Finally getting a HD Tivo...

[kjnorman]

I've been without high definition for 2 1/2 years! I can't believe it has been that long :o

Considering that I was one of the original members on this board and that I also had one of the first HD3000s from TW back in February of 2003 (but gave it up because we could not time shift and franky it was too much hassle at the time), I am finally getting back into the HD game by getting a HD Tivo. :D

The cinch point that allow me to proceed with getting one (from the wife :wave: ) was the number of shows we wanted to record and the conflicts we had with this Fall's line up. We needed four tuners and only had two :(. Still if it were not for Directv's current *unadvertised* promotion on the HD Tivo we would never have proceeded.

Anyway having followed the thread at TivoCommunity (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=254292) I duly called customer retention and simply asked "I'm thinking of getting a HD Tivo, what deal can you give me?", they came back with:

HR10-250 $299 (usually $649 - Yeah right!)
Rebate -$100
free shipping
free installation (I need an extra line from my 3lnb dish + 2 lines into living room)
3 free months of HD Package (I really couldn' care about this)
6 months HBO + Showtime for $2 /month (currently paying $12 for just HBO so that's a $60 saving).

I probably could have got more if I had tried but I am happy with this, so I said "sign me up".

It will be installed on Wednesday afternoon. Wich me luck!

Now I know that the HD Tivo is essentially an obsolete piece of kit due to Directv moving to MPeg4, but we are primarily only going to be using to record network (which we will pick up OTA) and HBO anyway.

When Directv does finally launch their new hardware and have channels like SciFi, Food, Speed etc in HD, then perhaps I will swap it out then, but for now, I am hoping my attenna is decent (never used it) and that I can watch this Fall's shows in HD.

Kerry

(Edited to fix typos)

[Bebop]

Might as well run 4 lines into your living room, I heard the new DirecTV media server will able to take at least four lines.

[StarvingForHDTV]

There is a lot more programming in HD than there was when you were setup for it. I think you will be happy with your purchase. Welcome back to the 21st century.

[borghe]

my hd tivo is so used at this point it is taken for granted. even the wife is making sure that her must watch shows are out in the living room now because of how good they look. and she was one of those people who said she couldn't really tell the difference between HD and regular TV before.

my how times have changed.

enjoy! :)

[kjnorman]

I already have four lines into the living room, but I need another 2! You can never have enough coaxial :p . Actually, I currently have 2 satelite lines, 1 attenna feed (currently disconnected) and 1 return attenna (to feed the RF from the current Tivo back to the other Kitchen and Family Room). I currently have three feeds from the LNB with one terminating in the basement (as I stopped using an old receiver i had).

I have a big ugly attenna on the chimney (which is currently falling apart :( ) that has a 300 ohm lead that runs to the basement and is cut off about 2 inches past the grounding strip. I am hoping that I can put a 300-75ohm transformer on this lead and then feed that back into the living room. If that doesn't work I will stick the ugly RS bowtie I have on top of the TV for now, until I get a better attenna set up in the attic. Finally if that does not work, I will stick a paper clip in the back of the HD Tivo. Don't laugh! I get a pretty good signal on our Kitchen TV with the same trick :rofl: Of course, our family room TV used to pick up channels without any attenna! I'm less that a couple of miles from all the transmitters so I guess I have a strong signal around here.....

[kjnorman]

my hd tivo is so used at this point it is taken for granted. even the wife is making sure that her must watch shows are out in the living room now because of how good they look. and she was one of those people who said she couldn't really tell the difference between HD and regular TV before.

my how times have changed.

enjoy! :)

I know what you mean. When I got my original Sony SVR-2000 back in 2000, my wife (then girlfriend) considered it a big waste of money and queried my sanity. Since then she uses the Tivo more than I and decided she would marry me, so I guess my sanity is okay afterall.

I know that she will take to the HDTivo as well, even though she states she has no interest in a better picture quality. I have heard tell tale signs from her in the past. Sayings like "Thats not a very good picture" or "They [the networks] keep cutting their heads off at the sides!" to which I reply "That's because this is filmed in HD and is frames for widescreen, but when they put is on here [name your network] they chop the picture down to a 4:3 frame and so you lose the sides"...

Kerry.

[psubill78]

Might as well run 4 lines into your living room, I heard the new DirecTV media server will able to take at least four lines.

By the time DTV gets their new box out - coax will be a thing of the past :) hahahahaha

[Bebop]

By the time DTV gets their new box out - coax will be a thing of the past :) hahahahaha


Well, then just use you old coaxial as a fish line and pull in the new fiber optic. :)

[Mark Strube]

Congrats about the TiVo... I just got a new toy of my own... those familiar with my siggie will notice the new item. :D