NC-36

Just login to your Directv account, go to "purchase new hardware" or whatever it says, and type the code "ffdvr" in the box. The offer should appear on the next page. It includes an installation to run the second line to the room with the receiver, if necessary.

As popular as the DirecTiVo is around here, why not get a second (or third, etc) at this excellent price ?

chrisih8u

Thanks! This will be my first tivo. Anyone know how involved installation is? The cable goes from on side of the building, through my bedroom, to the living room. Are they going to have do anything other than in the living room? Or are they just going to switch the receivers?

huzefa

They might have to run a second line (depending on how many receivers are in the living room). The DirecTivo requires 2 tuners to work properly (it'll work with 1 too, but at half its efficiency). If you have two lines coming into your living room, then it's a simple matter of unplugging the existing receiver and replacing it with the DirecTivo. Prepare for your life to be changed!!

chrisih8u

I only have 1 receiver in the living room. So I guess they're gonna have to put another cable in through to the tv ion the living room? I have 1 cable that goes through the bedroom wall and into the living room. So does there need to be 2 cables? If thats the case, I'm gonna have to clean the bedroom too.

huzefa

I'm a little confused as to that cable that goes through the bedroom wall and into the living room does? Is it a whole other cable or is it the cable that feeds the living room receiver? If it's a whole other cable, then you might not need another cable line installed. However if it's the same one as the one going into the living room receiver, then you'll have to have another cable installed in order to use the 2nd tuner on the DirecTivo.

whotony

you have to sign on for one of the programming packages to get it for this price, don't you?

i'm grandfathered to the old ala carte programming. and if i ever upgraded to a package i can never go back.
right now i have just hbo and showtime plus the hd package.

if i ever wanted to remove the programming upgrade i would lose the hbo and showtime too.

chrisih8u

Yes, this one cable goes through my bedroom, through the bedroom wall, into the living room, and into the receiver. There is only 1 cable.

bralph

This would be a great deal, but I think I'm already at my max because of my HD. I had a multiswitch for up to 8 lines, but when I got HD it has it's own built-in 4-port multiswitch so I could no longer use the 8-port.

In fact, I already have too many with HD (1), DirecTivo (2), bedroom (1) and basement (1), so I use an old A/B switch in the basement. When I want to watch TV in the basement, I hit the A/B switch and send the feed from the bedroom to the basement. How can I make this work?

Wizdar

Does this Tivo require an upgraded dish? I've got one of the 2 receiver deals that doesn't have a dual LNB. I know I can't record 2 shows at once, but I assume I can watch one while recording another at the same time?

When I got this installed, I asked the installer about Tivo, and he told me that they have a new one that doesn’t require a dual LNB. Is that smoke coming outta my butt?

huzefa

As far as I know, all the DirecTivo's are dual-tuner. They might come out with one later on, but we haven't heard anything about it yet.

You don't necessarily need the upgraded dish. You only require that dish if you want HD channels, or spanish-language programming. Otherwise you're fine with the dish you have.

Chew

If I remember set-up correctly on the DirecTiVo, you should be able to set it up with only one line coming in. At which point you can watch one while recording another.

djbrown

A DirecTivo will work with just one line coming from the dish, but you won't be able to watch a show live while recording another. You'll be limited to one tuner. There's no 1x4 switch or anything. You can get a dual LNB dish, or you can just buy the Dual LNB part and screw it on in place of the Single LNB. That's what we did 20 months ago. The dual LNB itself was like $20 at Best Buy.

bottom line? you need 2 lines coming from the Dish to get DTivo to work properly.

NC-36

If you have 2 receivers, then you have a dual-output, single LNB dish. If you upgrade one of your regular receivers to a DirecTiVo, you will need 3 lines total (2 to the DTiVo, 1 to the remaining receiver) so you would need a multiswitch. They might give you the triple-LNB dish with a built-in 4-out multiswitch, or just add a 2-in/4-out switch to your existing setup.

The deal includes any necessary installation hardware and work required to have 2 lines running to the DirecTiVo and any other receivers in the house. A new multiswitch, new dish for locals, cabling, whatever - it's all thrown in at no extra charge.

You MUST have 2 lines from the dish or multiswitch going into the DirecTiVo receiver in order to record 2 shows at once - one line for each tuner in the box. You can then watch a third previously recorded show, and do it all at the same time.

Without that second line, the box will function like a regular TiVo hooked up to a Directv receiver, but that's just handicapping its auto-conflict resolution and dual-buffering capabilities. So call them and get the ball rolling already

Wizdar

Alright already! It's done.

Now I'm wondering if I want a 2nd Tivo for the other room -- and what I'm gonna do with the extra receiver.

Is this how it starts? This sleezy guy on a street corner offers you a “sweet deal” for the initial setup. Then there’s this one for the DVR. I’m already thinking of a second DVR. Of course I’ll wanna hack it just as soon as the installer leaves. Soon I’ll have a receiver in my bathroom.

GODS, what have I gotten myself into!!?!

Chew

Heh Heh Heh!!

toneloc

You can use a 4x8 cascadable multiswitch, the four lines from the dish go to the new multiswitch and the 8 outputs go to your multiple receivers.

Mazje

First of all, THANK YOU DVD TALK for yet another great bargain. My Directivo at $99 is on the way. In the interest of community spirit, I thought I'd pass on this little tidbit about this deal. I asked the guy how long the deal was going on and he said "as long as they last." According to him, there's a limited supply (now what that means, I don't know. Obviously, there's a finite amount of them, but if they've got 100 or 10,000 in their warehouse, who knows?). So you may want to act a little quicker on this if you're thinking about it. Just my two cents worth.

rfduncan

EXCELLENT POST! FINALLY I'll have TiVo just in time for the new Fall season. No more missing 24.

blakwngbrd

Mine was installed yesterday - thanks! (Now we have two )

kramdenfan

I have a dual LMB with 2 receivers. If I get the Tivo, could I just put a good splitter on one of the lines and get the dual tuner out of Tivo?

djbrown

Splitters won't work with DTivos. What you'll want is a simple 2x4 multiswitch, which DirecTv will provide you if you order directly thru them.

Don't mess with splitter hell. It's not worth the hassle, especially when DirecTv will install you the required multiswitch for free when using this offer.

kramdenfan

That is great news!! Thanks for the tip, DJBrown- and thanks for the post NC-36!

lysander

So I have been a DIRECTV subscriber for about a year. I ordered the NFL Sunday Ticket this year as a sunday ticket subscriber, the "deal" offered me was a TIVO DIREC receiver installed for $179 +s&h. This was about a month ago. Why is there such a discrepency in price? Was th $99 a special deal or something?

What a rip off for me.

whotony

did you input the code..code "ffdvr" when you ordered?

lysander

no i didn't. I ordered over the phone and the "entertainment consultant" told me of the deal.