... my 5 year old has even figured it out. There are parental controls available, too. Just make sure when you set up a recording that your cable box is ON!!
4. Remote control I have had no problems with this remote. It's easy to use, fits in your hand easily, and has very logical positioning of buttons. I have to use the IR (infrared) setup for the remote to get signal to my cable box... it doesn't look great for sure, and it partially blocks the clock... but it works just fine. There is a slight delay, but nothing annoying. I know I can call the cable company and ask for a box with the serial port, but I don't want to see a cable guy for a while after the mess they left me with, so I will live with this setup for now!
OVERALL Tivo is great. I would strongly recommend that you get the wireless adapter with this, though ... it takes the Tivo from a 4 star product to a 5 star product. The price is high for Tivo and activation, but so far we use it A LOT and it has been worth it.
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