# OLD TiVo user



## micklen (Oct 17, 2001)

Hi all

I can't believe the last time I logged on here was January 2002
Just shows how good the old TiVo has been 
It's still working perfectly as well so I am in no need of service help
I am just starting to worry that eventually it may go to that last resting place 

Having not been keeping up with things here I was rather horrified to see that you can no longer buy a TiVo in the UK although the US are on series 3 HD 

Can anyone please bring me up to date on the situation and if anyone is going to take on the TiVo banner over here

My TiVo is bog standard as it came out the box all those years ago
Not even bothered fitting a larger HDD
Mebbe that is why it has lasted so long

I look forward to being brought up to date

Mick


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

TiVo coming to VirginMedia in 2010/11:

http://tivo.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=419

Discussion thread here:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=437947

(where's the sticky gone?)


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

I wonder how many UK Tivo boxes are still on their original drives and still working?

Automan.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

I get quite a few customers who are only now upgrading from original,
purely because their analogue channels have just been turned off !


They are often shocked to find tivo can happily control a freeview or sky box...


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## micklen (Oct 17, 2001)

Thanks for the replies

I do hope something is sorted because I don't want to go to a Sky+ box
My m-i-l has just got one after her standard box departed and ok it's good you can record two sky channels at once, but other than that they are so limited
I still get a surprise quite regularly when the TiVo finds me something I really want to see all by itself 
The search and record facilities are so much better as well

Why am I saying this. You all know that don't you 

I do hope things get sorted before the old warrior finally gives up
I do hope they aren't fully linked to Virgin though as the flats we live in were built after the ctv cables were laid and they won't bring them across the street 

Anyone know the oldest TiVo still in operation ?????


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## mrtickle (Aug 26, 2001)

micklen said:


> I do hope they aren't fully linked to Virgin though as the flats we live in were built after the ctv cables were laid and they won't bring them across the street


It is an exclusive deal. Both TiVo and Virgin have been very clear about this - read the announcement!


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## martink0646 (Feb 8, 2005)

micklen said:


> Anyone know the oldest TiVo still in operation ?????


Hi Micklen,

I can claim this (in the UK) as I got mine on release day although I'm sure I won't be the only one on here to have done that by any means. I think you'll find there were also quite a few Beta testers running TiVo's for goodness knows how long before release date. It would be interesting to know if they are forum members and if the original machines are still working/in daily operation. I'm sure their NDA's have long expired so they can let us know

Martin


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## iankb (Oct 9, 2000)

Although I bought the first retail TiVo available in Reading, it has now been replaced by an MCE setup. However I could hardly qualify since, after a period of disuse, I tried to start the TiVo up again but found the drive had died.

However, it is very likely that people like me will have since moved on to more technically-advanced replacements since we are, by nature, early adopters. Almost certainly, we would have replaced our drives at the earliest opportunity.

Of course, that doesn't mean that redundant original TiVos aren't switched on for warmth in this cold weather, and they are useful as doorstops in less-inclement weather. 

It would have been nice to have early-adopted Series 2 and 3 TiVos, but we never had the chance. 

It would also have been nice to early-adopt a Freeview or Freesat TiVo, but we won't get the chance of that either.


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## martink0646 (Feb 8, 2005)

iankb said:


> However, it is very likely that people like me will have since moved on to more technically-advanced replacements since we are, by nature, early adopters. Almost certainly, we would have replaced our drives at the earliest opportunity.


I agree with this on a fundamental level but that is forgetting the brilliance of the TiVo GUI and underestimating WAF. Back in 2000 I had a Rear-Pro 47" Sony screen, a high-end Toshiba, component out DVD player and was well on the way to a dvd collection numbering some 5,000+ discs that eventually took up a whole room.

I have now digitised my DVD collection and utilise an HTPC (home brew set-up) for my movie and American TV series viewing, but TiVo still rules the roost for day to day TV because it is so easy to use for my wife and son and I don't need to talk her through what to do if she fancies viewing something quickly!

That is the sole reason for keeping TiVo. I would love to go the MC route, utilising extenders in every room but I can already imagine the disasters and upset.

Martin


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## iankb (Oct 9, 2000)

martink0646 said:


> I agree with this on a fundamental level but that is ... underestimating WAF.


Yes. I always forget that 'small problem'.


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## steford (Oct 9, 2002)

I always find it incredible that we've used and loved our Tivos over the years whilst the majority of the population have no idea what they've missed and are only now getting part way to watching TV the way we've been watching it for years. I feel physically sick when I think my Tivo is dying knowing that I'll have to go to Sky+ HD if it does.


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## micklen (Oct 17, 2001)

steford said:


> I always find it incredible that we've used and loved our Tivos over the years whilst the majority of the population have no idea what they've missed and are only now getting part way to watching TV the way we've been watching it for years. I feel physically sick when I think my Tivo is dying knowing that I'll have to go to Sky+ HD if it does.


You and me both 

After seeing the inadequacies of the sky+ box I really don't want to go there


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

steford said:


> I feel physically sick when I think my Tivo is dying knowing that I'll have to go to Sky+ HD if it does.


There is always www.tivocentral.co.uk or www.tivoheaven.co.uk to get you up and running again if you think that may be happening. Or alternatively whole Tivo units for sale on Ebay if something more fundamental fails. Sky/Tivo Customer Services can usually also eventually be persuaded to transfer the Lifetime Sub on a completely broken unit on to another unit.

So only the entire withdrawal by Tivo of UK S1 service could kill our current units and I don't see any danger of that happening in view of the recent announcement of the tie up with Virgin and the need to keep all existing UK Tivo users singing the praises of Tivo as a product.


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## DeadKenny (Nov 9, 2002)

Automan said:


> I wonder how many UK Tivo boxes are still on their original drives and still working?


Mine is, and still got the original twin drives. Never bothered upgrading it.

Though it's just been decommissioned as Sky HD has replaced it. Still works fine though, and surprisingly the drives are still fairly quiet.


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## steveroe (Oct 29, 2002)

3

I have two with original drives


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## steford (Oct 9, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> There is always www.tivocentral.co.uk or www.tivoheaven.co.uk to get you up and running again if you think that may be happening. Or alternatively whole Tivo units for sale on Ebay if something more fundamental fails. Sky/Tivo Customer Services can usually also eventually be persuaded to transfer the Lifetime Sub on a completely broken unit on to another unit.
> 
> So only the entire withdrawal by Tivo of UK S1 service could kill our current units and I don't see any danger of that happening in view of the recent announcement of the tie up with Virgin and the need to keep all existing UK Tivo users singing the praises of Tivo as a product.


Indeed. I just think that with HD content and twin tuners and a box less under the TV I'd be over to Sky if the worst happened awaiting the arrival of the Virgin Tivos. Still all OK at the moment with the odd hiccup every 6 months or so ;-)


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## GeneD (Jun 26, 2002)

I placed a Series 1 TiVo in service in May of 2001. It has now been running continually with the orignal drives for 10 years. I foolishly did not buy a lifetime contract, so I have paid about $1,000 in service fees over the years. If I don't have the longest running TiVo, maybe I have the longest service contract :-(


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

GeneD said:


> I placed a Series 1 TiVo in service in May of 2001. It has now been running continually with the orignal drives for 10 years. I foolishly did not buy a lifetime contract, so I have paid about $1,000 in service fees over the years. If I don't have the longest running TiVo, maybe I have the longest service contract :-(


Obviously a fair few UK customers who started paying for their Tivo S1 service in September 2000 would have been ahead of you on payments but I suppose you are now roughly level (on money) as Tivo stopped taking payment for UK S1 machines around last September due to their then secret plans to discontinue service to UK S1 Tivos when the UK Tivo service was launched.

However a load of US customers who became S1 subscribers some time in 1999 and who have been paying monthly ever since would clearly still be ahead of you on total length of time as a Tivo subscriber.


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