So, I am finally getting a PVR in 2 days
09-23-03, 11:57 PM
#1
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
So, I am finally getting a PVR in 2 days
Went with the cable companies option for a few reasons:
1.I cannot get DirecTV where I live, so DirecTiVo is not an option, and I am here for at least another 9 months.
2.It's only $6.95/month (yes, I realize I do not own the box).
3.It has a dual tuner.
4.I never have to miss Around the Horn or PTI again
(this is worth the 7 bucks a month alone).
So, is this really gonna change my life?
1.I cannot get DirecTV where I live, so DirecTiVo is not an option, and I am here for at least another 9 months.
2.It's only $6.95/month (yes, I realize I do not own the box).
3.It has a dual tuner.
4.I never have to miss Around the Horn or PTI again
(this is worth the 7 bucks a month alone).So, is this really gonna change my life?
09-24-03, 08:48 AM
#7
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
On a more serious note, I just got my PVR a couple of weeks ago and it rules! LOVE it.
No more videotape for me. So long, jerkass!
Seriously, it's really handy. I only have the single-tuner one, but it's still great. I love that it downloads the week's worth of the guide. Also, pausing and rewinding live TV is great too. And now it's so easy to record shows. Love it, love it.
X
No more videotape for me. So long, jerkass!
Seriously, it's really handy. I only have the single-tuner one, but it's still great. I love that it downloads the week's worth of the guide. Also, pausing and rewinding live TV is great too. And now it's so easy to record shows. Love it, love it.
X
09-24-03, 10:09 AM
#8
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
On a more serious note, which shows can I jump into this season without being too lost? These shows are out, for various reasons: Alias, 24 (will record Season 3) & Angel. Anything else is fair game, and I am open to trying anything.
09-24-03, 10:17 AM
#9
DVD Talk Legend
To channel-surf is human, to time-shift divine!
What do you mean by "out" when you are "recording" 24? You aren't putting those on TAPE are you!?!?! *gasp *
Also, do you have any movie channels like HBO/Showtime?
What do you mean by "out" when you are "recording" 24? You aren't putting those on TAPE are you!?!?! *gasp *
Also, do you have any movie channels like HBO/Showtime?
09-24-03, 10:57 AM
#11
DVD Talk Special Edition
Originally posted by Quake1028
On a more serious note, which shows can I jump into this season without being too lost? These shows are out, for various reasons: Alias, 24 (will record Season 3) & Angel. Anything else is fair game, and I am open to trying anything.
On a more serious note, which shows can I jump into this season without being too lost? These shows are out, for various reasons: Alias, 24 (will record Season 3) & Angel. Anything else is fair game, and I am open to trying anything.
09-24-03, 11:06 AM
#12
DVD Talk Legend
Originally posted by Quake1028
I mean I will be PVR'ing 24 to watch sometime after I watch Season 2.
Yes, I have digi cable with HBO & Cinemax.
I mean I will be PVR'ing 24 to watch sometime after I watch Season 2.
Yes, I have digi cable with HBO & Cinemax.
...40 hour DVR
...24 episodes of 24
HBO:
Old favorites - Sopranos/6 feet under/Sex and the City/Oz
Newer favorites - CYE/The Wire/Carnivale
09-24-03, 11:16 AM
#13
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Re: So, I am finally getting a PVR in 2 days
Originally posted by Quake1028
Went with the cable companies option for a few reasons:
1.I cannot get DirecTV where I live, so DirecTiVo is not an option, and I am here for at least another 9 months.
2.It's only $6.95/month (yes, I realize I do not own the box).
3.It has a dual tuner.
4.I never have to miss Around the Horn or PTI again (this is worth the 7 bucks a month alone).
Went with the cable companies option for a few reasons:
1.I cannot get DirecTV where I live, so DirecTiVo is not an option, and I am here for at least another 9 months.
2.It's only $6.95/month (yes, I realize I do not own the box).
3.It has a dual tuner.
4.I never have to miss Around the Horn or PTI again
(this is worth the 7 bucks a month alone).But seriously, I just helped my friend upgrade her ReplayTV into a 160 hour unit. She was very excited about it. Now her mom (with a cable PVR) found out and asked whether i could upgrade her PVR. sorry, mamma.
09-24-03, 01:54 PM
#14
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
Well, Im not worried about hacking anything right now. This is the best solution for me at this point, so it's the one I am going to go with. I might have to nix saving a few shows, but I don't watch a tremendous amount of tv anyway. We'll see how it goes.
09-24-03, 02:32 PM
#15
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Your hair will stop falling out.
PVRs, imho, will change television as much as, if not more than, the change from B/W to color, or the advent of cable. We've got 2, and I can't imagine going back to pre-PVR days.
Certainly upgrading and hacking would be neat, like computers, you could always 'get more', and my PVRs are incredibly basic [I'm on Dish], but any PVR is a good PVR. And there's always 'bigger' out there, but how much TV do you need to record [that said, I had a 35 hour unit, and filled it up pretty quick--my main unit now is allegedly 80 hours, and I have to delete a bunch of stuff every couple days. But I do automatically record 5 shows a day to have accessible for my son.
It's bad, though--I find myself watching more TV than I used to. It used be that there was nothing good on when it was convenient for me to watch. Now, however, the TV is under my rule! It shows me what I want to see, when I want to see it! I am catching a lot of late-night movies I never would see before, but alternatively, I am realizing that Cartoon Network is now replaying the entire series of Futurama for what, the third time this year? Plus it records dozens of episodes of Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer for babyhead.....
PVRs, imho, will change television as much as, if not more than, the change from B/W to color, or the advent of cable. We've got 2, and I can't imagine going back to pre-PVR days.
Certainly upgrading and hacking would be neat, like computers, you could always 'get more', and my PVRs are incredibly basic [I'm on Dish], but any PVR is a good PVR. And there's always 'bigger' out there, but how much TV do you need to record [that said, I had a 35 hour unit, and filled it up pretty quick--my main unit now is allegedly 80 hours, and I have to delete a bunch of stuff every couple days. But I do automatically record 5 shows a day to have accessible for my son.
It's bad, though--I find myself watching more TV than I used to. It used be that there was nothing good on when it was convenient for me to watch. Now, however, the TV is under my rule! It shows me what I want to see, when I want to see it! I am catching a lot of late-night movies I never would see before, but alternatively, I am realizing that Cartoon Network is now replaying the entire series of Futurama for what, the third time this year? Plus it records dozens of episodes of Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer for babyhead.....
09-25-03, 08:03 AM
#17
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Go through the guide and pick and choose.
W/ my 160 Hour ReplayTV, I just go through the guide and pick things that I might want to watch overnight or while I am at work... Plus I have a Channel of movies, probably about 25 of em in there right now including Godfather, Godfather II, etc.. I always have something good to watch!
My Guide covers 2 weeks, so I will sit there for 15 minutes going through the whole thing, on Channels I like and pick and choose. If you have the channel Trio (315 on DirecTV) there are many good things to record on there...
W/ my 160 Hour ReplayTV, I just go through the guide and pick things that I might want to watch overnight or while I am at work... Plus I have a Channel of movies, probably about 25 of em in there right now including Godfather, Godfather II, etc.. I always have something good to watch!
My Guide covers 2 weeks, so I will sit there for 15 minutes going through the whole thing, on Channels I like and pick and choose. If you have the channel Trio (315 on DirecTV) there are many good things to record on there...
09-25-03, 10:06 AM
#18
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Quake, I made the same choice, so let me give you some tips, cause the damn thing can be buggy as hell.
If you are recording 2 shows at the same time, don't browse your recorded stuff, or playback another show, and whatever you do, don't fast forward thru a 3rd show while recording 2 shows. Odds are it will crash, and it takes 5 minutes to reset and the recordings will split in 2.
If the remote doesn't respond, just wait. It has a memory buffer, so if you push 15 buttons while its unresponsive, it will do it all 15 times as soon as it responds.
Don't use the record all episodes option. More often than not, it won't work. Last week I tried to do it with babylon 5, and it worked for 2 days, then stopped. What I do is once a week I set up all the shows I want to record manually.
If you are watching a show time delayed that is also recording, be sure to fast forward commercials and get to the live feed before the show ends, otherwise when the recording ends, your replay will stop and it will go to the live feed, and then you have to go into the menu, pick the show, fast forward all the parts you just watched, just to see how it ends. You will come to hate the Fast forward too. Its slow, and sometimes it freezes.
Finally, no PTI cause of @#$%ing golf
If you are recording 2 shows at the same time, don't browse your recorded stuff, or playback another show, and whatever you do, don't fast forward thru a 3rd show while recording 2 shows. Odds are it will crash, and it takes 5 minutes to reset and the recordings will split in 2.
If the remote doesn't respond, just wait. It has a memory buffer, so if you push 15 buttons while its unresponsive, it will do it all 15 times as soon as it responds.
Don't use the record all episodes option. More often than not, it won't work. Last week I tried to do it with babylon 5, and it worked for 2 days, then stopped. What I do is once a week I set up all the shows I want to record manually.
If you are watching a show time delayed that is also recording, be sure to fast forward commercials and get to the live feed before the show ends, otherwise when the recording ends, your replay will stop and it will go to the live feed, and then you have to go into the menu, pick the show, fast forward all the parts you just watched, just to see how it ends. You will come to hate the Fast forward too. Its slow, and sometimes it freezes.
Finally, no PTI cause of @#$%ing golf
09-25-03, 10:15 AM
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Fast Forward is slow?
By what standards? Compared to a vcr it's a Godsend. I’ve gotten quite adept at using the third speed thru commercials and then hit it a 4th time when the program comes back – it backs up a bit so I don’t have to reverse (most times).
It you’re going to advance a considerable amount of time, maybe. But, still, compared to a vcr…
Haven’t had it freeze up, though. Yet.
By what standards? Compared to a vcr it's a Godsend. I’ve gotten quite adept at using the third speed thru commercials and then hit it a 4th time when the program comes back – it backs up a bit so I don’t have to reverse (most times).
It you’re going to advance a considerable amount of time, maybe. But, still, compared to a vcr…
Haven’t had it freeze up, though. Yet.
09-25-03, 11:05 AM
#20
DVD Talk Legend
Originally posted by RoQuEr
A really large amount of bad stuff...
A really large amount of bad stuff...
Last edited by Y2K Falcon; 09-25-03 at 11:08 AM.
09-25-03, 06:51 PM
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Originally posted by Wizdar
Fast Forward is slow?
By what standards? Compared to a vcr it's a Godsend. I’ve gotten quite adept at using the third speed thru commercials and then hit it a 4th time when the program comes back – it backs up a bit so I don’t have to reverse (most times).
It you’re going to advance a considerable amount of time, maybe. But, still, compared to a vcr…
Haven’t had it freeze up, though. Yet.
Fast Forward is slow?
By what standards? Compared to a vcr it's a Godsend. I’ve gotten quite adept at using the third speed thru commercials and then hit it a 4th time when the program comes back – it backs up a bit so I don’t have to reverse (most times).
It you’re going to advance a considerable amount of time, maybe. But, still, compared to a vcr…
Haven’t had it freeze up, though. Yet.
I'm talking about the Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000, BTW.
09-25-03, 07:12 PM
#22
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Thread Starter
Man, I don't think a TiVo could get much better than this. Already time-shifted the Vuelta stage today, paused tv to talk to the gf, and now recording Friends for her since she had to run out and Threat Matrix for myself. Man, this is awesome.
09-25-03, 08:40 PM
#23
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It is the best thing ever, I have never heard of anyone saying they suck, whether it be Tivo or Replay, any of them the whole concept is spectacular.
I love my Cycling Season Pass....
I love my Cycling Season Pass....
09-25-03, 10:27 PM
#24
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Agreed. Features may vary, and the feature vs. monthly fee debate has some very strong opinions on both sides, but the general tool of 'PVR' kicks arse.
A couple features I wish mine had, don't know if any do, are:
* delete part of a recorded event [delete out the commercials, delete the first half once it's watched, etc.]
* 'ff to time', rather than FF through everything at 4x, 15x, 60x, or 300x, something like 'skip forward 15 minutes'. On the DishPVR, there's a button that skips forward 30 seconds, but I'd have to hit that 60 times to go forward 15 min.
But overall, again, you can take my PVR when you pry the remote out of my cold dead hands.
A couple features I wish mine had, don't know if any do, are:
* delete part of a recorded event [delete out the commercials, delete the first half once it's watched, etc.]
* 'ff to time', rather than FF through everything at 4x, 15x, 60x, or 300x, something like 'skip forward 15 minutes'. On the DishPVR, there's a button that skips forward 30 seconds, but I'd have to hit that 60 times to go forward 15 min.
But overall, again, you can take my PVR when you pry the remote out of my cold dead hands.
