# Can I use a Tivo with a 811?



## dishmaniak (Oct 20, 2003)

ok here it is I got and 811 and I want to know if I can buy a tivo and record it in the tivo ?????


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## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

You should be able to. But the stand alone Tivo would only be able to record from the 811's SD outputs (ie not HDTV outputs). The 811 would however output HD channels on the SD outputs.

Oh, and you would lose DD5.1 audio also, and just get stereo.

Terrible thread title. Suggested title "Can I use a Tivo with a 811?".


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## LtMunst (Aug 24, 2005)

dishmaniak said:


> ok here it is I got and 811 and I want to know if I can buy a tivo and record it in the tivo ?????


A standalone TIVO will work but NOT for HD. You would have to set the output resolution to 480i.


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## dishmaniak (Oct 20, 2003)

ok thanks guys sorry for the title  I just want it to record the nba games so no need for hd


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## KingLoop (Mar 3, 2005)

You might want to think about a 942 or 921. While a TiVo could cost you little to nothing after a rebate, you will be out of pocket $13/mth for at least a 1 year commitment, or $300 for the lifetime fee.


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## LtMunst (Aug 24, 2005)

KingLoop said:


> You might want to think about a 942 or 921. While a TiVo could cost you little to nothing after a rebate, you will be out of pocket $13/mth for at least a 1 year commitment, or $300 for the lifetime fee.


I'm still waiting for a $50 rebate from a TIVO I bought 2 years ago.  Dishmaniak, make sure you keep copies of everything because TIVO likes to play games with their rebates.

I second the suggestion regarding the 942.


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## dishmaniak (Oct 20, 2003)

KingLoop said:


> You might want to think about a 942 or 921. While a TiVo could cost you little to nothing after a rebate, you will be out of pocket $13/mth for at least a 1 year commitment, or $300 for the lifetime fee.


thanks for the info I am planning on this one

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/TiVo.../sem/rpsm/oid/97040/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

but not sure who I have to pay the $13/mth to dish???? and how I will put the tivo if I have a bose home theater too??? I am right now half and half for the 942 or the tivo.


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

You would pay the $13/month to TiVo for the service. If you want to record HD at all I would go with the 942. I actually have a Series 2 80 hour with lifetime service that is just sitting at home (since I got the 942). I'm thinking about selling it on E-bay, if you are really interested send me a PM.


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## Mickey (Oct 26, 2005)

Hi! Newbie here so be nice to me, please!  

I have had a Tivo & 811 setup for about a year. I recently had to do a Guided Setup on Tivo. Now I can't get the Tivo to change a channel below 100 on the 811. My 811 is expecting to see 3 digits sent, and my Tivo isn't sending 3 digits for channels like 6 or 23, etc. Many/most of the shows I record are on these channels. I never had this problem before.

Can anyone help me with this? Can I make the Tivo send 3 digits? Can my 811 be programmed to take only 1 or 2 digits being sent for a direct channel input?

Help me please!


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

Mickey,
You need to go back and redo the guided setup. One of the steps asks you if your set top box requires 3 digits or two. Just select the 3 digit option and you are good to go.


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

Also if you have more TiVo questions check out www.tivocommunity.com There is a ton of information there.


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## Mickey (Oct 26, 2005)

I actually ran Guided Setup twice because of the problem, and I did not see the option anywhere. Also, this Guided Setup was different from any I have done before, the software has changed. I have had Tivo for several years and have been through this a few times. They have tried to "dummy proof" the setup, but I think they may have left some things out or something. For example: instead of choosing codes for the remote, it went through an automated process where Tivo switched things around without choosing a specific code number. After setup, you can go into Advanced settings on channel changing and try different codes, but not on initial setup.

I will try a Guided Setup again, although I am not confident I will find the option to send 3 digits. Does anyone have any other suggestions/hints as to where to find the option to input this?

BTW, I am a Tivo Community member and have posted this over there with no luck so far getting any help.

Thanks for the responses.
Mickey


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## LtMunst (Aug 24, 2005)

I'm pretty sure you do not even have to do Guided Setup to change this. It's been awhile for me since I've used TIVO, but I remember tinkering regularly with the setting for the channel changing options. There was a screen in system setup that allowed you to change the receiver code, timing interval, whether or not enter was needed, etc...


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## Mickey (Oct 26, 2005)

Yeah, I thought all of that stuff was there, too, until this last setup. Everything was different, except for the annoying amount of time it takes to do a Guided Setup. The time it takes to do some of the things in Tivo is my single biggest complaint with it.

If anyone has a suggestion on where to find this option, please let me know. I will try another setup, but I don't think I missed it. I am a pretty seasoned Tivo user......


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

I haven't done guided set-up in a few months, so it very well may be different, but I would think that several people would have run into this problem and it would be all over tivocommunity if it wasn't in the guided setup. who knows, sorry.


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## Mickey (Oct 26, 2005)

Well, I had a friend over tonight who is also a Tivo user. He thought I just had to be missing it - just like the people on the boards I have posted messages on have thought. He looked all over the settings thinking it had to be there - it is NOT.

UPDATE: 

I finally got it to work! I never found the provision to tell the Tivo to send 3 digits but on my 4th Guided Setup, for some strange reason, I got it to work properly, changing channels with less than 3 digits. I don't have an explanation. I did the same procedure each time, but only this last Guided Setup allowed the Tivo to change to a station numbered less than 100.

I am just thankful it finally worked. If I were you, I would not run Guided Setup if I owned an 811 right now, lest you fall into the hell of running Guided Setup multiple times like I have the last couple of days.

Thanks for your responses and trying to help me.


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

I'm glad you got it to work. Sorry we couldn't be much help to you.


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## dendavis (Sep 13, 2003)

I have been a Tivo customer since it came out, and have always loved the technology, except for the interface issue with DISH. Because both systems use IR signals to change channels, any signal sent to one will impact the other box. The "fix" is to tape over the IR receiving "eye" of the DISH, so the IR signal only goes to Tivo, which then sends a command to DISH via hardwire to change the channel. However, everytime I hit a channel number not available on DISH, this nasty pop-up message would come on the screen, requiring me to go to the DISH receiver, take off the tape from the IR eye, use the DISH remote and get to the DISH screen and laboriously get to a valid DISH channel, then set the Tivo channel to that same one, getting them back in sync.

Two weeks ago, I bought a DISH 942, after a lot of soul searching about leaving Tivo. I had purchased a lifetime service contract with the original purchase, so I figured I had paid for it in terms of value of monthly service payments, several times over, thus it was not an economic issue. Let me just say that the benefit of having the ability to record in full HDTV is mind-blowing. I would anticipate that once you see what HDTV is, you would not want to settle for down-rezzing via the SD output, just to have the program on Tivo. Personally, I think Tivo screwed the pooch by limiting their boxes to DirecTV only, or not doing a standalone for OTA, but that's their problem.

My advice: get the full benefit of dvr and go with a 942. I have no regrets whatsover


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

I agree with dendavis on this. I too owned TiVo for many years and loved it. But the 942 (problems and all) is amazing. Being able to record 3 shows at the same time and in HD. WOW, truly amazing!


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## Mickey (Oct 26, 2005)

I have been contemplating getting a 942. I've been going over and over my options. I was going to make a switch to D* until I found out they were ditching Tivo and the big switch to MPEG 4, I basically have ruled that path out.

I am addicted to DVRing, so not being able to DVR HD content has been a huge frustration for me. I am determined to obtain that capability sometime soon in the future. One reason I am considering staying with E* for this is that right now, they have the most HD content available, with the Voom channels in the mix. This is what makes the 942 option attractive. What makes the 942 option not so attractive is the $6-700 price tag. If I could get the lease deal, I would pull the trigger in a heartbeat.

I have also been considering cable DVR. I have been researching the different options there heavily. The biggest plus here is - no hardware to buy. And, I can get all the networks across the cable in HD, without worrying about which direction my antenna is pointing for OTA (like I have to do now).

I haven't decided anything yet. If Dish customer service would just let me get a leased 942, my decision would be easy. I am just cringing about buying a 942, even though I do have the funds available. I've got other things I could spend the $700 on.


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