Questions about TiVo

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GeoffisPure

459 posts

Ultimate Geek

#100992 22-Apr-2012 15:43

I'm looking at getting two TiVos - one for the lounge and one for my bedroom. I do have a few questions though:

1) Why are stores running out of stock of these? I checked at Bond and Bond and Noel Leemings here and both stores only have about 10 left with no plans to get more stock in. Are Hybrid giving up, or releasing a newer model, perhaps?

2) Why is the Home Network Package currently unavailable to be purchased? It says it's currently "Temporarily Unavailable". Has this happened in the past and how long was it unavailable for? I'd hate to buy the devices and never be able to network them - that would be false advertising.

3) How loud is the TiVo device when on standby? I'm a very light sleeper and don't like anything noisy in my room.

4) How do you add storage space to a TiVo? Can you just plug in any USB portable HDD? Or do I need to buy a specific one, and where can I get it from?

Thanks to anyone who can share some insight.

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#613185 22-Apr-2012 15:49

GeoffisPure: I'm looking at getting two TiVos - one for the lounge and one for my bedroom. I do have a few questions though:

1) Why are stores running out of stock of these? I checked at Bond and Bond and Noel Leemings here and both stores only have about 10 left with no plans to get more stock in. Are Hybrid giving up, or releasing a newer model, perhaps?

no one is sure yet, maybe a new model release?

2) Why is the Home Network Package currently unavailable to be purchased? It says it's currently "Temporarily Unavailable". Has this happened in the past and how long was it unavailable for? I'd hate to buy the devices and never be able to network them - that would be false advertising.

Haven't seen it happen before, don't know why it's temporarily unavaliable as it a pure download, no physical media is sent out

3) How loud is the TiVo device when on standby? I'm a very light sleeper and don't like anything noisy in my room.

Very quite, we have one in the bedroom, I don't notice it at night

4) How do you add storage space to a TiVo? Can you just plug in any USB portable HDD? Or do I need to buy a specific one, and where can I get it from?

The external storage is a ESATA connection, there is only one official external upgrade, I beleive it's a Western Digital unit, but saying that there are instructions on various web sites describing how to put a bigger internal drive in.

Greg

Handle9

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#613188 22-Apr-2012 15:58

GeoffisPure: I'm looking at getting two TiVos - one for the lounge and one for my bedroom. I do have a few questions though:

1) Why are stores running out of stock of these? I checked at Bond and Bond and Noel Leemings here and both stores only have about 10 left with no plans to get more stock in. Are Hybrid giving up, or releasing a newer model, perhaps?

I don't know about a new model but the ones that they have been getting through are the original shipment from a couple of years ago. Hybrid have released the Tivo XL in Australia though which is a 1TB model.

mattwnz

20156 posts

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#613208 22-Apr-2012 16:31

GeoffisPure: I'm looking at getting two TiVos - one for the lounge and one for my bedroom.? I do have a few questions though:

1)? Why are stores running out of stock of these?? I checked at Bond and Bond and Noel Leemings here and both stores only have about 10 left with no plans to get more stock in.? Are Hybrid giving up, or releasing a newer model, perhaps?

2)? Why is the Home Network Package currently unavailable to be purchased? It says it's currently "Temporarily Unavailable".? Has this happened in the past and how long was it unavailable for?? I'd hate to buy the devices and never be able to network them - that would be false advertising.

3)? How loud is the TiVo device when on standby? I'm a very light sleeper and don't like anything noisy in my room.

4)? How do you add storage space to a TiVo? Can you just plug in any USB portable HDD?? Or do I need to buy a specific one, and where can I get it from?

Thanks to anyone who can share some insight.?

The HNP hasn't been a available for a few weeks as I have a friend who has been trying to get it. Contact telecom about it, as it is being advertised by them as an add on feature of the tivo, so it should be available. eg If you purchased two tivos, you should be able to network them, as telecom advertise it and they are the support people for tivo in NZ

RXV

124 posts

Master Geek

#613828 23-Apr-2012 17:44

1) Why are stores running out of stock of these? I checked at Bond and Bond and Noel Leemings here and both stores only have about 10 left with no plans to get more stock in. Are Hybrid giving up, or releasing a newer model, perhaps?

This has happened before, whenever Noel Leeming have them on sale.

4) How do you add storage space to a TiVo? Can you just plug in any USB portable HDD? Or do I need to buy a specific one, and where can I get it from?

You need to buy the official HDD if you want a plug in solution. Telecom sell the HDD for $369 - not cheap.

http://www.telecom.co.nz/tv/tivo/accessories

You could be better off expanding the drive in the device. Remember that the tivo can record up to 120 hours of HD, and 250 hours of SD, so not bad, much more than a MySky HDi, which only offers 30 hours of HD and 90 hours of SD.

ferg_nz

175 posts

Master Geek

#613861 23-Apr-2012 18:54

I got a Tivo a couple of weeks ago and when i went to get the HNP it said it was not available but i just went on and brought it with no issue.

One thing I did notice is that wen I first activated my Tivo it got given the HNP for free but Tivo support from Aussie have told me that it was a glitch in the system after the U.S did some upgrade to the system and anyone that got it for free will have it removed once the system is fixed. I find the Tivo great now i am just trying to convince the Financial Controller (the Wife) in to letting me get a second one.

If you get a program called pyTivo it works better than the Tivo Desktop Software by a long shot but it can take a bit to setup and configure

mattwnz

20156 posts

Uber Geek

#613868 23-Apr-2012 19:07

ferg_nz: I ?got a Tivo a couple of weeks ago and when i went to get the HNP it said it was not?available but i just went on and brought it with no??issue.

One thing I did notice is that wen I first activated my Tivo it got given the HNP for free but Tivo support from Aussie have told me that it was a glitch in the system after the U.S did some upgrade to the system and anyone that got it for free will have it removed once the system is fixed. I find the Tivo great now i am just trying to convince the?Financial Controller (the Wife) in to letting me get a second one.

If you get a program called pyTivo it works better than the Tivo Desktop Software by a long shot but it can take a bit to setup and configure

?

I find kmttg a good alternative to the tivo software, and is quite easy to use too.

GeoffisPure

459 posts

Ultimate Geek

#613963 23-Apr-2012 21:32

ferg_nz: I got a Tivo a couple of weeks ago and when i went to get the HNP it said it was not available but i just went on and brought it with no issue.

It doesn't seem to let you do that anymore.

I called 0800 MYTIVO today which is manned by telecom. They said they were unsure why HNP was unavailable but that they would contact somebody at Hybrid and then get back to me. Nobody has got back to me yet, but I've noticed they've just put an explanation on the website:

23 April 2012: We are currently experiencing activation issues with the Home Networking Package. The Home Networking Package and TiVo Desktop Plus Key items will be returned to the online shop, and the Media Access Keys released to new HNP owners, once the issue has been resolved. The resolution is currently in testing and will be rolled out, bringing the HNP activations back online, within the next few business days; we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

So that's reassuring. Going to buy my 2 new TiVos on Thursday. :)

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Skolink

1081 posts

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#614027 23-Apr-2012 22:37

GeoffisPure:
So that's reassuring. Going to buy my 2 new TiVos on Thursday. :)

I think you should buy them Tuesday or Wednesday, while they are still $199

MikeB4

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#614225 24-Apr-2012 10:59

Tivo XL has been released in Australia, supply restraint here could indicate that the ancient model we have on sale is also pending replacement.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#614236 24-Apr-2012 11:21

So looking at the competition in the market...
We could expect a brand new Tivo box to cost... what? $700 with a 1TB upgrade and maybe out of the box Mac OS network compatibility*?

*Wishful thinking?

wallop

367 posts

Ultimate Geek

#614239 24-Apr-2012 11:25

From what I can see the Australian XL is the same as we have but has a 1TB drive in it.

BlueShift

1692 posts

Uber Geek

#614256 24-Apr-2012 11:58

wallop: From what I can see the Australian XL is the same as we have but has a 1TB drive in it.

What sort of price difference between the two models? Triple the disk size, triple the price? Given their 1TB external drives are over $350, would a 1TB Tivo be over $500?

wallop

367 posts

Ultimate Geek

#614270 24-Apr-2012 12:21

Looks like they are $649 in Aussie.

GeoffisPure

459 posts

Ultimate Geek

#614369 24-Apr-2012 15:28

With no other benefits besides the bigger hard drive, I don't think the price is justified. For $500 (including home networking) I can get two tivo 320GBs, and have 640GB to share between two devices.

mattwnz

20156 posts

Uber Geek

#614401 24-Apr-2012 16:14

GeoffisPure: With no other benefits besides the bigger hard drive, I don't think the price is justified. For $500 (including home networking) I can get two tivo 320GBs, and have 640GB to share between two devices.

You have to remember though that the NZ price is heavily discounted, possibly to clear old stock, as they were close to $800 a few years ago. I would expect that it would be close to the cost price that they are currently selling them for, so they are fantastic value. I have one in the lounge and one in the bedroom, and it works perfectly for streaming recorded shows from the lounge to the bedroom in real time.

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