Tivo 240 hrs: Save 400USD and live 2 years longer
Written: Dec 11 '03 (Updated Feb 07 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Sound: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
|
|
| Picture Quality: |
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
| Recording Time: |
|
|
|
Pros: Live 2 years longer with almost commercial free TV experience.
Cons: Upgrade yourself for 400 USD less. Menu's get slow with large harddrives.Unit can't skip commercials
The Bottom Line: Once on Tivo you'll never go back. Get 2 years of your life back (and those are the good years). Save 400 USD on the mega version.
|
|
|
| leisure_larry's Full Review: Hughes HDVR2 with 240 Hrs Video Recorder |
Upgraded 240 hrs Tivo with DirecTV from Hughes
So I am an early TIVO adapter. I picked up a unit two years ago for 99 USD. First generation Tivo from Hughes with 40 GB hardrive. Subscription with DirecTV now runs at 4.95 USD per month.
As all other Tivo users I LOVE my Tivo, as it gives me ultimate freedom and viewing experience.
How can I say that ?
Simple. Tivo is a supercharged VCR. So what is the big deal?
If you use DirecTV the program recorded has original quality, as the signal comes from the satellite digitally streamed. The stand alone boxes for cable recode the signal so you experience some quality loss.
It can record two channels at the same time and replay a movie from the hard drive. Or watch one and record another.
This is a MAJOR feature that the standalone Tivo units for cable lack. Ever noticed that most movies you want to see run parallel and then there is nothing for weeks on end ?
So why do you live two years longer with a Tivo ?
Easy. Progams today have about 30% advertising.
Watch 3 hours TV a day for 50 years and you spent about 2 years watching commercials. SCARY isn't it ?
1 hr x 356 days x 50 = 18250 hrs = 2. 08 years.
So I started with 40 GB hard disk, which is 40 hrs of recording time. Should be PLENTY, shouldn't it ?
NOPE. The Tivo unit has a feature called season pass. For soap opera fans this is the killer feature. It will record all episodes on your hard drive up to 5 . Think 45 minutes each. There go 4 hours. Then the daily news, which you will watch now when YOU want. There goes another hour.
Then let's say two Bob the Builder and two Bear in the Big Blue House for the kids, (who will watch it Sunday mornings when they wake up) there go another 4 hours.
13 hours gone. Last two football games: 3 hours gone
Leave 24 hours for movies. COOL. That is about 6 movies including the commercials. Not nearly enough. You will pick so many movies out of the air, that your hard drive will be packed. Look at how many you have taped.
So 240 hours is a treat, as you will never ever run out of space, even if you keep your favorites permanently on the hard drive. And Tivo will fill the rest with movies it thinks you might like.
So what is the investment for 200 hours ?
Buy the Hughes unit at Circuit City for 99 USD with a DirecTV contract.
Essentially all you need then are two new 120Gb hard drives. These you can pick up now on sale for 80 USD tops. So 160 USD !
Make sure you take some with low noise level (otherwise you will hear them, I had to swap one WD out as it was to noisy)
5400 rpm are plenty of speed and they don't get as hot at 7200 rpm.
If you can get them take Samsung drives, they are really quiet and very cool operation.
What else: Go to this website and get the software and How to guide.
http://www.newreleasesvideo.com/hinsdale-how-to/
Find a friend who has heard about the word Linux and knows how to open a computer and put a hard drive in.
Follow the instructions and clone your original drive, (keep it as backup, in case something goes wrong with the unit). Warning the power supply could be deadly if you touch it.
Plug it in and voila: 240 hrs of fun for 1 USD per hour
Saved: 500 USD ! That'll pay for 9 years of subscription service. Or you take the money and pay 299 for a lifetime subscription. (Lifetime of the Tivo, not yours !)
You think you could get a technician at Best Buy do this for you, let's say in his spare time, for 200 USD ?
If the unit breaks down, open the cover unplug the two hard drives, pop the original in and get it serviced.
Well most likely the HD will break down, so the unit will come back to life by putting the old hard disk in.
I upgraded mine 1 year ago and it works just fine.
Two things that are not ideal: With this much hard drive the playing menu takes some time to build (it has a lag as it reads in all the titles, noticeable but not aggravating)
Two hard drives make the case hot: You won't burn your hand but it is warm. I don't like it.It probably shortens the lifespan of the drives. They are spinning continously unless you unplug the whole unit. So there is no cool off period. (Note this makes sense, as continuous spin up and spin down will actuall shorten the lifetime, and this unit is always recording something) I couldn't get the Samsungs the first time round. If one of the drives goes down I will go for it.
To 240 hrs and beyond ???? Don't get carried away, the OS will only allow for 120 GB hard drives. Actually it will allow for 137 GB each if you use 160 GB hard drives. So you can squeeze a little more out of it, but you waste some hard drive space.
Wishlist:
Menu faster (new Tivo2 will take care of that)
Ethernet to connect via web, not phone line (Tivo 2)
Capability to transfer files for burning on DVD (Samsung has a unit like that, but not sure it burns protected content)
Commercial skip, set marks to eliminate commercials for repeat viewing or recording (replay tv offers that, but they are in court with the ad companies and have gone bankrupt in March 2003, service is still provided, but who knows....) There is also a recommendation out for 30 second skip of commercials: On the remote by pressing "select," then "play," then "select" again, the number "30" and "select" with the remote control, users can skip through programs for 30 seconds at a time. "You don't even need to open up your box to make that happen,
Other then that. Hey this is a hell of a life saver !!!
Now if you are technically totally inept, and don't know somebody that can take the guts out of a computer and reassemble it, you probably better go and purchase. The fun starts at 80 GB or about 70 hrs. The 99 USD or 199 entry unit will wet your appetite and leave you hanging. Go at least for 80 GB hard drive or buy the supercharged 240 hour version.
Brand names ? Don't bother, the units are so much a look alike, they all come from the same plant anyway. Quality differences aren't there. All units operate with the same TIVO remote. You can safely go with the cheapest bang for the buck.
And if you are considering a Tivo stand alone unit vs. satellite read this review on some MAJOR differences:
http://www.epinions.com/content_126617620100
Or are you considering ReplayTV?
Definitely read this article about additional risks with ReplayTV:
http://www.epinions.com/content_126619848324
And finally here is a good link FAQ about Tivo2 HDTV Tivo and other general questions around Tivos.
http://www.digitalrecorder.com/main/catalog/faqs.php/#cat0_1
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 300
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
leisure_larry
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Member: Leisure Larry
Location: US
Reviews written: 57
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Electrical Engineer. Engaged Computer User. Hobby photographer.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.