Doggmatic Posted July 18, 2004 Share Posted July 18, 2004 Since I got a kid coming, like any day, I was thinking I should get a Tivo so I can watch Redskins games around my child's schedule. Can anyone give some advice on such a thing? Any bad things about Tivo? I see there is some sort of subscription business they have going on - does that mean that I can't just buy the unit and use it like a VCR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuck Posted July 18, 2004 Share Posted July 18, 2004 Originally posted by Doggmatica Johnson Since I got a kid coming, like any day, I was thinking I should get a Tivo so I can watch Redskins games around my child's schedule. Can anyone give some advice on such a thing? Any bad things about Tivo? I see there is some sort of subscription business they have going on - does that mean that I can't just buy the unit and use it like a VCR? I just got Tivo and love it. It's very cool. I have direcTv so it was really cheap. I picked up the unit from Best Buy for $79 and pay something like $4.99 a month for the service. If you have direcTV it's probably better to buy the unit from them because then they install it for free. I actually called them up and spoke with a manager and got them to add the extra satellite cable for free. It's not standard practice though. It is worlds better than a VCR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doggmatic Posted July 18, 2004 Author Share Posted July 18, 2004 Yeah - I've got Directv already, or at least, I renew it every august for football. I don't watch TV otherwise. I was looking at the DirecTV receiver with Tivo built into it. So, I would have to pay a Tivo subscription anyway, even if I did that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuck Posted July 18, 2004 Share Posted July 18, 2004 Originally posted by Doggmatica Johnson Yeah - I've got Directv already, or at least, I renew it every august for football. I don't watch TV otherwise. I was looking at the DirecTV receiver with Tivo built into it. So, I would have to pay a Tivo subscription anyway, even if I did that? Yeah, that's what I have. DirecTV has an offer where you can buy the unit for $99. I think they charge an extra $14 for the installation or something. The unit I got at Best Buy for $79 is the same unit they use with the receiver built in. I was able to get them to install it for free. It's probably easiest to just get it from them. I had to call up and speak to a manager. It's not that much more to do it the normal way.The Tivo subscription is $4.99 a month I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpillian Posted July 18, 2004 Share Posted July 18, 2004 The best money you'll spend this year. Changes your TV viewing habits. Channel surfer? No more -- just watch your fave shows on your schedule. And I'm extremely pumped to have all the slow mo and stuff for Skins games this year. Zuck has shot you straight on the details -- very convenient investment. Congrats on the upcoming kiddo, BTW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCBnG21 Posted July 18, 2004 Share Posted July 18, 2004 You think it's no big deal now. Then when you get it....you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. I didn't think I'd really care about it, but it is a beautiful, beautiful, thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doggmatic Posted July 18, 2004 Author Share Posted July 18, 2004 Congrats on the upcoming kiddo, BTW! Thank you sir. We are quite excited. I mean, I'll love him and all... but I got to see my Skins in their entirety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted July 18, 2004 Share Posted July 18, 2004 You'll never go back once you get Tivo. Since you have DirecTV you'll go with the combo unit. The upside is you'll get to manipulate things around your changing schedule. The only downside is that a Tivo is just a computer. And in this case it's a computer running 24 hours a day, with the hard drive in CONSTANT motion. It'll eventually break. I've had great luck with my existing Tivo though as it's gone two plus years now with no issues at all of consequence. So, just make sure you budget the occasional replacement box and you'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doggmatic Posted July 18, 2004 Author Share Posted July 18, 2004 Really? It runs constantly? Sounds like its destined to fail. Well, once I get it, its on to getting a DVD Burner and hacking the Skins games recordings off it to burn for later watchage. I've got to research that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbooma Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Originally posted by Doggmatica Johnson Since I got a kid coming, like any day, I was thinking I should get a Tivo so I can watch Redskins games around my child's schedule. Can anyone give some advice on such a thing? Any bad things about Tivo? I see there is some sort of subscription business they have going on - does that mean that I can't just buy the unit and use it like a VCR? If you want TIVO and don't want to pay for the service well you can get that. Toshiba has a DVD/TIVO device that comes with basic TIVO built-in. Now you don't get the season pass and the only downside is you only can save up to 3 days in advance, which is still enough. The service is free so you don't have to pay the $12 a month everyone else does, except the directtv people who pay $6. The device is an 80 hr gig hd as well, and plays every disc possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebowski Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Nothing to think about. Get it. It is one of the greatest inventions of our time. I was never shy about programming my VCR, but this makes every thing so easy I never watch anything when its actually on anymore. I just set it for my shows and watch them whenever I want with no comercials. I never just sit in front of the TV flipping around and wasting time. Its marvelous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDane Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Congrats on your upcoming baby! I got my Phillips TiVo in the winter of 2000/2001 and it still works perfectly to this day. And I give it plenty of workout. Like a lot of people have already said, it completely changes your viewing habits. It's great for football, yes, but it's great also for those shows at odd times that you'd like to record and watch later. In addition, I love the pause-live-action feature; great for those times where your new baby will be napping and you'll be able to catch the game live. Being able to real-time rewind something you missed, that's most excellent as well. And for those shows you've taped, you can fast forward right through commercials with ease. Aside from sports, my wife and I rarely watch live TV now. And I mean rarely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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