ClarkKentKY

I got a refurbished Series 2 40 Hour Tivo directly from Tivo. I set it up yesterday and immediatly noticed some problems. While watching Tv my picture quality is much grainier than before. I'd say it's about a 15-20% drop in quality. Also i'm noticing a sort of pixelation on my screen. I notice it on flesh tones and black areas, but it's most noticable around logo's and on screen graphics (Those on the show, not put up by the Tivo. All the Tivo menus and the Intro video look crystal clear) ... For example i was watching Celebrity poker last night and i couldn't even see who had what hands, because the graphics of the hands in the corner were pixelated. The TV guide channel is unwatchable and the pixelation is MOST noticeable on there. But i also see it above news tickers on MSNBC and FOX"NEWS". Keep in mind this is all while watching Live TV through the Tivo, not a recording.

Also, when i change to a new channel the picture gets progressivly lighter for about 2 seconds then abruptly goes back to the brightness level it started at.

This could be a potential deal breaker for me. I like the idea of having a Tivo, but not the cost of 20% dip in picture quality and the other annoyances. After holding with Tivo Customer service for an hour last night the guy couldn't help and offered an exchange for me. Did i just get a lackluster Tivo or is this normal on all of them? Has anyone had this trouble before, or heard of this? Anyone else notice the pixely stuff?




(I've been over to tivocommunity and searched through old threads. Some people have described what sounds similar to my problem, but not many people, and nobody ever posts a resolution. The only suggestion over there was to turn the sharpness down on your TV all the way... So now i have a blurry picture as well as all the problems mentioned above.)

rfduncan

If you're that interested in TiVo, perhaps a refurb as your first and only unit isn't the way to go...

Chew

Maybe a dumb question, but is the buffer set for low quality? Being a refurb, maybe it came from the factory set that way?

Have you recorded anything at the different quality settings?

ClarkKentKY

Chew, help me out, i'm new to the navigation... Where can i check the buffer?

I recorded a mix up of the qualities last night. The only one i really liked was Best. Basic and Medium were unwatchable. High seemed okay but not great.

Chew

Check here for some help on this topic: http://customersupport.tivo.com/tivo...ic/tv1074.htm?

It's been a while since I had a standalone, looks like the buffer should always be at Best quality. Best quality shouldn't be any worse than what it was without TiVo. If that's the case, I would send mine back.

fujishig

Uh... the quality will be a little worse than without a standalone Tivo, but how much worse depends on how sensitive you are to such things. Certainly the kind of degredation you're getting is too much... have you checked all of the connections? Obviously adding a TIVO means adding an additional layer of cabling...

Jadzia

Do you have it connected through a VCR? Almost sounds like Macrovision or something.

ClarkKentKY

When i added the Tivo link to the chain, i took out the VCR. I have the cable going to the Tivo and straight out to the TV. Nothing else. And i've tried both Coax and RCA and S-video between the TV and Tivo. The problems are present on all.

Chew

Ahhh, just switch to DirecTV, get a DirecTiVo and you won't have any of these problems. Not only will the picture be better to begin with, your TiVo recordings will be straight digital (not analog to digital like the standalone).

ClarkKentKY

... In a perfect world. But if i had the scratch to do that i wouldn't be buying a 49$ refurb in the first place.

Chew

An extra $50 for a brand new TiVo with two tuners (to record two stuff at once) for about the same price as cable per month??

fujishig

While DirecTIVO is definitely the way to go, I know that it's not for everyone (especially in my apartment complex, which made me take down my dish).

I would try returning the refurb, but I wouldn't give up on TIVO just yet. It may be a faulty hard drive or something to that effect. But I can't overstate how incredible a device Tivo really is... it's worth it to maybe borrow a friend's and see if it's really a problem with that device.

ClarkKentKY

As it stands now, i'd return it. But the CSR guy offered me an exchange so i'll do that. If i get the replacement and i notice the same issues i'll just return that one for good and revisit DVR in another year or two.