thinking of getting tivo? (1 Viewer)

[Jeremy Scott]

I am thinking of getting a tivo.........i did some reading and it seems like you need a phone line going into it, is that right?
if so, why?

how much can i get a reg. tivo for at a store?

 

[Ryan Wishton]

The phone line is so it can download all the info it needs like the program guide, etc...

I think you can get a Tivo in the store for around $200. Then, you have to decide if you want to pay for the monthly subscription or if you want to pay the full $299 for the lifetime and no monthly subscription...

 

[Jeremy Scott]

i had no idea it was a service. i thought it was just a digital vcr thing.

so the DVR and service would be $500+, wow!!

 

[Stephen Tu]

Yes, $500 but it's worth it! I paid around somewhere around $700 for mine 4 years ago for 1/3 the capacity, and thought it was worth it then.

 

[Robert_J]

Unless you want a DirecTV PVR powered by Tivo. New subscriber deals have them for about $60 with installation. There is a $5/month fee on top of programming costs but it is waived when you reach the Platinum level of programming. It also has a lot more features that a stand alone Tivo. And it only needs a phone for the initial setup so you can go to a friends house to make the call.

-Robert

 

[Michael*K]

Got the 40-hour standalone unit this summer with the lifetime subscription and Home Media Option and within two weeks I'd ordered a hard drive that took my recording capacity from 40 hours to 184 hours. Total cost for the hardware and services...about $700. Was it worth it? Hell yes! I've put in an unbelievable amount of overtime at work this year and as a result, I missed several of my favorite shows at the end of last season. Setting up a Season Pass with TiVo, it's recorded all of the shows I missed during the rerun period, even though I've been out of town on business for much of the last month. And the Home Media Option has worked great for me as well. There have been several times I've been on the road or at the office and read about a show I'd like to see. The remote scheduling feature lets me program my TiVo over the web and since I have my unit updating wirelessly over a broadband connection, I've been able to record shows within minutes of their start time. Man, I can't imagine not having this service anymore.

 

[Jim Wilke]

Without TiVo, my life would not be worth living.

 

[GregoryHGilbert]

I got my first TiVo unit for a steal! $99 bucks and opted for the lifetime subscription since I have DirecTV. I loved it and had wished I had bought more...I waited and waited for the price to come back down. Never did, but thought that a 2nd TiVo unit was well worth the $200-$300. The second unit did not require a subscription since it was with DirecTV, I think I would have had to pay again if I didn't have DirecTV. The point is...TiVo rocks and is worth the price, it really does change the way you watch television.
-Greg

 

[Gene S]

i did some reading and it seems like you need a phone line going into it, is that right?

I thought that wasn't true anymore. I know you need a phone line to initially set it up, but afterwards you can connect it to a network and recieve the "daily calls" thru the internet.
Some one please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Robert_J]

I thought that wasn't true anymore. I know you need a phone line to initially set it up, but afterwards you can connect it to a network and recieve the "daily calls" thru the internet.

True for stand alone models if you have the correct USB to ethernet adapters. I don't remember if it costs extra. For DirecTivos you only need the phone line for the initial call and any software updates. You can take it to a friend's house with a phone if needed.

-Robert

 

[Joey]

There is no extra cost for having the TiVo use the internet (via USB adapter) rather than a phone line (outside the cost of the USB adapter itself, of course).