HD Directivo Now?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

In article <11gvsaos5pfn963@corp.supernews.com>,
cmadams@hiwaay.net (Chris Adams) wrote:

> Once upon a time, Nik Simpson <n_simpson@bellsouth.net> said:
> >So is the HDTivo smart enough to recognize when a program is available in
> >both HD (via OTA) and non-HD (via Sat) and record the HD version, or do you
> >have to work this out manually?
>
> I've only had my HD TiVo for a few days, so I'm not sure how smart it
> is about that; I haven't set up any auto-record wish lists yet.
> However, season passes are channel specific, so there's no smarts
> required there (19-1 is different than 19).

It is not that smart. I was recording a show for my wife that was SD
but simulcast on the digital channel. I recorded it from there. I was
not able to transfer it to tape for proper viewing on an SD TV. I
switched the Season Pass to use the SD channel.

BTW, I can't find a way to actually switch a Season Pass this way. I
had to delete it and create a new one. It would be so much easier to
tell it to just change channels!

--
Robert B. Peirce, Venetia, PA 724-941-6883
bob AT peirce-family.com [Mac]
rbp AT cooksonpeirce.com [Office]

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 16:23:13 GMT, Robert Peirce
<bob@peirce-family.com.invalid> wrote:

>In article <11gvsaos5pfn963@corp.supernews.com>,
> cmadams@hiwaay.net (Chris Adams) wrote:
>
>> Once upon a time, Nik Simpson <n_simpson@bellsouth.net> said:
>> >So is the HDTivo smart enough to recognize when a program is available in
>> >both HD (via OTA) and non-HD (via Sat) and record the HD version, or do you
>> >have to work this out manually?
>>
>> I've only had my HD TiVo for a few days, so I'm not sure how smart it
>> is about that; I haven't set up any auto-record wish lists yet.
>> However, season passes are channel specific, so there's no smarts
>> required there (19-1 is different than 19).
>
>It is not that smart. I was recording a show for my wife that was SD
>but simulcast on the digital channel. I recorded it from there. I was
>not able to transfer it to tape for proper viewing on an SD TV. I
>switched the Season Pass to use the SD channel.
>
>BTW, I can't find a way to actually switch a Season Pass this way. I
>had to delete it and create a new one. It would be so much easier to
>tell it to just change channels!

I was about ready to order the new HD but it looks to me that if you
do not get any of the premium movie channels and if you do not like
sports, you really only get about 3 useful channels?? Am I missing
something?

I mean you have to get the local channels off OTA which is free
anyway. What happens if you feed the free OTA into a stand alone Tivo
and record at its highest quality level?

While I have a HD tv it is not Letterbox format. What happens on the
HD channels if you do not have a letterbox format TV?

How well does the $50 antenna works that DirecTv provide? In my area
when I check the HDTV site for type of antenna

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

xgp@rr.com wrote:

> I was about ready to order the new HD but it looks to me that if you
> do not get any of the premium movie channels and if you do not like
> sports, you really only get about 3 useful channels?? Am I missing
> something?

DirecTV's HD package is:
73 = ESPN-HD
74 = UHD (Universal HD)
76 = DISC-HD (Discovery Channel HD)
78 = HDNTM (HDNet Movies)
79 = HDNET

> I mean you have to get the local channels off OTA which is free
> anyway. What happens if you feed the free OTA into a stand alone Tivo
> and record at its highest quality level?

You can't record OTA ATSC signals on a standalone TiVo by itself.

You can record the 480i output of an external OTA tuner and later
play it back on a widescreen television. But such recordings have
to be manual only. The standalone TiVo has no concept of subchannels
(like 9-1 and 9-2) and therefore cannot control an external OTA tuner.

> While I have a HD tv it is not Letterbox format. What happens on the
> HD channels if you do not have a letterbox format TV?

Wrong nomenclature. "Letterbox" is the process of showing widescreen
video on a standard (4:3) television. "Widescreen" is the name for
televisions with the 16:9 aspect ratio.

The HD10-250 can output video in 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i formats.
For all except the last one, you can tell TiVo that your TV has 4:3
dimensions, and the TiVo will create letterbox bars at top and bottom
for 16:9 video. But if you select 1080i format, TiVo delivers only 16:9
widescreen video. It assumes that anything capable of 1080i is also
capable of zooming or masking on its own.

> How well does the $50 antenna works that DirecTv provide? In my area
> when I check the HDTV site for type of antenna

Try http/www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx or
http/www.titantv.com/ttv/AntennaSelector/start.aspx?broadcastType=digital
for other types of OTA antennas. (I would not use attached-to-the-dish
antennas.)

-Joe

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

[comments bottom posted]

<xgp@rr.com> wrote in message
news:lmo1h1114m25tjh2nea191pq4m56tqpesp@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 16:23:13 GMT, Robert Peirce
> <bob@peirce-family.com.invalid> wrote:
>
>>In article <11gvsaos5pfn963@corp.supernews.com>,
>> cmadams@hiwaay.net (Chris Adams) wrote:
>>
>>> Once upon a time, Nik Simpson <n_simpson@bellsouth.net> said:
>>> >So is the HDTivo smart enough to recognize when a program is available
>>> >in
>>> >both HD (via OTA) and non-HD (via Sat) and record the HD version, or do
>>> >you
>>> >have to work this out manually?
>>>
>>> I've only had my HD TiVo for a few days, so I'm not sure how smart it
>>> is about that; I haven't set up any auto-record wish lists yet.
>>> However, season passes are channel specific, so there's no smarts
>>> required there (19-1 is different than 19).
>>
>>It is not that smart. I was recording a show for my wife that was SD
>>but simulcast on the digital channel. I recorded it from there. I was
>>not able to transfer it to tape for proper viewing on an SD TV. I
>>switched the Season Pass to use the SD channel.
>>
>>BTW, I can't find a way to actually switch a Season Pass this way. I
>>had to delete it and create a new one. It would be so much easier to
>>tell it to just change channels!
>
> I was about ready to order the new HD but it looks to me that if you
> do not get any of the premium movie channels and if you do not like
> sports, you really only get about 3 useful channels?? Am I missing
> something?
>
> I mean you have to get the local channels off OTA which is free
> anyway. What happens if you feed the free OTA into a stand alone Tivo
> and record at its highest quality level?


You do NOT need to get local channels off OTA, at least in my area. I get
ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox etc on channels numbered in the high 70's through low
80's. I have an OTA antenna diplexed to my satellite, but i don't usually
use it, as reception in Westchester County, NY (about 20 miles north of
Ground Zero) is unreliable. If DirecTV did not carry the networks, I would
have to use standard definition if I really wanted to watch these shows.
And, you get a lot more than three channels, not counting the networks. I
get HBO, Showtime, DiscoverHD, ESPN-HD, UHD, HDNet, HDNet Movies. So, you
are missing something, a whole bunch of HDTV channels. I hardly ever need to
watch a show that is NOT in HDTV format, with the exception of The Comeback
and Entourage, both of which are shown on hidef channels but are broadcast
in standard definition. Clear?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 05:45:43 GMT, "Z Man" <z1z@hotmail.com> wrote:

>[comments bottom posted]
>
><xgp@rr.com> wrote in message
>news:lmo1h1114m25tjh2nea191pq4m56tqpesp@4ax.com...
>> On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 16:23:13 GMT, Robert Peirce
>> <bob@peirce-family.com.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>>In article <11gvsaos5pfn963@corp.supernews.com>,
>>> cmadams@hiwaay.net (Chris Adams) wrote:
>>>
>>>> Once upon a time, Nik Simpson <n_simpson@bellsouth.net> said:
>>>> >So is the HDTivo smart enough to recognize when a program is available
>>>> >in
>>>> >both HD (via OTA) and non-HD (via Sat) and record the HD version, or do
>>>> >you
>>>> >have to work this out manually?
>>>>
>>>> I've only had my HD TiVo for a few days, so I'm not sure how smart it
>>>> is about that; I haven't set up any auto-record wish lists yet.
>>>> However, season passes are channel specific, so there's no smarts
>>>> required there (19-1 is different than 19).
>>>
>>>It is not that smart. I was recording a show for my wife that was SD
>>>but simulcast on the digital channel. I recorded it from there. I was
>>>not able to transfer it to tape for proper viewing on an SD TV. I
>>>switched the Season Pass to use the SD channel.
>>>
>>>BTW, I can't find a way to actually switch a Season Pass this way. I
>>>had to delete it and create a new one. It would be so much easier to
>>>tell it to just change channels!
>>
>> I was about ready to order the new HD but it looks to me that if you
>> do not get any of the premium movie channels and if you do not like
>> sports, you really only get about 3 useful channels?? Am I missing
>> something?
>>
>> I mean you have to get the local channels off OTA which is free
>> anyway. What happens if you feed the free OTA into a stand alone Tivo
>> and record at its highest quality level?
>
>
>You do NOT need to get local channels off OTA, at least in my area. I get
>ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox etc on channels numbered in the high 70's through low
>80's. I have an OTA antenna diplexed to my satellite, but i don't usually
>use it, as reception in Westchester County, NY (about 20 miles north of
>Ground Zero) is unreliable. If DirecTV did not carry the networks, I would
>have to use standard definition if I really wanted to watch these shows.
>And, you get a lot more than three channels, not counting the networks. I
>get HBO, Showtime, DiscoverHD, ESPN-HD, UHD, HDNet, HDNet Movies. So, you
>are missing something, a whole bunch of HDTV channels. I hardly ever need to
>watch a show that is NOT in HDTV format, with the exception of The Comeback
>and Entourage, both of which are shown on hidef channels but are broadcast
>in standard definition. Clear?
>
>

You apparently did not read my posting at all. I very clearly stated
if you do not get a premium movie channel (HBO, Showtime etc) and do
not like sports, you only get about 3 channels.

So maybe I missed the DiscoverHD. However, from what I have read it
keeps playing the same thing over and over. I know a friend gets the
PBSHD locally and that is what he has noticed on it. While the picture
is outstanding, they post very little new programming. So I still
wonder what is worth $10.99 for 3 possible channels. I checked the
movie schedule for both HDNET and UHD and was not that impressed with
the movie selections. So in addition to $10.99 to get HD, I have to
pay an extra $12 for a premium movie channel.

Don't get me wrong, I have tried to talk myself into upgrading, but
every time I check the facts, I just question the logic for the cost.
Now, if the $10.99 got all the DirecTV channels in HD, then it would
be worth the cost. Both each person has to justify they own wants.