Killyoko, I am in the st louis metro area. the guys up here dont seen to ahve a lot of experiencce with cable cards at all, but if you tell the guy what to do it should not be a big deal to get the cable cards to work, the main thing is to install one card at a time and get it activated before installing the second card.

Thanks for the response. I'm still on the fence. I'd like to know from everyone: what are some of the problems/headaches you all are having with the s3 (cablecard setup, DRM, picture quality, etc.) that make you second-guess your early adopter purchase?

Or is everyone just thrilled with it? :)

Thanks for the response. I'm still on the fence. I'd like to know from everyone: what are some of the problems/headaches you all are having with the s3 (cablecard setup, DRM, picture quality, etc.) that make you second-guess your early adopter purchase?

Or is everyone just thrilled with it? :)

No problems here. Aside from a bad CableCard which lengthened the install process, and an installer who couldn't keep his numbers straight (which lengthened it even more), it's been smooth sailing. I've had no problems with the functions of the DVR, the picture quality, the OTA antenna, or the cable cards.

I'm ashamed to say that I have about 33 season passes and wish lists set up right now, but it all "just works"; the TiVO does not require the babysitting that my old Motorola DVR required.

Yeah, I think once everyone has gotten their CableCards installed (either painfully or painlessly), everything has been just what you expect from TiVo--just right. My CC install is tomorrow am. I'm hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst.

Nope... It can record two OTA programs at a time.
Dumb question but to be sure, it has only 2 tuners so if it's recording 2 shows, I can't watch a 3rd through it, right?

Thanks for the response. I'm still on the fence. I'd like to know from everyone: what are some of the problems/headaches you all are having with the s3 (cablecard setup, DRM, picture quality, etc.) that make you second-guess your early adopter purchase?

Or is everyone just thrilled with it? :)
So far, I am just thrilled with it. I had a very successful cablecard installation yesterday and so far so good. The picture quality is quite good and there are no "early adopter" regrets. I'm just so happy that I can use a TiVo to record in HD.

Dumb question but to be sure, it has only 2 tuners so if it's recording 2 shows, I can't watch a 3rd through it, right?
You are correct.

Dumb question but to be sure, it has only 2 tuners so if it's recording 2 shows, I can't watch a 3rd through it, right?

You can watch a RECORDED show while two shows are recording... but not a live one since both tuners are tied up.

In reality, customers are much fiercer than sheep -- the issue is that "those" customers don't want what "we" want -- and "they" get what "they" want. They've got other things to spend their money on! :DRight, because with all the money I'm saving right now... someday I hope to be shopping for a really BIG BOY toy like this: :)

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzequg9f/optivitys_dream.JPG

yeah rite...very reassuring ;)

can't believe quality inspection is this bad at tivo facilities.
umm didnt you read where they were shipping them out so fast from tivo the first week they got in a hurry, lol.

I have an old CRT TV with the integrated D*and TIvo. It has been 100% reliable. I am getting a new HDTV (Sharp 52") which is not shipping yet and will probably be 2-3 out.

But my new S3 arrives this afternoon! So my plan is to Get FIOS TV installed in the next day or so and use it with my S3 on the old TV. Are there any problems doing this? Wonder if I will have to re-do or un-do anything when I plug in my new HDTV?

yep seems like it will get unplugged with little jerk.

Push it in more securely. It's got a notch in it and it actually "locks" in place when properly attached.

Push it in more securely. It's got a notch in it and it actually "locks" in place when properly attached.
already push it all in & don't feel like it actually locks!

That makes two of us.

Yeah, I think once everyone has gotten their CableCards installed (either painfully or painlessly), everything has been just what you expect from TiVo--just right. My CC install is tomorrow am. I'm hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst.

Mine's working just fine after having the two CCs installed on FIOS. :)

Has anyone else experienced HDMI issues where the display "flickers"? What I've noticed is that when I connect my S3 to my LG 37LP1D via HDMI and I bring up the "info" or guide", the display will start to "flicker" with white artifacts. Even once the guide or info screen disappears, the flickering will continue. Component output does not produce this effect. I've also tried all the various video output modes and the problem appears to exist on all modes. Since I have two S3 units, I've been able to test both units and both S3s produce the same problem so if it is a Tivo problem, them both of my S3s have it. My Motorola/comcast 6412 HD DVR does not appear to have any problems via HDMI.

My next step is to contact Tivo and see what they think and to also try to find another HDMI device to test with the set. My "gut" feeling is that the LG is having problems with the S3 HDMI signal, but I'd like to see if any other HDMI connected device has problems before I can say for sure. Anyway, if you have an LG LCD and can test the HDMI input with a S3, I would appreciate it.

Has anyone else experienced HDMI issues where the display "flickers"? What I've noticed is that when I connect my S3 to my LG 37LP1D via HDMI and I bring up the "info" or guide", the display will start to "flicker" with white artifacts.

Did you try different HDMI cables? Could also be a bad connector.

Just wanted to comment on OTA stuff. The digital tuner in the S3 is exceptional, it nearly doubled the signal strength I was getting from my Pioneer plasma's tuner. And the integration into the guide is seamless. I've just deleted all the cable feeds of those stations and kept the OTA digital feeds instead. That's a huge benefit that I hadn't really appreciated. The OTA feeds are pristine compared to the compressed feed from TWC cable.

Naive question: When I was growing up, and all television was OTA (and live, of course), a lightning storm would result in flashes on the screen. How does a lightning storm affect HD OTA these days?

Did you try different HDMI cables? Could also be a bad connector.

I've tried two different HDMI connectors, and had the same "flicker" result. Now both of those cables were from their respective S3s so I probably should try a "3rd party" HDMI cable just to rule out the S3 cables in general.

Or is everyone just thrilled with it? :)I'm mostly thrilled with it.

As others stated about five pages back, I miss the 24hr skip-ahead capability when viewing the guide to see what's coming on later in the week. I liked the guide setup on my LG a lot better. That thing blazed through the TV schedule a lot quicker. Tivo pauses when you move to the next thirty minute period in the Guide before loading the shows.

And as those "complainers" also noted, I hate that the Tivo Guide does not mark in the guide itself the shows that are set to be recorded. Before I knew how the thing worked, I kept trying to program a show to record. After four or five times trying to program it, I gave up and just hoped it would record. It wasn't until later that I learned that you could view scheduled shows in the "To do list". :o Annoying.

But at least I no longer have to hope and pray that my guide data shows up like I had to do with my LG in the final weeks I was using that thing.

Aside from those gripes, I do like the unit a lot. It does provide a very nice HD image, and as others have also noted, the OTA tuners are very good at picking up a signal.

Just wanted to comment on OTA stuff. The digital tuner in the S3 is exceptional, it nearly doubled the signal strength I was getting from my Pioneer plasma's tuner. And the integration into the guide is seamless. I've just deleted all the cable feeds of those stations and kept the OTA digital feeds instead. That's a huge benefit that I hadn't really appreciated. The OTA feeds are pristine compared to the compressed feed from TWC cable.What model/generation is your Pioneer plasma?

Up until the last couple of generations, their ATSC tuners were considered to not be all that sensitive.

I'm mostly thrilled with it.

As others stated about five pages back, I miss the 24hr skip-ahead capability when viewing the guide to see what's coming on later in the week. I liked the guide setup on my LG a lot better. That thing blazed through the TV schedule a lot quicker. Tivo pauses when you move to the next thirty minute period in the Guide before loading the shows.


I started using the Info button when in the guide and you can change the date/time display to see what's ahead. It's not as slick as just speeding through the guide but it does work and it works pretty quick, much faster that manually going forward.

The recording indicator is a something that I don't understand why TiVo doesn't use it. Apparently they never have so I wouldn't expect we'll ever see it, annoying, but certainly not a showstopper.

Naive question: When I was growing up, and all television was OTA (and live, of course), a lightning storm would result in flashes on the screen. How does a lightning storm affect HD OTA these days?

It typically causes the picture to pixellate for a moment (like a weak signal will).

What model/generation is your Pioneer plasma?

Up until the last couple of generations, their ATSC tuners were considered to not be all that sensitive.
Brand new Pioneer 6070.

Dumb question but to be sure, it has only 2 tuners so if it's recording 2 shows, I can't watch a 3rd through it, right?

Yes you can, but not through the S3. I have a splitter before the S3 and when I put the S3 in "standby" mode, I can watch a 3rd show while recording 2.

But technically you're not watching a 3rd "through the TiVo", you're going around it, right?

But technically you're not watching a 3rd "through the TiVo", you're going around it, right?
Accoding to the Tivo gurus, you can be recording 2 shows, and simultaneously watch one (different from teh 2 being recorded) that was previously recorded. That suits me and give you a quasi 3-show capability. That is, you can participate with 3 different things simultaneously. I can't do what easycruise suggests becasue the S3 *is* my tuner, feeding a scaler/projector. But I understand his suggestion. For the more complete answer:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=320335

I'm going to return S3. My Sony HDD250s are much better & never a monthly fee forever.

I'm going to return S3. My Sony HDD250s are much better & never a monthly fee forever.As long as the TVGOS is working perfectly, I can see your point.

Some of us are not so lucky. :rolleyes: :)

As long as the TVGOS is working perfectly, I can see your point.

Some of us are not so lucky. :rolleyes: :)Sorry, I can't. I had three different Sony HDD units....all were crap....TVGOS was only part of the problem. PQ was better than the Sammy I had used, but the S3 puts the Sony to shame, both in PQ and tuner sensitivity. And, of couse, the program guide is light years ahead of TVGOS even when TVGOS is "working."

S3 pushes thru 480, 720 and 1080i....but it willl not handle 1080P (according to Tivo supportline). Anybody have an idea when anything might be broadcast in 1080p? I quess at worst case S3 would send it thru as 1080i>??

If Discovery Channel etc start sending 1080P soon that would be frustrating. Hope tivo has a good upgrade price to S4.

Sorry, I can't. I had three different Sony HDD units....all were crap....TVGOS was only part of the problem. PQ was better than the Sammy I had used, but the S3 puts the Sony to shame, both in PQ and tuner sensitivity. And, of couse, the program guide is light years ahead of TVGOS even when TVGOS is "working."Hmmmm...."sensitivity", you say? And better picture quality than the Sony?

Maybe I should consider getting the S3, mainly for the ATSC tuner, if for nothing else.

Do the tuners fully function without the guide? How about the DVR? I just meant "seeing his point", as far as not wanting to pay any fees, but I'm always game for a better OTA tuner.

S3 pushes thru 480, 720 and 1080i....but it willl not handle 1080P (according to Tivo supportline). Anybody have an idea when anything might be broadcast in 1080p? I quess at worst case S3 would send it thru as 1080i>??

If Discovery Channel etc start sending 1080P soon that would be frustrating. Hope tivo has a good upgrade price to S4.

Dont hold your breath on 1080p. Broadcasters are currently compressing 1080i to reduce bandwidth... 1080p consumes even more bandwidth.

1080p is likely going to be limited to HDDVD/Bluray or the output of video processors.

Hmmmm...."sensitivity", you say? And better picture quality than the Sony?

Maybe I should consider getting the S3, mainly for the ATSC tuner, if for nothing else.

Do the tuners fully function without the guide? How about the DVR? I just meant "seeing his point", as far as not wanting to pay any fees, but I'm always game for a better OTA tuner.Yes, the S3 tuner is WAY better than my Sammy was, and it's quite a bit better than the Sony was. Same goes for PQ. But I understand what you're saying about understanding his point about paying for the guide.

But here's what I DON'T understand....and someone please help me here --
You know, I hear all these people who bought the Sony HDD units (some of them paying upwards of $800, and that's for ONE tuner) whining about paying $12.95/month for a far superior program guide. Doesn't make sense to me....shelling out 800 clams but whining about $13/month.

Yes, the S3 tuner is WAY better than my Sammy was, and it's quite a bit better than the Sony was. Same goes for PQ. But I understand what you're saying about understanding his point about paying for the guide.

But here's what I DON'T understand....and someone please help me here --
You know, I hear all these people who bought the Sony HDD units (some of them paying upwards of $800, and that's for ONE tuner) whining about paying $12.95/month for a far superior program guide. Doesn't make sense to me....shelling out 800 clams but whining about $13/month.

While it may not make sense to you, for me, after shelling out $800 for the unit it doesn't make sense to me to have to pay another $13/mth just for the privilege of being able to use that unit that I paid $800 for. To each their own and to me that means no TIVO.

Which is a shame, since they seem to be really nice units....

They tried to install CableCards today and failed. Lots of channels missing off of both CableCards. This doesn't look good.

Did they do them one at a time?

Sorry, I can't. I had three different Sony HDD units....all were crap....TVGOS was only part of the problem. PQ was better than the Sammy I had used, but the S3 puts the Sony to shame, both in PQ and tuner sensitivity. And, of couse, the program guide is light years ahead of TVGOS even when TVGOS is "working."
what cable co do you have? i have comcast basic w/o cablecard & all my 3 units work great. :rolleyes:

Yes, the S3 tuner is WAY better than my Sammy was, and it's quite a bit better than the Sony was. Same goes for PQ. But I understand what you're saying about understanding his point about paying for the guide.

But here's what I DON'T understand....and someone please help me here --
You know, I hear all these people who bought the Sony HDD units (some of them paying upwards of $800, and that's for ONE tuner) whining about paying $12.95/month for a far superior program guide. Doesn't make sense to me....shelling out 800 clams but whining about $13/month.
not whinning, but expecting 800 to include the guide.

i'm willing to pay monthly fee for "tivo service"...such as online/remote control of the unit, or home networking, but I don't want any fee just for recording/playing/obtaining guide info. ;)

not whinning, but expecting 800 to include the guide.

i'm willing to pay monthly fee for "tivo service"...such as online/remote control of the unit, or home networking, but I don't want any fee just for recording/playing/obtaining guide info. ;)You get what you pay for.
what cable co do you have? i have comcast basic w/o cablecard & all my 3 units work great. :rolleyes:My HD is OTA only, so my comparison of the Sammy (SIR-T151), Sony (HDD) and TiVo (S3) is a level playing field; all with OTA HD. And the TiVo shames the others both in PQ and tuner sensitivity.

Has anyone gotten their S3 to use a tivo wireless usb connector. I have had 2 and thye both cause the system to freeze and reboot after a period of time, also most of the metwork type applications, ie the yahoo stuff does not work. I am now trying a wireless gaming adapter connected to the ethernet port. so far no lockups but it has only been a few hrs, also now all the yahoo stuff does work. Just curious if anyone else a) has this problem or B) has gotten this config to work on an S3.

Yes, I am using a D-Link USB adaptor and it works flawlessly.
The TIVO did do a firmware update to it though, but that went perfectly as well.
For OTA HD this thing is the best thing since sliced bread.

Also using a wireless USB adapter from my old Series 2, works perfectly.

Oliver:

The adapter doesn't work with anything but the old OPEN WEP . Be sure you are not using any other security encription on your wireless network.

Sergio

I use to have a D-TiVo but 2 years ago when I moved to N.E. Ohio I had to settle for the SA 8300 and Adelphia cable. It was 2 miserable years. I had all kinds of problems with the SA 8300 including using it with the Maxtor Quickview Expander. I turned in my unit 3 times for a new one. I had techs come out. Nobody could fix it to make it work right. My main problem was partial recordings of shows.

So when the S3 became available I did think, "Ouch...pricey." But two more partial recordings on the 8300 and my wife gave me the green light.

Since I have had the S3 I haven't missed a program. The cable card installation was done by a field tech supervisor and a lead tech from my new cable company, Time Warner. They had a bit of trouble with the second card but we found we just had to be patient with it getting it's info. All stations were up and running before anyone left my house. The field supervisor had brought several new cards with him to make sure we didn't have any problems. He also alreay had the install sheet and had researched the S3 a bit on the internet. He gave me his card with his direct number and told me to call him if I had any problems at all.

Cable cards have been in now for 6 days and not a problem do I have. Sure I wish TiVo would open up TiVo to Go and the eSata but outside of that I am very happy with my purchase. The picture pq is better for both SD and HD then the SA 8300. Even the field supervisor from TW was ooing and aweing over the pq. He said he though the SA 8300 was grainy for HD.

So that's how it went for me, just a very positive experience. :)

Thanks to all for their input on the USB question, I am using the tivo brand usb, so maybe there is a problem with the USB on my box. I guess I will call tivo yet again.

I use to have a D-TiVo but 2 years ago when I moved to N.E. Ohio I had to settle for the SA 8300 and Adelphia cable. It was 2 miserable years. I had all kinds of problems with the SA 8300 including using it with the Maxtor Quickview Expander. I turned in my unit 3 times for a new one. I had techs come out. Nobody could fix it to make it work right. My main problem was partial recordings of shows.

So when the S3 became available I did think, "Ouch...pricey." But two more partial recordings on the 8300 and my wife gave me the green light.

Since I have had the S3 I haven't missed a program. The cable card installation was done by a field tech supervisor and a lead tech from my new cable company, Time Warner. They had a bit of trouble with the second card but we found we just had to be patient with it getting it's info. All stations were up and running before anyone left my house. The field supervisor had brought several new cards with him to make sure we didn't have any problems. He also alreay had the install sheet and had researched the S3 a bit on the internet. He gave me his card with his direct number and told me to call him if I had any problems at all.

Cable cards have been in now for 6 days and not a problem do I have. Sure I wish TiVo would open up TiVo to Go and the eSata but outside of that I am very happy with my purchase. The picture pq is better for both SD and HD then the SA 8300. Even the field supervisor from TW was ooing and aweing over the pq. He said he though the SA 8300 was grainy for HD.

So that's how it went for me, just a very positive experience. :)

Hookbill,

I have been having issues with my S3 failing to properly tune channels when recording sometimes.

I have cablecards installed, but the head end wasn't able to get them to pair properly (even though they appear to be authorized to get all the channels that I should get). Oddly, I had the exact same issue (and continue to have this issue) with a Sony TV that had a Cablecard installed the week before the Tivo's cards were installed. This makes me think that there is an issue here besides the Tivo.

If you go into the menu structure and go to the Configure Cablecard menus, can you report what the info under the "Conditional Access" menu shows? I am specifically interested in the info next to the "Host Validation" field on this screen. If you don't have a Motorola card, this menu might not be there.

The tech thought that part of my issue might be that I have too many digital devices on one outlet (4 CC's and the HD cable box), and another CC upstairs. He thought I might need to have an amplifier installed. I might like to do this, as my signal does drop out sometimes. I will probably have them set up another appointment to install an amplifier and see if they can get the cards to pair properly.

spiff,
I can't comment directly on your issue, and this may be unrelated, but I remember my tech being on the phone activating my cards and saying that they'd have to "add another outlet to my account" because of the cable cards. I don't know what that means, but mine is working well.

Ok spoke with Tivo again, and apparently they are aware of an issue with the USB and several wireless adapeters, not just their branded one. they are supposed to be releasing an update to fix the problem. they also tied my case # to a log they have and if the update does not fix the problem they said they would swap out my box for a new one.

You get what you pay for.
My HD is OTA only, so my comparison of the Sammy (SIR-T151), Sony (HDD) and TiVo (S3) is a level playing field; all with OTA HD. And the TiVo shames the others both in PQ and tuner sensitivity.

My neighbor has one of these and I think that while the picture from his S3 is great, it does not "shame" my 2 Sony DVRs. He also picks up the same channels on his tuner that I do on the Sony. I will say that both the Sony and the S3 are have more sensitive tuners than my RCA TV.

I plan to use the Sonys until the TVGOS craps out (hopefully never). That said my neighbor loves the TiVo and I'm waiting to see how his experience goes before I decide whether to take the plunge - hoping the unit price comes down by then!

My neighbor has one of these and I think that while the picture from his S3 is great, it does not "shame" my 2 Sony DVRs. He also picks up the same channels on his tuner that I do on the Sony. I will say that both the Sony and the S3 are have more sensitive tuners than my RCA TV.

I plan to use the Sonys until the TVGOS craps out (hopefully never). That said my neighbor loves the TiVo and I'm waiting to see how his experience goes before I decide whether to take the plunge - hoping the unit price comes down by then!Yeah, I kind of find it hard to believe that anything would "shame" the picture quality of the Sony, too. The company may have it's faults, but picture quality sure was never one of them - except for maybe their previous model 480i DVD/DVR recorders, which were supposedly made by Samsung. I can believe the tuner might be more sensitive more easily, although the Sony's is doing pretty well for me. It's about equal to my Accurian's, which ain't bad either.

Anyhow, my problems with the Sony's guide have been completely cured, and it's back to performing perfectly. It was something very simple that I was doing wrong that I stumbled upon unknowingly that I won't get into here.

I will say that if the S3 didn't have the monthly fee, I'd probably try it myself. Otherwise, as long as the Sony's working fine, it fits the bill for my usage.

Yeah, I kind of find it hard to believe that anything would "shame" the picture quality of the Sony, too. The company may have it's faults, but picture quality sure was never one of them - except for maybe their previous model 480i DVD/DVR recorders, which were supposedly made by Samsung. I can believe the tuner might be more sensitive more easily, although the Sony's is doing pretty well for me. It's about equal to my Accurian's, which ain't bad either.

Anyhow, my problems with the Sony's guide have been completely cured, and it's back to performing perfectly. It was something very simple that I was doing wrong that I stumbled upon unknowingly that I won't get into here.

I will say that if the S3 didn't have the monthly fee, I'd probably try it myself. Otherwise, as long as the Sony's working fine, it fits the bill for my usage.
I wish i have a 1080p/i hdtv to compare PQ between sony & s3...like hddvd & bluray ;)

s3 should've included monthly fee.

I wish i have a 1080p/i hdtv to compare PQ between sony & s3...like hddvd & bluray ;)

s3 should've included monthly fee.I've seen the demo going on the 1080p SXRD's with the SONY DVR (1080i). The scenes with the flowers (at least) looked every bit as good to me as the Blu-ray (I think?) "timepieces" demo scenes on a 1080p display.

I can't imagine the S3 picture looking much better than the Sony's in that instance. But who knows?

My neighbor has one of these and I think that while the picture from his S3 is great, it does not "shame" my 2 Sony DVRs. He also picks up the same channels on his tuner that I do on the Sony. I will say that both the Sony and the S3 are have more sensitive tuners than my RCA TV.

I plan to use the Sonys until the TVGOS craps out (hopefully never). That said my neighbor loves the TiVo and I'm waiting to see how his experience goes before I decide whether to take the plunge - hoping the unit price comes down by then!I will agree the difference is not as startling between the S3 and the Sony as it is between the S3 and the Sammy. However, you are not comparing them on the same TV. All I am saying is how I viewed them all on the same TV. Just an opinion.

Tivo just released the 8.0.1b update for the Series3. It fixes audio cutouts and a number of other issues. The update will be downloaded the next time your Series3 connects to the Tivo servers.

There may be another minor update later this month. The first major update to the Series3 software is planned for November.

Tivo just released the 8.0.1b update for the Series3. It fixes audio cutouts and a number of other issues. The update will be downloaded the next time your Series3 connects to the Tivo servers.

There may be another minor update later this month. The first major update to the Series3 software is planned for November.

Any idea if this includes any bug fixes (recording "dead air" on some recordings)? Mine is occasionally switching channels to do a recording, and the picture never actually tunes.

I have Charter coming out to make sure my signal levels are acceptable for 4 cablecards and a digital STB on a single outlet in my house (plus two more outlets elsewhere in the house - one with a cablecard). The tech told me that my signal was broderline for these devices when they installed them.

I will agree the difference is not as startling between the S3 and the Sony as it is between the S3 and the Sammy. However, you are not comparing them on the same TV. All I am saying is how I viewed them all on the same TV. Just an opinion.

Fair enough. I'll have to figure out a way to do this on the same TV (short of actually buying one!).

hey guys i have a question for you experts....

i had digital cable installed last weekend and i asked the guy if the signal gets degraded if it's split and he said yes...i currently have i think a 4-way spllit...to my cable modem, my non-HD tivo and two other tvs...if cablecard is used, does that eliminate any signal degradation for a better picture?

Thanks.

hey guys i have a question for you experts....

i had digital cable installed last weekend and i asked the guy if the signal gets degraded if it's split and he said yes...i currently have i think a 4-way spllit...to my cable modem, my non-HD tivo and two other tvs...if cablecard is used, does that eliminate any signal degradation for a better picture?

Thanks.

Not sure what you mean by this.... A 4 way splitter reduces each output -7.5db below the input. In other words, each output is a little less than one fourth of the signal strength of the input of the splitter.

If a cablecard is used in what??? the S3? Cablecard has nothing to do with the signal strength. The cablecard is an encrypt/decrpyt device. The 'tuning' of the signal is done by the device tuner (TV, Tivo etc). The output of the tuner is sent to the cablecard for decryption and reencryption.

sorry i guess i'm not sure how a cablecard works (yes in the S3)...

if you use cablecards in the S3, does that mean that you no longer have to use the coaxial cable coming from the wall? or does that still need to be plugged to the tv to use w/the CC?

thanks.

if you use cablecards in the S3, does that mean that you no longer have to use the coaxial cable coming from the wall? or does that still need to be plugged to the tv to use w/the CC?
The coaxial cable coming from the wall is plugged into the Series3. No other connections are needed, aside from DVI/HDMI (or component) running from the Series3 to the TV.

sorry i guess i'm not sure how a cablecard works (yes in the S3)...

if you use cablecards in the S3, does that mean that you no longer have to use the coaxial cable coming from the wall? or does that still need to be plugged to the tv to use w/the CC?

thanks.

View the cablecard as a security device which enables the tuner in the S3 or a TV to decode the cableco's encrypted channels. Taking a lot of liberties.... the Cable companys 8300HD is basically a Tivo (albiet a crappy facimile ;) ) with built in cablecards (kinda sorta). You still need the source of the channels (the Cable company cable) plugged to the S3 to give it something to decode and send to the TV.

I will agree the difference is not as startling between the S3 and the Sony as it is between the S3 and the Sammy. However, you are not comparing them on the same TV. All I am saying is how I viewed them all on the same TV. Just an opinion.

After almost a year, I finally gave up on the Sony. I was very happy with the PQ on the Sony, as well as the lack of annual fees, but I couldn't stand the constant dropped scheduled recordings. In order to make sure the recording wasn't dropped, I had to make sure I turned the thing on the night of the show and re-select what I wanted. Since I pretty much record every day, this became a daily event. I'm not happy about paying for service, but the way I'm looking at is that I'd rather pay Tivo $.30/day than continue with the Sony. Also, I don't get cable, so I can't compare it to renting from a cable/satellite provider.

I don't notice much difference, if any, in the PQ between the two. Having had Replay, the Sony, and now TiVo, there are good things about each UI. I'm just happy to be watching what I want, when I want, in HD.

How can I put this? I love the extra channels from digital. I love HD. I dislike the 8300 DVR on Cox that is the necessary evil for these capabilities. Necessary, that is, because of (1) the desire to see the many analog channels that exist only as such (and the 8300 doesn't seem to allow their playback despite recording them), and (2) the inability to burn a series 3 show (SD/HD/downconverted HD -> SD) to a DVD with ease. If I could stream it over the network and downconvert/burn, that would be acceptable. Is it? If I could get a series 3 with integrated burner (again, DVD is fine...need not be HD/BR) for archiving, that would work. And does it actually record SD material (on Cox)?

Right now, I switch between the SA8300 HD DVR and the Toshiba RDXS-54. The latter has TVGOS, which is ok, but often out of date and incredibly slow. The former has a menu system so horrible it glorifies the TVGOS as the best thing since sliced bread. I know TIVO is supposed to blow them both away.

So if I'm recording analog on Cox, (the lower channels) I just use the Toshiba. I can also edit and burn those to DVD with virtually no exceptions. I can also skip ahead 30 seconds unlike on the SA8300 HD DVR. But if I want the digital channels or HD, I switch to the SA8300. I haven't tried the composite out to the Toshiba from the SA8300 yet, so I cannot comment on whether or not that works, but the 8300 is horrible regardless. The perfect world sounds like it would be the Tivo3 + DVD-R/RW capability (or with streaming to PC capability for editing/burning).

Yet a second problem is that my DLP has just one HDMI (actually DVI)...I use a converter cable, but the second you switch to any other input, the DVI gets confused with the Toshiba...with the SA8300 HD DVR, it refuses to communicate. Unfortunately, I fear it would suffer the same fate with a series 3, forcing me to use the vastly inferior component inputs on my sammy DLP...inferior as compared to the all-digital DVI jack's capabilities. Still, that's a major nuisance but a secondary concern.

What I need ideally is a series 3 plus DVD recording/playback (perhaps via streaming since no integrated unit exists)...what creative options are others employing? I'm trying to determine possible solutions because the 8300 is not going to stay any longer than it has to. We do not need pay on demand, so as long as the Tivo Guide comes in, I do not think cablecard 2.x is a significant concern as the guide is the only upstream feature I believe we use.

I've asked a lot of questions, some rather open-ended here, but hopefully some of you can shed some knowledge and wisdom upon me. The need to archive shows is necessary (both analog, SD, and possibly downconverted HD). Since Cox uses a mixed signal with their digital consisting of some analog channels, some digital channels, and some HD channels even when passing through the 8300 box, that only adds to the potential issues.

Please share your experiences/insights.

Thx,
Ross

Not sure what you mean by this.... A 4 way splitter reduces each output -7.5db below the input. In other words, each output is a little less than one fourth of the signal strength of the input of the splitter.


This is why I am asking the cableco to come out and set up an amplifier for my setup. I would put one in myself, but whenever they come out, they claim that everything but their own equipment is junk.

I have a 3-way split as the cable enters the house, and a 4-way split behind the TV (one output of which feeds the Tivo). This means that I have a theoretical loss of about 11dB (ignoring the inherent losses in the splitters). It is probably closer to 13-14dB in reality. (I assume it is split in the Tivo as well, so there might be another -3db internally, too).

WRT post http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8590343#post8590343 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8590343#post8590343) the issue seems to have been cleared up. I removed all component connections and then tested the S3 via HDMI and I saw no flickering when I displayed the guide or info screen. I then reconnected the component connections and everything continued to work just fine. I suspect that it must have been loose/bad component cable connection that somehow was causing the problem (hopefully it was a loose external connection and not something internal).

This is why I am asking the cableco to come out and set up an amplifier for my setup. I would put one in myself, but whenever they come out, they claim that everything but their own equipment is junk.

I have a 3-way split as the cable enters the house, and a 4-way split behind the TV (one output of which feeds the Tivo). This means that I have a theoretical loss of about 11dB (ignoring the inherent losses in the splitters). It is probably closer to 13-14dB in reality. (I assume it is split in the Tivo as well, so there might be another -3db internally, too).

Thats a lot of loss. The amp should be at the point where the cable enters the house. Can you run more coax from that entry point to your system setup and eliminate a splitter there? Some cablecos charge for amps... I recently replaced mine to improve signal strength. Im driving 8 jacks with two of those going to the main system (1 Tivo and 1 8300)

Thats a lot of loss. The amp should be at the point where the cable enters the house. Can you run more coax from that entry point to your system setup and eliminate a splitter there? Some cablecos charge for amps... I recently replaced mine to improve signal strength. Im driving 8 jacks with two of those going to the main system (1 Tivo and 1 8300)

Running more coax isn't an option for me, since my house is fully finished with no easy access for running cable. If I ever build my own house I would put some serious effort into running extra cables for these types of situations!

I think the installer last time said the amps run about $40. I don't mind paying this if it fixes the issues I am having. Really, I would like to buy my own amp and put it in, but as I said earlier, they will probably tell me that they don't support customer installed equipment like that. I also need them to try pairing the cards again once an amp is in place.

Mine runs pretty cool and very quiet. I also had my 2 CCs installed today by FIOS and it's working great! This is quite a nice setup.


What service/dvr did you have before FiOS? How do you think sd and hd pq compares? Thanks.

spiff72,

I don't know how your hosue if built or laid out, but did you check to see if there is a tube coming down your wall from the attic to your TV? I didn't know mine had one until I went to run the wires for my rear surrounds and someone in our local forum suggested I check for a tube near the point above where the electical and cable outlets were. Sure enough, there was a tube running to the wall outlet,dropped a string down and pulled up the wires. :)

spiff72,

I don't know how your hosue if built or laid out, but did you check to see if there is a tube coming down your wall from the attic to your TV? I didn't know mine had one until I went to run the wires for my rear surrounds and someone in our local forum suggested I check for a tube near the point above where the electical and cable outlets were. Sure enough, there was a tube running to the wall outlet,dropped a string down and pulled up the wires. :)

My house doesn't have an attic, and the home theater is actually in my basement. Electric and cable are all buried, and feed into a utility room in the basement (which is finished, too)... :(

Uh --- DoubleDAZ, I wonder about the actual use of that tube you found. Is it part of your plumbing venting system?

No, it's simply a PVC tube specifically for running wires. It's nowhere near any plumbing of any kind and there is nothing in the tube, except my speaker wires now of course. Just one of those extras, I checked with the builder.

The Tivo Series3 is falling in price...

Computer Brain is advertising the Tivo Series3 for $619 plus shipping (http://www.computerbrain.com/applications/search/itemdetails.asp?sku=TCD648250B&sc=FRG). Again, the reported wholesale cost for the Series3 is about $500, so we could see mail order pricing as low as $600.

The Tivo Series3 is falling in price...

Computer Brain is advertising the Tivo Series3 for $619 plus shipping (http://www.computerbrain.com/applications/search/itemdetails.asp?sku=TCD648250B&sc=FRG). Again, the reported wholesale cost for the Series3 is about $500, so we could see mail order pricing as low as $600.Except it's listed as NOT AVAILABLE. If you check TCF, there are reports of dropping prices, too, but in almost every instance, it's NOT AVAILABLE/BACKORDERED, blah blah...

bier,

Yes, you could be could be waiting til November, December, or even January to get a unit at the reduced price. It entirely possible Tivo has changed its wholesale pricing effective after a certain date (for the holiday sales period or following the holiday sales period), and retailers are waiting until that time to obtain units for resale. But that doesn't stop retailers from passing the savings on to customers through preorders, even though they may not have stock until the new pricing takes effect. By the time the units are actually in stock, other retailers may have comparable pricing as well.

That happens with a lot of different products.

but if you want to transfer the lifetime service from a previous tivo, you still have to purchase it directly from tivo, right?

but if you want to transfer the lifetime service from a previous tivo, you still have to purchase it directly from tivo, right?No, they changed that policy about a week after the Series3 was released. You can purchase it from anyone.

But you do have to have purchase the unit by December 31 and transfer the subscription by January 31.

I returned my Series3 after 25 days because I could not get the encrypted channels to work. I had three installation visits but was not successful. I'm really disappointed because I love the TiVo interface. But my small local cable provider had never installed a Series3 before despite making what I thought was a real effort (I know there is some suspicion here).

So I got slandered over at the TiVoCommunity forums for caving in and being a quitter but I just couldn't see paynig $1000 ($800 + 200 for lifetime transfer) for a unit that would not receive any digital or HD channels. If I kept it for over 30 days, I would be stuck with it.

Bummer. For what it is worth, my experience seems to be in the minority. :(

That's the way it goes with new technology, sometimes. If it were me, I'd find a way to ditch that cable company and go satellite.

I returned my Series3 after 25 days because I could not get the encrypted channels to work. I had three installation visits but was not successful. I'm really disappointed because I love the TiVo interface. But my small local cable provider had never installed a Series3 before despite making what I thought was a real effort (I know there is some suspicion here).

So I got slandered over at the TiVoCommunity forums for caving in and being a quitter but I just couldn't see paynig $1000 ($800 + 200 for lifetime transfer) for a unit that would not receive any digital or HD channels. If I kept it for over 30 days, I would be stuck with it.

Bummer. For what it is worth, my experience seems to be in the minority. :(I assume you don't have access to OTA HD? I could get cable, but right now I'm at the basic package, and adding cable HD would cost me dearly (more for expanded basic, then more for digital package, then more for the HD tier). So I'm happy with the five HD channels I get OTA and my analog cable.

I'm in the same boat as bierboy (analog cable only), however I can't receive OTA HD broadcasts (I live in a valley on the bottom level of a condo highrise...forget it!). So I receive the local HD rebroadcasts over cable, which works great and I'm totally happy with my channel options (all analog cable + local HD received via the tuner built-in to my plasma). Unfortunately, since the S3 cannot map my local HD channels into the program guide without 2 CableCards, I am stuck and unable to really use the S3. I really hope TiVo adds manual channel mapping of unencrypted QAM channels to the S3 soon! I'd buy one right now if it had that feature.

I returned my Series3 after 25 days because I could not get the encrypted channels to work. I had three installation visits but was not successful. I'm really disappointed because I love the TiVo interface. But my small local cable provider had never installed a Series3 before despite making what I thought was a real effort (I know there is some suspicion here).

So I got slandered over at the TiVoCommunity forums for caving in and being a quitter but I just couldn't see paynig $1000 ($800 + 200 for lifetime transfer) for a unit that would not receive any digital or HD channels. If I kept it for over 30 days, I would be stuck with it.

Bummer. For what it is worth, my experience seems to be in the minority. :(After a lot of work and a lot of wasted time (on my part, TiVo's and Comcast's, who did work very hard to try to get things to work, despite the common slander coming from some of the folks on the TiVo Community Forum) we are now giving up as well. It just shouldn't be that hard to get something to work. Surley not for $1000! (I also did the lifetime transfer -- and undid it when I almost returned it the first time, redid it, and now have to undo it again, so hopefully I won't have a problem with that!)

The TiVo Community Forums are indeed filled with a lot of rude folks unable to accept that the Series 3 is a failure for many customers. It's a shame. The TCF is otherwise a reasonably good place to get information about TiVo.

We are in the minority, but it's way too large of a minority for a consumer product.

I assume you don't have access to OTA HD? I could get cable, but right now I'm at the basic package, and adding cable HD would cost me dearly (more for expanded basic, then more for digital package, then more for the HD tier). So I'm happy with the five HD channels I get OTA and my analog cable.It just isn't worth $1000 for us for an OTA HD DVR. That dollar expenditure needs to be the full product, including HBO and Showtime.

It just isn't worth $1000 for us for an OTA HD DVR. That dollar expenditure needs to be the full product, including HBO and Showtime.It is for most folks (and I dare say, the vast majority, despite what you read in TCF). You just happen to be in the minority it's not working for.

Believe me, I know how you feel. I went through something similar wih the Sony DHG units. After three defective units, I gave up and got my money back.

No. The vast majority wouldn't have even considered a $1000 purchase like that. It just isn't worth it. Beyond that, your assertion that a vast majority of TiVo Series 3 purchasers would feel $1000 was worth it for just the OTA capabilities is without substantiation. I simply don't believe you are correct, but rather, I believe that most S3 purchasers are relying on CableCard capability to get what they would consider adequate value out of the product.

No. The vast majority wouldn't have even considered a $1000 purchase like that. It just isn't worth it. Beyond that, your assertion that a vast majority of TiVo Series 3 purchasers would feel $1000 was worth it for just the OTA capabilities is without substantiation. I simply don't believe you are correct, but rather, I believe that most S3 purchasers are relying on CableCard capability to get what they would consider adequate value out of the product.I was not clear. What I meant to say is the dollar expenditure IS worth it for the full product as you say with HBO and Showtime package, and that you are in the minority who have not been able to get it to work with CCs. I agree that for most, the $800 is not worth it for OTA HD tuning and recording capabilities. For me, it is, because I see it as more than that. I have a great product with dual tuners recording all my analog cable channels (at much better PQ than the previous S2), PLUS I have the dual tuning capabilities for all my OTA HD channels (all major networks except CW), and the HD tuner is the best quality I've seen.

I was not clear. What I meant to say is the dollar expenditure IS worth it for the full product as you say with HBO and Showtime package, and that you are in the minority who have not been able to get it to work with CCs.I absolutely agree with that.

I really don't know anything about TiVo. What I am looking for is a HD-DVR to basically use like a vcr. Sometimes to record shows while I'm there watching them, and sometimes when I'm not around.

I've been researching the Sony DHGHDD500 and the LG LST3410A and I stumbled on to this TiVo Series 3.

My question is about the monthly "subscription" for the TiVo. Is it necessary in order to use the device simply as a vcr like I have described? Will the unit function "out of the box" when I plug it in (without phone or network connections)?

Dave

There unfortunately aren't any HD DVRs currently in production which don't require a monthly subscription for full functionality. (The two DVRs you mentioned are no longer in production.) Without the subscription, the TiVo, like a DirecTV DVR and a Dish Network DVR, is pretty much useless. You can watch the programs you have recorded, but you cannot schedule new recordings.

Thanks for the info bicker1. I guess I can scratch TiVo off of my list of possibilities. It seems that it kinda sucks to pay $800 for a device and then not be able to use it as a basic vcr without paying a monthly ransom also . . .

I just picked one up last Friday. I have everything working but I cannot tune some channels. I can't tune in the extra Discovery channels like Disc. Science, military ch, Disc. Times, and History Int. My Tivo says that it cannot tune the channel please try another input. Has anyone else experience this?

Dave, are you just trying to use something with OTA? Or do you have cable? Doesn't your cable company have a DVR?

I just picked one up last Friday. I have everything working but I cannot tune some channels. I can't tune in the extra Discovery channels like Disc. Science, military ch, Disc. Times, and History Int. My Tivo says that it cannot tune the channel please try another input. Has anyone else experience this?
What cable system are you on? Is there any chance these are SDV (switched digital) channels? Or they may be on a digital tier that the cable company forgot to authorize for your cards.

There unfortunately aren't any HD DVRs currently in production which don't require a monthly subscription for full functionality. (The two DVRs you mentioned are no longer in production.) Without the subscription, the TiVo, like a DirecTV DVR and a Dish Network DVR, is pretty much useless. You can watch the programs you have recorded, but you cannot schedule new recordings.

Are you sure you can't schedule it by time, as with a VCR? Obviously there would be no guide information if you don't pay the subscription.

I really don't understand how people can spend thousands on their HDTV home theater setups including an $800 TiVO, and then complain about a fee of less than 50 cents per day for the service. But whatever... :)

I just picked one up last Friday. I have everything working but I cannot tune some channels. I can't tune in the extra Discovery channels like Disc. Science, military ch, Disc. Times, and History Int. My Tivo says that it cannot tune the channel please try another input. Has anyone else experience this?Yes, I had similar problems, and the killer was that the problem was different on the different tuners. It was the reason why I returned my S3.

What cable system are you on? Is there any chance these are SDV (switched digital) channels? Or they may be on a digital tier that the cable company forgot to authorize for your cards.

I am with TWC in Philly that is in a transition to Comcast. My channel package is everything. I do get all of my premium channels including HBOHD and SHOHD on my Tivo.

Any TiVo Series 2 and beyond is a door stop without a subscription. And, as someone who used one of the Series 1 TiVos unsubbed, it's a lot easier to use them with a subscription than without.

Are you sure you can't schedule it by time, as with a VCR? I haven't tried it personally, but unless you have one of the S1 TiVos, or the few S2 DVD-burners that included "TiVo Basic" service, my understanding is that you cannot schedule recordings without subscription.

I really don't understand how people can spend thousands on their HDTV home theater setups including an $800 TiVO, and then complain about a fee of less than 50 cents per day for the service. But whatever... :)I think there is a legitimate financial comparison to be made. One main reason to buy a S3 is to save the $15 per month I currently pay the cable company for their HD DVR. There's a long break-even period given that (I would pay TiVo only $7 extra for my subscription, because I have a S2 TiVo with lifetime service), but paying a subscription for the TiVo on top of that obviously makes a tight financial/utility equation even tighter.

Putting it more plainly: I feel the S3 is barely worth what it costs, assuming that it works perfectly. So the difference between my perspective and $0.50 per day extra is pretty small, but even that minimal amount of money could readily put a reasonable person over the line, because the S3 is so close to the line to start with.

I haven't tried it personally, but unless you have one of the S1 TiVos, or the few S2 DVD-burners that included "TiVo Basic" service, my understanding is that you cannot schedule recordings without subscription.

I think there is a legitimate financial comparison to be made. One main reason to buy a S3 is to save the $15 per month I currently pay the cable company for their HD DVR. There's a long break-even period given that (I would pay TiVo only $7 extra for my subscription, because I have a S2 TiVo with lifetime service), but paying a subscription for the TiVo on top of that obviously makes a tight financial/utility equation even tighter.

Putting it more plainly: I feel the S3 is barely worth what it costs, assuming that it works perfectly. So the difference between my perspective and $0.50 per day extra is pretty small, but even that minimal amount of money could readily put a reasonable person over the line, because the S3 is so close to the line to start with.

Fair enough. Also, 50 cents is on the high end with no discounts applied. It's really more like 26 cents if you take advantage of the multi-year plan. I think we all burn more than 26 cents per day doing something or other we probably shouldn't... :)

Jackson, Bicker, Indy, & others -

Yes, OTA HD is all I am really after. Recording analog cable is icing on the cake.

As far as the subscription costs, it's true that 50 cents per day isn't much. I looked at the TiVo site to see what "features" you get with the subscription. The truth is, I'm not gonna use all that stuff. I just wanna record CSI in HD (for instance) because I'm not going to be home (this one time) when it comes on. I could use my vcr, but I'd much rather watch it in HD. I feel that after spending $800 for the device I should be able to use it in this simple fashion without being "nickle and dimed".

The subscription looks great if you want all that stuff, but I'll never use it.

Thanks for the info . . .


Dave

Jackson, Bicker, Indy, & others -

Yes, OTA HD is all I am really after. Recording analog cable is icing on the cake.

As far as the subscription costs, it's true that 50 cents per day isn't much. I looked at the TiVo site to see what "features" you get with the subscription. The truth is, I'm not gonna use all that stuff. I just wanna record CSI in HD (for instance) because I'm not going to be home (this one time) when it comes on. I could use my vcr, but I'd much rather watch it in HD. I feel that after spending $800 for the device I should be able to use it in this simple fashion without being "nickle and dimed".

The subscription looks great if you want all that stuff, but I'll never use it.

Thanks for the info . . .


Dave

Do HD-VCRs still exist? Or has that all been locked out with DRM technology?

Do HD-VCRs still exist? Or has that all been locked out with DRM technology?

They exist...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-VHS

Scheduling manual recordings by date/time/channel number work, I did it a few times before I got the CCs.

Dave,
You may very well not need all that TiVo has to offer. But I had no idea that I needed it until I got it. It's hard to imagine how TiVo can change your TV life until you've experienced it. I only watch TV when I want to, not when a show comes on, and I only watch things that are ultimately interesting to me. I haven't "channel surfed" in 8 years now. There's no need to.

But some folks just don't want or need all that TiVo offers, just check over in the SA8300/SARA thread :D

I really don't understand how people can spend thousands on their HDTV home theater setups including an $800 TiVO, and then complain about a fee of less than 50 cents per day for the service. But whatever... :)

It is all a matter of perspective and preference...some can't see why people will pay $800 upfront for the 'right' to pay the equivalent of 26-50 cents per day (assuming you don't have to pay for CableCards) to do something that they can get from a cable company box for 33 cents/day without paying anything upfront or committing to some kind of contract term. I'm not trying to say one is necessarily better than the other...it is just up to the individual to decide what is important for them...that's all. :)

-Randy

I think it's actually very simple. Those of us willing to pay $800 for the right to pay a monthly subscription think it's worth every penny because we value what TiVo offers that much.

Those folks that can't understand that need not try because it won't make sense to them. If folks are satisfied with their VCR or cable DVR, then more power to 'em, rock on.

But these products aren't remotely similar to me. But some would argue that a Yugo is just as good at driving me to work as my Lexus. I can't argue with those people because they're obviously irrational :) But if they want to ride to work in a Yugo and save all that money then they can.

Scheduling manual recordings by date/time/channel number work, I did it a few times before I got the CCs.

Keenan -

So you're saying the TiVo can do what I want? In other words, it can act as a stand alone vcr would to record OTA HDTV any time I hit the "Record" button, or when I set a timer to record channel "X" tonight while I'm away? Can it do this without telephones or networks or subscriptions?


Dave

Keenan -

So you're saying the TiVo can do what I want? In other words, it can act as a stand alone vcr would to record OTA HDTV any time I hit the "Record" button, or when I set a timer to record channel "X" tonight while I'm away? Can it do this without telephones or networks or subscriptions?


DaveWhy not just look for a Sony DHG-HDD500? It'll cost less, give you 500gb HDD, require no monthly fee, and, as long as you're only using it for OTA, you shouldn't have any problem receiving the guide.

I, and countless others here, use the Sony for OTA only, and it does a great job with it. And you can still timer record if necessary or desired. If you do want to go with cable someday, then the S3 is the better choice, for sure, as long as you don't mind paying the fee.

Even if you do decide on the S3, don't let the "fanboys" here talk you into AUTOMATICALLY discounting the Sony.

Ram -

I tried to buy the Sony this morning. Found two locally (Circuit City & a local high-end shop) but neither will sell. They said they need them for in-store use. I might have to go the ebay route.

Dave

Ram -

I tried to buy the Sony this morning. Found two locally (Circuit City & a local high-end shop) but neither will sell. They said they need them for in-store use. I might have to go the ebay route.

DaveYou can try that.

But I'd still keep an eye on the demo models. (The employees themselves may have designs on them). Almost all of the stores have eventually gotten around to selling them. I'm guessing that, with the newer 1080p SXRD displays, Sony is probably planning on switching over to their 1080p Blu-ray players to demo them.

Ram -

Well, I ordered the Sony (500gig) from an ebay seller. Hopefully I'll have it by Monday or Tuesday. Thanks for your help. See you on the "Official" Sony thread! :cool: :cool: :cool:

Dave

Scheduling manual recordings by date/time/channel number work, I did it a few times before I got the CCs.Yes, I'm sorry. I did once know that. (Memory is the first thing to go, y'know...) You can use an unsubbed TiVo as a dumb VCR, but you are limited to manual recordings without even the repeat every day/week extras. Also it will nag you constantly about having no program data.

Keenan -

So you're saying the TiVo can do what I want? In other words, it can act as a stand alone vcr would to record OTA HDTV any time I hit the "Record" button, or when I set a timer to record channel "X" tonight while I'm away? Can it do this without telephones or networks or subscriptions?


Dave
Yes, it works, it's not very elegant, but it will get the job done.

Yes, I'm sorry. I did once know that. (Memory is the first thing to go, y'know...) You can use an unsubbed TiVo as a dumb VCR, but you are limited to manual recordings without even the repeat every day/week extras. Also it will nag you constantly about having no program data.
Yeah, same here on the memory. :p

I'm trying to remember now how they look in the Now Playing List, if there was anything to distinguish them apart without starting playback to see what they are.

Not elegant, but functional. :D

They're all entitled "Manual Recording" I believe. The Info probably shows channel, date and time.

Another reason I haven't seen mentioned in these last few posts about going with the TiVo unit, and the main reason I went with it, my cable company, Comcast requires that I spend about $45 more per month in extra programming than I don't want just to be able to rent their DVR.

I ran the numbers awhile back, and for my needs, local HD channels only, the S3 will have paid for itself in about 18 months, including CC and guide costs. After that, it's about $45 a month saved in my pocket.

They're all entitled "Manual Recording" I believe. The Info probably shows channel, date and time.
That works, but for $800 it's probably not a great deal for him.

I just suggested the Sony over the TiVo to WS65711 because it was better for his needs. But for cable, by all means go with the S3. The Sony is just too unpredictable with cable to recommend over the Tivo, for sure. But for OTA only, as long as you don't need the multiple tuners, it is much more reliable (than with cable) and cheaper overall.

But some folks just don't want or need all that TiVo offers, just check over in the SA8300/SARA thread :D

As someone who went from a TiVo to a SA8300HD I can tell you that while I knew what I'd be giving up, I missed it even more than I thought I would. The 8300 is just barely usable as a DVR.

I just suggested the Sony over the TiVo to WS65711 because it was better for his needs. But for cable, by all means go with the S3. The Sony is just too unpredictable with cable to recommend over the Tivo, for sure. But for OTA only, as long as you don't need the multiple tuners, it is much more reliable (than with cable) and cheaper overall.
Yes, it will probably be the better setup for him, for now. Not ever having used a single tuner DVR though, I can't imagine not having a dual-tuner DVR, but everything has it's price/value points.

...paying a monthly ransom also . . .Hmmm....."monthly ransom" = $12.95 per month....I guess your definition of a "monthly ransom" is a lot different than mine. That's about two lunches eating out per month :rolleyes:

Dave,
You may very well not need all that TiVo has to offer. But I had no idea that I needed it until I got it. It's hard to imagine how TiVo can change your TV life until you've experienced it. I only watch TV when I want to, not when a show comes on, and I only watch things that are ultimately interesting to me. I haven't "channel surfed" in 8 years now. There's no need to...+1 :D

Hmmm....."monthly ransom" = $12.95 per month....I guess your definition of a "monthly ransom" is a lot different than mine. That's about two lunches eating out per month :rolleyes:Only if you're going to McDonald's. :rolleyes:

Only if you're going to McDonald's. :rolleyes:You must be a hungry dude :D

I looked at dropping my digital channels last night in favor of saving some money and just keeping HBO. My cable company said I could do it but with the package of internet that I have dropping digital and keeping HBO would actually cost me 2 bucks more a month.

So I will keep those useless digital channels.

I posted this over on the Moxi board, but wanted opinions here as well...

Talk me out of replacing my Moxi (through Charter) with a Series 3 TiVo.

Here’s the deal, I’ve got a Series 2 TiVo upstairs with a lifetime subscription (no monthly fee) and a Moxi downstairs on the HDTV. TiVo has a deal where I can transfer the lifetime subscription to a Series 3 for $200.

The way I see it:

Advantages of Series 3:
-Monthly fee goes from $22/mo for DVR fees to $3/mo for cable cards.

-Better, non frustrating interface (TiVo users know what I mean).

-4 times the recording capacity (currently I’m pretty much full with 2 football games).

-OTA tuner.

-Could always eBay box, likely for more than I paid.

-Did I mention the lousy Moxi interface that requires multiple actions to accomplish the same thing as 2 actions on a TiVo?

Advantages of Moxi:
-Don’t need to drop $1k for new box.

-No risk of obsolescence.

-No risk to me if box breaks.

-Could switch to dish with no costs if I want to.

-Access to pay per view, though I don't use it since I have Netflix.

Am I missing something here? It will take me less than 5 years to pay off the TiVo and I’ll have a much better experience from the start.

Thanks
-murray

Talk me out of replacing my Moxi (through Charter) with a Series 3 TiVo.


No way.... why would I want to talk you out of it? :D

Come on in... the waters fine!

I posted this over on the Moxi board, but wanted opinions here as well...

Talk me out of replacing my Moxi (through Charter) with a Series 3 TiVo.

Here’s the deal, I’ve got a Series 2 TiVo upstairs with a lifetime subscription (no monthly fee) and a Moxi downstairs on the HDTV. TiVo has a deal where I can transfer the lifetime subscription to a Series 3 for $200.



Something else to consider: if you don't want to pay the $200 transfer, keep your lifetime on the S2, and they just charge you $6.95/month ($83/yr) for the S3. (multiple TiVo discount)

No way.... why would I want to talk you out of it? :D

Come on in... the waters fine!

Remember, I originally posted this on the Moxi board :D


Something else to consider: if you don't want to pay the $200 transfer, keep your lifetime on the S2, and they just charge you $6.95/month ($83/yr) for the S3. (multiple TiVo discount)

Thanks, I hadn’t considered that! I’ll probably still pay the $200 since the S3 will be in our long term TiVo for obvious reasons, but the discount will come in handy if we want to use the S2 beyond the first year.

-murray

Get the S3. It's the best, it will make you want to take what you currently have and find a nice tall cliff to heave it off of. :)

Question to previous Motorola 6412 phase 3 owners.

Is the TIVO Series 3 sensitive to changes in out door temperatures as the 6412?

My experience with the 6412 is that when the outdoor temp changes, it affects the signal level from the cable company. This manifest itself as tiling and freezing of the picture. Then its a phone call to the cable company to come and check the signal and reconfigure the splitters. I'd like to find out if the TIVO is as sensitive to these changes.

Does anyone know if TIVO is working on a Dish Network satellite version of the Series 3?

Does anyone know if TIVO is working on a Dish Network satellite version of the Series 3?

I'd Google "TiVO and DISH Network" -- I'd say that's highly unlikely... :)

bicker1 said on 10-04-06:
"Demanding" is a pretty empty gesture, on the part of a customer. The power a customer has rests in that customers money. If enough customers are ready to put up enough money, for all the stakeholders in the supply chain (producer, broadcaster, cable company, device manufacturers and service/software providers like TiVo) then what is "demanded" will be provided. The reality is that very few customers are willing to spend that much money. Customer lack of commitment is to blame for you not getting what you want.Clearly this was written from a salesman's point of view -- diametrically opposite to a consumer's. The truth, to most people, is that "demanding" means holding out for a product that actually satisifies their needs and works reliably. It seems that bicker1 was suggesting that we should spend our money on a problematic product in the hope that the next version of it will be more satisfactory -- and then, of course, we can spend more money on that! (After reading further on in the thread, I saw evidence that bicker1 may have modified his opinion on how much a customer should demand. ;))

However, I must admit that I did shell out $700 for the S1 TiVo and a lifetime subscription back in August 1999, before it was available in any store. Got two $50 rebates. No real problems. Eventual total cost to me until I switched to the HD TiVo in July 2004: 33 cents per day. :)

Avrum said on 10-11-06:
After almost a year, I finally gave up on the Sony. I was very happy with the PQ on the Sony, as well as the lack of annual fees, but I couldn't stand the constant dropped scheduled recordings. In order to make sure the recording wasn't dropped, I had to make sure I turned the thing on the night of the show and re-select what I wanted. Since I pretty much record every day, this became a daily event. I'm not happy about paying for service, but the way I'm looking at is that I'd rather pay Tivo $.30/day than continue with the Sony.Others here have used a figure of [less than] 50 cents/day.

Current maximum S3 monthly fee:
$12.95/30 = $0.4317/day (43 cents/day)
$12.95*12/365.25 = 0.4255/day (43 cents/day)

jacksonian said:
I haven't "channel surfed" in 8 years now. There's no need to.That makes it look like you started using a TiVo (or ReplayTV) before April 1999 (allowing you to round 7.x years up to 8). I believe that nobody but alpha- or beta-testers had access to either at that time. Were you one? ;)

Of course, you could've been thinking about your VCR, but I had a Beta VCR for 15 years and it didn't stop me from wanting to channel-surf.

Does anyone know if TIVO is working on a Dish Network satellite version of the Series 3?No. The satellite services aren't willing to provide TiVo an on-ramp to their customer-base.

The power a customer has rests in that customers money. If enough customers are ready to put up enough money, for all the stakeholders in the supply chain (producer, broadcaster, cable company, device manufacturers and service/software providers like TiVo) then what is "demanded" will be provided. The reality is that very few customers are willing to spend that much money. Customer lack of commitment is to blame for you not getting what you want. Clearly this was written from a salesman's point of view -- diametrically opposite to a consumer's.Actually, it was written from a realist's point of view, half-way between a consumer's point of view and a salesman's point of view.

It seems that bicker1 was suggesting that we should spend our money on a problematic product in the hope that the next version of it will be more satisfactory -- and then, of course, we can spend more money on that!Absolutely wrong. I even returned my S3 precisely because it was a "problematic product". Rather, and I've said this quite often, the sellers offer, and we consumers have the ultimate power: to accept what they offer for purchase, or reject it and not make the purchase.

Others here have used a figure of [less than] 50 cents/day.

Current maximum S3 monthly fee:
$12.95/30 = $0.4317/day (43 cents/day)
$12.95*12/365.25 = 0.4255/day (43 cents/day)
or app. $2.00/day for 4 units???

Anyone (besides me) using a Zektor HDVI5 HDMI switch with their S3? If so, please leave feedback here...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=739228

It would be appreciated.

Get the S3. It's the best, it will make you want to take what you currently have and find a nice tall cliff to heave it off of. :)So the S3 has firewire out now? ;)

Seriously, the Motorola DCT-3412 is no S3, but I'm addicted to far more HD programming than I could ever fast-forward through in front of the TV (requiring HD portability). Also, I've grown far too accustomed to the ability to save native-resolution programs and segments to D-VHS tapes and my notebook PC via firewire.

I'm still waiting for the S3 to provide that functionality. In the meantime, the 3412 performs okay :eek: as a two-tuner HD-DVR while maximizing DRM-compliant functionality. If there's something better for me I'm all ears.

Tim

So the S3 has firewire out now? ;)

Seriously, the Motorola DCT-3412 is no S3, but I'm addicted to far more HD programming than I could ever fast-forward through in front of the TV (requiring HD portability). Also, I've grown far too accustomed to the ability to save native-resolution programs and segments to D-VHS tapes and my notebook PC via firewire.

I'm still waiting for the S3 to provide that functionality. In the meantime, the 3412 performs okay :eek: as a two-tuner HD-DVR while maximizing DRM-compliant functionality. If there's something better for me I'm all ears.

TimI agree 100% but it seems the TiVo Series 3 w/one-way CableCARDs comes up a bit short. Hopefully 2007 will bring DCR devices that support two-way communications and provide cable operators with the incentive to loosen up a bit regarding their over restrictive DRM policies. However, I won't be surprised if their foot-dragging FCC lip-service compliance pushes useable open cable, plug & play device capability out to 2008/2009.

Does anyone know of a link for potential problems and solutions with cable card installations and the Series 3? I've ordered a Series 3 from TIVO and will need the cable cards installed by my cable provider which is Bright House. I've had a cable card installed on my Pana 50" 500U without any problems but I'm getting a little worried after reading about potential problems.

Thanks in advance.

Take a look at the TiVo Community TiVo Series3 HDTV DVRs Forum... (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=51) where you can read about the problems regarding CableCARD installs & DRM copyright restrictions.

CATV providers don't want/like/respect CableCARDs/the FCC/or their subscribers... so they won't do much to insure that OCAP 1.0 is successful.

Does anyone know of a link for potential problems and solutions with cable card installations and the Series 3? I've ordered a Series 3 from TIVO and will need the cable cards installed by my cable provider which is Bright House. I've had a cable card installed on my Pana 50" 500U without any problems but I'm getting a little worried after reading about potential problems.

Thanks in advance.

Actual experiences are all over the map... from absolutely simple 15 minute job to total failure after multiple visits. I believe the total failures are very much a minority (but that doenst make those in that group feel any better). It really depends on the cableco and what tech they send. Mine took several hours but was successful on the first visit. YMMV. Youre gonna love the S3! It does have a few bugs they are working on though... such is life for early adopters.

Good Luck!
Don

Does anyone know of a link for potential problems and solutions with cable card installations and the Series 3? I've ordered a Series 3 from TIVO and will need the cable cards installed by my cable provider which is Bright House. I've had a cable card installed on my Pana 50" 500U without any problems but I'm getting a little worried after reading about potential problems.

Thanks in advance.


I was anxious as well, but my installation with Comcast in Boston area a couple weeks ago went very smooth. My advice, is to absolutely insist the cable company send a tech that has done an S3 installation before.

I was anxious as well, but my installation with Comcast in Boston area a couple weeks ago went very smooth. My advice, is to absolutely insist the cable company send a tech that has done an S3 installation before. I am a Comcast customer in the Philadelphia area. I got my Series 3 ten days ago and did a self install. It was very easy. I was on the phone with the techs and they did the provisioning with no problem. The only glitch I had was some of my programing did not come in but that was do to billing codes. My cable company was transitioning from TWC so there are some hiccups in their billing system. But overall my install went well and I can't see why we all can't just do self installs it make no sense to have a tech come out when you can do it yourself; it was way to easy.

I still get failed recordings on my S3, and it tells me in the Recording History that the program was not recorded because the video signal was unavailable on Cable In.

I have narrowed it down (I think) to Tuner 1 (actually tuner #2, since the first one is called Tuner 0). It seems like it only happens when there are two things recording at the same time. Every time that I catch it happening, it is the second tuner that is showing a black screen.

I talked to Tivo, and they wont replace the Tivo unless I get that cablecard replaced. Soooo - I have Charter coming out one more time to replace the card. Hopefully they replace the right one. I think it should be the top card, since the instructions say to insert the card in the bottom slot first.

spiff72

I guess swapping the two cable cards wouldn't help because each is associated to its tuner? If not, then failed recordings on tuner 0 would identify the cable card as being the problem.

spiff72

I guess swapping the two cable cards wouldn't help because each is associated to its tuner? If not, then failed recordings on tuner 0 would identify the cable card as being the problem.

Correct. These are tied to the device, so once you swap them, you would have to call Charter and get them to re-do the "pairings". The problem is (as far as I know), they insist on a technician doing this sort of thing.

When they come out on Friday, I am going to ask if it would be possible to do this in the event that I have to get the Tivo replaced. Otherwise, they will have to send someone out AGAIN, just to pull the cards out of the old Tivo and put them in the new one. I am perfectly capable of this (and able to make a simple ph*******), for crying out loud! I am burning a lot of vacation time screwing around with this!

That's odd...

Why did the word "ph*******" get asterisked/censored?

Edit: ^^ That's "phone call" ^^ - wierd.

They probably assumed you were advertising for *******.com.

Edit: That's 1 call, but one spelled out. That is funny it singled it out in your message, though.

Just to be precise: CableCard 1 = Tuner 1; CableCard 2 = Tuner 0. FWIW.

Just to be precise: CableCard 1 = Tuner 1; CableCard 2 = Tuner 0. FWIW.

Really? I was assuming that CC1 for for tuner 0, and CC2 was for tuner 1. Is it also the case that the Tivo always record on Tuner 0 first (when it can) and the second simultaneously recording show will be recorded on Tuner 1?

My assumption was that since the instructions tell you to populate the "CC1" slot first, you could assume that this card was for tuner 0...

Please verify this if you can (links, perhaps?), as I don't want to swap out the wrong cablecard!

Really? I was assuming that CC1 for for tuner 0, and CC2 was for tuner 1. Is it also the case that the Tivo always record on Tuner 0 first (when it can) and the second simultaneously recording show will be recorded on Tuner 1?

My assumption was that since the instructions tell you to populate the "CC1" slot first, you could assume that this card was for tuner 0...

Please verify this if you can (links, perhaps?), as I don't want to swap out the wrong cablecard!

Pretty sure TiVO always records first on the tuner you're not watching, unless the tuner you're watching is on the channel that is to be recorded.

Jeff

Really? I was assuming that CC1 for for tuner 0, and CC2 was for tuner 1.Yeah this sure is counter-intuitive, eh?Is it also the case that the Tivo always record on Tuner 0 first (when it can) and the second simultaneously recording show will be recorded on Tuner 1?No idea, but as others have indicated, it won't commandeer a tuner you're using to record something else.

My assumption was that since the instructions tell you to populate the "CC1" slot first, you could assume that this card was for tuner 0...I think the numbering of the tuners probably has very little to do with anything other than their own internal engineering. Please verify this if you can (links, perhaps?)Check TCF. It's probably in one of the FAQs. If not, search the S3 forum... you'll find the info there.

Yeah this sure is counter-intuitive, eh?No idea, but as others have indicated, it won't commandeer a tuner you're using to record something else.

I think the numbering of the tuners probably has very little to do with anything other than their own internal engineering. Check TCF. It's probably in one of the FAQs. If not, search the S3 forum... you'll find the info there.

Thanks - I posted at TCF, but will see if it is in the FAQ.

Rcvd an email from TIVO that my S3 is on the way. Have confirmed same with UPS tracking. Can't wait to get it tomorrow. No bad..., Ordered it on Saturday, shipped by TIVO on Monday and will receive it on Wednesday. Appears the TIVO Store has gotten their act together. Now, if they would just add order tracking to their system.

Called Bright House Cable in Tampa Bay today and what a mess! Was told on multiple occasions that they don't install cable cards in TIVOs, the cards were out of stock, cards aren't compatible and etc. Fortunately I did my homework and continued to push and request upper management. Finally, I was connected to a person named Joel who knew something. The next problem was which card (ie: self-verification or verification). He called TIVO directly and was told that all S3's shipped to date are the B model (TCD648250B) and use the "self-verification" cable card model . He then told me that any card should work in the S3 since it is basically a digital TV (exactly what I've tried to tell everybody I spoke at Bright House). Setup an install date for Saturday.

I had similar problems when they installed a cable card in my plasma but not this bad. I sure hope the install goes well. I'll keep you posted

eaayoung,

Order my S3 early Sunday morning and its due to arrive on Wednesday too. I've also got Brighthouse as my service provider.

Should be interesting to see how it compares to the Motorola 6412. I plan on keep both for a while to do some comparisons then return the lesser of the two.

Lady at my local Brighthouse said that they've already performed a S3 install, so hopefully it'll go smooth.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/announcement.php?f=51&announcementid=55

with the 15% off you can get the S3 for $680 total.
coupon code is TCDEAL

All of a sudden I'm getting duplicates of almost all my HD channels via FIOS on the Tivo. The FIOS PVR is not having this issue. I tried rebooting the Tivo, but I still get 2 of almost all the HD channels. Does anyone have any ideas?

Really? I was assuming that CC1 for for tuner 0, and CC2 was for tuner 1. Is it also the case that the Tivo always record on Tuner 0 first (when it can) and the second simultaneously recording show will be recorded on Tuner 1?

My assumption was that since the instructions tell you to populate the "CC1" slot first, you could assume that this card was for tuner 0...

Please verify this if you can (links, perhaps?), as I don't want to swap out the wrong cablecard!
Here's a link to the message from TiVoJerry (he is an engineer at TiVo):
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4388668&&#post4388668

I forgot to mention that currently Tuner 0 refers to CableCARD 2 in the top slot & tuner 1 is CableCARD 1 in the bottom slot.

Here's a link to the message from TiVoJerry (he is an engineer at TiVo):
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4388668&&#post4388668

Thanks...

I found that post in the TCF yesterday, too.

Unfortunately, it is a moot point, since I observed my recording issue on tuner 0 last night, so I probably need to swap both cards, and then get my authorization to get the Tivo swapped out.

Wanting aTivo S3 but - Does Time Warner Cable's On-screen caller ID work with Tivo?
Any insight appreciated.
bob
Time Warner Cable Owego NY

Wanting aTivo S3 but - Does Time Warner Cable's On-screen caller ID work with Tivo?
Any insight appreciated.
bob
Time Warner Cable Owego NY

I am not sure how this works, but I doubt it. Is this a VOIP system? Or do you have a phone line plugged into your cable box to get this functionality?

It's part of a digital phone/cable package, so I don't think there's any way in the world the S3 could support this. But I could be wrong.

The Time Warner Digital Phone is VOIP. Phone line plugs in to Road runner cable modem.
I google TIVO caller id - and found where someone has a hack to make it work in Tivo series 2.
I'll wait a while till someone gets it to work on S3.

Thanks for the replies.

bob

I know this has been done already, but I just broke my warranty and upgraded the hard drive myself :D

I documented this a little bit @ http://www.juundow.com/tivo_series3_upgrade.html and just thought I let everyone know that it was quite painless to do. Hope this helps anyone interested in increasing the hard drive.

nice write up jlee.

costco now carries the tivo series 3 for $699, and that great costco lifetime warranty:).

ptvupgrade has an instacake cd for the S3 for $20. and if your computer does't have sata you can get a ide to sata converter for $23 shipped from TMG computers.

jlee301

Is SATA the same as the serial plugs on the back of the computer or is this procedure limited to newer motherboards with special connectors/cabling off of the motherboard? My concern is that I don't have a computer with SATA connections. What do people with laptops do?

P.S. dssturbo, you're a fast typer. Thanks for the heads up on the connectors.

nice write up jlee.

costco now carries the tivo series 3 for $699, and that great costco lifetime warranty:).

ptvupgrade has an instacake cd for the S3 for $20. and if your computer does't have sata you can get a ide to sata converter for $23 shipped from TMG computers.

I don't see an instacake for the S3.

I don't see an instacake for the S3.It's right here. (http://www.ptvupgrade.com/db/upgrade/?manufacturer_id=1&model_id=TCD648250B&category_id=14)

Brighthouse of Tampa Bay install the cable cards in my S3 this morning. Everything went ok and only took around 30 minutes. Have all of my channels. The only problem is that a couple of channels I rarely watch are missing the audio. Have the same problem (but on different channels) on the cable card installed in my TV. Was told to call and provide the channel information and they could correct the problem.

First impressions so far - I love the S3. Channel changing is a bit slow as it was on my S2 via the IF connection. I miss the undelete function and multi room view.

Very impressed so far.

Is SATA the same as the serial plugs on the back of the computer or is this procedure limited to newer motherboards with special connectors/cabling off of the motherboard? My concern is that I don't have a computer with SATA connections. What do people with laptops do?


The SATA plugs look to be pretty standard with the ones used in PCs, what you need to worry about is whether or not your computer can handle the speed transfer from SATA.

But as mention earlier, if you don't have SATA, you can easily use a SATA to IDE or SATA to USB converter and then do your upgrading then. Probably best to do some research on what ports you have available so you don't have to make several trips to a store.

Brighthouse of Tampa Bay install the cable cards in my S3 this morning. Everything went ok and only took around 30 minutes. Have all of my channels. The only problem is that a couple of channels I rarely watch are missing the audio. Have the same problem (but on different channels) on the cable card installed in my TV. Was told to call and provide the channel information and they could correct the problem.

First impressions so far - I love the S3. Channel changing is a bit slow as it was on my S2 via the IF connection. I miss the undelete function and multi room view.

Very impressed so far. You are lucky. I have had mine for two weeks and I cannot view 40 channels because my cable company has copy never on the 40 channels that I am missing which is causing me not to be able to even view the channels. The Tivo records to the hard drive even to view live TV; there is a second delay and live tv is read from the drive. This is violating the copy never scheme for those channels. They are violating their FCC mandate as well as my right to record programing for personal use. This is really pissing me off.


Is there anyone in the Philly area who is a TWC customer that is transitioning to Comcast who has the Series 3 with the same problem?

Is there anyone in the Philly area who is a original Comcast customer with the Series 3 that is working correctly?

Darth or should I call you Anakin? :)

There is a possibility that you have something else going on.

If you cable service also distributes DVRs that actually record on the channels that you are missing, then you probably have a bad install.

Do you know about their DVRs??

Darth or should I call you Anakin? :)

There is a possibility that you have something else going on.

If you cable service also distributes DVRs that actually record on the channels that you are missing, then you probably have a bad install.

Do you know about their DVRs?? I know what the problem is; this was also confirmed with the cable company. If you look at the conditional access screen in your cable card setup screen; the last field labeled copy protection is set to enabled only on the channels that I cannot record. The other channels are set to disabled in that field. They told me that that field is purposely set for those channels. I am having my service credited until they fix this.

The reason why my dvrs from them are working fine is because this is just isolated to the cable cards.

Hi again...

Question about expanding the recording capability. I notice that new internal HDD's are available....

http://store.tivocommunity.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=UPS3S&Store_Code=EA

But I'm wondering...has Tivo abandoned the idea of an external expansion drive? Or did they ever have that idea in the first place?

The reason I'm asking is, by using the new internal drive you'll obviously remove the first, and along with it, every one of those 30 hours worth of HD you already recorded.

Second, if you put in a new internal drive, won't you have to re-initialize the cable cards?

If you lose all your shows, AND have to make another tooth-pulling appointment with the cable company, I'd rather wait for that external capability.

Anyone here done this internal swap?

Thanks

But I'm wondering...has Tivo abandoned the idea of an external expansion drive? Or did they ever have that idea in the first place?
No, they haven't abandoned it, just waiting for a software release to enable the eSATA option.

As for swapping out internal drives, I'm assuming you're talking about saving archived stuff with that original 30?

Don't know about the cable cards, maybe someone else can answer.

Hi again...

Question about expanding the recording capability. I notice that new internal HDD's are available....

http://store.tivocommunity.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=UPS3S&Store_Code=EA

But I'm wondering...has Tivo abandoned the idea of an external expansion drive? Or did they ever have that idea in the first place?


If you lose all your shows, AND have to make another tooth-pulling appointment with the cable company, I'd rather wait for that external capability.

Anyone here done this internal swap?

Thanks

...if you send me the price of the HD upgrade, I'll purchase it and I guarantee you that before it arrives, they'll either put them on sale at half price or activate the eSATA port. :D :D :D

But I'm wondering...has Tivo abandoned the idea of an external expansion drive? Or did they ever have that idea in the first place?They demonstrated external expansion at CEDIA, and they are still planning on that feature with an upcoming software update.

Tivo now does 3-4 software updates per year. The first major update to the Series3 is planned for late November, the second in 1Q 2007.

I have an LG 3410, and with its problems with the Guide I've simply gotten used to not using it. I set up recordings manually using date/time, and enjoy OTA HD with its tuner.

The Tivo looks like a very nice unit, but I can't find if it is possible to simply set it up and use it without the Guide, or is the subscription mandatory.

I've specifically avoided Tivo's due to the subscription, which is also why I purchased the LG two years ago. I don't like paying for a "service" when what I bought was hardware.

What happens if I buy this a connect it to my analog cable and ATSC antenna?

No, they haven't abandoned it, just waiting for a software release to enable the eSATA option.

As for swapping out internal drives, I'm assuming you're talking about saving archived stuff with that original 30?

Don't know about the cable cards, maybe someone else can answer.

From what I can gather over on TCF, TiVo wants to have all of their Series2 features active on the Series3. However, anything to do with handling content (external storage, multi-room viewing, etc) has to be approved by CableLabs. From the few scraps of information that we have, eSATA may be forthcoming, MRV is being studied by CableLabs, and TiVo To Go (copy recorded shows to a PC and/or external media) may have a tough time getting certified by CableLabs.

The Tivo looks like a very nice unit, but I can't find if it is possible to simply set it up and use it without the Guide, or is the subscription mandatory.

I've specifically avoided Tivo's due to the subscription, which is also why I purchased the LG two years ago. I don't like paying for a "service" when what I bought was hardware.Subscription is mandatory.

If you could buy a cell phone with a lifetime of free calling, they'd cost a hell of a lot more than they do. Rather, most phones are subsidized by Sprint, Verizon, TMobile, etc (i.e. sold at a loss), and the cell providers recoup that initial loss on hardware, as well as the cost of making the service work, through monthly fees.

You have to remember that the Tivo subscription cost is reflected in the Series3 price. The S3 wouldn't have a wholesale price of $500 if a lifetime subscription to the service was included. In fact, according to Tivo's balance sheet, the service and software costs more to operate and update than the [non-HD] hardware itself. Tivo does let customers buy three year subscriptions in advance, which works out to a monthly rate of about $8/mo.

hey guys i'm still debating on whehter or not get the S3...i have an S2 w/a lifetime service so i could transfer that to the S3...i wanted to confirm that you do not have to buy the S3 directly from Tivo, right? can i buy it from BB and still have the lifetime service transfer for $199...i can't seem to find that info on tivo's website...

my hesitation, despite the high price, is that the s3 only works w/cable, right? if idecide to go satellite later on, the s3 would be useless, right?

hey guys i'm still debating on whehter or not get the S3...i have an S2 w/a lifetime service so i could transfer that to the S3...i wanted to confirm that you do not have to buy the S3 directly from Tivo, right? can i buy it from BB and still have the lifetime service transfer for $199...i can't seem to find that info on tivo's website...

my hesitation, despite the high price, is that the s3 only works w/cable, right? if idecide to go satellite later on, the s3 would be useless, right?
Right!! :rolleyes:

...i can't seem to find that info on tivo's website...
It's here (http://www.tivo.com/vip).

...The first major update to the Series3 is planned for late November, the second in 1Q 2007.Says who? You work for TiVo?

my hesitation, despite the high price, is that the s3 only works w/cable, right? if idecide to go satellite later on, the s3 would be useless, right?

I have DirecTV.
I don't have Cable.
I ordered my S3 last Friday, got email confirmation that it shipped today.

I will be using it exclusively for OTA HD content.
It can do OTA NTSC (analog) and OTA ATSC (Digital/HD) with only an antenna hooked to it.


Jerry

bierboy,

That information was from Tivo about a month ago. Things could have changed since, but a major update is on the way.

bierboy,

That information was from Tivo about a month ago. Things could have changed since, but a major update is on the way.

Did they say what might be included in a major update?

Would something like activating the eSATA port be considered a minor update that would occur off schedule?

They explicitly did not say what would or wouldn't be part of the November software updates. Indeed, it seemed to me that they went to great pains to ensure that they said effectively nothing about the content of the updates.

They demonstrated external expansion at CEDIA, and they are still planning on that feature with an upcoming software update.

Tivo now does 3-4 software updates per year. The first major update to the Series3 is planned for late November, the second in 1Q 2007.


Thanks all for your answers...I will avoid the new internal drive, and wait for the external expansion.

Personally, this is one area in which I wish the Tivo Series 3 had followed the Sony DHG-HDD series...as in, I wish Tivo had released several different versions, with different HDD capacity. I certainly would have opted for the 98 hours of HD over 30...

However that being said, I am totally enthusiastic about the S3. Fortunately, I have not lost any shows, not had any technical glitches, and my family and I have just totally enjoyed the machine.

Now, Tivo, if you're listening...you need a car version. If you did that, and introduced a moveable HDD, like in the HP Entertainment PC's...we could eject the HDD at home and bring it on the road for the kids.

I know there are other mobile options...but hey Tivo! Why not OWN it?

lol

Thanks again

Did they say what might be included in a major update?Like bicker says, Tivo hasn't given us any indication what the update will include, or when they will add specific features.

A few questions as I am close to pulling the plug on the Series3. I have never owned a TiVo, so questions are pretty basic.

First off, I am cancelling my D* service in favor of E* (more HD). I have an OTA that I use for HD locals.

Q: I see the Series3 has dual HD tuners. Does this mean I can connect, view and record my OTA?

Q: Why do the specs say it is not compatible with satellite? Will I not be able to connect and use Dish Network?

Thank you for your responses....

The satellite services have closed their systems to TiVo and other external CE manufacturers. They want and will ensure that you use only the equipment they provide you.

A few questions as I am close to pulling the plug on the Series3. I have never owned a TiVo, so questions are pretty basic.

First off, I am cancelling my D* service in favor of E* (more HD). I have an OTA that I use for HD locals.

Q: I see the Series3 has dual HD tuners. Does this mean I can connect, view and record my OTA?

Q: Why do the specs say it is not compatible with satellite? Will I not be able to connect and use Dish Network?

Thank you for your responses....

The key here is that the S3 ONLY has the coax inputs for cable and OTA. There are no other analog inputs like composite or S-video, so you can't connect your tivo to your satellite box's video output to record (and control it with an infrared blaster). This wouldn't give you HD anyway since composite and S-video aren't HD capable. There are no component video inputs either, but these aren't very common on DVR's as far as I know.

Older Tivo's (like the S2) were capable of recording from an external source like cable or satellite boxes.

The S3 will allow you to record your OTA HD stations.

A few questions as I am close to pulling the plug on the Series3....You mean "pulling the trigger"? I would hesitate to pull the plug on my TiVo :D

Before "pulling" any "trigger" on buying a Series 3, may I suggest waiting until they fix some of the bugs. The one that's a deal breaker for me is where it fails to record programs because the tuner is being flakey. DVRs aren't much good if they don't record.

There is a Tivo Community forum where you can read up about these issues.

Before "pulling" any "trigger" on buying a Series 3, may I suggest waiting until they fix some of the bugs. The one that's a deal breaker for me is where it fails to record programs because the tuner is being flakey. DVRs aren't much good if they don't record.

There is a Tivo Community forum where you can read up about these issues.


Mine is one of those that seems to have a flakey tuner.

I had to get the cable company out to my house to swap cablecards to prove the cards weren't the problem. (They weren't).

They are sending me a new one, so I hope the issue goes away.

I don't know if anyone has experienced this bug.

Setup: Two displays running from the S3; One using component and the other using HDMI
channel flagged as copy once.

Scenario: Display using HDMI is off while display using component is tuned to a channel that is flagged copy once.

Bug: Tivo message display to user "Tivo is unable to display this picture please choose another input" I paraphrased the message.

Resolution: Must turn on HDMI display or unplug HDMI Cable.

This is a crazy bug.

I have my projector using the component and my LCD TV using the HDMI. My wife sometime prefers to use the LCD instead of the projector and this works out fine for her. When I want to watch the projector I do not have the LCD running at the same time so I get the tivo message when I tune to a copy once flagged channel.

TIVO needs to fix this. Other than that Bug I am happy. This just ruined two weeks of viewing until I figured this out. I was blaming my cable company when it was a TIVO problem.

A few questions as I am close to pulling the plug on the Series3....

You mean "pulling the trigger"? I would hesitate to pull the plug on my TiVo :D

Lol! Yeah a few too many Halloween adult beverages yesterday I guess, woops.....

Anyway, I decided against the TiVo. The deal breaker was that it is not compatible with satellite. What a mistake! I feel sorry for those of you who only get to use this thing in its full glory on a few cable HD channels.

I opted to drop D* and switch to E*. 27 HD channels are too much to pass up! Oh, by the way, that doesn't include locals or premium channels. I receive free hd locals through my OTA that I will be able to record, since the ViP622 DVR has 2 satellite tuner inputs as well as an OTA input! Wow! All for a fraction of the price of the Series 3.

By the way, bugs are pretty common in HD DVR's of all sorts. Just look at the well recorded complaints from the D* camp and their lemon, errr HR20-700. Reviews are abysmal. The best reviews I've heard is on the ViP622 DVR.

Good TV, Better TV....? I think not! Good riddance D*. Hello Charlie!

Installation is set for Sunday between 8am-noon!

I will happily take my gloating to an E* thread now. Thanks all........

27 HD channels are too much to pass up!

If you consider the Voom channels full-fledged HD ;) :) .

Does anyone have their S3 connected, either wireless or wired to a 2wire dsl router. I have been going round and round with tivo, it gives me various error msgs from can't find wireless, when it shows me the ssid, so it can see it in some way. To unable to find dhcp server, unable to find gateway(router). However when I plug a laptop in the the network using the same cables i get connected no problem. Tivo is finally, begrudgingly, sending me a replacement unit, however they still try to insist it is a problem with my network. They tried to tell me that they have never seen all 3 ports, 2 usb and 1 ethernet, all go bad at the same time but from the looks of it they appear to be on 1 card so in my mind it is highly likely. But it looks like I will have to make another mind numbing appt with the cable co to get the cards installed in the new unit and I will loose all my recordings.

I'm using one I've had for years from SBC(now AT&T) and it's worked fine from the minute the S3 was plugged into it.

Thanks Keenan. That did not think it was the router but just thought I would check to see if anyone else had experienced any issues.

I have a linsys router, and my S3 is plugged directly into it. I also have a WinXP machine plugged into that router, and when I use the music/photo app on the S3, I have to remove the IP address of that computer, and then re-enter it for it to see the Tivo Desktop server.

Probably unrelated, but seems like another S3 networking glitch.

Does your DSL Router do the PPOE "login" for you? Or does your laptop do that? If the PPOE login is not done in the Router, that could be a problem for your S3, since I highly doubt it has support for DSL's PPOE protocol.

Just a thought...

Regards,

Doug

===============

Does anyone have their S3 connected, either wireless or wired to a 2wire dsl router. I have been going round and round with tivo, it gives me various error msgs from can't find wireless, when it shows me the ssid, so it can see it in some way. To unable to find dhcp server, unable to find gateway(router). However when I plug a laptop in the the network using the same cables i get connected no problem. Tivo is finally, begrudgingly, sending me a replacement unit, however they still try to insist it is a problem with my network. They tried to tell me that they have never seen all 3 ports, 2 usb and 1 ethernet, all go bad at the same time but from the looks of it they appear to be on 1 card so in my mind it is highly likely. But it looks like I will have to make another mind numbing appt with the cable co to get the cards installed in the new unit and I will loose all my recordings.

Does your DSL Router do the PPOE "login" for you? Or does your laptop do that? If the PPOE login is not done in the Router, that could be a problem for your S3, since I highly doubt it has support for DSL's PPOE protocol.

Just a thought...

Regards,

Doug

===============

I don't have one of these routers, but I think the one he has might be a combination DSL modem and router.

There are also non-router DSL modems out there that have PPPoE built in (they actually have an "Internet" LED indicator, and you need to configure them with your login and password for the DSL provider. The "dumb" DSL modems don't have the built in PPPoE, so the router must be set up with the login info (if a router is being used).

Any recommendations on a good HDMI switcher to use? I have a Sony DVD player hooked up via HDMI right now on my television. Also, how does using the switcher affect having inputs calibrated for devices?

Any recommendations on a good HDMI switcher to use? The Monoprice remote-controlled, auto-sensing, 5-input HDMI switcher is a good choice @ $122 (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=2777&seq=1&format=2&style=). If you have a quality universal remote from the likes of [Logitech] Harmony, switching between your HDTV DVR, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray is just as seamless as switching between inputs on a receiver.

Grab some of the "port savers" for the connections on your TV too. Link here (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=2891&seq=1&format=2&style=).

Also, how does using the switcher affect having inputs calibrated for devices?It doesn't change the output. However, if you customized HDMI-1 for DVD and HDMI-2 for the Series3, and then you are sharing a single input (say, the HDMI-1 calibrated for DVD) for all equipment, then obviously you won't have the benefit of the other outputs calibrated specifically for certain components.

bfdtv,

Thanks for the reply. I'm hoping, then, I can discover a way to use the Harmony remote to change the picture mode when I switch inputs on the HDMI switcher. For example, on my Sony TV I have Pro mode calibrated for the television and my current DVR (both were very close) and Movie mode calibrated for the DVD player (which is connected via HDMI). So in this case I'd need to find a way to switch back and forth from Movie mode to Pro mode within the same input on the television. Unfortunately I'm not sure there are discreet IR commands for that.

The Monoprice remote-controlled, auto-sensing, 5-input HDMI switcher is a good choice @ $122 (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=2777&seq=1&format=2&style=). If you have a quality universal remote from the likes of [Logitech] Harmony, switching between your HDTV DVR, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray is just as seamless as switching between inputs on a receiver.

Grab some of the "port savers" for the connections on your TV too. Link here (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=2891&seq=1&format=2&style=).

It doesn't change the output. However, if you customized HDMI-1 for DVD and HDMI-2 for the Series3, and then you are sharing a single input (say, the HDMI-1 calibrated for DVD) for all equipment, then obviously you won't have the benefit of the other outputs calibrated specifically for certain components.

thanks for the tip! this is a great solution to increasing the number of HDMI ports! so it really doesn't matter how many HDMI ports a tv has as long as it has one...ok it's a little bit of an extra expense but it's not bad for $122. two questions:

1. does having an hdmi switcher like this degrade/defuse the signal?

2. i'm not sure what the "port savers" do exactly? :confused:

1. does having an hdmi switcher like this degrade/defuse the signal?No.

2. i'm not sure what the "port savers" do exactly?To quote rewestley in another thread:

The Port Savers are 8 inch low weight extensions that will help to put less stress on the internal connectors of the switch and your other equipment. They make for a snug fit on the cables. Since I started using them I have never had an HDCP handshake issue. In the past cables would sometimes come loose from the weight. They are a really low cost tweak.
I would suggest the port savers for every HDCP connection used on your TV, as well as for your expensive A/V components (i.e. one for your display, one for your Series3, one for your PS3, and one for your HD-DVD player). You can get three for ~$10 total.

I like that Port Saver idea, thanks for the link. :)

Anyway, I decided against the TiVo. The deal breaker was that it is not compatible with satellite. What a mistake!Just a note about this -- it wasn't a mistake. The decision was made by the satellite services (they refuse to open up their systems to CE manufacturers) and this will likely result in them getting more profit from the sale and rental of their own hardware.

I feel sorry for those of you who only get to use this thing in its full glory on a few cable HD channels. I get 14 of the 16 available non-sports HD channels (there are a few sport HD channels, too, but I don't watch those). There are no repeated stations (i.e., Blah East and Blah West) -- all the HD channels on cable are unique. I have a DVR to timeshift for me -- I don't need the same channel twice. There was only one HD channel offered by the satellite services that I was interested in and could not get from cable.

From my personal comparison, cable delivers me real HD, while my neighbor's satellite HD provides comparatively poor quality video. Cable also provides our local Fox affiliate in HD, which is not available in this area OTA, due to inadequate transmission signal power.

I think there are advantages and disadvantages of cable and satellite, but I think in a head-to-head, cable wins, hands-down. YMMV.

I get 14 of the 16 available non-sports HD channels (there are a few sport HD channels, too, but I don't watch those). There are no repeated stations (i.e., Blah East and Blah West) -- all the HD channels on cable are unique. I have a DVR to timeshift for me -- I don't need the same channel twice. There was only one HD channel offered by the satellite services that I was interested in and could not get from cable.Don't crow about it because eventually the Cable MSOs will migrate entirely to Switched Digital Video (http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=17913) to conserver bandwidth, which will render your S3 inoperable.

Hold out for two-way DCR devices. ;)

Don't crow about it because eventually the Cable MSOs will migrate entirely to Switched Digital Video (http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=17913) to conserver bandwidth, which will render your S3 inoperable.

Hold out for two-way DCR devices. ;)

And eventually an ice age will cover us all with 500 feet of ice. So what's the point in anything really? :)

And eventually an ice age will cover us all with 500 feet of ice. So what's the point in anything really? :)Excluding the newbies who haven’t received their education regarding the shortcomings associated with HD DCR devices that use one-way CableCARDs... only as it pertains to allocating that portion of your discretionary income to A/V toys. Expect more, demand more, and get more.

I get 14 of the 16 available non-sports HD channels (there are a few sport HD channels, too, but I don't watch those). There are no repeated stations (i.e., Blah East and Blah West)

14 of 16? huh? Blah East, Blah West? I count 27 hd for DISH! Of the 27 only 4 are "sport" channels. No repeats. No blah East and blah West. All unique channels!

Once again, I am not counting locals. The hd count would take it to 34 if I was. Oh one more thing, E* carries a lot less expensive monthly fee for a whole lot more programming. Picture quality is debatable. Advantage cable? I think not. Dish is the current reigning hd champion with all things considered.

Animania HD
Family Room HD
GamePlay HD
Discovery HD Theater
Equator HD
National Geographic Channel HD
DISH Network PPV in HD
Film Fest HD
Food Network HD
HDNet Movies
Kung Fu HD
Monsters HD
World Cinema HD
HDNews
Rave HD
ESPN HD
ESPN2 HD
NFL Network HD
Rush HD
WorldSport HD
Gallery HD
HDNet
HGTV HD
TNT HD
Treasure HD
Ultra HD
Universal HD

What about the FiOS wildcard, which is coming soon to a cable TV market near you. ;)

I'm investigating TIVO3 for my system for Montgomery county, Maryland. The 800 number people at Comcast said there was no problem; all you have to do is go pick up the two cards. Then I contacted the local Comcast office and I am getting the run around. One: they said that they have to schedule an appointment (stupid--you just have to insert the cards into the TIVO3--how hard can that be?). Two: they say that no one in Montgomery county has installed a Tivo3 and they don't know how to register the two cable cards in their system since it is only set up to register one card.

There must be someone out there in Montgomery county MD who has installed a TIVO3 with comcast. Would greatly appreciate hearing your experience. thx.

I'm investigating TIVO3 for my system for Montgomery county, Maryland. The 800 number people at Comcast said there was no problem; all you have to do is go pick up the two cards. Then I contacted the local Comcast office and I am getting the run around. One: they said that they have to schedule an appointment (stupid--you just have to insert the cards into the TIVO3--how hard can that be?). Two: they say that no one in Montgomery county has installed a Tivo3 and they don't know how to register the two cable cards in their system since it is only set up to register one card.

There must be someone out there in Montgomery county MD who has installed a TIVO3 with comcast. Would greatly appreciate hearing your experience. thx.

Sounds like BS. I don't have Comcast, but they should be able to set you up with more than one cablecard. They should be treated as seperate devices (as it you were inserting them into 2 different TV's for example).

I have FIVE cablecards on my account with Charter. It can be done.

Sounds like BS. I don't have Comcast, but they should be able to set you up with more than one cablecard. They should be treated as seperate devices (as it you were inserting them into 2 different TV's for example).

I have FIVE cablecards on my account with Charter. It can be done.

I tried to explain it that way to them. I said, well what if I had two TVs and wanted two cable cards? The person got irritated and snippy. Usual. Still I can't believe I'm the first one in Mont. County. Same old S-it.

I tried to explain it that way to them. I said, well what if I had two TVs and wanted two cable cards? The person got irritated and snippy. Usual. Still I can't believe I'm the first one in Mont. County. Same old S-it.

Jack,

In my opinion, you're being jerked around.

They just don't want to give up their profits in leasing you a DVR.

If you are in Montgomery County, that means FiOS is available or soon will be.

FiOS here in N. VA understands what the Series3 needs in terms of CableCards.

I'm investigating TIVO3 for my system for Montgomery county, Maryland. The 800 number people at Comcast said there was no problem; all you have to do is go pick up the two cards. Then I contacted the local Comcast office and I am getting the run around. One: they said that they have to schedule an appointment (stupid--you just have to insert the cards into the TIVO3--how hard can that be?). Two: they say that no one in Montgomery county has installed a Tivo3 and they don't know how to register the two cable cards in their system since it is only set up to register one card.

Definitely BS. Who actually performs the CableCard install (you or a service tech) seems to be a regional thing. Some places allow you to pick 'em up by yourself, other places require a truck roll. The installation is a little more involved than simply sticking the cards in and you're done, but then again, it's not rocket science either.

Edited -- took this to private message.

I took the plunge and ordered the Series3 yesterday from Amazon.com with overnight shipping (so I could set it up this weekend). The site stated it would ship same day and be here today. So I called the cable company and the only appointment they have available in the next 3 weeks is Saturday late afternoon. I snatched it up, obviously.

Unfortunately, Amazon never shipped the TiVo, and the shipping estimate finally changed this morning to shipping today, but not arriving until Monday or Tuesday. I'm trying to pull the promised delivery date card with them to get them to pop for the Saturday delivery, but so far all I've gotten was a refund of my Amazon Prime overnight shipping ($3.99). If I can't get it tomorrow, I'll have a fairly worthless TiVo for weeks!

I'm investigating TIVO3 for my system for Montgomery county, Maryland. The 800 number people at Comcast said there was no problem; all you have to do is go pick up the two cards. Then I contacted the local Comcast office and I am getting the run around. One: they said that they have to schedule an appointment (stupid--you just have to insert the cards into the TIVO3--how hard can that be?). Two: they say that no one in Montgomery county has installed a Tivo3 and they don't know how to register the two cable cards in their system since it is only set up to register one card.

There must be someone out there in Montgomery county MD who has installed a TIVO3 with comcast. Would greatly appreciate hearing your experience. thx.

Hey Jack...Bethesda here.

I bought the S3 the day it came out, and two days later Comcast of Montgomery County came out and installed two cablecards in the machine. It took a while, but no problem.

I merely called and told them I wanted to get two Cablecards installed in a new Tivo. They set up the appointment, and came over.

Earlier this year, they came out and put Cablecards in two Sony DHG-HDD250's. Which brings me to four Cablecards on my account.

Personally, I have not had any trouble with Comcast. They agreed every time. And the techs were great, even though as we all know, Cablecards can be challenging.

However, I believe the first contact you referenced...the 800 number...gave you bad information. Locally, Comcast never allows self-install of Cablecards (from my experience only...) unless you have already had a tech install one, and need to swap it out. They will allow you to take a bad card to the office, and walk out with a new one.

But for new installations, they always roll the truck.

Any more info, please contact me. And enjoy that S3!

Hey Jack...Bethesda here.

I bought the S3 the day it came out, and two days later Comcast of Montgomery County came out and installed two cablecards in the machine. It took a while, but no problem.

I merely called and told them I wanted to get two Cablecards installed in a new Tivo. They set up the appointment, and came over.

Earlier this year, they came out and put Cablecards in two Sony DHG-HDD250's. Which brings me to four Cablecards on my account.

Personally, I have not had any trouble with Comcast. They agreed every time. And the techs were great, even though as we all know, Cablecards can be challenging.

However, I believe the first contact you referenced...the 800 number...gave you bad information. Locally, Comcast never allows self-install of Cablecards (from my experience only...) unless you have already had a tech install one, and need to swap it out. They will allow you to take a bad card to the office, and walk out with a new one.

But for new installations, they always roll the truck.

Any more info, please contact me. And enjoy that S3!

Ahh. This is what I wanted to hear! I will press them on it. I'm waiting for a return call but I will not wait too much longer. I want to get this up and running this weekend.

BTW: I've heard many saying that the price for the S3 is lower at BB or CC but when I went to their sites it is the same as with TIVO. What's up with that? Also is it the case now that CC and BB will likely have them in stock so I can just pop over there and pick up one today or tomorrow?

Finally, does it take long for TIVO to set up the service once you get the box installed? I have to set up the account with TIVO well in advance or it is likely that I can contact them today and have the service activated today or tomorrow?

many thanks for the feedback and support.

i don't know if anyone saw this yet, but the S3 is now availalbe online at COSTCO!

Don't crow about it because eventually the Cable MSOs will migrate entirely to Switched Digital Video (http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=17913) to conserver bandwidth, which will render your S3 inoperable.Full Disclosure: I don't have an S3 anymore -- I had to return it because it wasn't reliable enough.

Regardless, I was initially very critical of TiVo's decision to offer an HD DVR product, given the extent to which they are, for all practical purposes, hoping that SDV won't render their product useless for use with cable systems (just like it is already useless for use with satellite systems). I've moderated my position on that a bit, given that the vast majority of channels will remain accessible (non-switched). As I mentioned in my earlier message, I don't need HBO East and West... they're the same, just timeshifted (which is something the DVR can do for you!) I could see cable companies also using SDV for some arcane channels, but given how limited the appeal of those channels will be, limited use of SDV wouldn't have much negative impact on the S3.

However, if you want to future-proof your purchase, you really would have to consider the S3 to be an OTA-only device. Many people find it worthwhile given even that restriction.

14 of 16? huh? ... I count 27 hd for DISH! Of the 27 only 4 are "sport" channels.Yeah but the extra ones all suck, so why would I care about them? I'd rather have 14 excellent, uncompressed HD channels than 27 HD channels of compressed HD, half of which I would never watch anyway.

What about the FiOS wildcard, which is coming soon to a cable TV market near you. ;)I hope so, but I would't be so sure. FiOS is offered in my town, but not to my home, just two miles from the central office. Verizon has provided no indications that they're working to bridge the gap. I think they're just working to cull the cheap-to-reach market -- the customers that happen to live where it would be especially inexpensive for them to offer service to. While they may, someday, get around to providing broader access, I wouldn't count on it (make decisions based on it) without a written guarantee from them.

i don't know if anyone saw this yet, but the S3 is now availalbe online at COSTCO!

Yeah but it is the same price as if you buy from TIVO.

....you really would have to consider the S3 to be an OTA-only device. Many people find it worthwhile given even that restriction.I respectfully disagree. In my experience, it seamlessly integrates cable (analog) and OTA (HD), therefore recording both flawlessly.

Earlier this year, they came out and put Cablecards in two Sony DHG-HDD250's. Which brings me to four Cablecards on my account.
Personally, I have not had any trouble with Comcast. They agreed every time. And the techs were great, even though as we all know, Cablecards can be challenging.

is comcast charging you a digital outlet fee for the extra Cablecards? this can be as much as $5.99 per month.

Yeah but it is the same price as if you buy from TIVO.


no it's not...it's $50 cheaper.

Yeah but the extra ones all suck, so why would I care about them? I'd rather have 14 excellent, uncompressed HD channels than 27 HD channels of compressed HD, half of which I would never watch anyway.
the voom channels, while not full resolution are still widescreen and still looks good, still way better than any SD channel. and while you may not care to watch these channels for extended times, it's great to browse thru them while kicking back and relaxing. also, dish has: HDNet, FoodHD, HGTV-HD, Nat Geo HD, Universal HD, all or some of which may not even be carried by your cable company. you can also hook up an OTA antenna for 3 simultaneous recordings and perfect, bit-for-bit broadcast programs.

....you really would have to consider the S3 to be an OTA-only device. Many people find it worthwhile given even that restriction.
... which could be in jeopardy as well if broadcasters successfully lobby to stop their OTA transmissions and do direct distribution instead to cable and satellite...

OK so I called the 800 number again and they said that they have to deliver the cards but no monthly charge for them. I've got it set up for tomorrow. I thought that was pretty quick. I wonder if it will go smoothly. It seemed too easy.... I think they said they will charge $25 for the guy to show up and plug in the ccs. That is a rip. So that is the story so far for Comcast Montgomery County MD.

Hey Jack...Bethesda here.

I bought the S3 the day it came out, and two days later Comcast of Montgomery County came out and installed two cablecards in the machine. It took a while, but no problem.

I merely called and told them I wanted to get two Cablecards installed in a new Tivo. They set up the appointment, and came over.

Earlier this year, they came out and put Cablecards in two Sony DHG-HDD250's. Which brings me to four Cablecards on my account.

Personally, I have not had any trouble with Comcast. They agreed every time. And the techs were great, even though as we all know, Cablecards can be challenging.

However, I believe the first contact you referenced...the 800 number...gave you bad information. Locally, Comcast never allows self-install of Cablecards (from my experience only...) unless you have already had a tech install one, and need to swap it out. They will allow you to take a bad card to the office, and walk out with a new one.

But for new installations, they always roll the truck.

Any more info, please contact me. And enjoy that S3!

So I got the TIVO set up as far as possible without the cable cards. The guy is suposed to come tomorrow. So all he does is stick the cards in the slots and then activates them? Is there anything I need to be aware of in case the installer isn't?

In the end I'm not 100 percent sure they realize it is for a TIVO 3. I made about three calls to the 800 number and 1 to the local number (they never got back to me). Only on the last call did they schedule the appointment. Does it make any difference if the two cards they bring are supposed to be for two TVs? In other words all the cards are the same?

thx.

Just make sure they follow the instructions on the included sheet exactly. They should install and activate one card at a time, not two at once.

... which could be in jeopardy as well if broadcasters successfully lobby to stop their OTA transmissions and do direct distribution instead to cable and satellite...

Why would they want to go backwards? You'll have to pry that spectrum out of their cold dead fingers.

http://www.mediainfocenter.org/television/competitive/broadcast_vs_cable.asp

http://www.mediainfocenter.org/compare/adrevenue/

They're the 800 pound gorilla for audience reach. With the FCC mandated ATSC tuners, they'll be over the air for the foreseeable future. It's not just ad revenue either, don't forget the re-distribution rights on DVD and rapidly approaching download services.

I respectfully disagree. In my experience, it seamlessly integrates cable (analog) and OTA (HD), therefore recording both flawlessly.I believe you missed the beginning of my statement. Here it is, reproduced, with the part you overlooked highlighted:

However, if you want to future-proof your purchase, you really would have to consider the S3 to be an OTA-only device. Many people find it worthwhile given even that restriction.

I hope that clears it up for you.

Just make sure they follow the instructions on the included sheet exactly. They should install and activate one card at a time, not two at once.The hardest point is making them wait for the S3 to recognize each inserted CableCard by itself, instead of using the menus to get the pairing information. It sometimes days several minutes for each card.

is comcast charging you a digital outlet fee for the extra Cablecards? this can be as much as $5.99 per month.

Here in suburban DC, the first one's free, extras are $1.99.


So I got the TIVO set up as far as possible without the cable cards. The guy is suposed to come tomorrow. So all he does is stick the cards in the slots and then activates them? Is there anything I need to be aware of in case the installer isn't?

In the end I'm not 100 percent sure they realize it is for a TIVO 3. I made about three calls to the 800 number and 1 to the local number (they never got back to me). Only on the last call did they schedule the appointment. Does it make any difference if the two cards they bring are supposed to be for two TVs? In other words all the cards are the same?

Jack, have you even paired a cell phone with a Bluetooth headset? Each device has to be up and running and recognize the other, and ultimately passkeys are required to make the connection.

The Tivo S3 CableCard hookup is the same thing, on mega-steroids. The installer inserts the CableCard, the Tivo needs to recognize it, then the installer has to call the office (and gets put on hold for 20-30 minutes, just like us when we call Comcast...lol) and then he has to recite several million-digit numbers exactly, and the person at the office has to enter them exactly, then the office person has to send 'hits' to the card to pair it with the system. If they all do it perfectly it works.

Any one of us could do the install. It would be easy enough. But that's their procedure, and they won't do it any other way.

But having gone through this with 4 cablecards, which all work just fine, I would recommend following the Tivo instructions to the letter. Also, if the installation seems stuck, suggest another CableCard. I would say the majority of people who have had successful installations have needed to try a different card before everything worked.

In my case, I also needed to do a complete re-set of the system before it 'took.'

Fortunately, the installers I've met have been very interested in making things work! So that's in your favor.

I hope it goes well, neighbor!

HD_Dude,

I called CC earlier this morning to make sure they had the appointment set up correctly for later today. It turns out they were scheduled to install only one cable card!!! The 800 number person made a note on the record but said the dispatchers don't arrive until 9. She said she would call them to see if the installer could be told to bring a second card but couldn't guarantee that it would be possible. Now I don't know what to think.

I'm not taking anything for granted. I'm going to call them in a while.

BTW they told me that the cable cards themselves are free (no monthly charge) but you have to pay for the (mandatory!!!) installation. I suppose CC DC could have different policies than DC MD.

I'm trying not to get to stressed about this whole thing but.....if I have to wait for another installation visit.....

If I'm not mistaken, the TIVO 3 will work with only one card but I guess it means I will not be able to record more than one program at a time.