# TiVO without a separate box



## Jukin (Apr 21, 2008)

I've had a TiVO series 2 for about 3-4 years and I've become addicted to it. My wife and I are about to dump DirecTV which means we'll need to get a new TiVO box. Since we're planning on using a PC with a tuner card and a big screen monitor I have looked into TiVO for the computer without the need for a separate box. Oddly enough TiVO doesn't seem to have approached this market yet. Why not? 

Why can't a I buy a TiVO tuner card for my PC with the software and allow my PC to "become" the TiVo unit? Other companies are trying to do this but they don't offer the same benefits as TiVO (i.e. constant 30 minute recording and simultaneous recording of two channels.) Being able to have TiVO on a PC is beneficial in a lot of ways, much larger hard drive options, instant network connections without added hardware and of course the ability to have multiple "personal" TiVO stations via multiple PCs. 

Am I missing something? Is this already available and I haven't found it yet? Anyone have any ideas on how to get this?


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

I am not exactly sure what you are asking.

If you are asking for in integrated TiVo/DirecTV system, there is little chance of that in the current environment.

If you are working on a PC DVR solution that uses TiVo software, Nero and TiVo are supposedly working on something that will provide some semblance of the TiVo DVR experience on a PC.

If you mean some other PC DVR with DirecTV integrated to to one degree or another, DirecTV is supposedly working on a plan for that (as is Dishnetwork I understand).

If you mean for normal cable or OTA, there is the Series 3 line.


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## Jukin (Apr 21, 2008)

Thanks for responding to the post. I am referring to using TiVo software in a PC. I'm in the process of creating a Home Theater PC and had hoped to find Tuner Cards and software from TiVo that would allow me to have the same service on my PC that I have on the set top box. Unfortunately I can't find either a TiVo card or software. I ended up using a Hauppauge series 1600 tuner card and I'm still experimenting with various software to record two shows at once. I can adjust the buffer to store 30 minutes of live TV but I'd much rather have the ease of use from TiVo that I have now. Any ideas on when they may have the software out?


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

I have no idea. I just saw the announcement. My guess is it will work with normal tuner cards. TiVo has no reason to build their own tuner cards. If they need to maintain some sort of TSN to subscribe the software to the service, they could put their crypto chip on a USB dongle.


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## megazone (Mar 3, 2002)

The TiVo/Nero PC software project was announced last November.


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