# Finally got a Tivo-based DVR



## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

After five years of owning Ultimatetv receivers, I decided to mix it up a bit and add a Directv DVR w/Tivo. Directv offered it to me for free (except the friggin' monthly charge), so I couldn't pass it up. I now have three UltimateTV receivers (bedroom, family room, daughter's room) and now one Tivo (living room). 

After a couple of days, I am beginning to like (not love) the Tivo. It has some things I like better than what I've had, and a lot of things that are annoying compared to the UTV. I know I will eventually have to switch them all over to Tivos, but I need to slowly wean the family off of the UTV. 

Anyway, I have been out of the country for six months, so it is good to be back watching normal tv and not two week delay after my wife burns the show onto DVD. 

Karl


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## Fygg (Oct 15, 2005)

Cool! I hope it works out good for ya!

A couple of pointers...

Pressing "select-play-select-3-0-select" on the remote while watching a recorded show will change the button below the fast-forward button (with the "->|" printed on top) from "skip to tic" to a 30sec skip button. You'll hear three dings if it worked. If you didn't hear it, just try again. It will stay that way untill you key in the sequence again or the power goes off.

You can still skip to the next tic by just hitting the fast-forward button then hitting the "->|" (skip to tic) button.

Btw, you can skip all the way back to the beginning of a recorded show (or the beginning of the buffer while watching live tv) by pressing the rewind button and then hitting the "->|" (skip to tic) button.

Also, don't forget! You can switch between the two tuners while watching live tv by hitting the "live tv" button, and the buffer stays intact for BOTH TUNERS!!


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## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

Well,

I came home from work yesterday, turned on my TV and my Tivo had a Powering Up screen. I tried everything to reset the damn thing, and finally called Directv. The HDD in the new Tivo crapped out. I lost about forty hours of programs, including most of the season of Survivor: Marquesas I was going to burn to DVD this weekend. 

Directv is going to send me a new one that will arrive in two to five business days. I know HDDs are mechanical devices that break, but it is still frustrating when it happens. 

Meanwhile, my five-year-old Ultimatetv reciever keeps recording and never gives me an ounce of trouble. I'm not impressed with the Tivo so far...


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## zcarguy (Oct 18, 2005)

Karl Foster said:


> Well,
> 
> ... I'm not impressed with the Tivo so far...


being a utv user you never will be. no one switches from utv to tivo because the prefer to.

they do it for 2 reasons:

1) utv broke and couldnt be bothered sending thier utv out to get. while dtv gave them good deal on a tivo.

2) wanted hdtv pvr


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## kc1ih (May 22, 2004)

I got a new DVR from DirecTV also. The first one they gave me didn't work, so they sent me a Samsung unit as a replacement. My only complaint so far about the Samsung is that the fan is too freekin loud.


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## crkeehn (Apr 23, 2002)

kc1ih said:


> I got a new DVR from DirecTV also. The first one they gave me didn't work, so they sent me a Samsung unit as a replacement. My only complaint so far about the Samsung is that the fan is too freekin loud.


Where do you have it, in the bedroom? I do have a Samsung 4080 and the fan is certainly not obtrusive on my unit. It is in the living room, however when I have difficulty sleeping I do go down and sleep in my recliner, the unit has certainly never affected my ability to fall asleep. The cats playing tag in the middle of the night is a different story......


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## FLWingNut (Nov 19, 2005)

zcarguy said:


> being a utv user you never will be. no one switches from utv to tivo because the prefer to.
> 
> they do it for 2 reasons:
> 
> ...


or reason #3 -- 4.99 per month for TIVO, 9.95 a month for UTV. That's why I retired my UTV for two D*Tivos (and will probably add a third). Seriously, if the per momth charges were the same I probably would have stuck with UTV.


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## Guindalf (Nov 19, 2005)

FLWingNut said:


> or reason #3 -- 4.99 per month for TIVO, 9.95 a month for UTV. That's why I retired my UTV for two D*Tivos (and will probably add a third). Seriously, if the per momth charges were the same I probably would have stuck with UTV.


Actually, the DVR fee has been increased to $5.99. Still cheaper, but not quite as cheap! Some people appear to be remaining on the $4.99 level, so I hope you're one of the lucky ones!


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