ExpressVu and Tivo

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dschell_2000

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On the other hand, if you compare price and features with other hardware, the TiVo shows up well.

You can use it in place of a DVD burner, because it contains a hard drive, and can connect to your home network to transfer video. No, it doesn't contain a burner, but why do you need yet another burner if you have one on your home computer?

Have you checked the price of hard drive DVD recorders?
Close to $400. And chances are, the video software on your home computer will
be more flexible than that on a stand-alone hard drive dvd recorder.

Dave S.
 
I am currently in the US on business and I was thinking of buying a Tivo for my father for Christmas. He has ExpressVu and I was wondering how hard it is to set up, and how well the two work together. He has broadband Internet access, if that's necessary. Also, he has a dual LNB dish, so would a dual tuner Tivo work with that?

I believe his ExpessVu tuner only has composite outputs. Would Tivo work with that?
 
CBX1100, you can still run the 9200 with full capabilities if you use the right dish pro LNB and a separator behind the 9200. The only catch is that you would need to order the HW from the US since Bell does not provide or sell it. There's plenty of discussion on this throughout this formum.

So you certainly can use the full functionality (i.e. both tuners) on the 9200 with only one run if you have the right hardwware.
 
now that tivo is arriving in canada officially, will it be convertible with bell expressvu? I'll like that options with the tivo.
 
Except with a DVD-R there is no monthly fee. And, most can use DVD+/-RW or DVD-RAM so you can easily transfer to a PC for editing.

Personally, I think the Tivo is a HUGE waste of money. I will stick with my 5 PVRs and DVD-R.
 
You would do better to get an EV PVR. Tivos do not integrate well with EV receivers.
 
You could not possibly be more wrong about that. 1. EV PVRs are junk. 2. Tivo integrates very well with EV receivers.

To the original poster, I've got a Tivo that I've been using with ExpressVu for a year, and I love it. I had the 5900 before that, and the Tivo is so much better that comparing the two almost seems unfair to the 5900.

Setting up the Tivo is easy.. you'll be up and running within 30 mins or so. The dual tuner Tivo won't be for you though.. that's for analog cable only, apparently. So just go for the standard Series2 Tivo and hook it up to the composite outputs of the ExpressVu receiver.
 
Although a TiVo can be set up to work with almost anything, it is not very easy, especially for one's father. I agree with I_Want, in that you should investigate the BEV PVR instead.

If you wish to discuss TiVo futher, there is a thread on that topic, please search for the TiVo thread and you will see that the setup is not as easy as cra claims.
 
Dirtyjeffer
The tivo blows canadian pvrs out of the water.Now maybe this will force them to improve there current software one would hope.
 
I'd also be cautious if HD is part of the equation. I doubt if TiVo IPG has details of the French Astral and four HiFidelity channels on BEV; and probably incorrect data for HDNet and Discovery (Canada) HD.
 
I beg to differ. Sure, there's no comparing to the 5900, but I'd take the 9200 over the Tivo any day.

Tivo with EV means no HD and no DD5.1 recording. Taking those two away makes Tivo next to useless for me. Plus, no dual TV operation or UHF remote - I rely on dual mode constantly.

The 9200 is far from perfect, but even with its limitations and issues, it's by far the best STB in Canada.
 
Yes, the TiVo sold in Canada should work with Bell VDSL provided the IR blaster is able to change the channels. You will be able to record one program only at a time; in effect the dual tuner PVR will be a single tuner PVR. You will have to watch what you are recording; or watch something you have already recorded.

Bell VDSL is unlikely to have PVR any time soon; so if you want a PVR, and want to stick with Bell VDSL, this is a reasonable option. HD isn't an issue since TiVo does not make an HD PVR which works in Canada; and Bell VDSL is unlikely to offer HD in the forseeable future.

Don't forget you need to invest about $260 in the Canadian TiVo -- $200 for the box, $60 for the wireless adapter (you already have a wireless home network router, right?). Plus you'll get an additional bill for US$12.95 from TiVo and minimum 1 year contract.

You might want to consider if switching to another TV provider might have more benefits than increasing your monthly fees and upfront costs just to add a single tuner TiVo.
 
Well, as a longtime Canadian Tivo user, I can say that I am disappointed that Tivo doesn't make an HD model that will work without CableCard. Since the US is their market and the FCC mandates CableCard, they chose to use CableCard technlogy with their 2 different HD models.

Currently, I have 2 different Tivo units. I bought a Toshiba RS-TX20 Tivo unit which allows for burning of recorded programs to builtin DVD burner and I also have a Tivo TCD54x unit which is just the PVR. Both units have been upgraded to 300 hrs of recording time.

Both units work very well with my BEV service and I can also transfer programs between the two units if I choose. This makes it more flexible since sometimes I may want to watch a program on the other unit. I pay about $16/month total but I've been a longtime subscriber and get a multiservice discount as well. The guide data is better than what I get on the BEV 3100 receiver. I love the season pass feature which allows me to capture all new episodes of whatever series I'm watching. 14 days of guide data which includes actors, and detailed episode information in the database. I can also use the "wishlist" feature to record all movies that contain a specific actor or genre of movie. The menu and remote are easy enough that my 5 year old uses it and sets up his own recording for "Peep and the big wide world".

I paid $500 for my Toshiba unit and $150 for the TCD unit. When I bought them, they had a $150 rebate on each unit, so I ended up paying $350 to have 2 PVRs.

If you have HD, and plan to record lots of HD content, Tivo may not be the right choice. If you don't care, then Tivo is an awesome unit to own and use.

I've been a Tivo user now for about 5 years, so if anyone has questions, please feel free to ask.
 
Maybe I phrased that poorly. I agree that TiVos are probably better designed than EV PVRs where that are available. (i.e. US Cable or DirecTv) It is possible to use TiVo with any STB but it is far less convenient and creates lower quality recordings than a dedicated PVR.
 
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