TiVo TCD652160 HD Digital Video Recorder by TiVo
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List Price: Our Price: $39.97 You Save: $210.02 (84%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Home Theater See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of TiVo TCD652160 HD Digital Video Recorder
Digital camera Review: Buyers Beware
Summary: 1 Stars
I knew about the subscription service but I was surprised to find out that 802.11g connection only works with their network adaptor. I spent another $60 for the adapter. Everything was going well until I found out that Tivo wasn't picking up some of the HD channels that I was receiving on my cable. We decided to return it & cancel the subscription since it came with 30 day cancelation policy. I'm on the phone waiting for 50 mins or so trying to cancel. The firt time I called, the call was just simply disconnected after 20 mins. I'm very disappointed with the way they do business. I'll see how many product reviews I can submit before they finally answer the phone.Digital camera Review: Cable DVR is more reliable
Summary: 1 Stars
I had the Tivo HD DVR for just over a year when it stopped working. When I called Tivo Support they told me there was nothing they could do and my only option was to buy a new Tivo DVR for $150. This was not an attractive option especially as I had just bought the unit a year ago and was still paying for the monthly service. I did a little investigation. My cable service provides a HD DVR for about the same cost of the Tivo service AND they provide the DVR for free. If the cable DVR stops working, the cable company swaps it for another one - free. Some argure that the Tivo service is slightly better than cable but I don't agree. Tivo has ads integrated in their paid service (cable DVR does not) and more than a couple times it stopped recording a show I was recoding 3/4 into it. All in, cable DVR provides the same basic service and in either case you pay a monthly fee but with cable, you don't have to buy the DVR in the first place or worry about replacing it if it ever breaks.
Digital camera Review: Cable Killer
Summary: 4 Stars
I upgraded from a TiVo Series 2 to an HD TiVo, so that I could get OTA HD TV. Wow! It has a better picture than HD through my cable company using just a low-profile indoor antenna. This unit also replaced my Roku box for streaming Netflix. I will probably upgrade my hard drive through Weaknees eventually, but otherwise love this box even without the THX certification.
If I could change anything, I wish that TiVo had a built-in DVD player like my Series 2 had. Then I would be down to just one box attached to my TV for all of my content. In any case, this box will pay for itself in just a few months, because now I can cancel my cable!!
HD TiVo + Netflix streaming + Amazon On Demand as needed = No need for cable TV.
Digital camera Review: Cable cards, and more info for TiVo HD TCD652160
Summary: 5 Stars
My cable company (Brighthouse Network), said that Tivo would'nt work with their Scientific Atlanta Cablecards (they were wrong), I bought the TiVo HD TCD652160 about 2 months ago, I love it. I asked Brighthouse to bring 2 cable cards to the apartment, the tech came out and we put 2 single channel cable cards in the machine, and they didn't really work. He said his manager was over at somebodys house last week for 3 hours and they couldn't get the cards to work, and gave up. But, I had read online about how Tivo needed to be hooked up to the internet so it could download updates and given a little time would work with difficult cable cards. So I told the tech to please leave the cards and I'll see what happens. I left the cable cards in the slots and left the Tivo on (its always on, in case you're wondering), and then hooked Tivo to the internet (More on that below). So a day later, I turned on the TV and could only get basic channels, (I subscribe to almost all of them) I called the cable company and told them to "refresh" my cable cards, and I rebooted Tivo (takes about 5 minutes) and that really didn't seem to change anything, I was busy and not able to mess around with it a whole lot again until the next day. In case some of you don't know Tivo calls the mothership everynight and updates itself or whatever. On the 2nd day I turned on the TV again and it was getting a some more channels but not all, then I went to work. When I came home that night, Tivo still was not working and I thought: oh its not going to work. But on the morning of the 3rd day, I turned it on and it was working PERFECTLY, like it had finally healed itself, Ha. It acted up a few days later and I called the cable company to have them "refresh" my cards, rebooted Tivo and that fixed it, for the last month and a half its worked perfect with no reboot.
Some good things about Tivo: HD recording of course. I'm checking into getting the external hardrive Tivo sells to boost storage space. Tivo is easy to use, of course. Buyer beware, once you have Tivo I imagine its difficult to go without it. HDMI output into television is nice. Great audio output, the sound is better than the one that was coming out of the cable box in my opinion. I listen to headphones straight from my Tivo box at night, I put a volume control on it, its so strong, and clear, it also has a digital (optical) audio output, whatever that is. I think my Tivo displays some subtitles my cable box wouldn't, I watch a lot of Spanish language shows with subtiles (for learning). Rewinding live TV is cool, what did that person just say? Just rewind. One of the best things about Tivo is the ability to control which channels you get. Also if you move you can just watch the shows or movies on your Tivo while you wait for your cable hookup.
Hooking Tivo to the Internet: I used a ethernet cable method and don't have any information about the wireless hook-up. First of all you absolutely need a router, I was a little peeved when I found that out, no way around it. I tried hooking it straight to the ethernet cable my computer is on from the modem and it would not connect. So, I bought the router they recommended $40 and everything was fine, pretty easy to install, and I think it even made my computer connection a little faster (is that possible?) By the way, for those of you who don't know, your Tivo box replaces your cablebox.
I first bought the less expensive Series2 Tivo by mistake, thinking its ok if I can only record regular definition TV, not realizing that I couldn't get my HD channels thur the Series 2 Tivo, Tivo should tell you that in plain english. So then I ordered this model TiVo HD TCD652160, it was more than I wanted to spend, but the seed had been planted. Things Tivo should change?? Tivo doesn't allow you to subscribe month to month only a year at a time. Tivo did significantly lower their price, and gave me the new price when I called about it. Tivo doesn't show you how full it is, or how full it will be on a give day when your adding future recordings, the only way you know your almost full is if you try to record something and it says there may not be enough space, and it will be that one show you have to have when it happens.
Digital camera Review: CableCARDs: What a horrible idea!!
Summary: 2 Stars
Let me start by saying I was a DirecTV customer for 10 years and I had 3 Standard Definition Tivo's with them. I love Tivo but they don't tell you about this stuff when you purchase one.
I decided to replace these DVR's so I could receive HD content. I called DirecTV to purchase 3 Tivo High Definition DVR's. That's when I learned that DirecTV had a falling out with Tivo and does not support Tivo HD. If you want Tivo HD you must switch to cable. For anyone who's had Tivo other DVR's will not do so I switched to Time Warner Cable.
That's where the problems start. You see TWC is not particularly interested in supporting Tivo either. They don't make as much money off it and want you to use their DVR (which is absolutely horrible). I think the satellite and cable companies are trying to squeeze Tivo out and hoard all the profits. To make Tivo work on cable you must have CableCARDs which go in your Tivo. They have to be purchased from your cable company. So I must rely on TWC to supply them. TWC brought 8 out today and only 1 actually worked. Either CableCARDs are extremely unreliable or TWC just doesn't have good ones. Anyway here I am with 3 Tivo HD's and no service. That's a lot of money to have sitting around your house unusable so you'd better think about this purchase really long and hard. Tivo HD has some really cool features but if you can't get any channels it's does you no good. Don't end up like me. Between hardware, wireless networks, and the service I've spent well over $1000 and have NOTHING to show for it.
Update:
Time Warner has been to my house 4 times. They've also stood me up 3 times. Out of 3 Tivo HD DVR's only one has working CableCARDS (and that one doesn't receive every channel). DO NOT buy this product if you live in Charlotte NC. Without CableCARDS you can only receive analog channels which is very minimal cable. Tivo will not help you get CableCARDS. They must come from Time Warner and TWC is completely incompetant. You will be in limbo between 2 companies without support if you buy this. I work in IT so I know what I'm talking about. Out of about 50 CableCARDS only 3 have worked and they didn't receive all the channels. This product is worthless in Charlotte NC!!!
Update 2:
Time Warner made 2 more visits to my house to straighten this out. Here's some tips to help others. If you are switching from DirecTV you should ask the cable company to replace the coax cable in your house. For some reason that seems to help. My Tivo HD's would not work using DirecTV coax. TWC had to completely rewire my home. Also you need installers who are knowledgable about CableCARDS. It took 3 of them 5 hours today to finally get mine working. They went through about 75 cards. The features of this Tivo are awesome but you need a lot of patience to get them working. Not many people are going to put in the time.