Official AVS TiVo HD Topic! - Page 59

The TiVo manual and online help reflects functionality in early 2007 with the 8.1.7 software.

In the 9.1 software, TiVo significantly improved wishlist functionality to combine multiple fields into a single search with boolean operators.

Under the original wishlist implementation, you had a single text field for all keywords, so you had to differentiate keywords by adding quotes with the pause button. There is no longer a need to use quotes, because now you can just enter multiple keywords separately. Each keyword now represents an exact match. If you enter "Washington Nationals" (no quotes needed) as a single keyword, then the TiVo will require that as an exact match. On the other hand, if you enter "Washington" and "Nationals" as separate keywords, then those words could appear in any order. You can use wildcards (*) in keywords, and you can make keywords optional or excluded by selecting them.

I demo'd part of this 2:20 through the Youtube video. I note some possibilities for wishlists in the tips section.

Edit: One thing to be aware of when creating keywords -- you need to represent commas and other punctuation with either spaces or wildcards. For example, if you entered "St Louis Cardinals" as a keyword, you would not see any results. You would need to include an extra space for the period in the name. The correct keyword would be "StLouis Cardinals" or "St*Louis Cardinals".

JUST GREAT TIVO. I just stupidly assumed the manufacturer was providing updated documentation with their units and on their support site.

Thanks for the heads-up. Are there any Software Update notes (change notices) published anywhere so I can try to figure out what's changed and what's new?

That's the only significant change to "core" TiVo functionality that I recall. Most of the core TiVo functionality is unchanged since 2003, with obvious exception to dual-tuners.

Changes to the TivoHD since release include:

-support for eSATA expansion
-support for multiroom viewing
-ability to download recordings from DVR to computer
-ability to transfer recordings from computer to DVR
-improved manual recording screen
-improved menu and guide responsiveness
-significantly improved MRV performance
-revamped wishlist functionality
-ability to single-click delete with clear button
-ability to single-click play individual recordings and entire folders with play button
-ability to jump to top/bottom of menus with -->|
-ability to browse the guide while watching recorded programs
-ability to advance a day at a time in the guide
-ability to watch Amazon Unbox as it downloads
-Crestron integration and remote control via tcp/ip
-native support for MPEG-4 and VC1
-support for Netflix SD/HD streaming
-swivel search, recently replaced with the 16:9 TiVo Search (broadband users only)
-occasional ad banner on TiVo menu and end-of-playback delete prompt (yuck)
-pause menu (yuck)

There were also a lot of fixes, some noticeable and some not. For example, under the original TiVo software, wishlists would try to record from every channel in your channel list. That was fixed so that wishlists only record from the channels you actually have enabled (checked).

TiVo has also spent significant effort on "behind the scenes" operations, such as the ability to measure and anonymously report what commercials users are watching and skipping. This anonymous information is aggregated and sold; such "technology" revenues amounted to $20 million in the last year, or about 1/9 of the subscription revenues.

Thanks - Wow, that's quite a list. Where do you go to see the version change info? (I assume it's published somewhere)

That's just from memory. If it is published somewhere, I don't know where. Maybe the first post after I add it?

When a major update is installed, it usually includes a message with a general overview of the new features. Less obvious improvements like single-click delete are never mentioned; people had to figure those out for themselves and/or read about them on forums.

Your current software version is displayed on the Messages & Settings -> System Information screen.

thanks - kind of what I was afraid of...I guess it's better that than the tivo itself, less hassle to replace.

luckily, having the series 3, it was easy to transfer a few things I wanted to save over to the s3, I queued up a bunch of them to transfer last night, and tonight I'll unhook the expander.

guess I'll be looking at that 1tb drive...

Hey guys, just received a TiVo HD XL DVR with lifetime membership via UPS. Tivo has the refurbs for a good price, I guess, which I bought.

Presently, I am waiting for the install of my off air antenna, but plan on hooking the Tivo into my home A/V network. I have no cable, just DirecTV and StarChoice, so I figure I will just get a NetFlix subscription to see how it all works over my network.

Also, I plan on hooking the antenna into the Tivo box, and distributing the video side via component, baluns and matrix switches to the rest of the house. The audio will be partially handled through my whole house audio. Channel changing will be via IR remote through existing IR wall control panels and one Powermid IR distribution unit.

Any thoughts or tips that may help? As this is my first Tivo.


Thanks!

You do realize you can't use it with sat, right?

That would be impressive.


Guess that's why I missed them? I forced connections on it to TiVo the night after I bought it (3 weeks ago) to make sure it got the latest software version. I didn't see any messages about updates.


Thanks, knew that based on the user guide and your FAQ.

Yes, having a 30' tower with an antenna installed this week. I have the DirecTV HD DVR boxes for recording off of sat. Right now I get my local Detroit stations out of Canada on my Starchoice sat system, but that is going as soon as my antenna is installed. The reason for getting the Tivo and antenna, I can ditch Starchoice and save around $1300 a year.

I want to use the Tivo to distribute my coming off air antennas signal throughout the house via its component cable outputs and have the ability to record my favorite shows while I am away at work.

And if I understand correctly, I can hook the Tivo into my home network and then program the Tivo when I am out of town to record over the internet. Is this correct?

By setting up a season pass you would only have to resort to setting up recordings over the internet for shows you find out about while you are on the road.

You may want to look into the Slingbox product which allows you to watch shows recorded on your Tivo over the internet using your notebook computer.

Yes, although I would recommend using zap2it rather than TiVo's clunky interface. Just create an account with zap2it, plug in your TiVo, and you're good to go....it's actually the company (Tribune Media) that provides the guide data for TiVo. The TiVo online scheduling doesn't allow you to de-select channels you don't view/use. zap2it does.

Yes, and this is very annoying for web-based program recording. Not to mention that navigating through it (time and day by channel) is a pain in the butt. It's such a basic feature to deselect channels, but I'm guessing Tivo outsourced development of the web guide to somewhere else, because it's obvious that they don't use it.

Actually, for really simple quick-n-dirty remote scheduling, I'd go with m.tivo.com rather than either of the web-heavy one provided by TiVo or zap2it.

m.tivo.com is what I use.

FYI - I travel quite a bit on business and dropped by Sears in Grand Rapids, MI to see if they had any in stock at the $199 price, they did not. BUT, when the nice saleswoman looked it up in the computer to see if any other sears had it in stock, it came up on clearance for $148. Luckily my local store in South Bend had one in stock and I had my wife pick one up this afternoon. If you can find a Sears left that has any in stock this is a huge discount!!! That is if anyone has some time and gas to burn. If it helps to sears codes to lookup are dept 57, item 55707. Good Luck!!

***CORRECTION**** item code 57707!

You may want to look into the Slingbox product which allows you to watch shows recorded on your Tivo over the internet using your notebook computer.[/quote]

Does anybody know if you have a slingbox can you watch your shows while over Seas on your laptop, lets say in England or Spain?
Thanks for any help

From what I've been told you can watch it anywhere you have broadband with sufficient speed. A friend of mine watches his slingbox while in Mexico and while Mexico isn't England or Spain, well it's Mexico. If it works their I can't believe it wouldn't work overseas.

For the few that purchase movies...

Today, Amazon Unbox on TiVo added movies and many popular series in high-definition. High-definition movies are $4.99 and new series episodes are $2.99 -- the same as the Apple Store.



Do not confuse Roku's Amazon HD streaming with TiVo's HD downloads. Roku's Amazon HD movies are only 720p24 with stereo audio @ 2.5 Mbps, while the Amazon HD movies on TiVo are 1080p24 with 5.1 audio @ 5.0 Mbps. The movies appear to be encoded with MPEG-4 H.264.

Suppose I record an HD broadcast on my TiVo HD, then transfer the recording to my PC. Now let's further assume I can ftp the .TIVO file to my friend's PC across the state who also has a TiVo HD.

Would he be able to transfer this recording to his TiVo and play it? Or is it coded to a specific unit.

For sake of argument we're all using TiVo Desktop for the transfers.

If you do not remove the .Tivo wrapper, the recording can only be played by TiVos on your account.

If you saved the file as a MPG with VideoRedo or something else, then your friend could play it on their TiVo.

Thanks.

I hate my new FIOS DVR (Motorola 7216) but love Verizon PQ. The DVR is very fast accessing menus and pulling up VOD but the hard drive is too small (and not expandable) and the TV guide listings are occasionally wrong. I can live with all that but what really bugs me to the point where I will purchase a Tivo HD is the buffer.

If I watch live TV on the 7216 and pause the signal it will stay paused for maybe 10-15 minutes and then revert to live TV. My old Scientific Atlanta 8300 DVR and my very old Replay TV unit would stay paused a little longer and then play back from the pause point instead of reverting to live TV. Thus I could pause a live sporting event and make sure not to get a live score as long as I periodically played with the buffer.

Does the Tivo HD have a similar buffer?

The TivoHD will stay paused on a HD channel for 30 minutes. At that point, it will start playing from the pause point (i.e. 30 minutes ago); it will not revert to liveTV.

Edit: The TiVo actually buffers both tuners for 30 minutes, and it remembers your pause points on both. This allows you to watch two channels -- or two sports events -- simultaneously by periodically switching between the two.

For anyone on the fence about buying this great box, JandR has it on sale at 239.99 and if you call them I'll bet they will either cut it further or waive the shipping costs.

WTF? I just Googled "JandR", and J & R came up. Good thing it was pre-sorted out by the search engine, because I'd have been going crazy looking for "JandR" forever.

Jeez.

(Also, it's listed at $249.99, not $239.99.)

hmm - my Amazon has it on my page for $243

Sorry, assumed you knew what it meant. I'm looking at a flyer that came with my new Dvr Expander and one side of it says 249.99 and the other side says 239.99. I guarantee you if you call them and tell them you are looking at their flyer that says 239.99 they'll give it to you for that price. If they want proof, pm me and I'll scan it in and send it to you.

Funny - I'm seeing $256.09 on Amazon.