After sending my Comcastic DVR back to their fairy tale land, I was worried about not being able to replay, freeze frame or time shift live TV - would I ever be able to survive without it?
I watched, 'GASP' Live TV - and I lived to tell about it. But I still hate commercials.
As it turns out I have an old TiVo sitting in the entertainment center. Its input is hooked to a digital receiver which is hooked to an old antenna. I set it up when the tournado (U have to live here and watch local news to get that joke) knocked out normal cable.
It works great. But best of all - it's free.
I can pick the channel I want - record it or watch it live with all the features of a DVR and I discovered I can record with it as long as I know what time/channel I want.
1st Favor to yourself - check out the online TV guides - you are not limited to 6 or 8 lines with a few hours or channels displayed.
Your screen can show 20 channels and six hours at a time. You can even lock out the channels you do not want to see but MY pet feature is being able to 'see' five days of programming for one channel.
Five days in six hour or more increments. I love it. It will even send me email reminding me of when shows are on. Not quite as easy as pressing the record button but it sure is a lot faster when you can see more info. I'll bet you people who can see might be surprised - if your Internet will work.
2nd Favor to yourself.
Go out to a big box store and test drive a TiVo. Its so much FASTER and smoother then the Comcastic DVR. When you hit FF to skip past commercials then resume play, it backs up a little when you hit play and I find I do not have to hit rewind very often to get back to the programming.
I had forgotten that feature.
My Tivo no longer gets guide info. A few years ago this company kept calling me trying to sell me crap.
I discontinued my landline. I inadvertently prevented the TiVo from calling home. I discovered this years later - yesterday as I a matter of fact.
Oh well, for what I need, the TiVo and digital tuner works fine with online guides.
And the last favor for yourself? See what channels you get get for free with an antenna. In my case I get several and I can tune in the HiDef signal on most.
I find that having fewer choices makes life much simpler.
Try this - disconnect your DVR for a week. Find other things to do - like listen to Ronnie on the Cubs Network - I had forgotten how much I liked him.
Later I even loaded up a book on CD and listened to a Stephen King Story - it has been a long time.
I found it much more entertaining then the movie.
I think many people got lured into a DVR lifestyle because of the live TV manipulation but when the second tuners were added, we all started watching too much crap - we had the ability - we had to use it.
And I discovered just how bad some of the crap was. I'm glad it's gone.
Do yourself a favor or favors.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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3 comments:
I'm guessing that you're using a Series 1 Tivo, as those allow you to program shows to record like a VCR when you don't have the Tivo service.
I'm told that the newer Tivos (series 2, series 3 and HD) do not allow you to set recordings without the service. However it will give the viewer that half hour of previously viewed program in memory.
I was quite disappointed to hear that Tivo put in a software update for their series 1 machines that remove the option to "record like a vcr" when lacking service.
So if you do sign up for Tivo service with your Series 1, you might lose that ability later on.
http://www.dvrplayground.com/forum/thread/16167/Can-a-Series-1-or-2-Tivo-record-programs-if-you-are-NOT-paying-the-monthly-service-charge-/
The new series 3 Tivo's (HD) have a built in HD digital tuner. It should still work on a regular tv though. I wonder if one can use the digital tuner coupon for one of these Tivo's? The new Tivo's are very interesting. If you hook it up to the internet, you can view Youtube videos on your TV and watch Amazon Unbox video rentals too.
My Tivo is a Toshiba Media Center with Series 2 Tivo and DVD player. The unit came with free lifetime Basic Tivo service.
When I hit the Tivo button I get a message telling me the guide has not been updated in thirty days - it does not give a year but I am fairly certain it was 2005 when I disconnected my land line.
On the Tivo menu I have an option to 'Pick Programs To Record" and I can manually choose what I want BUT I have to select the channel on my tuner which luckily also has a timer function.
So it will function as a DVR and as a test I recorded the NASCAR race Sunday - it did fine. Since I only have six channels there is not much I want to record - as long as I have the DVR functions during live TV I'm fine.
I am afraid to try and run the Tivo setup again since I've heard that no phone connection during setup will make it worthless.
DirecTV stopped by yesterday and showed me a demo of their DVR HD receiver. The presenter did not impress me - too much shuffling around my questions.
One thing that interested me - he said the receiver he was showing me could supply the signal and DVR functions to two televisions each with their own remote.
Since I have seven inputs I asked that my TV be used as two tvs - just change the input - he got another remote from his truck but could never get it to work.
My eyes were not very good yesterday so I would just as soon have someone here to 'see' that things are right.
But to be honest, I think cable or sat TV is out for me. I never realized how much I missed simple.
I thought I would miss having a news channel on most of the time. Don't miss it at all - one less thing to distract me.
I posted using my backup ID - dls - sorry here's my normal ID.
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