[blucrzr]

I just purchased a DirecTV satellite dish and receiver and have some questions. Please bear with me if this is rehashing old subjects. I found out after having the dish installed (and agreeing to a year contract) that I get many stations on Eastern time. I am in the Pacific time zone. I am now considering getting a recording device, and started with the store where I bought my dish. They are pushing UltimateTV, HARD. I immediately was put on guard because of this, and started to try to do some research. What I have found is mixed. I am here to see if maybe you can help me with the following:

* Comparing UltimateTV to TiVO.
I have several friends that have TiVO and swear by it. From the little information I have been able to find, it appears that TiVO gives you better menus and interaction. Plus, to be honest, I hesitate to get UltimateTV simply because it is a Microsoft product.

* If I were to buy a DirecTV receiver with TiVO built into it, can I just "swap" that out with my current receiver? I don't have to replace the dish also, do I? My dish has dual output, so I was told I have to run a second line into the new receiver to get TiVO to work at it peak performance.

* What brand of TiVO receiver should I look for? One of my friends swears Panasonic is the way to go, that Sony has a noisy hard drive. What should I expect to pay for one of these?

* Since my dish is a Sony, can I use a different brand of receiver with it? I am guessing they are all standard and interchangeable, but I am new to this and have no idea.

Thanks in advance for your help, and your patience!

 

[Karl Foster]

1. Tivo is a great product, but is getting hard to find. You can get some great deals on UTV ($69 after rebate). UTV has been a great product in my house. Both products do basically the same thing. Both have advantages which have been debated to death.

2. You can swap out a new receiver for an old receiver easily, but with a D*Tivo or UTV, you'll have to install a second line to the new receiver to use both tuners. If you have two receivers (one PVR and a standard receiver) you'll have to get a multi-switch to run the three lines necessary.

3. I don't have much experience with D*Tivo, but with UTV, both brands (RCA and Sony) are identical except for the case. Sony is silver and RCA is black.

I hope that helps.

 

[Chris Blount]

Hi blucrzr and welcome to DBSTalk! :hi:

Originally posted by blucrzr

* If I were to buy a DirecTV receiver with TiVO built into it, can I just "swap" that out with my current receiver? I don't have to replace the dish also, do I? My dish has dual output, so I was told I have to run a second line into the new receiver to get TiVO to work at it peak performance.

Yes, you will be able to swap it out. The dish doesn't care which receiver is hooked to it. You will have to run that second line for the second tuner on the DirecTivo.

* Since my dish is a Sony, can I use a different brand of receiver with it? I am guessing they are all standard and interchangeable, but I am new to this and have no idea.

Yes, the brand of the dish makes no difference. It's all standard equipment.

 

[Maniacal1]

There are three manufacturers of DirecTV TiVos: Hughes, Phillips and Sony. (Panasonic doesn't manufacture one.) I don't know current prices because I haven't been in the market for one for awhile.

I have a Sony standalone and two Phillips DirecTV Tivos. I've never really noticed the hard drive noise at all.

 

[blucrzr]

Thank you all very much for posting so quickly and for the warm welcome. Now, all I have to do is figure out which unit to buy!



Monica

 

[Karl Foster]

Not to show prejudice, but orbitsat.com has the Sony UTV w/keyboard for $69 after rebate.

 

[spanishannouncetable]

I'll go along with karl_f on this one. If you have to have something to use RIGHT NOW, UltimateTV may be the only answer. UTV units are still available at good prices (until existing stock gets depleted anyway - future production looks iffy) while DirecTiVos have been scarce for a couple of months and Series II DirecTiVo units won't be out before late summer/early fall.

If you can wait until fall, the Series II DirecTiVo looks sweeeeet. I am a little biased, however