Can I get TiVo?!?!?

[n8dagr8]

You guys are so great I figured I would shoot this out there and see what you all came up with. I would love to get a DirectTiVo but there are a few problems (I'm sure it's me as usual...wanting too much). I have an HDTV so I would like to keep my Hughs HD receiver (can't justify getting the $1000 receiver right now) but I would also like to have TiVo (told you I wanted too much). Is there a DTiVo that has the ability to connect to a broadband connection (I don't have a land-line phone)? I guess I could take it to a friends house to set up and get updates but that is a hassle. Having two tuners is also important to me (which is the DTiVo only, right?) I also like the fact that DirecTV is offering DVRs for like $80 and that the service is only $5; where as Stand alone TiVo's are like $200 (more or less) and the service is $12. It seems that my options are 1. get a DTivo and pay for 2 receiver (on one TV) and not have the capability to connect to my computer or broadband so I would be out $80 plus ~$10 a month or 2. get a stand alone and pay a $200 plus $12 per month or 3. suck it up sell some plasma (and maybe a kidney) and get the HDTiVo. Can the new HD-TiVo connect through an ethernet/USB port to a computer (very impressed with the stand alones' ability to connect to computer to play music on TV). Any guess to when the price will come down? Thanks for any help and sorry for the long post (with all the parenthesis :sure: ) Feel free to tell/give me any info you feel I should know. Thanks again,

[beejaycee]

I can't answer all (most? any?) of your questions but you might want to check out the TiVo Community Forums (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/) and see if they could be of some help. No SD DTiVo has the ability to connect via broadband without LOTS of unsupported taboo tinkering. (I don't know about the HD TiVo.)

[gglockner]

I would save for the HDTiVo. If you could afford the HDTV, why not the recorder for it, too?

Anyway, from what I've heard you can use DirecTiVo without a phone line. However, you will need to have it do one dialin when you first receive it. I suggest taking it to a friend's home for an hour and connect it to their phone. The DirecTiVo gets its program guide from the satellite. You will only lose the ability to order Pay-Per-View via the remote, but you can still order that via phone or Directv.com.

You could go down the hacking route, but it seems very complicated and unnecessary for what you're trying to accomplish.

[n8dagr8]

Yeah, the more I look the more it seems like I'm gunna have to wait things out. I can't afford the HDTiVo BECAUSE I bought the HDTV (still in grad. school). Also, I had to make the decision between that or the new iPAQ h6315. Guess which one I'm getting thursday! I hear that soon the DirectTiVo will have the HMO option (maybe I'm just being a pollyanna) but I figured I can wait it out a little longer (my receiver tells the VCR to record stuff so I don't miss stuff when I'm not home - poor mans TiVo - and it actually records widescreen). Thanks for the help!

[gglockner]

Personally, I'd buy a used PDA and save money for the TiVo. PDAs seem to improve every few months, and you should be able to find a deal on a slightly older one. Or get one that's integrated with your cell phone, which will be subsidized through your mobile phone service.

As for the Home Media Option, don't bet on it. There are a ton of threads about it here and on tivocommunity.com. Basically, the hardware is capable but DirecTV has shown no interest in making it available. Anyway, the HMO is interesting, but it isn't the main reason to get a TiVo.