TiVO vs. ReplayTV

[ice4277]

I have decided that my Christmas gift (sorry, 'Holiday gift', don't want to offend anybody ;) )to myself this year will be either a TiVO or ReplayTV. I am leaning towards getting TiVO, I know a couple people with them and they love them, and I am not really that familiar with ReplayTV as I don't know of anyone who has one.

I've done some research online but if anybody here has any experience with either or both, your thoughts would be helpful. I'm thinking about getting a 40-hour unit, and, as I would be paying the 300 bucks upfront for lifetime service from TiVO, price isn't really a factor as out-of-pocket at time of purchase will be about the same. Thanks!

[Bee]

I like TiVo better because of the feature where it will actually record suggested shows for you. I've found a few good ones that way and when it records something I don't like it's easy to delete. Some folks don't like this and you can turn it off if you want. IMO ReplayTV had a better channel guide menu, but that's purely my opinion and I'm sure others would disagree. My old ReplayTv had a commercial skip button that was pretty nice. Occasionally it didn't work right, but I'd say 90% it worked fine. I'm not sure if they still have that or not. Overall I liked the TiVo the best, but really it's so close either would be a good buy IMO and it really comes down to personal preference.

[Jon]

Would you get the 40 hour Tivo or the 80 hour Tivo? I'm getting Tivo as a gift for my girlfriend (that's what she wants---what more can you ask--someone wanting a gift that benefits both of us). I'm just not sure which one to get.

[Bee]

I think the more hours the better (you have to deal with getting rid of old stuff less often that way). Of course, it becomes a cost/benefit issue that will vary from person to person. I have a friend who now has my old ReplayTV (which was 20 hours) and he just deletes shows after he watches them. That works great for him. I tend to keep a much larger buildup of shows and like to save favorites for watching later so I have a much larger harddrive. I'm really looking forward to when they finally start offering the Tivo with DVD Recorders for a reasonable price.

[Peregrine]

I have a DirecTivo with my DirecTV system, and really love it. I fall into the category of "watch and delete" so I never needed a lot of storage space. My old Tivo was one of the first, 14 hour models, and worked fine for me, I don't know what to do with all the space I have now! Tivo has the 30 second commercial skip feature as well, you just have to enable it with a "secret" code that's widely available on the internet.

[tyketime]

I just bought a Tivo two months ago, and LOVE it! As for disk space (it actually is just a hard drive), buy the largest you can afford. I can tell you that there are 4 "record quality" settings, much like SP and SLP for VCR's. The number of hours for the machine is based on the lowest quality resolution. And let me tell you... unless you plan to record CSPAN where no one moves all day long, you will not be satisfied with Basic quality. If you step up to the next level of quality (Medium), I think it cuts a 40-hour drive down to something like 27 hours.

If you plan to record shows with lots of movement (football games, other sporting events), you won't be happy with anything less than BEST quality (which would only give you ~ 10-12 hours on a 40-hour machine). My hour estimates may be off a little bit - but I think they are pretty close. I end up using Medium for weekly shows, and Best for sports events.

I have found a couple of websites of companies that offer larger hard drives. So I plunked down a few beans and picked up one of these custom machines. Do a search for "digitalrecorder" to find some of the sites.

There are several sites with great comparisons between Tivo vs Replay. Here are a few:

http://www.pvrcompare.com/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/16843/102-5054801-1665717


I was a naysayer for a long time getting along just fine with programming the VCR all the time, but I have been converted with some of the cool Tivo features (Season Pass, Wish Lists, and others).

Sorry... I didn't mean to go on and on... but even my wife is convinced that this was money well spent. Which means I'm back out of the doghouse! :)

Good luck with your search!

[JasonC23]

Originally posted by Peregrine
Tivo has the 30 second commercial skip feature as well, you just have to enable it with a "secret" code that's widely available on the internet.

Link, please... :)

[tyketime]

http://www.weaknees.com/30/index.php

[JasonC23]

Awesome, thanks!

[Daimyo]

How hard is it to upgrade the harddrive? Do you just need to take a Ghost image of the built in one and put that on another harddrive and replace it in the unit? How accessible is the harddrive to swap in a new one?

[Bee]

I think it's rather simple to do although I haven't done it myself. There are step by step instructions available online (you can check the tivo community forum for details). Just a warning, I think it does void your warranty (although the warranty isn't anything to write home about IMO).

[ice4277]

Thanks for the info guys, I am pretty much sold on the TiVo over ReplayTV. Now its just a matter of deciding which one to get.

[finkenst]

Just a warning, I think it does void your warranty (although the warranty isn't anything to write home about IMO).

It does void you warranty as soon as you break the seal to the box...

Now, as for the warranty, you have to consider what you have to do if your TiVo dies... That is, buy a new TiVo -and- a new Lifetime service if you void your warranty.

If your TiVo warranty is valid (after expiration), then if something fails you only pay for the part that's broke. My sound processing chip got fried in a lightning strike, and I only paid about $130 for a new 30 hour TiVo with the lifetime service transferred. My sister's modem died one day and she paid about $75-90 to get that replaced by the Philips TiVo people...

Of course these are TiVo Series1's with the analog modem only, no built-in ethernet like the new TiVo Series2 have. You just plug them into your home LAN and download everything via the internet.

--tim

[finkenst]

Dola...

All that being said:

I heart TiVo.

[uglytuco]

I got the DirectDVR or whatever they called it. It was $100 on a special deal I think theyre still running. i got it at Best Buy.

From what I just read on that site that was provided by tyketime (thx) that unit might be one of the best. I think its rated at 30 hrs, but since it only records at the highest quality, that should be equal to a much higher hourly rating on the other units. Maybe those who know more could enlighten us on that.

As far as enjoying it. I could go on for hours. Dont know how I lived without it. $5 a month?? You betcha!! Who cares? Youll never watch live TV again. I wait and start watching all shows halfway through and always catch up by the end.

I could go on and on, but I think youre already sold on Tivo. The greatest invention since the remote control.

[Ragone]

I have replay tv.. and quite honestly it does basically everything thats been mentioned.. however.. here is the catch with either tivo/replay tv.. Replay will record shows based on your suggestions (eg:4 star rated movies)


it will not record past cable channel 69.. don't ask me why.. i've had 0 luck with replay.. and my buddy has similar problems with tivo.. so i dunno.

I think they were designed with satellite in mind..

[Grid Iron]

As a DirectTV Tivo DVR owner, I say go with Tivo. I have a 35 hour unit.

My only suggestion is to go with the 80 hour unit. I wish I had paid the extra $100 or so because I'm never going to go out and buy a whole new system and I could use the space for keeping my favorite classics.

[ice4277]

Originally posted by Ragone
it will not record past cable channel 69.. don't ask me why.. i've had 0 luck with replay.. and my buddy has similar problems with tivo.. so i dunno.

I think they were designed with satellite in mind..

Hmm, has anybody else had this problem? I have digital cable so that definitely would not be good but, I haven't heard anything like this before.

[Bee]

Originally posted by ice4277
Hmm, has anybody else had this problem? I have digital cable so that definitely would not be good but, I haven't heard anything like this before.

I have digital cable and have no problems with it recording any of the channels. That problem might be specific to their local cable setup? I've never heard of that problem, so I'm just guessing.

[Peregrine]

Ice, if you have digital cable, one suggestion I have is to check with your cable company to see if they offer one of the new DVR cable boxes. Our cable company here is Time Warner, and several of my friends have a cable box now with Tivo-like functionality built in. It doesn't have all the features of a Tivo, but it lets you do the basics, record things, search, etc, and it's cheap, the box only costs maybe a couple extra dollars a month, with nothing up front. It's a decent option if cost is a big concern.

[Bee]

Originally posted by Peregrine
Ice, if you have digital cable, one suggestion I have is to check with your cable company to see if they offer one of the new DVR cable boxes. Our cable company here is Time Warner, and several of my friends have a cable box now with Tivo-like functionality built in. It doesn't have all the features of a Tivo, but it lets you do the basics, record things, search, etc, and it's cheap, the box only costs maybe a couple extra dollars a month, with nothing up front. It's a decent option if cost is a big concern.

That's a good point. I looked into it here. We have Cox Cable and they offer one that the box is the same cost as the regular box, but you pay $10 a month extra for the service. Not a bad deal if you don't already own a Tivo.

[ice4277]

Originally posted by Peregrine
Ice, if you have digital cable, one suggestion I have is to check with your cable company to see if they offer one of the new DVR cable boxes. Our cable company here is Time Warner, and several of my friends have a cable box now with Tivo-like functionality built in. It doesn't have all the features of a Tivo, but it lets you do the basics, record things, search, etc, and it's cheap, the box only costs maybe a couple extra dollars a month, with nothing up front. It's a decent option if cost is a big concern.

Yeah, I have checked into that; we have Comcast, and when I called, the service rep didn't even know what it was :rolleyes: I am not a big fan of Comcast and may be cancelling the service anyways, especially as I have heard that they are raising their rates AGAIN.

[ice4277]

dola

One other quick question, if I move and have paid for the TiVo service, is it transferrable to another address?

[Peregrine]

Yes, it is transferrable, in fact you don't have to do anything except change your billing address with Tivo, and when you get to your new place, go to the setup screen again, and put in your local dialing numbers, cable system stuff, etc. Pretty easy.

One note, if you are considering cancelling cable, I changed over from digital cable to DirecTV in August (so I could get NFL Sunday Ticket) and I have been very happy with the DirecTivo I got along with it. More storage than my old unit, it has two tuners so you can record two things at once on different channels, and the service fees are only $5/month compared to $12.95ish for regular Tivo.

[MizzouRah]

Get the 80gb one, we have one and I'm glad we got the 80hrs of recording instead of the 40hrs.

Let's see, we have about 12 Dora Dora's, 7-8 various movies, and some odds and inns... and still have alot of time left, but wouldn't with the 40gb one.


Todd

[sturmie]

well, i have 3 ReplayTVs and couldn't live w/o em. the really sweet thing about the RTVs is that they come out of the box w/ network and show sharing (across the LAN--the older 50xx models can do across the Internet as well). basically, i can record something in the living room and watch it in the bedroom while i'm on the treadmill :). Tivo has this as well (i think), but it's not an "out of the box" solution--u either need to hack it and add a NIC card or purchase an extra package.

another cool feature of the RTVs is the ability to easily pull ur shows across to ur PC (in MPEG2/DVD format) and burn em to DVD--again, Tivo can do this, but not w/o a little work.

also, don't get fooled/confused by the prices--ie, lifetime activation, 3yr activation, monthly, etc. the ReplayTVs and the Tivos both are about the same in price. Tivo may seem cheaper w/ an upfront price of ~$200, but the ~$12 monthly fee will make it more expensive than the $500 for the RTV 5504 in the long run--sneaky marketing technique, but very effective on Tivo's part.

lastly, if ur lucky enough to get a 5040 or 5080 (the previous line of RTVs), they have Commercial Advance included (it has been disabled in the 55xx models)--which, works quite well for the most part in auto-skipping commercials of recorded shows...there is a also a 30-second skip feature like the Tivo has.

u can read more or ask questions about ReplayTV on their "unofficial" support forum at AVSForum.com (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=27). trust me, u'll get so attached to ur DVR, ur gonna wanna make the most educated decision possible here :).

hope this helps...sturmie

btw, upgrading the hard drive is a snap in both the RTVs (i upgraded 2 of my 3 units) and the Tivos (from what i understand).

[Kodos]

I'm moving in early January, and one of the happiest aspects of that is that I'm getting DirecTivo and getting rid of Comcast. I hate that stupid company...

[CentralMassHokie]

Just to add to the chorus, I've had a 40GB Tivo upgraded to 160GB for about the past year.

I can't live without it. I just set it to record everything on the highest quality (which gives me a little over 50 hours total). I've got something like 30 season passes, a bunch of auto-record wishlists, and I just browse through the movie listings once or twice a month to ensure I get my money's worth from HBO.

Bar none, my best purchase from the last few years.

[Jon]

I was just told by my cable company that (Comcast) that TIVO is not compatible with our digital box. Has anyone heard of that before?

[tyketime]

First of all, that is NOT true. Beware a marketing ploy as I understand Comcast has a deal with another company to provide DVR capability in their boxes.

I will say that you need to think through your setup and how to incorporate your Tivo into your overall system. My Tivo came with an infrared controller (actually two signal emitters to attach to the top and bottom of your cable box) that you could set up in front of the digital box. So when one of your programs is ready to record, it will change the digital box to the correct channel and begin the recording.

Your TV/Receiver may need multiple audio/video inputs to handle the various devices, but it works for me.

Any others have a problem with a digital cable box setup?

[CentralMassHokie]

No problem - I've got a Comcast Digital Cable Box (the HD model). Works like a charm.

In fact, with like 99% of Comcast's digital cable boxes you can use the serial port to control the cable box, which is infinitely more reliable than using the IR emitters.

[ice4277]

So, is it possible to record one thing with a digital cable box while watching something else? I have read conflicting reports on this.

[Jon]

Originally posted by CentralMassHokie
No problem - I've got a Comcast Digital Cable Box (the HD model). Works like a charm.

In fact, with like 99% of Comcast's digital cable boxes you can use the serial port to control the cable box, which is infinitely more reliable than using the IR emitters.

A coupl eof more questions:
(1) What's teh HD model? I have a Motorola.

(2) Will I need to buy more cables?

(3) Is it easy to install?

thanks for all of the help. Making my girlfriend happy will make me happy.;)

[Bee]

Originally posted by ice4277
So, is it possible to record one thing with a digital cable box while watching something else? I have read conflicting reports on this.

I think there are work arounds using two boxes, etc but in general, the answer is no. You can watch a show on Tivo while recording another though. That's probably why you've heard conflicting reports. Live TV- no, Recorded show - yes.

[sturmie]

Originally posted by ice4277
So, is it possible to record one thing with a digital cable box while watching something else? I have read conflicting reports on this.

if ur talking about using a DVR (RTV/Tivo) to record something and watch something else simultaneaously, it can be done--with (at least) 2 different inputs. here's my setup:

ANT A - regular cable (split coax cable)
ANT B - regular cable (split coax)
DTV - dvd player (component cables)
COMP 1 - high definition tuner from ComCast (component)
COMP 2 - PS2 (component)
INPUT 1 - ReplayTV w/ DirecTV (s-video) and regular cable (coax)
INPUT 2 - nothing
INPUT 3 - nothing

now, i realize that not all TVs have 8 video inputs, but most nowadays have at least 2--and the RTVs have 3 inputs (including the coax cable) as well.

anyway, if i'm recording something on DirecTV or off local cable w/ the RTV on INPUT 1, i simply flip over to ANT A/B or to COMP 1 (if the program is in HD) to watch live TV *shudder*-- i never watch live anymore unless it's a sporting event or something i wanna see in HD.

in a simpler setup, u would have something like:

TV (coax jack) - regular cable (coax)
INPUT 1 - ReplayTV w/ digital cable box (s-video) and/or regular cable (coax)

if ur recording something on the RTV, all u would have to do is switch over to TV to watch something else. now, if u wanted to watch something else off HBO (or something that u need the dig cable box for) ur SOL--u would need two dig cable boxes to acheive this.

the way around that problem is to get the newer DirecTivo that has a dual-tuner in it (i believe) so that it splits the DirecTV signal allowing u to watch/record something at the same time.

sturmie

[ice4277]

OK, thanks, I think I found a diagram that shows how to do this on the TiVo website, but its nice to see that a real live person got it working. That gives me at least half a chance :D