Deciding on a Tivo

You’ve thought about taking the plunge to buy a Tivo, now you need to decide which one is right for you.

Really, this decision is a lot easier now than it was five years ago. Why? Several companies used to make their own branded Tivo DVRs, including Philips, Sony, and Tivo itself. Today, your choices are basically limited to two models.

Both are made by Tivo.

The most popular model is the TivoHD, which can record up to 20 hours of HDTV content, or about 180 hours of standard definition television. It’s priced around $249.95, but sometimes you can find it a little cheaper.

The other model is the higher priced ($469.99) TivoHD XL, which has about 7 times the recording space, is THX certified (meaning it has earned the same certification to play surround sound movies as the theaters have), and comes with an upgraded learning remote. The remote is also back lighted.

To be honest, most people don’t care about the THX certification. The lower priced model still plays movies in full surround sound, it just isn’t ‘certified’ by THX, which is a standard started by George Lucas for high quality sound in movies and other media.

Both of the models above are called Series 3 Tivos. You can spend less and get a Series 2 older model, but it will never record high definition content. For this reason, and the fact that it’s design is several years old, I won’t be reviewing that model here.

Each of the above models allows you to record two channels at once, and you can watch recorded shows while you’re recording. Since you’ve already decided to buy, then you know you’re in for a real treat. You can schedule a show to record, and Tivo (in most cases) will find all the channels its on, and record the show even if the days or times change. You can also search for programming with specific actors, categories (drama, comedy, reality, etc.), and many other factors.

You can also watch movies that you didn’t record by streaming them over the internet directly to your Tivo. Netflix, Amazon, and Blockbuster all offer content for instant viewing. Tivo also offers the ability to browse YouTube videos and listen to podcasts.

Each model can be connected by HDMI (a cable that connects to HDTVs), by component cables (another high definition connection) or by standard video cables. (Standard cables will not deliver HDTV content to a regular television).

Both models also use custom Tivo software, which is considered by many to be the best DVR software available.

There are some things to consider when buying your Tivo. Here’s a quick hit list:

• Cable company’s encrypt (scramble) many of their channels, which means you’ll need cable cards to receive that content. HBO, Showtime, and other premium channels are encrypted. The cards are provided by your cable company for a small monthly fee. You can usually get 60-70 channels without the cards if you want to save on those fees.
• Neither model will work with satellite television, either DirecTV or Dish Network.
• Even if you don’t have cable, you can get free digital HDTV by receiving over the air broadcasts (OTA). You’ll need an antenna for this. The size of the antenna will be dependent on how far away your house is from TV stations.
• If you want every channel provided by your cable provider, you’ll probably need an extra box called a tuning adapter. This is usually free for the first year, but will cost a little extra later on.
• A  lot of cable company technicians have never installed a Tivo before. Fortunately, each new Tivo comes with very detailed and easy to follow instructions. Give the instructions to the cable technician, and make sure he or she follows them in order.
• On Demand cable services do not work with Tivo.
• You’ll need an internet connection for streaming services.
• If you have an internet connection, you don’t need a phone line connected to the box.

Why does all that sound so complicated? Well, don’t blame Tivo. The short answer is that there are a lot of rules and regulations that govern cable television, and with so many cable companies, Tivo has to work with them all. Don’t worry, if you’ve got cable, you can get your Tivo home, hook it up, and you will start receiving channels. If you decide you want all the channels your cable box has, you’ll need to call the cable company and get the cable cards and tuning adapter hooked up by a technician.

The bottom line for many is the cost. The Tivo HD is the entry model, but has a lot of advanced features for the price.  It’s storage space is smaller, but you can always expand that if you need to. If you’re a real theater nut, then you might consider the Tivo HD XL.