What is TiVo? TiVo is a life-changing experience, plain and simple. TiVo will
revolutionize the way you watch television. Since we're not marketing
experts (look no further than our domain name to confirm that),
we would much prefer you to find the answer to this question on
your own, by looking at TiVo's website (www.tivo.com) and by seeing
what others have said about TiVo. Many, many articles have been
written about what TiVo can do. Many commentators at the end of
1999, 2000 and 2001 called TiVo the 'Gift of the Year.' We encourage
you to read about TiVo and its benefits from others who have done
a far better job at explaining what TiVo can do for you. Naturally,
if you have any questions, feel free to email us. In a sentence,
though, we can say what we've been saying to friends, family and
potential customers for a long time: TiVo will change your life!
Should I purchase lifetime service or monthly service for my TiVo? Currently, lifetime service is only available for the Humax DRT800 and Humax DRT400 DVD Recorders with the TiVo service (although through 12/31/06, lifetime service can be transfered to a Series3 HD TiVo if you qualify). If you are purchasing any other unit, you will have to purchase monthly service, but you can get better pricing deals by pre-paying for multiple years in advance. If you are purchasing a Humax unit with a DVD recorder, we recommend lifetime service. Generally, here are some of the factors we would recommend you consider when deciding whether to purchase monthly service ($12.95/month for the first TiVo or as low as $5.99 with certain DIRECTV subscriptions) or lifetime service ($399 for the life of your TiVo unit):
- If you purchase lifetime service for your TiVo and later want to upgrade to a different TiVo, you will have to purchase lifetime service again for your new TiVo. However, there is a good chance that you?ll be able to sell your used TiVo with lifetime service and recover a good portion of the amount you paid for lifetime service. We have a number of customers who purchased standalone TiVos from us and lifetime service from TiVo. Because our prices are so low, they were able to sell their TiVos on ebay or in classified ads for more than they paid for the TiVo and the lifetime service! There is no telling what the market for used TiVos with lifetime service will be in the future, but purchasing lifetime service, unlike purchasing monthly service, will retain value.
- If you purchase lifetime service and your TiVo malfunctions down the road, you will have no alternative but to get your TiVo fixed. If the problem is with the hard drives, we should be able to do the work. If the problem is not drive-related, then you may have to have your TiVo repaired by Philips, Sony or another authorized third party repair service. If you face a non-drive malfunction and instead had purchased monthly service, then for less than the cost of a repair, you might be able purchase a used, inexpensive TiVo of the same type and move your drives from one TiVo to the other.
- If you are concerned about the longevity of TiVo (the company), then purchasing monthly service is certainly safer than purchasing lifetime service. We believe that TiVo is gaining market traction and is not likely to cease its subscription service. We also believe that even if TiVo has significant financial problems, the subscription portion of the service, which is fairly easy to provide, is likely to survive. TiVo currently has joint-ventures with many large companies (including Pioneer, Toshiba, Humax, DIRECTV) and those companies will suffer severe customer relations blows if the TiVo service ends after they have purchased lifetime service.
- If you have DIRECTV and are looking to purchase a DIRECTV/TiVo combination unit (also known as a DIRECTV DVR), then your only option is monthly service. A monthly fee of less than $6/month will activate the TiVo service for all DIRECTV DVR units on your DIRECTV account. Furthermore, if you have DIRECTV's Total Choice Premier package, the TiVo service fee is waived. For those who have an older SAT T60, DSR6000 or GXCEBOT and who purchased lifetime service with TiVo, that service will remain on your DIRECTV account and you will not have to purchase monthly service for the TiVos on your account. (Beware of anyone trying to sell you a DIRECTV DVR with lifetime service!)
How can I move video recordings from my TiVo
to my computer for burning to DVD or CD? TiVo has released its "TiVoToGo" software, which is now
available for all Series 2 Standalone TiVo DVRs. With this software,
Series 2 DVR owners can connect their recorder to a home network
and transfer programming to a home computer. From the home PC, recordings
can be burned to DVD using special DVD burning software.
The TiVoToGo Software is currently NOT available for DIRECTV DVRs
with TiVo. If you own a DIRECTV DVR, you can connect a DVD recording
device to TiVo just as you would connect a VCR to your TiVo. You
can play your recordings from your TiVo and record them to the DVD-R
device. In addition, a number of TiVo
DVRs with built-in DVDs have TiVo with a built-in DVD-recorder.
With this unit, you can burn your recorded shows to DVD.
My TiVo is broken! Can you fix it?
We can fix some problems, but not others. If your TiVo is stuck
on the "powering up" screen, does not boot, freezes or restarts
intermittently, the chances are good that you have a software or
drive-related problem. Although these types of problems are rare,
they do happen. Whether you have a standalone TiVo (Sony TiVo, Philips
TiVo, AT&T Broadband TiVo, TiVo Series 2 or other) or a DirecTiVo
- a DIRECTV receiver combined with a TiVo recorder - (Sony, Hughes,
Samsung, RCA, Philips or DIRECTV-branded TiVo DVR), we can help
with these problems. Our TiVo drive fixes are bound to be much quicker
than sending your TiVo in for repair. However, if your TiVo is fewer
than 90 days old and still under warranty, you may prefer to go
through the manufacturer. Please see our TiVo
powering up page and our TiVo repair
page for more information.
When will the Direct TV Series
2 TiVo (DirecTiVo) be out? They are out and they are here.
Keep in mind, though, that as of now, the Series 2 Home Media Feature
is not available for the Series 2 DIRECTV DVR units. While the Series
2 units have all of the hardware to support networking, DIRECTV
has not yet enabled the software.
Smaller footprint - the TiVo itself is smaller than
the older models from Philips and Sony.
Better components - the original components were good,
but some components (especially modems) began to fail over time.
We have yet to see a failed modem in a Series2 TiVo.
Faster processor and more RAM - Ever wait when you set
a Season Pass or scroll through a list? These new units are
up to four times as fast as the older ones.
USB ports - The new units have two USB ports that can
be used to access local ethernet networks for guide data (TiVo
service is still needed). The home media features, including
TiVoToGo, can be used on standalone Series 2 units as well,
enabling you to move content from your TiVo DVR to your PC.
Appearance - the Sony brand has buttons and a small joystick on
the front. It also has a more high-tech appearance. The Sony is silver;
the TiVo-branded and Humax-branded units are black. The TiVo TCD540 and
TCD649 series also have a nightlight on the front of the unit that can be
controlled through the TiVo interface. The TCD540 unit is gray with a white
light; the TCD649 is black with a white light.
Remote - the Sony, on one hand, and the TiVo and Humax, on the other
hand, have different remote designs (and different remote codes). The TiVo
remote has a switch that enables you to switch between two TiVos; the Sony
does not. The Sony and Humax remotes are silver; the TiVo remote is dark
gray (TCD540) or black (TCD649).
Hardware - The Sony has an internal drive
bracket that will hold a second drive. The Sony also has a large
power supply that is sufficient to power up two drives. The
TiVo-branded unit and Humax-branded units all require the TwinBreeze
and the PowerTrip to run two drives.
Features/Functionality - The TiVo/Humax Series2 standalone units
and the Sony SVR3000 all have the same basic features and functions. The
both also support the home media feature. The TCD649 TiVo model has a second
tuner that will enable you to record two shows at the same time under certain
circumstances. Specifically, you can record one channel from any source
other than antenna, and another show from an analog, non-scrambled cable
channel through the RF input
What is TiVo Basic? TiVo Basic is a version of the TiVo service that is included in some TiVo DVRs from Pioneer and Toshiba for free. It has fewer features, and is upgradable to TiVo Plus.
Why do the Standalone TiVo DVRs have four levels of recording
quality, but the DIRECTV/TiVo units have only one? DIRECTV's television signals are compressed digital signals. The
DIRECTV/TiVo units are equipped with technology that allows the
TiVo to record those compressed digital signals directly to the
TiVo's hard drive. Therefore, when the signal is recorded and then
played back through the TiVo, there is no quality loss. Thus, the
DIRECTV/TiVo units record in only one quality: Best.
On the other hand, the Standalone TiVo units (which work with cable
and satellite) convert the signal into digital form. At the time
of this conversion, the TiVo must compress the signal prior to saving
it to the hard drive. This is true even if the Standalone TiVo is
connected to a DIRECTV receiver or a digital cable box.
Will the TiVo control my model cable box/Dish
Network receiver/DIRECTV receiver? In virtually all cases, the answer is yes. For specifics, this
link
contains a list of receivers and their compatibility with a standalone
TiVo box. Please note that DIRECTV DVRs with TiVo have a DIRECTV
receiver built in and will not control another box. TiVo units will
not control C-band satellite receivers.
How are the number of hours calculated
on a TiVo? TiVo standalone units (i.e., TiVos without a built-in DIRECTV receiver)
have four levels of recording quality. At the best recording quality,
the rule of thumb is that the number of hours is equal to 0.35 times
the number of gigabytes. At the lowest recording quality (basic),
the number of TiVo recording hours is 1.2 times the number of gigabytes.
Because drive sizes vary slightly (an 80 gigabyte drive may be 81.9
gigabytes or 80.0 gigabytes, for example), the exact number of hours
in any given TiVo cannot be calculated precisely in advance. DirecTiVo
units generally get about 0.875 hours per gigabyte of storage space.
The hours reported on a DirecTiVo is a maximum amount; the actual
number of hours yielded will vary based on the type of shows you
record (eg. sports take up more space on a hard drive than do, say,
soap operas, due to the amount of motion). NOTE: DIRECTV/TiVo combination
units have only one quality level--perfect. These units record directly
from the satellite stream and do not require recompression. See our other FAQ entries and our TiVo Buying Guidefor more assistance.
Will TiVo continue to support upgrades? We believe that the answer to this question is yes. In fact, when
TiVo first became available, TiVo/Philips offered capacity upgrades
as a service to existing customers. At some point, TiVo decided
that it was not cost-effective to do so. After TiVo stopped doing
upgrades, they came out in support of the growing community of users
who upgraded their TiVos on their own. We believe (as do many others)
that TiVo would suffer a massive public relations disaster if they
stopped supporting TiVos with added capacity. In addition, TiVo
executives have publicly acknowledged and thanked upgraders for
their enthusiasm for TiVo. You should note, however, that TiVo does not support
all types of TiVo hacking. For example, TiVo does not support RAM
upgrades, extracting video and, obviously, subscription theft. You
should also know that future TiVo models are expected to have room
for only one hard drive.
What if I want to try this myself? We recommend this interactive TiVo
Upgrade Instructions website for those who want to do the computer work an upgrade requires. This will give you a good indicator of
what is involved in preparing your own hard drive. Please note that weaKnees does NOT provide phone or email support for the Upgrade Instructions website. Also note that if you purchase a hard drive upgrade kit from weaKnees, the Upgrade Instructions website is not necessary, because we do all of the PC/software work here before we ship your drive.
What about adding RAM? Computers (and therefore TiVos) have two kinds of memory: RAM and
hard drives. We specialize in adding hard drives (and therefore
hours) to TiVos, but we find that adding RAM memory to your TiVo
is a mistake. TiVo memory upgrades are unstable, unhelpful, and
require practices that can permanently damage your motherboard,
rendering your TiVo beyond repair. In addition, all of the Series
2 TiVos have no open RAM slots, so RAM upgrades are not possible.
The TwinBreeze is the name of our Series 2, designed for easy installation
and durability. It was also designed to hold a second cooling fan.
The TwinBreeze does not require any double-sided tape or other similar
adhesion to be installed, so it can be removed at any time without
requiring permanent modification to your TiVo. The TwinBreeze bracket
is included with all upgrade kits that require it. Note: The TwinBreeze
does not refer to the fans, which are part of the Advanced
Cooling Pak.
The Advanced Cooling Pak (ACP) is an optional package that is offered
with many of our upgrade kits. The ACP can only be installed together
with the TwinBreeze bracket. The ACP consists of one or two fans
(depending on the TiVo being upgraded), rubber washers and mounting
hardware.
The PowerTrip is a device designed to protect the TiVo's power
supply. It is recommended in any Series 2 TCD240040, TCD24004A,
TCD240080, TCD24008A, TCD240140, TCD540040, TCD540080, TCD540140,
T800 and T2500 that is running two drives. We include the PowerTrip
at no extra charge in all of our "add" and two-drive "replace"
kits for those models. If you are upgrading a TiVo with one of our
upgrade kits, we will include the PowerTrip if we believe it is
necessary or advisable. For more information, see our PowerTrip
page.
What are the physical dimensions of a TiVo? All TiVos, except for the Philips HDR-series, the Sony SVR2000/3000, the Toshiba, Humax and Pioneer DVD burners and the high definition units, are 15"W x 12.5"D x 3.25"H. The SVR2000 and HDR-series TiVos are 17"W x 12.5"D x 4"H. The Pioneer 810H/57H dimensions are 16.5"W x 15.5"D x 3.75H. The Series3 (THX-edition) is 16.5"W x 13.5"D x 3.25" H. The TiVoHD (Value edition) is 16.50"W x 12.75"W x 3.5" H.
Can I record two shows at one time on my TiVo? All DIRECTV DVRs with TiVo (which require DIRECTV) can record two shows at the same time when connected to two lines from the satellite dish. If you have cable, the TCD649080 and TCD649180 can record two shows at the same time, so long as one of those shows is from an analog, non-scrambled cable channel (through the RF input on the TiVo).
How do I transfer Lifetime Serivce to a WeaKnees Series3 HD TiVo? If you have lifetime service on a qualifying Series1 or Series2 standalone TiVo (meaning not a DirecTV TiVo) then you can transfer it to a Series3 TiVo from WeaKnees if you purchase by 12/31/06 and pay TiVo's $199 transfer fee. Qualifying units would be branded TiVo, Philips, Sony, AT&T, Pioneer, Humax, or Toshiba. Once you receive the new unit, initiate the transfer by calling TiVo at 866 424-8486
WeaKnees.com is not affiliated with TiVo Inc. TiVo is a registered trade- mark of TiVo Inc.
All orders are eligible for FREE shipping! We use UPS and USPS (free ground shipping in 48 states-full shipping info).
Questions? Contact us! Call us at 888 - WEAKNEES (888 932-5633) or 310 842-4700 or send an email.
