What is Tivo, and is it worth 13 bucks a month?

Originally posted by vansmack:

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Remember back before television, when people actually had to be creative, and have an imagination, and had to engage their children in social activity, instead of having tv's to stick them in front of? Weren't those the good old days?

TiVo doesn't make me watch more TV. Everybody has limited schedules to do just about anything, TV watching included.

Instead, TiVo allows me to maximize the time I do spend watching TV by allowing me to fast forward commercials and not be subject to the schedules of network and cable TV.

I watch TV on my own time. If anything, I watch less TV because instead of spending, say 9-10 on Sunday nights watching Alias, I start at 9:20 and watch the whole show in 40 minutes instead of subjecting myself to 20 minutes of commercials.

well said!

Aaaah, "Alias." Can't wait for the new season to start…. :D

Originally posted by vansmack:
instead of subjecting myself to 20 minutes of commercials.

thats not being a good little American consumer now, is it?

Originally posted by Bags:
Aaaah, "Alias." Can't wait for the new season to start…. :D

It starts in January - crazy eh?

You are correct. Still sometimes I wish I were born in another century. I guess better health care and plumbing are the saving graces of modern life…

Honestly, the only things I ever watch are the occasional O's game, and NASCAR. I coudn't imagine wanting to watch either on tape. And sometimes I join my wife in watching that sill Trading Spouses show.

Thus, this Tivo thing really isn't for me. I'd rather not get anything like Tivo or cable that would encourage tv consumption. Life is better, for me, without it.

Originally posted by vansmack:

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Remember back before television, when people actually had to be creative, and have an imagination, and had to engage their children in social activity, instead of having tv's to stick them in front of? Weren't those the good old days?

No, and I've met you so I have reasonably good idea of how old you are so I'm certain that you don't either.

TiVo doesn't make me watch more TV. Everybody has limited schedules to do just about anything, TV watching included.

Instead, TiVo allows me to maximize the time I do spend watching TV by allowing me to fast forward commercials and not be subject to the schedules of network and cable TV.

I watch TV on my own time. If anything, I watch less TV because instead of spending, say 9-10 on Sunday nights watching Alias, I start at 9:20 and watch the whole show in 40 minutes instead of subjecting myself to 20 minutes of commercials.

Rhett, you should take up Civil War re-enacting. I don't know why, but I think this would be a good hobby for you.

Hmmm. I was born in Florida but raised in upstate NY. One Yankee parent and one Confederate parent (Was Florida part of the Confederacy?). Which side would I be on?

Thanks for the suggestion. It actually sounds like it would be fun.

Originally posted by chaz:
Rhett, you should take up Civil War re-enacting. I don't know why, but I think this would be a good hobby for you.

It doesn't really matter what side you're on as long as you have one of those insane moustaches that all those civil war buffs sport.

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Hmmm. I was born in Florida but raised in upstate NY. One Yankee parent and one Confederate parent (Was Florida part of the Confederacy?). Which side would I be on?

Thanks for the suggestion. It actually sounds like it would be fun.

Originally posted by chaz:
Rhett, you should take up Civil War re-enacting. I don't know why, but I think this would be a good hobby for you.

Originally posted by Sugartastic Tee Flava:

Originally posted by Bags:
Aaaah, "Alias." Can't wait for the new season to start…. :D

It starts in January - crazy eh?

It's an absolute crime….

Originally posted by sonickteam2:

Originally posted by vansmack:
instead of subjecting myself to 20 minutes of commercials.

thats not being a good little American consumer now, is it?

Oh, I've been trying to singelhandedly spend this country out this economic downturn.

But really, who needs commercials with this internet thing? I mean, I got a little choked up at the Mia Hamm tribute by Gatorade, but for every one great commercial there's 1000 that aren't for me. I usually know about new products long before they hit the TV anyway.

Originally posted by Sugartastic Tee Flava:

Originally posted by Bags:
Aaaah, "Alias." Can't wait for the new season to start…. :D

It starts in January - crazy eh?

JANUARY!!??!! Man, that blows. Maybe I'll do something creative on Sunday night instead…

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Hmmm. I was born in Florida but raised in upstate NY. One Yankee parent and one Confederate parent (Was Florida part of the Confederacy?). Which side would I be on?

At this point, doesn't matter if Florida was in the confederacy. Florida's so heavily yankee now that there's no choice…Even the West Coast (or, more properly, the SunCoast) is mostly Midwestern folk.

Originally posted by vansmack:
mean, I got a little choked up at the Mia Hamm tribute by Gatorade, but for every one great commercial there's 1000 that aren't for me.

So funny…I saw the Mia Hamm gatorade commercial on the Today Show (they surprised her by airing it for her – she hadn't seen it yet), so I *still* don't need to see commercials! ;)

Isn't Florida more Cuban-heavy than Yankee heavy these days?

I'm talking about Florida 1941-1972, the years my mom lived there.

Originally posted by Bags:

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Hmmm. I was born in Florida but raised in upstate NY. One Yankee parent and one Confederate parent (Was Florida part of the Confederacy?). Which side would I be on?

At this point, doesn't matter if Florida was in the confederacy. Florida's so heavily yankee now that there's no choice…Even the West Coast (or, more properly, the SunCoast) is mostly Midwestern folk.

Originally posted by suede:
2. comcast DVR is terrible compared to tv. features suck, software sucks, ff sucks and its hard to record programs. why do we have it you ask. one reason and one reason only, it allows us to record in HD while tivo does not. and recording sopranos, and movies and other stuff in HD is worth $10 a month basically.

Actually, they have a Tivo that records HDTV now. My friends just got it and love it very much. They have a dish, though, so maybe it's only available for that?

Originally posted by punkfarmgirl:
Actually, they have a Tivo that records HDTV now. My friends just got it and love it very much. They have a dish, though, so maybe it's only available for that?

You are correct. Only DirecTV offers a TiVo that records in HD.

[geekspeak]

The DTV HDTivo receives ATSC over-the-air signals. Cable HD signals are QAM, which neither the DTV HDTiVo nor regualr Tivo can receive.

[/geekspeak]