# Can you use TiVo on it's side?



## Maars (Jan 5, 2004)

A fairly random question I know, but I'd like to relocate my Tivo and the cupboard in question is not deep enough. Will TiVo work if I put it on it's side instead of flat?


----------



## ThreeSoFar (May 24, 2002)

yup.


----------



## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

If you put it on its long front side it won't receive the remote IR signal and if you put it on its back side then it will mess with the cable connections and interfere with the ventilation from the fan.

You might get away with up ending it on either of it sides but it will surely then be very prone to falling over and getting damaged in so doing and you will also have trouble getting it to recognise the IR signal from the remote control depending on where it is located in the cabinet.


----------



## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> If you put it on its long front side it won't receive the remote IR signal and if you put it on its back side then it will mess with the cable connections and interfere with the ventilation from the fan.
> 
> You might get away with up ending it on either of it sides but it will surely then be very prone to falling over and getting damaged in so doing and you will also have trouble getting it to recognise the IR signal from the remote control depending on where it is located in the cabinet.


Er, Pete, i think we guessed he didn't mean on it's front. 

There is no reason it wouldn't work on its side.


----------



## ThreeSoFar (May 24, 2002)

I have three like this it works fine. Pete's being, hmmm....let's not get myself banned here...let's say difficult.

Vibration is a worry, as it's not on rubber feet anymore. I put cut up mousepads (neoprene) underneath them to absorb vibrations.


----------



## Maars (Jan 5, 2004)

Thanks for the replies! I was, of course, going to put it on it's (short) side, not on end  And the IR blaster will be taped to TiVO. Plus it'll be propped up somehow to stop it falling over. Just wanted to make sure it wouldn't damage the thing - I couldn't live without it now!!


----------



## SteveA (Oct 30, 2000)

People used to say that you shouldn't change the orientation of a hard disk after its been used for a while, but I've never had a problem doing that with PCs so its probably an urban myth (or applied to very early Winchester disks, but not modern stuff).


----------



## chrisd (Oct 24, 2003)

ThreeSoFar said:


> I have three like this it works fine. Pete's being, hmmm....let's not get myself banned here...let's say difficult.


Pete's being, hmmm...._Pete_


----------



## AENG (Dec 20, 2000)

I've had 2 TiVos running 3 years or more standing on their right-hand ends, on carpet, wedged between the TV stand and the wall. No problems at all.


----------



## martink0646 (Feb 8, 2005)

Just to add my four-pennorth, I have had my TiVo running on it's side for over 5 years now with no ill effects. I am still on my first HDD replacement although I expect it to go any day now after the sterling work it has put in. For what it's worth I have never had any stablility problems although I hadn't thought about vibrations & maybe I should add some form of dampening as it is sitting on wood, but I'll probably let sleeping dogs lie.

Martin


----------



## ThreeSoFar (May 24, 2002)

martink0646 said:


> Just to add my four-pennorth, I have had my TiVo running on it's side for over 5 years now with no ill effects. I am still on my first HDD replacement although I expect it to go any day now after the sterling work it has put in. For what it's worth I have never had any stablility problems although I hadn't thought about vibrations & maybe I should add some form of dampening as it is sitting on wood, but I'll probably let sleeping dogs lie.
> 
> Martin


Mainly I did the rubber underneath it for noise. Inside the cabinet it might have resonated a bit, I thought.


----------



## martink0646 (Feb 8, 2005)

I must have the volume too loud because I never hear a peep from TiVo with the doors to the cabinet open or closed!


----------



## ThreeSoFar (May 24, 2002)

martink0646 said:


> I must have the volume too loud because I never hear a peep from TiVo with the doors to the cabinet open or closed!


The TV isn't on 24/7, but actually I put the rubber under them knowing it _might_ have potential noise issues that were easily addressed by dampening the vibrations. Never really heard any noise problem.


----------



## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

When each day do you find it acceptable to switch it off then?


----------



## 6022tivo (Oct 29, 2002)

Adding my bit....

I have previously ran a tivo on its side, but the only concern I had was heat.

Obviously we all know heat rises, I did have a better cooler temperature when mounted on its side with the PSU at the top. You don't want a collection of heat around the board with no vents in that area.


----------



## britcub (Jan 19, 2004)

Pete77 said:


> When each day do you find it acceptable to switch it off then?


Quite a lot of us turn our TVs off when we're not using them Pete. It reduces the electricity bills, and is better for the environment.


----------



## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

britcub said:


> Quite a lot of us turn our TVs off when we're not using them Pete. It reduces the electricity bills, and is better for the environment.


Ah yes so do I as it happens and I even have a timer to shut it off at 2am until 7am as sometimes I get so tired when I come back from a day out that I find myself in bed without having turned everything off for the night. Old fashioned CRT tvs at least being a well know fire hazard if left unattended and something happens.

I misread Tv as Tivo in the previous post although I can't think why that poster was talking about turning off his tv and not his Tivo in the context of the subject matter raised.?


----------



## verses (Nov 6, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> I can't think why that poster was talking about turning off his tv and not his Tivo in the context of the subject matter raised.?


Presumably because the post that he quoted mentioned the TV being turned up too loud to hear any rumble from the Tivo. The poster then pointed out that his telly isn't on all the time, so he would have heard the rumble when it wasn't. He has however cushioned the Tivo to stop it and the cabinet from reverberating and thus doesn't have the problem.

Feel free to read the thread yourself to get a more complete picture of what's been discussed   

Ian


----------



## Pugwash (May 23, 2003)

Don't you have to turn your TV on its side to get the picture back up the right way?


----------



## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

Pugwash - I tried it and all my recordings slipped out the side of the case. On a nw carpet too. I can't describe how much Dr. Who stains.


----------



## SteveA (Oct 30, 2000)

There were stains on your carpet after watching Dr Who?!


----------



## Vish (Mar 8, 2005)

LOL!

Sorry I know that's childish but I needed a lowest common denominator laugh!


----------

