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Do you have cable? Do you have a Motorola or Scientific Atlanta cable box? Might I suggest getting rid of those slow, buggy, low capacity cable-company boxes and stepping into the light known as TiVo.
Strait from Tivo.com you can currently pick up refurbished TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL DVRs for 25-33% off their new MSRP.
These refurbished units come direct from TiVo with the same 1-year warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee as a brand new units. The TiVo HD is not only a big step up in GUI and reliability from the cable company boxes, they also add Internet streaming capabilities like Netflix Watch Now, Amazon On Demand, Walt Disney Studios, and several others.
Also, using the TiVo Desktop software, the TiVo HD can be completely integrated into your existing home network for file transfer, backup, and even burning of DVD/BD/HD-DVD backups.
The Tivo HD has a 160GB hard drive capable of storing roughly 20 hours of HD content. The TivoHD XL carries a 1TB hard drive capable of roughly 150 hours of HD content. Other upgrades in the XL include a programmable back lit remote and THX certification.
The HD is selling for $200 and the HD XL for $450. The added space of the XL is nice, but the standard HD model plus the TiVo-certified 1TB DVR Expander from Western Digital for about $130 seems like a much better value for those who like to pack a month worth of content onto their DVR drives.
Having purchased a TiVO HD Refurb unit for a high end dedicated theater room, I would never recommend it. I purchased one and spent 100’s of hours with TiVO and Comcast trying to trouble shoot a problem that TiVO swore it was the cable cards. The problem was the TiVO and the orginal reason the first owner returned. Pay the additional money and AVOID refurb units.
It is not worth the hassle….remember, the unit got returned for a reason!!!!
John,
The process you outlined is correct, but you still have to pay for the Tivo service, which is likely about the same as you’re currently paying to rent your DVR from TW. The cable cards are there purely to decrypt the digital programming. All guide, scheduling, and other DVR service is still provided by Tivo.
Rob,
Being cheaper than the cable company DVR isn’t the goal here. Having a better interface, performance, reliability, and internet streaming, and home network features is what the TivoHD gives you, and at a very small premium (cost of the box, difference in Tivo service and DVR rental).
I have COX, and cant stand them. If I get the TIVO do I still have to Keep my COX Cable subscription to still get my shows? If so I dont see the benifit, I would end up paying more. But, if it means All I would need to keep is the internet and TIVO gave me my shows then now were talking. Help Please!
Sorry just a little confused. So i would call my provider, see if they offer the CableCard support, then order the TIVO box and have timewarner install the card into my new TIVO box?
If this is what I do, I am then wondering, do I need to pay for DVR service or will this now work directly through the TIVO box with a TIVO subscription?
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Refurbished electronics always run the risk of hassle, and a time/hassle vs. cost savings analysis must be done by each individual consumer. Personally I don’t think I would have spent 100 hours with Comcast before pushing harder for a replacement from Tivo.
This is anecdotal and unscientific, but over the last 10 years I’ve purchased probably a 50/50 mix of new and refurbished equipment, and I’ve seen roughly the same number of warranty/repair calls for both categories. The key to limiting exposure is to stick with units that offer either the same warranty as new, or at least 1-year of warranty. Otherwise, inexpensive extended warranties can also cover you for longer than the new MFG warranty while still keeping your total cost well below that of a new unit.