On a TIVO HD DVR without a cable card, do you only see a single tuner that can record either the analog channels or the unencrypted digital?

If you add the M cable card do you gain two tuners in addition to the onboard one?

Thanks.

The absence of the CableCARD does not affect how many tuners are available for recording. Rather, it essentially only affects (1) whether you can tune in encrypted channels [without CableCARD, you cannot]; and (2) whether you can schedule recordings using the program guide [without CableCARD, you cannot].

That second point is really critical. Not having a CableCARD so badly cripples the TiVo's ability to take advantage of digital cable that it is almost as if it doesn't support digital cable, in my personal estimation. CableCARD is more than worth the cost to make the TiVo act like a TiVo.

Thanks,
I just read the huge Tivo FAQ thread.

My Replay just died and I am considering putting money into TIVO or an HTPC instead of fixing it. A couple more quick questions:

1. Currently I just have analog cable and a CRT. If I buy an HD TIVO and add a cable card it will simply function like a Series II with dual analog recording? I can then upgrade to HD cable when I upgrade the TV.

2. Will TIVO HD allow you to watch streaming videos and shows from the internet? NBC.com etc.

3. Does it make more sense to buy the TIVO HD and upgrade the drive or spend the additional $200 on the XL? The XL comes with 1TB, correct?

4. Are there any known discounts on the lifetime subscription?

5. Can you suggest any major advantages to an HTPC?

Thank You

1. If you're just using analog cable, then I don't think you need the CableCARD. Don't quote me on that, though.

2. TiVo supports streaming video from Netflix and YouTube, and supports Video On Demand via download from Amazon Unbox. There are some other sources as well, but not Hulu or NBC.com, etc.

3. That's a hard question: Upgrading the hard drive voids the warranty. So you're taking a risk, especially if your TiVo turns out to have a defect. I'm struggling with the same quandary, with regard to my next TiVo. (I plan to buy an additional TiVo in the middle of next year.) I think what I'll end up deciding to do is just use it as is for 90 days, and then after that I'll upgrade the hard drive.

4. The only discount on lifetime subscription is for current TiVo subscribers. It would basically involve you buying another TiVo first, putting it into service (with a one year service commitment required), and then you can buy your second TiVo and get the discount on lifetime service. Even if you could find someone giving away an old TiVo (not impossible: I'd surely give one of mine away to a friend or fellow church member or neighbor), it still wouldn't be worth it because you'd basically be paying $120 for a one year subscription on that box, just to get a $100 discount on lifetime.

5. HTPCs become "better" than TiVo IMHO once you add the third tuner. For two tuners or less, the TiVo is superior, on average, IMHO. Note that HTPCs just became a viable approach, with some recent FCC changes... up until then, I wouldn't have recommended HTPCs, at all.