KTUL digital signal

[patric]

Tivo HD XL is $998.99 with lifetime service.

AND the service is tied to the box and NOT to the person.

Isnt it tied to a SmartCard that can be transferred from box to box?
At least my circa-2001 DirecTiVo (DirecTV TiVo) works that way, but im not sure about newer stand-alone TiVos.

[Cats Cats Cats]

Isnt it tied to a SmartCard that can be transferred from box to box?
At least my circa-2001 DirecTiVo (DirecTV TiVo) works that way, but im not sure about newer stand-alone TiVos.

"You can transfer any monthly or prepaid TiVo Service Payment Plan except Product Lifetime Service to another TiVo DVR at any time."

http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/20/session/L3NpZC81RDZxd2JBag==

When the got rid of lifetime they used to let you transfer it for $300...

[sauerkraut]

The government forced this on us- I'd be just as happy to stay with analog, there is nothing but junk on TV anyhow. The governemt wanted to sell the analog airwaves for $16 Billion dollars. This whole thing was done wrong, when they knew that the system would change over to digital they should of started phasing in digital TV sets back in 1996. Instead they waited till 2004 and then made a final deadline to shut off analog on Feb. 17th and then delayed it 4 months. They also should of phased the digital in slowly- I bought a cheap 20" CRT RCA TV at Wal-Mart for $134.00 back in January that has a digital tuner, and I have some older sets and one digital box. To record from TV now I have to put my digital box on my 13" TV/VCR combo unit and re-scan in the channels. I'm old fashioned I don't have any of the new fangled digital TV recording stuff. I have problems with the picture breaking up alot.

[sauerkraut]

I got rid of it because I was tired paying for crap channels and they kept canceling all the shows I liked.  I figured it out, I was paying like $80ish a month for Digital cable and all the shows I wanted.  For $1.2k I could get a dual tuner 1TB HDTV DVR PC setup with $0 monthly fee.  I figured if ALL of the shows I watched I just downloaded whole seasons from Itunes I would still only spend about $350 a year.  I was WAAAAAAAY off with my calculation.  Now I just use Hulu to watch all the TV shows I would normally watch on cable.  I have purchased about $70 worth of shows in the last 6 months.  $60 of it was for seasons to catch up with what was on TV at the time.  $30 of it was things on DVD that I could have rented but wanted to buy. 

So right now I am out about 1.2k+$70-$80*6=$790 for the computer (which is WAAAAAY better than Tivo or the cox box)

In another year I will be saving money over continuing to use cable.

KTUL is the only thing I don't get at my house very well...

Cable TV is expensive and they seem to have alot of commericals to, and they keep raising the fees. I got rid of it long ago.

[YoungTulsan]

This whole thing was done wrong, when they knew that the system would change over to digital they should of started phasing in digital TV sets back in 1996. Instead they waited till 2004 and then made a final deadline to shut off analog on Feb. 17th and then delayed it 4 months.

1996?  Are you kidding me?  The only processors capable of processing digital video back then were grossly expensive.  Semiconductor process technology didn't even reach a point to where this would be practical and inexpensive until the 2000s.  The current common processes (90nm and 65nm) weren't even put into full scale production until about 2004 and 2006 respectively.  This is the technology that gives us ridiculously fast laptops, and inexpensive low power consumption versions of what were considered fast and expensive processors 5-10 years ago.  And that is how digital television boxes have just now become practical enough for a full transition.

In 1996 the original plan was to have the conversion done by 2006.  I believe our expectations for technology's progress in 1996 were just a little bit lofty, hence it ended up taking 3 extra years.

[Hoss]

1996?  Are you kidding me?  The only processors capable of processing digital video back then were grossly expensive.  Semiconductor process technology didn't even reach a point to where this would be practical and inexpensive until the 2000s.  The current common processes (90nm and 65nm) weren't even put into full scale production until about 2004 and 2006 respectively.  This is the technology that gives us ridiculously fast laptops, and inexpensive low power consumption versions of what were considered fast and expensive processors 5-10 years ago.  And that is how digital television boxes have just now become practical enough for a full transition.

In 1996 the original plan was to have the conversion done by 2006.  I believe our expectations for technology's progress in 1996 were just a little bit lofty, hence it ended up taking 3 extra years.

Remember who you're talking to here, YT....

[Cats Cats Cats]

As of right now I can only get Fox.  Digital Transition Fail

[brianh]

Everything was working fine when I got home from work around 5pm, about an hour after that KTUL and KJRH died.  I haven't been able to get them back since.

[nathanm]

Tivo HD XL is $998.99 with lifetime service.

AND the service is tied to the box and NOT to the person.  So if anything happens to that box that can't be repaired you have to buy new service.  At least with this computer the most I will in theory be out is to replace the memory, motherboard, or processor.  So about $50-$200 to repair anything in the pc.

Why would you pay TiVo's MSRP pricing? HDXL is available from reputable vendors as low as $450. I'd just pop over to sears and buy an HD for $150 and a 1TB drive for about $100 online, though.

Yes, lifetime is for the box, but the chances of it failing inside of 3 years is pretty slim, usually the only thing that fails is the hard drive. I've had exactly one die since I started using TiVo in 2001.

The lifetime transfers if TiVo fixes the box ($150 out of warranty) or you use an extended warranty from Best Buy, your credit card, or whomever else.

It isn't for everybody. I have nothing against HTPCs. I just got tired of constant updates to deal with new codecs and whatnot. Between TiVo and my PS3, I have no need for an HTPC. It would be nice to have as a toy, but it won't do anything I care to do that I can't do now. I'll probably get one  to run XBMC on when they get GPU MPEG offloading and lossless audio output working right in Linux (or in Windows, for that matter!) so I can use lower power (and less expensive) components and make a silent PC. Maybe when it all gets down to around $400 or so. It's almost there, but not quite yet.

[sauerkraut]

Everything was working fine when I got home from work around 5pm, about an hour after that KTUL and KJRH died.  I haven't been able to get them back since.

Digital TV is a complex system. I have trouble with the picture breaking up into pixels. I'm thinking of going back to cable TV. I don't like it and I don't like paying the cable TV high prices but I'd like to have some sort of TV.

[joiei]

I rescanned my tv this morning and everything seems to be working just fine.  I use basic cable.  I am too cheep for the big money channels.

[Steve]

OK, its one day before the analog feed is dropped, I do not have cable, and do not want it, I use a converter box, I really only watch local channels anyway.
KTUL is the only network that I cannot get, all others are fine, Channels 8's signal is apparantly weak, does anyone know if this is going to be corrected.

I live in midtown tulsa, so I know im not too far from the tower, i pick up signal from Okmulgee that im sure is not as equipped as KTUL

Rotate your antenna and keep trying.  It is now Saturday 6-13 and I get all possible Tulsa-area channels on my main den TV with indoor rabbit ears and a converter box, including 8-1, 8-2, and 8-3, strong and clear.  My converter box shows a signal strength for channel 8 of about 85 (out of 100.)  You may need to purchase a better antenna or possibly an outdoor antenna.

I live midtown off of Yale on 26th street and I can even pick up channel 5.1 and 5.2, the Ft. Smith Arkansas affialiate of CBS.

[Hoss]

Rotate your antenna and keep trying.  It is now Saturday 6-13 and I get all possible Tulsa-area channels on my main den TV with indoor rabbit ears and a converter box, including 8-1, 8-2, and 8-3, strong and clear.  My converter box shows a signal strength for channel 8 of about 85 (out of 100.)  You may need to purchase a better antenna or possibly an outdoor antenna.

I live midtown off of Yale on 26th street and I can even pick up channel 5.1 and 5.2, the Ft. Smith Arkansas affialiate of CBS.

Wow, guess I need to hook back up my DIY antenna and see what it does now...

[brianh]

Everything is working again, I had my computer sitting under the desk that the antenna is on.  I guess while my computer is on it generates some kind of field that interferes with the antenna. I am also able to get the 5.1 and 5.2. Just called in and dropped my cable subscription.

[patric]

Everything is working again, I had my computer sitting under the desk that the antenna is on.  I guess while my computer is on it generates some kind of field that interferes with the antenna.

It's propably worth mentioning that your antenna should be away from anything that generates Radio Frequency (RF) such as portable phones, WiFi routers, air conditioners/furnaces and thermostats, light dimmers, microwave ovens, electric motors, computers and anything with a computerized control.

If a big antenna is not an option for you, consider an amplifier between the antenna you have and the converter.
I have found that the most common converter boxes have very little sensitivity (perhaps to keep the cost down) and need much more signal than a decent new TV with a good built-in tuner.

Remember that an amplifier will amplify everything -- including interfering noise from appliances -- so choose your antenna placement well.