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Tivo Dumb.

Hi
I've purchased Tivo thinking that I could use it instead of renting a cable box from TimeWarner cable, but was apperently placed into the very dumb situation that made me look like I'm dumb.

It only decodes a small portion of HD channels out of large number provided by the cable service. Having trying to reach Tivo customer service I was told to go here there up'n'down to read some of their activation gibberish and stuff and several reps would say that I have to contact my cable provider. Poor cable techie came to my place twice and spent nearly 3 hours each to investigate the issue and I've gotta give him and the company credit for that trying to swap card, swap decoder and still nothing worked. Than I've asked him to bring his own cable box instead of Tivo and it opened all of the HD channels that I'm suppose to get -- BINGO BOOM! Now I have a grounds to pressure Tivo and started throwing some arguments that it works with cable box but doesn't with Tivo and finally figured out that I have to activate and pay an ADDITIONAL $15/mo to decode HD channels and some further dump features that I would rarely need ever.

So have I've been fooled to purchase unit that is useless without additional activation and $15/mo service or I haven't? It realy doesn't make a sense for me to double my payments for same digital cable services. the same additional $15/Mo will give me rental of cable company box that does the same job without paying fo the unit at all.

All I wanted to purchase is pure cable box or two to decode HD channels, but instead Best Buy fooled me with that usless Tivo.

Appreciate your thoughts and input.
128x128marakanetz
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drubin
3,274 posts
 
I don't really understand the comments above, but here's the deal: You should have to pay only a very modest monthly fee (on the order of $1 - $2) for the cable card from your cable provider. That card, which goes in the TiVo box, will allow you get via your TiVo all the HD channels you pay for. All of them.

TiVo is a bit more expensive than the cable company DVR. It is a better user interface (IMO) and, for me, that's what makes it worth paying extra for.
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marakanetz OP
5,473 posts
 
I don't care about DVR at all at any time. What Tivo states that you can't decode HD channels with no subscription or activation 'n that's what everybody spell at Tivo community.
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drubin
3,274 posts
 
Why would you get a TiVo if you don't want a DVR?

Nevertheless, I don't believe you need a subscription to get all your channels -- that's a function of your cable provider.
rdavwhitaker
173 posts
 
Drubin has it right. TIVO is a DVR with a mandatory subscription service, not a cable box. If you don't want a DVR and TIVO's scheduling services, then TIVO isn't the product for you.

I have a TIVO, and went through the recent HD conversion with my cable provider. To get all the HD channels I subscribe for recognized by TIVO, I needed a multi-stream cable card ($2 a month from my cable provider) to insert in the back of my TIVO machine. It worked great after I followed TIVO's installation instructions.

Now, it is true that between TIVO and the cable card I am paying $15 a month for the TIVO to work, as compared to $12 a month for my cable company's DVR option. But TIVO's interface and recording options are better, so for me it is worth the extra fee.
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swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
TIVO is a DVR with a mandatory subscription service, not a cable box. If you don't want a DVR and TIVO's scheduling services, then TIVO isn't the product for you.
My point, exactly.
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