TiVo R54080 (80 GB) 80-Hours DVR
Out of stock |
Similar in TV Receivers and DVRs
- Type: Video Recorder (DVR)
- Broadcast Type: Cable Satellite
- Compatible Service: TiVo
- Analog Tuner: NTSC
- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Nice...unless you have HDTV
Pros
Great software, Multimedia capabilities are very nice
Cons
Doesn't support HDTV, no recording one show while watching another when using a receiver
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Great for hooking up to just a standard-definition TV, poor for HDTV capable TV's and when you are running your audio through a receiver.
Prior to TiVo I was using the Comcast digital cable box with built in HDTV tuner. Having received the TiVo box for Christmas, I went to set it up only to realize that the Series 2 TiVo box doesn't support HDTV. Their website states :
A TiVo Digital Video Recorder (DVR) is designed to support standard definition television broadcasts. It will not support High Definition broadcasts. It is possible to connect your DVR to a High Definition television, and to some High Definition cable boxes or satellite receivers. However, the DVR will only record programs from standard definition channels, and all recordings will be displayed in standard definition."
That was disappointment number 1. Disappointment number 2 was that you cannot watch one channel and record another like you can with the Comcast DVR. The TiVo box will ask if you want to stop recording in order to switch over to another channel. There is a work-around, but not if you want to listen to the channel you are watching over your receiver/surround sound. You must use a splitter on the cable prior to it going into the Comcast cable box, and take the second input directly into your TV console, hence listening to the channel you are watching with your TV speakers.
My 3rd disappointment was in that by trying to hook up the cable box to my TiVo box, then into the TV, there is no S-Video output from the Comcast provided cable box. So with no component inputs/outputs from the TiVo, and no S-Video output from the cable box, I had to use the composite cables, which are poor quality in comparison to S-Video and component. This resulted in poor recording quality (comparably even when set at high quality on the TiVo box. There was noticeable "tiling" whereby you can see different color boxes on the screen that look like very large pixels.
The benefits of the TiVo service lies in the software, which is far and away better than what is provided by Comcast. The ability to search for movies/shows/specials by name, genre, actor/actress, director, etc is great. Plus it will recommend shows that fit your viewing habits and automatically record them for you.
SO. I moved the TiVo box to an upstairs TV that doesn't support HDTV, and that isn't running through a receiver, and it works great. I would definitely recommend the TiVo box for anyone without HDTV, and who doesn't run their audio through a receiver. For anyone with HDTV/receiver, I would pass.
A TiVo Digital Video Recorder (DVR) is designed to support standard definition television broadcasts. It will not support High Definition broadcasts. It is possible to connect your DVR to a High Definition television, and to some High Definition cable boxes or satellite receivers. However, the DVR will only record programs from standard definition channels, and all recordings will be displayed in standard definition."
That was disappointment number 1. Disappointment number 2 was that you cannot watch one channel and record another like you can with the Comcast DVR. The TiVo box will ask if you want to stop recording in order to switch over to another channel. There is a work-around, but not if you want to listen to the channel you are watching over your receiver/surround sound. You must use a splitter on the cable prior to it going into the Comcast cable box, and take the second input directly into your TV console, hence listening to the channel you are watching with your TV speakers.
My 3rd disappointment was in that by trying to hook up the cable box to my TiVo box, then into the TV, there is no S-Video output from the Comcast provided cable box. So with no component inputs/outputs from the TiVo, and no S-Video output from the cable box, I had to use the composite cables, which are poor quality in comparison to S-Video and component. This resulted in poor recording quality (comparably even when set at high quality on the TiVo box. There was noticeable "tiling" whereby you can see different color boxes on the screen that look like very large pixels.
The benefits of the TiVo service lies in the software, which is far and away better than what is provided by Comcast. The ability to search for movies/shows/specials by name, genre, actor/actress, director, etc is great. Plus it will recommend shows that fit your viewing habits and automatically record them for you.
SO. I moved the TiVo box to an upstairs TV that doesn't support HDTV, and that isn't running through a receiver, and it works great. I would definitely recommend the TiVo box for anyone without HDTV, and who doesn't run their audio through a receiver. For anyone with HDTV/receiver, I would pass.
