# TiVo 3rd Tuner Activated--For Virgin.



## Series3Sub (Mar 14, 2010)

Just read that Virgin with TiVo has activated a 3rd tuner. I don't think that is going to ever happen for us here in the US with retail TiVo's. However, it might be possible for some MSO boxes with TiVo. Still would love a 3rd tuner.


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## nexter (Aug 25, 2010)

oh that would be awesome, do the retail premieres even have the capability ?


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## caddyroger (Mar 15, 2005)

nexter said:


> oh that would be awesome, do the retail premieres even have the capability ?


Nope the premieres does not have a third tuner only 2.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

nexter said:


> oh that would be awesome, do the retail premieres even have the capability ?


Given the hardware available when the premiere was made it is a chip choice

one chip set can do 2 tuner sets of digital/OTA/analog
other chip set does a set of 3 digital tuners

for an MSO 3 digital tuners is a no brainer


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## puffdaddy (Mar 1, 2006)

The new premiere-based whole home DVR will have four tuners (in addition to the MoCA and streaming). I suspect that all four tuners will be enabled from the get go.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

"new premiere-based whole home DVR"

I don't deny something like this will come out someday, but what are you basing this info on?


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

Probably the Suddenlink agreement. They announced last year they were working on a whole home TiVo due out the second half of 2011, and when you combine that with the push for the Tuning Adapter to support a minimum of 4 tuners, it points to 4 tuners. This was the same time they joined the MoCA group. 

Now whether or not we will see a retail box who knows. I still wish TiVo had released a Premiere XL with 4 tuners without OTA tuners since they could still have used the same chipsets. They could have then also released a cheap 4 tuner OTA only which would have eliminated the CableLabs cost.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

innocentfreak said:


> I still wish TiVo had released a Premiere XL with 4 tuners without OTA tuners since they could still have used the same chipsets.


I think the chipset options are either 2 cable/OTA or 3 cable only. I don't think there is actually an option for 4 tuners regardless of how they're configured.

Also if they are making a 3 tuner box for Virgin it's possible they might offer it at retail as well.

Dan


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

Dan203 said:


> I think the chipset options are either 2 cable/OTA or 3 cable only. I don't think there is actually an option for 4 tuners regardless of how they're configured.
> 
> Also if they are making a 3 tuner box for Virgin it's possible they might offer it at retail as well.
> 
> Dan


From what I remember bkdtv said they have a couple of chipset options. These may have changed though since this was around the launch of the Premiere. Here is one of his posts on it.

On each chipset you have the option of
1 clearqam and 1 OTA
2 clearqam and 0 OTA
0 clearqam and 2 OTA

Since TiVo uses two chips they could have done
2 Clearqam/2 OTA like they did
3 Clearqam/1 OTA which might have confused customers since not an equal number of tuners
4 Clearqam/0 OTA which would have been nice as an option
1 Clearqam/3 OTA again an issue for not being equal
0 Clearqam/4 OTA which might have been nice for those who don't want cable.

The UK chipsets would be different most likely since I believe they use different tuning technology since they don't use things like CableCARD.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

innocentfreak said:


> From what I remember bkdtv said they have a couple of chipset options. These may have changed though since this was around the launch of the Premiere. Here is one of his posts on it.
> 
> On each chipset you have the option of
> 1 clearqam and 1 OTA
> ...


Offer 3 types of Tivo. Cable, OTA or Mixed.


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## puffdaddy (Mar 1, 2006)

What I said was based upon the internals of the new units (hint: TSN 750 and A90), not the Suddenlink agreement (though that's the public evidence of it).


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

puffdaddy said:


> What I said was based upon the internals of the new units (hint: TSN 750 and A90), not the Suddenlink agreement (though that's the public evidence of it).


I would definitely welcome it and would upgrade my last TiVo HD for a 4 tuner TiVo.

I wonder though if things like MoCA are still reserved for the MSO box rather than a retail box because previously TiVo said that probably wouldn't see it into a retail model.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

ZeoTiVo said:


> Given the hardware available when the premiere was made it is a chip choice
> 
> one chip set can do 2 tuner sets of digital/OTA/analog
> other chip set does a set of 3 digital tuners
> ...


correct Dan and innocentFreak

save for the fact that due to demodulator limitations you can only do 1 OTA per chip so only 2 OTA tuners as an option


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

Ahh didn't know that part.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

With OTA waning, they should certainly consider offering a cable only TiVo if they stay in the hardware business.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

aaronwt said:


> With OTA waning, they should certainly consider offering a cable only TiVo if they stay in the hardware business.


Actually Tivo should push the tuners out of the box and make them USB or Network attached and let people buy what and as many as they want. If Satellite ever gets "cable carded" they could be back in the satellite business by just selling you a dish or direct tuner.

I could see a Series 5 TiVo being a low cost no fee streaming device without DVR functionality built in - if you want it to become a DVR upgrade it by adding external storage & what ever tuners you want. Pay a sub fee that upgrades the software and now you have a DVR. I could also see Google TV devices being built like this if Google ever gets the bugs fixed.

Thanks,


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

aaronwt said:


> With OTA waning...


Is it?


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## jrm01 (Oct 17, 2003)

Many believe that it is growing, especially the antenna makers. One story:

http://www.dtvusaforum.com/dtv-hdtv...ularity-mentioned-amateur-radio-newsline.html


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

orangeboy said:


> Is it?


Supposedly for the people that rely solely on OTA. But the group of people that rely on OTA and say VOD and other online services is probably going up.\

there is no way for OTA only to replace cable/satellite. it needs to be supplemented from online sources to be able to replace cable/satellie.


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## fasTLane (Nov 25, 2005)

jrm01 said:


> Many believe that it is growing, especially the antenna makers.


It certainly grew here. We lost our Directv HD channels on Tivo and have been relying on OTA for HD reception.


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## LoREvanescence (Jun 19, 2007)

shwru980r said:


> Offer 3 types of Tivo. Cable, OTA or Mixed.


Wait, this is a regular premiere that virgin uses, that they activated a 3rd tuner on with the software?

Couldn't they then, program the software in the retail boxes, to perhaps, activate this tuner if your guided setup selects cable only?


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

aaronwt said:


> Supposedly for the people that rely solely on OTA. But the group of people that rely on OTA and say VOD and other online services is probably going up.\
> 
> there is no way for OTA only to replace cable/satellite. it needs to be supplemented from online sources to be able to replace cable/satellie.


You're right, mostly.. Though "online sources" could be netflix DVDs in the mail.

Even though I watch a lot of cable channels, and I even originally got cable *to get better reception of broadcast stations* (since some stations' antennae are in different directions, I had to rotate the antenna to get good reception on all stations)..


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

LoREvanescence said:


> Wait, this is a regular premiere that virgin uses, that they activated a 3rd tuner on with the software?
> 
> Couldn't they then, program the software in the retail boxes, to perhaps, activate this tuner if your guided setup selects cable only?


not easily though -- the "number of tuners" impacts much of the software and performance of the box - eg you go to 3 real time recordings to the hard drive and all 3 could be HD. Obviously the hardware can support this as you note but the software likely has some very significant differences. It likely would be a near complete overlay of the tivoapp code modules = risky update

Plus if you pushed out an update to go to 3 digital tuners then folks using analog (premiere without cable card) or OTA would be bricked for all intents and purposes.

NOTE - it may well be the Virgin Media Premiere has a different chip set as well, I have not followed it that closely


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

LoREvanescence said:


> Wait, this is a regular premiere that virgin uses, that they activated a 3rd tuner on with the software?


No. It is a Cisco DVR running TiVo software, according to this:



> The hardware will be a combined digital video recorder and cable modem built by Cisco Systems.


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## Johncv (Jun 11, 2002)

orangeboy said:


> No. It is a Cisco DVR running TiVo software, according to this:


This show that Cisco is capable of building a real DVR. Make one wonder why the Cable Companies here in the USA dont jump on this. I dont understand why AT&T is kissing Microcraps ass and joining them in a another patent lawsuit against TiVo. AT&T should be giving TiVo a wad of cash to offer this DVR in the states. How many people would jump ship if AT&T were to offer this box? I would.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

Johncv said:


> This show that Cisco is capable of building a real DVR...


I would think Cisco's "real" DVR products came from when they purchased Scientific Atlanta back in 2006.


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

It also might have to do with the fact the tuners and cable industry is an entirely different animal in Europe also.


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 28, 2002)

fasTLane said:


> It certainly grew here. We lost our Directv HD channels on Tivo and have been relying on OTA for HD reception.


Not to mention the HD OTA signal is WORLDS better than most/all cable company feeds, ie not compressed to crap. We use OTA for the networks for just this reason even though we have full package cable.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

Johncv said:


> This show that Cisco is capable of building a real DVR. Make one wonder why the Cable Companies here in the USA dont jump on this. I dont understand why AT&T is kissing Microcraps ass and joining them in a another patent lawsuit against TiVo. AT&T should be giving TiVo a wad of cash to offer this DVR in the states. How many people would jump ship if AT&T were to offer this box? I would.


you are aware that the Virgin Media DVR would not work with Uverse which is IP based.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Plus Uverse quality is not very good either.


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## djwilso (Dec 23, 2006)

If TiVo comes out with a 4-tuner solution, I will be purchasing it.

This was the sole reason I haven't upgraded to a Premiere yet as my existing Series 3 with PLS is working fine still.

A whole-home DVR with streaming capabilities would be really sweet.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

aaronwt said:


> Plus Uverse quality is not very good either.


I spent last weekend at my sister's, house-sitting. She just got U-verse, and I would have to whole-heartedly agree. Audio drop outs about every 8 seconds made viewing unbearable. The (free) VOD selection was sparse, to say the least. The pay VOD pricing was not competitive with other services (Amazon, Blockbuster, Netflix). I had always wondered about the other MSO offerings in the area. Now I know...


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