SD DirecTV DVR question...

[Tom Snyder]

I'm embarassed to ask, but here goes...  I feel like such a newbie!   :wave:

I'm finally going to do an SD DVR for the bedroom.  DirecTV.  

Do I:

1.) Go with the DirecTV deal with the "official" $99 Tivo, and have them send me one
2.) Do I go to the local electronics store and buy the same unit and save the shipping charges
3.) Or do I buy another brand of Tivo?

Also what's the story with Tivo Series 2.

Factors to consider:
- Comparative charges from DTV based on which one I do.
- I don't have a conveneint land line in that bedroom. Don't mind the setup using it, but  need wireless for the proram guide downlaods.

I don't need a lot of storage...all we're gonna use this for is stuff like  news,  Leno, Letterman, SNL, etc... stuff we usually watch in bed, but might need to pause or time shift. So the cheapest one will do unless there are features that are absolutetly must haves for the closet geek even for a bedroom TV...

P.S. Do I DARE buy one on Ebay?

[jimbop99]

1. If you go the DirecTV route they include installation and if needed a multiswitch.
1b. If you are a customer in good standing and your contract is up or close to being up, they may give it to you for less. I think $49 is the going discount.
2. I would go the local store route if you can't get the deal or don't need a multiswitch.
3. I think you should go the DirecTivo route. The picture quality is excellent and the monthly fee is $5 compared to the stand alone which I believe is ~ $13.

See //www.tivocommunity.com for more answers.

[Gregg Lengling]

don't buy one on Ebay....Directv will no longer activate any used receivers.  they must be new.......Personally I think this is a rip and may be illegal and would fight them tooth and nail..but thats' the reports I've been getting.

[jkane]

What do you want to know about the TiVo Series 2?  I have one and my wife can't live without it anymore.     I have it hooked up to OTA and a Dish 3000.  It works fantastic.  Can't say it misses a recording.

The downfall is the cost compared to a DirecTivo and the quality.  Since the DTivo is pre-compressed data, it doesn't have the Analog-Digital-Analog conversion.  Or, if it's from a sattelite feed, you get Digital-Analog-Digital-Analog again!  DTivo has a better Digital and then only one time to Analog for viewing.

[Gregg Lengling]

Did you see the paper this morning.....Tim did really good on selling TWC's DVR to skip their stupid commercial with that Tinny sounding girl singing.

[borghe]

If you already have DirecTV, going with a DirecTivo.

If you don't have enough lines run to the room where your tivo will be, get it from directv with the free installation. they will make sure you have enough lines to the room and from your dish.

series 2 tivos are technically better (more capable) than DirecTivos.. thank DirecTV for holding back features. if you were so technically inclined (or ordered the prebuilt hard drives from like ptvupgrade) you could get at least HMO on a DirecTivo (though without a second Tivo with HMO installed it has only minimal value). however seires 2 tivos record analog and thus don't have quite as efficient MPEG2 encoding (and thus file sizes/space) as a DirecTivo.

Go with the DirecTivo. and at $49 for long time customers along with a cheaper DVR fee than TWC, it really makes no sense to get the TWC SD DVR.

[gparris]

Since my brother has decided to make me the one to ask around about the standard DirecTivo and it has been awhile since I had Directv service being a cable customer (and he did not find anything at the CC store closing on BD road), I tried calling Directv myself and inquiring how to get him a replacement Directv box from Directv that has the Tivo feature in it since he has been a Directv sub for many years....got nowhere....what should I do?
I want to get one for him for his upcoming birthday and have them or me hook it up for him...Directv's CSR's were of  no help at all and I tried several times. :bang:

Any suggestions? I wanted to surprise him or at least have a gift card from Directv come in the mail for it!   :blush:

[Tom Snyder]

Got my DirecTV w/Tivo installed today... I went with the "call DirecTV option"...actually I made the phone call from a quiet spot at Best Buy(!), as Best Buy didn't offer free installation.

Still too early to tell if I made the right choice on the box...The installer brought me a Samsung 70 hour (80gb), which he said was twice the capacity of the standard box they usually give out.  The USB ports are deactivated as they all are on the "DirecTV with Tivo" boxes (as opposed to the boxes you get directly from Tivo).  I understand that with the official TIVO boxes you can network, including eliminating the need for a hard phone line for messages and software updates (program guides come via the satellite feed). I'd like that, but can live without it.

But the No charge install inlcuded running the second feed from the dish the whole length of the house to the bedroom, AND running another length of cable to reloacte my existing receiver to the basement. So that was a god deal.

The monthly rate from DTV for the service is $4.95 (would have been $12.95 for the TIVO). Despite my request to get the box for $49 for a litany of reasons, they stood firm on the $99 upfront fee. I'll probably call rentention tomorrow and beg some more, but for the bigger box I got, and the extra no-charge installation service I got, I won't push too hard.

[sp44again]

Too bad you didn't get the R10 70hr. It's faster and has folders. Great thing to have! Everybody suppose to be upgraded to have folders but it's nice to have it built in already.