# Tivo in Canada



## TripleX (Nov 6, 2002)

Hey gang, I just pre-ordered the Tivo with the wireless adaptor from Future Shop. They indicate delivery on Dec.11...woohoo cannot wait, no longer a slave to network television and commercials. The Tivo can also access your iTunes and iPhoto files and stream them to your televison. I believe you can also convert what is Tivo'd to play on your iPod or iPhone....sweet. Of course the main benefit is the in depth programming that you can access.


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## tilt (Mar 3, 2005)

How would this co-exist with current TV service providers like Cogeco Cable or Shaw Cable or Bell Expressu etc.?

For example, I already have a Cogeco subscription with Cogeco's DVR and HD programming. Now, if I choose to buy and subscribe to the Tivo service, would I still need to buy cable services from Cogeco? Is the Tivo just a DVR or a replacement for Bell, Shaw, Cogeco etc.?

Cheers


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## TripleX (Nov 6, 2002)

Tivo is a paid subscription service 12.95 a month. It works with any cable or satellite service, allowing very extensive programming and search capabilities. For example you could enter a favorite actor, and Tivo will automatically search for, and record any program he or she appears in.
With Tivo you can also schedule recordings remotely over the web from anywhere in the world with net access.

It is $199 at Future Shop and London Drugs.


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

Wow, the entry level one is going for $299.00! Not bad!


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## hhk (May 31, 2006)

No HD. That kills it for me.


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## meall (Aug 15, 2007)

Humm...

Let's just say that after paying 200$ for the box, 13$ a month is a lot of money! I would prefer to have a DVR that I can program and not have to pay again and again!


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

I have a Shaw HD-PVR. Cost is nearly $800.00!

Still, I couldn't live without it. PVR's are wonderful.


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## meall (Aug 15, 2007)

gwillikers said:


> I have a Shaw HD-PVR. Cost is nearly $800.00!
> 
> Still, I couldn't live without it. PVR's are wonderful.


I agree for the PVR utility, but TiVo and their monthly fees just add to your TV bills somehow. I would prefer paying, like you, one time and have the PVR that comes from my local provider (not available at the moment).


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## Chantal (Sep 14, 2007)

Same here, unfortunately. I'd really love to have a Tivo in place of the model (Scientific Atlanta 8300HD) I have right now. I'm tired of it losing the recording schedule on a regular basis. But I can't get a Tivo if it isn't HD. There is just no way. I generally won't watch shows unless they are in HD. :baby:



hhk said:


> No HD. That kills it for me.


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

Chantal said:


> I generally won't watch shows unless they are in HD. :baby:


I know what you mean. It would be different if HD was just a bit better than SD, but it's sooo much better.


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## meall (Aug 15, 2007)

gwillikers said:


> I know what you mean. It would be different if HD was just a bit better than SD, but it's sooo much better.


So much? I don't even think there's a world describing the differences! It is so bright and clean, colors shines out of the TV! Images looks like if they were in your window just outside your house, if not even better! HD is also what I look first when I turn on the TV!

I saw a few HD content (podcast) on iTunes, and on TV they look very nice too.


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## hhk (May 31, 2006)

The problem is exacerbated by the large screens we have now. On my 52", SD broadcasts are not watchable. It's like blowing up a Youtube video to full screen. On a small (32" or smaller), SD is just fine. 

I don't know what Tivo is thinking. They have an uphill battle against the sat. and calbe companies in the first place. And most early adopters have already gone HD. How many people will sink $299 - $1000 on dinosaur technology? Better to have waited until they had HD delivery and make a big splash in our market.

This is like Verizon coming to Canada and offering analog cellphone coverage and Motorola brick phones.


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## titans88 (Oct 3, 2007)

The introduction of HD into my household completely changed the way we watch tv. I hate to say it, but I watch more television these days than years prior!

In regards to SD and HD, does anyone have NHL Centre Ice? Have you noticed out-of-market SD games on Centre Ice look awful, especially on a LCD? They are almost unwatchable!


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## garf1108 (May 30, 2006)

I agree that the monthly subscription and lack of HD quality really makes it a non entity despite the few advantages. Initially, I was interested but on further investigation, the monthly subs kills the deal


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## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

I'm hoping to resist getting a large TV / HD box for just a little longer. I've had the itch bad for 2 years and I look what you can buy now as opposed to what was available 2 years ago and its amazing!  (I thought the computer industry was bad.)

I will probably break down and get a set in June before the Euro 2008 to watch Holland win the cup. 

Hopefully by then, dedicated Blue-Ray players will be in the $200-$300 price point and the selection will be better as well. 

The Tivo thing is interesting, but yeah... I'm not investing in anymore SD equipment. 

I wonder if Roxio Toast's Tivo Features will work in Canada?


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## titans88 (Oct 3, 2007)

ehMax said:


> I'm hoping to resist getting a large TV / HD box for just a little longer. I've had the itch bad for 2 years and I look what you can buy now as opposed to what was available 2 years ago and its amazing!  (I thought the computer industry was bad.)
> 
> I will probably break down and get a set in June before the Euro 2008 to watch Holland win the cup.
> 
> ...


I've got my Oranje gear ready to go.

We got a tough draw this morning for Euro08 - Italy, France, and Romania.

Purchase the HD TV and box right before Euro08 and you won't regret it!


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## Cliffy (Apr 18, 2005)

This is the PVR for people that don't have HD, digital cable or satellite. If I was still on cable I would ditch the crappy rogers digital and pvr and get a tivo. The ability to grab video podcasts right to the tv is a nice feature as well.


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## retrocactus (Jun 17, 2003)

I totally agree with the comments about the lack of HD is an issue for many. I've had TiVo for a couple of years now and can say without a doubt that the experience (even if it is SD) with a TiVo compared to your cable or sat provider's PVR is like using OSX vs Windows. 

While I rarely watch non-HD tv anymore, my wife isn't nearly as snobbish about the picture quality and loves the dual tuner TiVo we have in the bedroom hooked up to our old 27" crt tv.

The Roxio TiVo software works fine in Canada - it has nothing to do with location since it just finds the TiVo on the local network and transcodes the saved video to your Mac - try doing that with your provider's PVR.

Another awesome feature of the TiVo is online scheduling - you can log in while at work and set your home TiVo to record something later that day...you'll even get an email telling you the home TiVo got the request successfully.

I'm so sick of people saying 'just put a HTPC in your living room' - right, so another machine to troubleshoot when it breaks down not to mention that it requires a fair amount of skill to setup - the nice thing is the TiVo can be given to your parents for Christmas and they just plug it in and it works....just like a vcr but better.

Hopefully TiVo will work with some Canadian providers to get their software onto the PVR hardware in Canada since the TiVO HD offerings in the US aren't compatible up here because they use CableCards.

One final note about the price of the units up here - they are half price in the US - I just got an 80 hr dual tuner unit for $99 from Amazon.com that came with a $100 service credit. So shop around if you're interested - there are lots of deals out there.


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## tilt (Mar 3, 2005)

Wow, a couple of Dutch football fans here! Whodathunkit! I have my Oranje vest too 

I remember watching the Euro 2000 semi-finals, Holland vs. Italy, the disastrous penalty kicks. I lived in The Netherlands then but that day I was in Belgium in a bar in my Oranje vest, the only person rooting for the Dutch team. Pretty scary actually 

Cheers


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## wcg (Oct 13, 2007)

hhk said:


> The problem is exacerbated by the large screens we have now. On my 52", SD broadcasts are not watchable. It's like blowing up a Youtube video to full screen. On a small (32" or smaller), SD is just fine.


That's one of the reasons I went with the Panasonic plasma. SD on my 50" plasma is fine. HD is awesome but SD is passable. I used HDMI from the box to the TV for everything.


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## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

tilt said:


> Wow, a couple of Dutch football fans here! Whodathunkit! I have my Oranje vest too
> 
> I remember watching the Euro 2000 semi-finals, Holland vs. Italy, the disastrous penalty kicks. I lived in The Netherlands then but that day I was in Belgium in a bar in my Oranje vest, the only person rooting for the Dutch team. Pretty scary actually
> 
> Cheers


I've created the Official ehMac.ca Footy Thread for us footy fans!


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## MACinist (Nov 17, 2003)

ehMax said:


> I'm hoping to resist getting a large TV / HD box for just a little longer. I've had the itch bad for 2 years and I look what you can buy now as opposed to what was available 2 years ago and its amazing!  (I thought the computer industry was bad.)
> 
> I will probably break down and get a set in June before the Euro 2008 to watch Holland win the cup.
> 
> ...


Make sure you get a 120HZ set then. Makes a world of difference when watching fast moving HD content like sports. 

I truely don't watch anything other than HD channels. Buying SD only PVR is truely a waste of money in my opinion unless you don't have an HD set and don't plan on upgrading anytime soon. If you want to record shows in SD, wouldn't it be cheaper to just set up EyeTV on your Mac?


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

MACinist said:


> If you want to record shows in SD, wouldn't it be cheaper to just set up EyeTV on your Mac?


There's no program guide solution for Canadian EyeTV users at the moment. Therefore we have to record manually, which is a real pain in the butt.


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## K_OS (Dec 13, 2002)

From personal experience the best HD is still OTA it doesn't have the heavy compression that is in Bell's and Rober's HD even DishNet's HD is horrible.

Laterz


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## titans88 (Oct 3, 2007)

ehMax said:


> I've created the Official ehMac.ca Footy Thread for us footy fans!


Excellent!


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## logcomet (Jun 11, 2004)

I was really excited when I saw this, but then was quickly let down at the lack of hardware choice. I would love to replace my cogeco dvr with a Tivo, but only if it had HD. I really don't understand why they would release something that isn't HD. Seems like a step backwards. From what I read, I think it has something to do with our lack of choice with swapping out cable cards with different hardware. Any thoughts?

Does anyone want to share the experience of purchasing the HD version of the Tivo in the States and using it here. Does it actually work? Do you need to use your existing cable box or can you plug into the Tivo directly? I been thinking about driving to the Best Buy in Buffalo.

Oranje Boven!


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## magnuscanadiana (Jun 26, 2007)

gwillikers said:


> There's no program guide solution for Canadian EyeTV users at the moment. Therefore we have to record manually, which is a real pain in the butt.


Actually there is Canadian support....for a fee of course. You buy EyeTv hybrid for less than $199 and then you pay $15 for 6months tv guide listings (MacProgramGuide)

Tivo you pay about the same for the unit but it's about $10/month for tv guide listings.

Granted with Tivo they have a far better user interface, so I guess the I the better solution depends on the individual.


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## hhk (May 31, 2006)

K_OS said:


> From personal experience the best HD is still OTA it doesn't have the heavy compression that is in Bell's and Rober's HD even DishNet's HD is horrible.
> 
> Laterz


Ya but who wants a big ass antennae on their roof?


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## Boomcha (Jan 29, 2004)

Personally I don't see myself getting a new TV anytime soon (unless the current one breaks) so I'm sticking with my SD set for a bit.

I got a Series 2DT Tivo last friday and its awesome. I had a Rogers PVR (NON-HD) before that and its a decent product but the other functionality Tivo offers is great.
Its like going from a PC to a Mac in terms of ease of use.
I also LOVE the features of being able to set my G5 to share photos from iPhoto and iTunes via Tivo Desktop and the ability to transfer shows on the Tivo to the Mac to burn in Toast easily. This is all built in features and Tivo supported (unlike Rogers which took 2+ years to enable a firewire port before and it was still a pain to deal with transferring files back to the computer). And with a little research its also possible to enable video sharing so that I can watch my AVI's on my TV via my wireless connection.

Something I could never do on the Rogers box.


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## Jampy (Nov 19, 2007)

meall said:


> I agree for the PVR utility, but TiVo and their monthly fees just add to your TV bills somehow. I would prefer paying, like you, one time and have the PVR that comes from my local provider (not available at the moment).


Rogers charges you a monthly fee for PVR wether you rent or own one I believe ?


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## trentcanuck (Aug 8, 2003)

I am DEFINITELY planning to get a Tivo.
I don't really have any interest in getting HD service, and people I know in the US tell me that Tivo has totally revolutionized the way they watch TV.


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

I recall hearing that Canada (North America?) is planning to be totally HD in the not too distant future. Anyone have any info on that?
If so, wouldn't that mean that all the non-HD TV's will get tossed at that point? Wow, what a recycling conundrum. Millions of huge, heavy, cathode ray tube boxes getting tossed. Frightening really.


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

I didn't watch the review but I did see that Tivo has announced (if not released) an HD system now. I think I saw the tech brief on one of the Tech TV shows but I don't recall which. Surprised I haven't seen anything anywhere else but I haven't gone out looking for more info.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

hhk said:


> The problem is exacerbated by the large screens we have now. On my 52", SD broadcasts are not watchable. It's like blowing up a Youtube video to full screen. On a small (32" or smaller), SD is just fine


Two things that I find helps *a lot* with the problem of SD looking bad on HDTVs:

1. Make sure your HDTV can adjust proportions automatically. There's nothing worse than stretched-out SD. The Olevia I had before I moved could do this (jump to 4:3 480i back to 16:9 1080i) easily, and it really helped.

2. With DVDs, be sure to buy a "upscaling" progressive-scan DVD player. Makes a world of difference.


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## Commodus (May 10, 2005)

gwillikers said:


> I recall hearing that Canada (North America?) is planning to be totally HD in the not too distant future. Anyone have any info on that?
> If so, wouldn't that mean that all the non-HD TV's will get tossed at that point? Wow, what a recycling conundrum. Millions of huge, heavy, cathode ray tube boxes getting tossed. Frightening really.


That's more a question of going digital -- not necessarily HD. Just by extension of being near the US, Canada will want to shut off analog over-the-air broadcasts in the next few years. Cable will probably last a bit longer.

But note: you don't have to chuck your analog set! You'll still be able to pick up digital (even HD) if you're bent on it by getting an adapter box. The only difference is, of course, that you miss out on seeing the higher resolution.


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

I've got two TiVos that run TiVo Basic (the free 3-day Guide/No Wish List version). So I've been using a TiVo since 2004. I think that they are terrific. My wife and I are TV-holics and we can timeshift and breeze through the commercials to watch our programming.

I have one HD television and the OTA broadcasts can be flakey due to my cheapo antenna. I plan to install a Channel Master 4228 on my roof with a CM4777 amplifier to put signal into my TV and an Elgato HD HomeRun. The HD HomeRun will record ATSC broadcasts and save them to my PowerMac.

From my PowerMac, I will have them viewable with an AppleTV unit. Hooked to my HDTV. It will only be 720p but the programming will be free.


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## titans88 (Oct 3, 2007)

gwillikers said:


> I recall hearing that Canada (North America?) is planning to be totally HD in the not too distant future. Anyone have any info on that?
> If so, wouldn't that mean that all the non-HD TV's will get tossed at that point? Wow, what a recycling conundrum. Millions of huge, heavy, cathode ray tube boxes getting tossed. Frightening really.


I believe as of February 2009, all television broadcasts will be digital, and not analog.

You will still be able to use your standard television, but will most likely have to buy/rent a cable box to use with your cable provider.


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