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I just ordered my TiVO HD DVR (with promo free Wifi adapter). I hope to have the goodies sometime next week.
I plan to use it initially for HD TV reception over the air and recording but I'm also curious about using CableCard.
Is anyone set up with CableCard in their HD TiVo? Was it fairly straight forward to install and setup or was it a major hassle? I'm also curious to know what cable companies are typically charging for the CableCard.
Thanks!
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I'm having way too much fun with my HD Tivo. It works great and I love the added features for accessing internet based content including YouTube videos and various sites with techie videos like CNET. I'm also having fun with making content available from my networked PC appear on Tivo and my TV.
And BTW, my Comcast customer service rep was clueless. He insisted that I will need two HD CableCARDS and said Comcast doesn't have multistream "M-Cards". Guess what the installer brought with him? ;-) I'm running a single M-Card in slot 1.
We have 2 DirecTV HD DVRs as well as a TIVO HD DVR. Each has its advantages in terms of features and user interface. One nice feature that TIVO added at some point was the ability to recover deleted programs. DirecTV makes bringing up and using either type HD DVR easy and fool proof. We've been using TIVO for years, and can't imagine returning to scheduled programming. We've also been very satisfied with DirecTV, but Santa Barbara is mostly free of the kind of weather phenomena that might interfere with satellite reception.
db
I don't use it for any cable or dish service. It uses an antenna feed from my roof. I get all the luscious HD content I need for free.
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We must be the change we wish to see in the world. -Gandhi
I also still use a HD HR10-250 that is Tivo based. My three newest are the DirecTv HD DVRs. It took awhile to get used to a different interface.
If this is your first experience with a DVR I suspect you will love it. I've used satellite for 10 years so can provide no input on the cablecards.
Good luck and enjoy.
-Wendell
The TIVO's software, programmability, navigation, menu system, etc. are MUCH better and easier to use than the cable company's standard DVR (Scientific Atlanta). The TIVO hardware is clearly superior.
Now, with a few clicks, real-time, free Netflix movie downloads are available.
Interactive services (e.g., Pay-Per-View) are not currently available here (Tampa Bay).
Adding the optional expansion Hard Drive is much recommended.
BrightHouse charges $2.95/mo PER cable card. You will need 2 std. cards or 1 M card. You may need to INSIST on an M card to get one (recommended).
The only problem is that many cable companies don't really like cable card devices because they loose DVR rental income. Consequently, many installers are poorly trained regarding cable cards. In my case I had to tell the installer what to do.
Overall I love TIVO and would definitely do it again.
GHM
Thanks for the info.
The last time I checked with Comcast which was several years ago, they were charging about $5.95 per CableCard but I suspect their prices have dropped considerably maybe due to government regulation. They also insisted that they send their own tech to install it. I passed on it and got their HD DVR instead. The monthly charge for the HD DVR has actually gone up (again!) in recent months.
I plan to attach my existing 500GB eSATA disk to the TiVo HD DVR as I purchased the "small" capacity version. I couldn't see paying the extra $200 for the higher capacity TiVo since external disk drives are so cheap these days.
My main concern is the tech's ability to install the card(s) since the cable company insists on having one of their techs do it. I'll printout the step-by-step instructions from the TiVo Support website and have it handy when the tech arrives. This may be a couple months down the road after I play with the TiVo box with Over the Air HDTV using an antenna.
thanks!
Regarding Comcast, I have a standard card in my TV and an M card in my Tivo HD (the M card resulted in an additional charge of $1.70 per month). The M card was just given to me at the local Comcast office. I remember the installation procedure as "easy", without complications. No technician was required.
Good info. Thanks!
I think I might just "drop by" my local Comcast office to see if they'll hand me a M Card. If I get the M Card, do I just need one? I assume this is correct. Otherwise I would need two of the "regular" HD cards. Right?
Thanks again!
Yes, 1 M card for the dual tuner in the Tivo HD. Then, you can record 2 programs in the same time slot (and are only nicked for 1 card--if I did not already have the standard card in the TV, they might not have even charged me for it).
...after this late spring snow lets up!
I also use the TIVO with an antenna for over-the-air reception. The TIVO menu intgration with cable stations is perfect and overall performance is superb.
GHM
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