Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

I've just started looking into Tivo, and have a few questions:

Are the subscription services nessisary for normal operation? I guess
I'm not clear on what the tivo box does and what the service does.

Also, how much bandwidth would one use in a month? The reason I ask is
that I have a cable modem and am capped at 15gig a month of traffic
(Up + Down).

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

GTD wrote:
> I've just started looking into Tivo, and have a few questions:

What kind of TiVo are you looking at?

Standalone = local broadcasts, unscrambled analog cable channels,
A/V inputs for external tuner/sat-receiver/cable-box.

TiVo with DVD recorder = Standalone that can record programs
or groups of programs to a DVD. Certain models
can operate without a TiVo subscription. This
"Basic Service" is free but limited.

DirecTV combo units = satellite only, but has two tuners.

HD DirecTiVo = High-definition DirecTV (two satellite tuners)
and local digital broadcast (two ATSC tuners).
Does not do analog broadcasts nor cable-TV.

A TiVo subscription is required for all but the ones that come
with Basic Service (or the older Series 1 units).

> Also, how much bandwidth would one use in a month?

I haven't measured it, but I expect it is in the neighborhood
of 60 KB every two days. Less than 1 MB per month (except when
there is a software upgrade, and that is probably only 100 MB).

-Joe

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"GTD" <duuh@stoopid.net> wrote in message
news:7pbsb1tia2okfeaf7r62tvsvdc1r0nois4@4ax.com...
> I've just started looking into Tivo, and have a few questions:
>
> Are the subscription services nessisary for normal operation? I guess
> I'm not clear on what the tivo box does and what the service does.

The service essentially provides you with the ability to do everything that
a Tivo was meant to do. Without paid service all you'd be able to do is
watch live TV with the ability to pause it for up to 30 minutes (that's the
capacity of the live tv buffer). The few models that include Tivo basic
allow you to record, but w/o all of the bells and whistles (no Wish Lists,
Season Passes, Searching, etc.) and only privide a couple days worth of
guide data. An old series 1 Tivo such as the Philips HDRxxx or Sony
SVR2000 will have no guide data at all w/o a subscription, but can record by
time and channel - Note that a very small percentage of these may not be
able to function at all w/o service.

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"Joe Smith" <joe@inwap.com> wrote in message
news:fdKdnafqb9Fa4SPfRVn-vg@comcast.com...
-box.
>
> TiVo with DVD recorder = Standalone that can record programs
> or groups of programs to a DVD. Certain models
> can operate without a TiVo subscription. This
> "Basic Service" is free but limited.


When Tivo is combined with another 'utility' in the same box it is no more a
standalone than a D*Tivo.
It makes as much sense as calling a car a "coupe" with a back seat that has
it's own set of doors.

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Zarrdoz wrote:
> "Joe Smith" <joe@inwap.com> wrote in message
> news:fdKdnafqb9Fa4SPfRVn-vg@comcast.com...
> -box.
>
>> TiVo with DVD recorder = Standalone that can record programs
>> or groups of programs to a DVD. Certain models
>> can operate without a TiVo subscription. This
>> "Basic Service" is free but limited.
>
>
>
> When Tivo is combined with another 'utility' in the same box it is no more a
> standalone than a D*Tivo.
> It makes as much sense as calling a car a "coupe" with a back seat that has
> it's own set of doors.
>
>

Hmm, I think I disagree. A "Standalone" Tivo is one that isn't tied to
a particular signal provider. D*Tivo's require Directv to operate,
hence are not stanalone. Tivo/DVD recorder models can operate with any
service provider, just like a DVR only model can, and hence should be
classed with them. To me, one is a DVR-only model, the other is DVD
recorder integrated. It takes an integrated proprietary tuner (or other
proprietary connectivity requirement) to make it non-standalone. If
Comcast comes out with a proprietary cable Tivo DVR then that would be
non-standalone as well.

Randy S.

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 18:25:34 -0500, "Zarrdoz" <thewiz@emcty.com>
wrote:

>
>"GTD" <duuh@stoopid.net> wrote in message
>news:7pbsb1tia2okfeaf7r62tvsvdc1r0nois4@4ax.com...
>> I've just started looking into Tivo, and have a few questions:
>>
>> Are the subscription services nessisary for normal operation? I guess
>> I'm not clear on what the tivo box does and what the service does.
>
>The service essentially provides you with the ability to do everything that
>a Tivo was meant to do. Without paid service all you'd be able to do is
>watch live TV with the ability to pause it for up to 30 minutes (that's the
>capacity of the live tv buffer). The few models that include Tivo basic
>allow you to record, but w/o all of the bells and whistles (no Wish Lists,
>Season Passes, Searching, etc.) and only privide a couple days worth of
>guide data. An old series 1 Tivo such as the Philips HDRxxx or Sony
>SVR2000 will have no guide data at all w/o a subscription, but can record by
>time and channel - Note that a very small percentage of these may not be
>able to function at all w/o service.
>
Thanks, That's much of the info I was wondering about.

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"Randy S." <Randy@nospam.com> wrote in message
news9nkts$ghq$1@spnode25.nerdc.ufl.edu...
>>
>
> Hmm, I think I disagree.

Whatever. Be sure to let us know when you make up your mind.
I prefer to believe that something that is combined does not stand alone.

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Zarrdoz wrote:
> "Randy S." <Randy@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news9nkts$ghq$1@spnode25.nerdc.ufl.edu...
>
>>Hmm, I think I disagree.
>
>
> Whatever. Be sure to let us know when you make up your mind.
> I prefer to believe that something that is combined does not stand alone.

Do you not understand when someone is being "polite"? I prefer to
believe that something that cannot *operate* alone is not standalone.
Something that is "integrated" has more than one function, but may or
may not be standalone.

Randy S.

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

* Zarrdoz wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:

> "Joe Smith" <joe@inwap.com> wrote in message
> news:fdKdnafqb9Fa4SPfRVn-vg@comcast.com...
> -box.

>> TiVo with DVD recorder = Standalone that can record programs
>> or groups of programs to a DVD. Certain models
>> can operate without a TiVo subscription. This
>> "Basic Service" is free but limited.


> When Tivo is combined with another 'utility' in the same box it is no more a
> standalone than a D*Tivo.

Says who? The definition of SA means you can use it with ANY input, that
fact that you apply the term to the fact that the box does nothing else
makes no sense if it did a DirecTivo would be a Standalone also.

--
David
High heels are a device invented by a woman who was tired of being kissed
on the forehead.

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 20:56:59 -0800, GTD wrote:

>
> Also, how much bandwidth would one use in a month? The reason I ask is
> that I have a cable modem and am capped at 15gig a month of traffic
> (Up + Down).
>
> Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

TiVo doesn't use any of your cable modem's bandwidth at all. That 15 gig
goes to your internet use, not your TV (ot TiVo) use.

Brad Houser
Tivo Upgrades: http://siliconvalleyupgrades.com

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Brad Houser <bradDOThouser@intel.com> wrote in news:h2l2torozbti
$.lwwxwgno4nbm$.dlg@40tude.net:

> On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 20:56:59 -0800, GTD wrote:
>
>>
>> Also, how much bandwidth would one use in a month? The reason I ask is
>> that I have a cable modem and am capped at 15gig a month of traffic
>> (Up + Down).
>>
>> Any help will be appreciated. Thanks
>
> TiVo doesn't use any of your cable modem's bandwidth at all. That 15 gig
> goes to your internet use, not your TV (ot TiVo) use.

I would be amazed that you claim to be able to upgrade a TiVo and don't
know you can hook it to your home network...but considering the number of
'consultants' I've seen who need help in getting a computer to power up,
I'm not amazed at all.

--
Minister of All Things Digital & Electronic, and Holder of Past Knowledge
stile99@email.com. Cabal# 24601-fnord | Sleep is irrelevant.
I speak for no one but myself, and |Caffeine will be assimilated.
no one else speaks for me. O- | Decaf is futile.

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Zarrdoz wrote:
> "Joe Smith" <joe@inwap.com> wrote in message
> news:fdKdnafqb9Fa4SPfRVn-vg@comcast.com...
> -box.
>
>> TiVo with DVD recorder = Standalone that can record programs
>> or groups of programs to a DVD. Certain models
>> can operate without a TiVo subscription. This
>> "Basic Service" is free but limited.
>
>
>
> When Tivo is combined with another 'utility' in the same box it is no more a
> standalone than a D*Tivo.

Once upon a time, there were only two types of TiVo:
The kind that lived inside a DirecTV receiver.
The kind that is standalone, not being inside of something else.

Agreed, "standalone with DVD recorder" is stretching that definition.
-Joe

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"SINNER" <99nesorjd@gates_of_hell.invalid> wrote in message
news:e965p2xs24.ln2@news.gates_of_hell.com...
>* Zarrdoz wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
>
>> "Joe Smith" <joe@inwap.com> wrote in message
>> news:fdKdnafqb9Fa4SPfRVn-vg@comcast.com...
>> -box.
>
>>> TiVo with DVD recorder = Standalone that can record programs
>>> or groups of programs to a DVD. Certain models
>>> can operate without a TiVo subscription. This
>>> "Basic Service" is free but limited.
>
>
>> When Tivo is combined with another 'utility' in the same box it is no
>> more a
>> standalone than a D*Tivo.
>
> Says who? The definition of SA means you can use it with ANY input, that

Says who? If you want to get technical/literal, no Tivo is SA. How can it
be SA if it requires an outside source to make it function?


> fact that you apply the term to the fact that the box does nothing else
> makes no sense if it did a DirecTivo would be a Standalone also.

Not at all.
D* - recieves satellite signal and sends it to your TV -- that's one purpose
D*Tivo - recieves satellite signal, records it, sends it to your TV --
that's two i.e. not SA.