The Official AVS TiVo "Series4" Premiere topic - Page 64

Hello All,

Just a note about picture quality. For many (all?) HD TVs the various picture settings (which ultimately determine how good the picture looks) are set independently for each input source (IE: OTA tuner, HDMI 1, HDMI 2, etc). So if you are seeing noticeable differences check your settings for the input source and adjust as needed.

Good Luck,

"Many". There is a setting for "common" or "per input" on mine. I find common is ok since it seems to work, and it's a small TV. A cheap BD calibration disk from MS has been helpful.

From FierceCable:
"TiVo generated $61 million in service and technology revenue during the third quarter, up 18 percent compared to the same period in 2011. It posted $59 million in net income, compared to a net loss of $24.5 million this time last year."

I wonder how much they should kick back to RoviCorp for killing TVGOS for this.

Those proceeds won't be realized until next quarter.
When Moxi finally stops their guide service, we'll have another influx of PO'd refugees.

You are right that TiVo records the broadcast Transport Stream. However it must re-code the output IF IT HAS TO CHANGE THE Video OUTPUT FORMAT. For example, if the program is broadcast as 720p, but the TiVo is configured to send only 1080i, then the TiVo has to re-code the output from 720p to 1080i. I am not sure how good the re-coder in the TiVo is, but the one in the TV is usually better. So to ensure you use the best decoder, configure the TiVo to send each of the video outputs that your TV supports.

To manually set the video formats, From the TiiVo Central (My TiVo) screen, select Settings& Messages-> Settings -> Video -> Video Output Formats.
Don't use the Auto Detect feature. At least on my TV (Sony EX720 thru Denon 3806) it only selects 1080i, even though the TV supports all formats. Rather, manually check the TiVo Video Output Formats for 720p, 1080i and 1080p (24fps). You can run the Test Formats command. It will check each format you tell it your TV supports.
I don't select the 480i or 480p because that seems to cause the TiVo and TV to fight over zooming letter boxed 4x3 content. I prefer to have the TV do the zoom.

Greg

Thank you for that clear instruction. I could not figure out why it insisted on using 1080i for everything. Seems Auto Detect was the error in my ways.

TiVo HD was much easier. I have a button on the front panel to select native transport. Its all I ever use.

Okay, someone indulge me here:

I'm looking into getting a new DVR for my OTA setup and have been scouring the internet for some good options, of which I'm learning there aren't many. I currently have a Hauppauge 950Q tuner which I connect with my laptop via WinTV 7 or Windows Media Center. For my setup, it does okay, but it has significant drawbacks. The first being is that it has to connect to my laptop, which is the only PC I have. The second is the thing only has one tuner so I can't watch something else when I record. I guess I could always get a second USB tuner, but that seems like overkill, and if I can get a decent DVR box with a dual tuner for the same price or not much more if I look hard enough. The third is that it's not reliable. My Windows Media Center hiccups occasionally and doesn't record (not due to space, I have a 500GB hard drive, and delete shows when I'm done with them). In short, I'm looking to upgrade.

The TiVo Premiere sounds promising to me. The boxes aren't ridiculously expensive, and they have a few bells and whistles that I am not looking for, but could still use. Let me understand something: in addition to the box, I have to pay a subscription of about $15 a month (give or take), or a "Lifetime" subscription for about $400-$500 bucks (up front cash I don't have), perhaps a little cheaper if I buy a set off of someplace like Ebay. This includes, among other things, guide data, which is powered by Zap2it or Tribune Media. How accurate is the guide data? Guide data isn't a complete make or break for me, but if I'm going to pay for it, it better be good and have full functionality. Does anyone on a border city (Buffalo, Detroit, Seattle, etc.) use it? Does the guide data work for OTA channels out of Canada (including program based recording and "Season Pass")? If I enter a zip code into TiVo, will it give me all the channels that I would find on Zap2it's site (assuming I pick up the signal), including the Canadian channels? This was the drawback for DirecTV's setup. I have the DVR (the HR 24), and was thinking about the AM21, but I understand I have to do some serious messing around to get all my channels with it, especially the Canadian ones, more than it's worth (to me anyway) because DirecTV doesn't update its database for the Canadian ones, even though Tribune Media lists them through Zap2it. Does TiVo solve this problem (obviously as a separate setup than DirecTV)?.

The premier still has that button but it will only toggle through if those checks are made for the different output resolutions in settings.

I would concede that tivo's output up scaling from 480i/p to 1080i is terrible. Some of the worst I've seen. Although directv isn't much different.

720p to 1080i is fine though.

I've stopped watching all SD material though.

Netflix is killing my TiVo. I reproduced this three times tonight: go to my shows, scroll down to Netflix, wait awhile, Netflix throws up a gray dialog box saying it's not available (with only an "ok" button), then after you dismiss it, the entire screen turns gray for a few seconds before the entire TiVo does a hard reboot.

Probably a Netflix issue, but it goes to show how TiVo's partnerships make the whole OS subject to unintended consequences..

A while back it was broken (before the recent Netflix upgrade and not as badly) for several weeks up to a month or more. It would work most of the time then simply freeze, reboot or whatnot. I was surprised they let it go on so long.

That must not have been the case everywhere. The only extended issue I've had with Netflix was when the Premiere was first released. Otherwise streaming from Netflix on the Premiere has been reliable for me. I've had no issue in the last few months with it that I can recall. And if there was it was isolated to a short time period..

My main beef with Netflix on the Premiere is with DD+. Sometimes it will output DD and sometime DD+. I can try the same title several times and sometimes it will be DD+ and sometimes DD.

No issues to report with netflix. Only device out there that plays 1080p/24/DD+ Netflix !!!

Tivo needs to get its own Netflix interface. It's using the one that everyone else has, and the button presses don't make sense with the rest of the Tivo input buttons.

The YouTube app has the same problem, and it sucks too. And they're both slow as hell and buggy. The bottom line is that if you want internet apps, get a Roku - Tivo will never be the 'one box' that marketing promised, but it's a great DVR. The only app that works well on Tivo that I've seen is Pandora.

On Pandora, have you noticed if it is buffered? I haven't linked my Premiere since I already have my TV, BD and AVR linked. Only the BD buffers and the others stream.

I use Pandora on my TiVos alot. No idea if it buffers but it plays with zero issues for me.

I don't expect any problem but my connection is pretty slow. I know (from the LEDs on my router) that the BD buffers a title and the others don't. I tend to use Pandora at night while I'm on the internet. There is a difference on all three devices as far as the Pandora screen presentation too. I guess I will try it and see how it works.

My GF has a slow 1.25 Mb/s DSL connection and Pandora works with zero issues at her place too. Or is your connection even slower?

Not by much, 1mbs DSL and the DNS server seems to sleep a lot. When a title is buffered, it only takes a few seconds to download. Without the buffer there is continuous activity. My money is on it being buffered since I doubt TiVo is short of memory. I could be wrong, but it does a great job downloading titles from my laptop saved by the Desktop program.

Any new Tivo updates coming ?

The Fall Update is rolling out right now. (The First Fall release, 20.2.2, in Oct was stopped due to some bugs, the Second Fall release, 20.2.2.1 is out now) The next update is expected in the Spring 2013.
http://www.tivo.com/mytivo/service-updates/index.html

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=495279

https://twitter.com/i/#!/tivodesign/media/slideshow?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitpic.com%2Fb7nmj4

Mine finally updated yesterday, I was wondering why it was taking so long ....

Yes mine updated saturday

love the new MRV interface in HD. no switching to SD. Looks like it's on the same box.

Now for combined "My Shows" all in one list.....

Hello official owners of the Tivo Series4 Premiere. I am looking at getting the model that has 4 tuners to replace the evil empire's (comcast) DVR. I presently have the Moto 3400. Has anyone here went from Comcast's DVR to a Tivo and regretted making the move? The main reason I want to make the move is to pay less to Comcast because they had two rate increases this year.

Hometheatergeek, I wanted to stop hearing the family's gripes about blank screen recordings and other run of the mill DCX3500 ills. Four tuners was a bonus. I was a former Tivo sub (Sony SVR200) that jumped ship when C* introduced DVRs. Working for said company at the time made it cheaper and the DCT6412 could record premium channels.

PQ? Excellent. UI is miles above the latest version of IGuide. Online look up and scheduling recording is just as good.

The family that used to gripe about aborted recordings now gripes about the sheer insanity that is Tivo suggestions. I could turn it off (or they could find out that it is optional) but I like to give them something to gripe about.

Downsides? Cost is a hurdle, Premier4 with lifetime cost a bunch, then I had to go to Radio Shack and buy a digital clock to put in the AV shelf - 15 years of having a set top box with a clock gets to be a habit. I sometimes miss the Caller ID on the TV screen that is offered when one has CDV & Digital.

But now the enjoyment of TV according to our schedule and being able to trust the machine outweighs the cost issue (worth it) and the feature trade offs.

Comcast markets using Motorola equipment, also have access to the Xfinity OnDemand content. (A big plus IMO, that most other TiVo users with other providers don't have access to.)
http://www3.tivo.com/products/tivo-walkthrough/tv-source/cable/tivo-comcast/index.html

Note: SA/Cisco Comcast markets do not yet have access to Xfinity OnDemand.
Customers with a Cisco/Scientific Atlantic CableCARD will not have XFINITY On Demand available at this time.
http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2261
Edited by Bryan_CoxPHX - 12/10/12 at 6:19pm

Not even for a second. I actually still have one Comcast DVR along with my two Premieres and one TiVo HD. I really need to take it back and get it off my bill because I never use it..

It would be nice if somebody would resolve the FOX v. TiVo clock issues ... I'm already tired of having to remember to add that extra minute.