Tivo Premiere Elite - Page 2

You already have a thread about thos but you need to provide details for us to help you.

zip=63801. When I set up my new Tivo, I got an error message regarding my network. I called Tivo, and they said that I needed a router. I bought one, but due to limited space and knowledge, I have not set it up yet. For now, it is going to be wired only. I was hoping to get the new Tivo with 4 tuners, to eventually replace the 3 DVD recorders that I am using now, but I don't want to lose those analog channels, for old movies and tv shows.

Sikeston does have a simulcast system, meaning they send a digital simulcast of their analog channels for their digital only STBs. They have several digital STBs on their system, including Motorola's latest whole home DVR - the DCX3501M - which supports MoCA, MPEG4, and OCAP, among other features, has a 500GB HDD, and is easily upgraded internally or via eSATA. The TiVo Premier Elite, along with a CableCARD, should receive the simulcast versions of the analog channels and map them correctly.

Thanks for looking that up on 63801. Does that mean that the Elite would ONLY get the HD versions of channels 2-99? For example, channel 60 is the analog version TCM. Does simulcast mean that you would no longer get 60, but a higher numbered HD channel instead?

yes

Your TV (if connected directly to the incoming cable) will tune to the analog channel 60. The Elite would tune to the digital simulcast of the analog channels, and map that channel to channel 60 on the Elite. Both signals would be SD only and be tuned by you as channel 60 (but the digital simulcast version would likely have less video noise since it comes from the headend as a digital signal.) If your cable system has the HD version of TCM, you would likely get that as well on a higher numbered channel, but that is a separate issue.

No.

Yes, you would no longer get the analog channels, only the digital simulcast channels.

Question(s) asked were: "Does that mean that the Elite would ONLY get the HD versions of channels 2-99? For example, channel 60 is the analog version TCM. Does simulcast mean that you would no longer get 60, but a higher numbered HD channel instead?" You answered "Yes." Correct answer was "No."

any good reviews out on the 'Elite' yet?

After almost 2 months I love my Elite!

I agree, so far so good for me. The latest update makes the HD guide useable. Works well. I have only had it for a few days. All of the channels I watch are digital so no problem there. Love being able to record 4 programs at once while watching another.

I continue to find the TiVo Premiere Elite tantalizing but even with the current subscriber Lifetime discount, the box plus lifetime would cost me $900. That comes perilously close to giving me sticker shock. I suspect I won't buy an Elite unless TiVo lowers the price.

Yep, biggest drawback of the Elite IMO, costs way too much with a lifetime sub. But you can't convince the TCF crowd of that.

I have owned TiVo boxes since the S1 I bought in 2000 so there are few if any bigger TiVo fanboys than I am. But I am stingy, too. More seriously, as long as my 4 year old S3 and its 1Gb eSATA drive continue to work well, I don't think I would get enough additional bang for the buck from an Elite to justify an expenditure of $900.

For cable subscribers, you can subsidize the cable company for around 15 bucks a month for a HD dvr box you don't actually own. That equates to around 540 dollar over a 36 month period. Considering the sub par performance of most cable set top dvrs, that's a boat load of cash for something that isn't quite spacious, reliable nor close to being state-of-the-art.

The value proposition breaks down to how you outlay the money, what you get for your outlay and how a particular platform performs & offers any array of expanding services and capabilities down the road.

The 900 dollar argument isn't easily presented by the pundits, because it is quite frankly not well thought out - or thought through. When you calibrate the discussion of a cable dvr vs Tivo Premiere or Premiere XL the dollar difference investment over the 3 to 4 year period and the value proposition becomes even more compelling.

Tivo works for many.

My DVR is $7.25 per month. That brings the 36 month total down to $261. And if it breaks, they deliver a replacement at no charge. Also, hassle-free VOD, PPV, and SDV operation. Now, if it only had more than two tuners.

$7.25 a month for a HD dvr? If so that is outstanding. I'm curious, which service provider do you have?

Cox in SD, CA. I've had an SA 8240HDC for over two years. Only 2-tuners. Only 160GB HDD. But other than that...

I could upgrade to a 8426HDC, but I'm not ready for the Trio IPG.

anyone get the 20.2 update yet? The HD guide is awesome.

Can you please confirm whether or not the new HD grid guide shows indicators for shows you are going to record? Like little red dots that indicate which shows will be recorded.

It shows a single check mark for one off recordings and a double check mark for season pass recordings.

heh, only took them 12 years.

I'm thinking about replacing practically all the Comcast cable boxes in our house with TiVo boxes.

We currently have a Series 3 and a TiVo HD. If I also get a Premiere Elite will I be able to transfer recordings from one box to another via our existing network? I seem to remember that this was possible, but that one had to wait for the transfer to complete a certain amount because it's in real time.

I know this is about to change with the Premiere series now able to stream, but I don't want to give up the other TiVo boxes.

The "transfer" process is governed by the speed of your home network. I have a solid wired connection between two TiVos (one of them is an Elite) and can start watching the transferred show in about a minute after initiating the process. Once you get going, the transfer/copy process out-runs the playback (assuming you don't fast forward and catch up...) so it's virtually like streaming anyway. Don't be fooled by the nomenclature either; "transfer" could imply moving the program from one box to another but in actuality, it's just copying - preserving the original source on the original TiVo. Very cool. And no, it doesn't transfer in real-time. It's faster than that and limited by the quality of your home network and the ethernet ports on the TiVos.

Works like a charm and we like it a lot.



UPDATE: the discussion is somewhat moot as TiVo is rolling out streaming in the next 2 weeks.

Come on, That isn't really true. The Cox HDDVR in San Diego is $7.25/mo, but the DVR Service is an additional $9.99/mo for a total of $17.24.mo.

C'mon. Follow the thread. It concerned the purchase price for the TiVo alone, not the price for hardware and service.

I did follow the discussion and every mention of TiVo pricing did included the cost of service.

If we are talking hardware pricing only, I purchased 3 New Premieres from Amazon for $59 Each, in August.

$59 / $7.25 and my TiVo is paid for in 8 months.

The comparison was made with the price of the Premiere Elite ($450) versus the cost of 3 years of cable DVR ($540 by his estimate, $261 for me.) If service costs were included, $900 would have been the comparison number.

You can't seriously compare the Elite to a cable DVR, because it has twice the tuners and at least 4 times the storage. C'mon.