New User - Questions
 

I've had Tivo for a couple weeks now and just love it.

Questions:

1. When I'm watching an already-recorded show, and want to stop and
delete it, the only way I've found is to hit the Tivo button, then
select "now playing", select the show itself, then select delete.

Sometimes if I hit the Tivo button while playing a show, if I'm near
the end of the show, it asks whether I want to delete it.

At the end of the show, if I fast-forward the last few seconds to the
end, it still doesn't ask me whether I want to delete. I have to fast
forward several times, then it comes up with the delete screen.

It seems to me there should be a way to bring up the delete screen
while watching a show, even if you're at the beginning.

2. It says it stores 80 hours of shows. But is that at lowest quality
only? If so, if you select the highest recording quality, how much
time can it record?

3. Is there a way to download more time into the future of the TV
guide? I see programs advertised on TV, but when I search for them
they're not there (yet).

4. Is there a way to enlarge the display, so I can read it from across
the room?

Some things I like about Tivo:

1. The suggestions are great. It even records shows I might like.

2. Being able to program shows by name instead of time slot.

3. The fact that shows are not serially located on the storage device
(in a virtual sense) is the best thing about Tivo. You can watch
shows in any order, record in any order, delete willy-nilly, without
being concerned about where you are on the "tape" or "disk".

* Matt Beckwith wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
I've had Tivo for a couple weeks now and just love it.

Questions:

1. When I'm watching an already-recorded show, and want to stop and
delete it, the only way I've found is to hit the Tivo button, then
select "now playing", select the show itself, then select delete.

[...]

The only way I have found to do this is:

If you have 30 second skip enabled (Select - Play - Select - 30 - Select):
Press FF X 1 then press SKIP until the cursor is at the end, when it
displays the pause logo you can press LIST or TIVO and it will bring up
the delete screen.

If you dont have 30 skip enabled:
Press FF X 1 then press SKIP and it will be at the end (I think?) then
proceed as above.

2. It says it stores 80 hours of shows. But is that at lowest quality
only?

Yes

If so, if you select the highest recording quality, how much
time can it record?

Sorry, cant answer that one. Dtivo has no quality settings.

3. Is there a way to download more time into the future of the TV
guide? I see programs advertised on TV, but when I search for them
they're not there (yet).

No, typically there is about 2 weeks of data. Create an auto record
wishlist if your afraid you wont remember to program it, but have no
fear the network will bombard you with ads till it airs ;)

4. Is there a way to enlarge the display, so I can read it from across
the room?

Only if your TV has a Zoom feature.

[...]
--
David | AGM Favorites - http://tinyurl.com/loec
The legibility of the signature is inversely proportional to the
importance of the artist.
-- Caba's Axiom Concerning Signatures and Paintings

On Sat, 03 Jul 2004 08:31:09 -0700, Matt Beckwith wrote:

1. When I'm watching an already-recorded show, and want to stop and
delete it, the only way I've found is to hit the Tivo button, then
select "now playing", select the show itself, then select delete.

You can also press Left on the directional rocker. If the TiVo channel
banner is off screen, Left will take you back to the screen from which you
pressed Play (either the Now Playing list, or the program information page).
(If the TiVo banner is still on screen, you'll need to press left a few
times, since the first time will hide the banner instead of taking you
back.)

It seems to me there should be a way to bring up the delete screen
while watching a show, even if you're at the beginning.

The "Are you done with the program" dialog will come up if you leave a
recording (by pressing TiVo button, or Left, or any other way to leave) in
the last 5 minutes.

A quick way to get to the end of the recording is to use the "Advance"
button on the remote (it's down a little bit from the Fast Forward
button, and looks like a right-facing arrow). That should take you to the
next tick mark on the timeline, so in a few presses you can be at the end,
then press "TiVo" and it will ask you if you want to delete. (If you have
the 30-second skip code activated, pressing the advance button will, of
course, jump 30 seconds ahead instead of to the next tick mark. To get
around this, press FF once, then Advance will work as normal.)

2. It says it stores 80 hours of shows. But is that at lowest quality
only? If so, if you select the highest recording quality, how much
time can it record?

Yes, the "80 hours" is an estimate based on "Basic" recording quality. The
breakdown of other recording times is on the TiVo website, or you can find
it on the TiVo where you select the default recording quality (Messages &
Setup Settings Preferences Recording Quality).

4. Is there a way to enlarge the display, so I can read it from across
the room?

No. (Unless your TV has a Zoom, as David mentioned...)

--
Lenroc

"Matt Beckwith" wrote in message om...
I've had Tivo for a couple weeks now and just love it.

Questions:

1. When I'm watching an already-recorded show, and want to stop and
delete it, the only way I've found is to hit the Tivo button, then
select "now playing", select the show itself, then select delete.

Sometimes if I hit the Tivo button while playing a show, if I'm near
the end of the show, it asks whether I want to delete it.

At the end of the show, if I fast-forward the last few seconds to the
end, it still doesn't ask me whether I want to delete. I have to fast
forward several times, then it comes up with the delete screen.

It seems to me there should be a way to bring up the delete screen
while watching a show, even if you're at the beginning.


Two key presses...
Press Left arrow on Gray pad, then press Clear button.
The Clear button is a delete request on the Now Playing list.

The gray pad left arrow is also a quick return to playing
a saved program if you interrupt playback with LiveTV.

Note that a few of the remote keys are context sensitive.
That is, they have different functions in various modes.

Questions:

1. When I'm watching an already-recorded show, and want to stop and
delete it, the only way I've found is to hit the Tivo button, then
select "now playing", select the show itself, then select delete.

Sometimes if I hit the Tivo button while playing a show, if I'm near
the end of the show, it asks whether I want to delete it.

At the end of the show, if I fast-forward the last few seconds to the
end, it still doesn't ask me whether I want to delete. I have to fast
forward several times, then it comes up with the delete screen.

Quickest way to do what you want is press "go left" on the navigation
cluster (which will bring you back to the screen which describes the
program), then press "clear", and then confirm the deletion.

2. It says it stores 80 hours of shows. But is that at lowest quality
only? If so, if you select the highest recording quality, how much
time can it record?

Go to "Messages and Setup" and then "System Information". It'll show
the actual recording time in both Basic and Best qualities.

Based on the numbers shown on my modified unit (a 3.66:1 ratio) you'll
probably see a number of about 21 hours 20 minutes.

3. Is there a way to download more time into the future of the TV
guide? I see programs advertised on TV, but when I search for them
they're not there (yet).

No way you'd find tolerably easy and without really nasty side
effects.

You can create a Wishlist (spelling out words from the title, or using
a keyword search of the whole description) and set it to
auto-record. This should cause the program to show up in your To-Do
list, with a blue star, once the program guide data which describes it
arrives (usually 11-13 days prior to showing on a standalone TiVo, and
somewhere 10-14 days prior for a DirecTiVo - the program-guide feed
techniques for these systems work rather differently).

4. Is there a way to enlarge the display, so I can read it from across
the room?

Nope.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

On Sat, 03 Jul 2004 16:54:26 +0000, Jack Ak wrote:

Two key presses [to delete a show you're currently watching]
Press Left arrow on Gray pad, then press Clear button.
The Clear button is a delete request on the Now Playing list.

Ahh... much better :-P

I didn't realize that the "Clear" button worked even on the program
information screen (the screen you get if you press "Select" on a
recording in the Now Playing List...).

Since it does, your method will always work ;)

--
Lenroc

Matt, for a new user you've managed a damn fine critique of some of the
shortcomings of Tivo and its programming. I have no idea if the Tivo folks
even check out postings on this group, prefering instead the forum message
boards at tivocommunity.com.

1. When I'm watching an already-recorded show, and want to stop and
delete it, the only way I've found is to hit the Tivo button, then
select "now playing", select the show itself, then select delete.

Welcome to the Tivo interface. it seems the Tivo folks were so proud of
that big old yellow stop button on the remote, they forgot about the
functionality of a stop button, something every $29 VCR has. My only
suggestion is to use the back arrow key, select 'stop recordong' select yes
when it asks for confirmation. Then press 'clear' when it asks if you really
want to get rid of that partial recording. It takes about 9 keystrokes.

Sometimes if I hit the Tivo button while playing a show, if I'm near
the end of the show, it asks whether I want to delete it.

Yes, and this feature isn't selectable. Wouldn't it be nice if it at least
asked that same question about the partial recordings above?

At the end of the show, if I fast-forward the last few seconds to the
end, it still doesn't ask me whether I want to delete. I have to fast
forward several times, then it comes up with the delete screen.

I think it is only during the last two or three minutes of the show that
this feature is active.

It seems to me there should be a way to bring up the delete screen
while watching a show, even if you're at the beginning.

Nope. I've only found the way I mentioned above. I wish the clear button
was functional during recording instead of just giving that bounce sound,

2. It says it stores 80 hours of shows. But is that at lowest quality
only? If so, if you select the highest recording quality, how much
time can it record?

Yes...I think that disclaimer should have been on the box before we bought
our Tivos. At best quality it is only about 14 hours, hence an aftermarket
cottage industry has developed adding additional hard drives.

3. Is there a way to download more time into the future of the TV
guide? I see programs advertised on TV, but when I search for them
they're not there (yet).

Nope...however, the first few days your Tivo checks in for programming
listings, it will check longer in advance each time so your Tivo unit isn't
processing the schedule too long. The program guide can't predict
programming before the networks notify the Tivo mothership to send out to
its units.

4. Is there a way to enlarge the display, so I can read it from across
the room?

Nope...You could always buy a bigger TV ;-) Seriously, the only way is to
hack the Tivo interface (not for beginners) and mess with the operating
system.

Matt, for a new user you've managed a damn fine critique of some of the
shortcomings of Tivo and its programming. I have no idea if the Tivo folks
even check out postings on this group, prefering instead the forum message
boards at tivocommunity.com.

Some TiVo employees do keep an eye on this newsgroup (me, among others).

1. When I'm watching an already-recorded show, and want to stop and
delete it, the only way I've found is to hit the Tivo button, then
select "now playing", select the show itself, then select delete.

Welcome to the Tivo interface. it seems the Tivo folks were so proud of
that big old yellow stop button on the remote, they forgot about the
functionality of a stop button, something every $29 VCR has. My only
suggestion is to use the back arrow key, select 'stop recordong' select yes
when it asks for confirmation. Then press 'clear' when it asks if you really
want to get rid of that partial recording. It takes about 9 keystrokes.

Three. "go left, clear, select".

It was a deliberate decision not to make deletion of a show _too_
easy. A one-button "nuke it!" would probably result in too many
accidental deletions, and would lead to blood-curdling screams of
"AAAGH! No! Where's the override???"

I think it is only during the last two or three minutes of the show that
this feature is active.

Five minutes, if I recall correctly.

Nope. I've only found the way I mentioned above. I wish the clear button
was functional during recording instead of just giving that bounce sound,

This is, I believe, another aspect of the "Don't make it too easy to
accidentally delete or cancel recordings" principle.

Nope...however, the first few days your Tivo checks in for programming
listings, it will check longer in advance each time so your Tivo unit isn't
processing the schedule too long.

I believe that you are mistaken.

The standalone TiVo systems download a full 12-to-13-day infusion of
program guide data during Guided Setup, and as-complete-as-available
an update during every subsequent daily call. There's no "call sooner
during the first few days" tweak that I'm aware of, and it wouldn't do
any good if there were because TiVo only gets one batch of
program-guide data per day from its supplier.

The DirecTiVo systems get their program guide data in a continuous
stream, via the DirecTV satellites. These systems will usually take a
couple of days to load up the database completely from the satellite
"carousel" transmissions. Program guide data out at the far end tends
to fill in rather irregularly, depending on when DirecTV feeds it out.

The program guide can't predict
programming before the networks notify the Tivo mothership to send out to
its units.

True.


4. Is there a way to enlarge the display, so I can read it from across
the room?

Nope...You could always buy a bigger TV ;-) Seriously, the only way is to
hack the Tivo interface (not for beginners) and mess with the operating
system.

A small pair of binoculars?

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

On Sat, 03 Jul 2004 17:27:44 +0000, Charles Thistlethwaite wrote:

2. It says it stores 80 hours of shows. But is that at lowest quality
only?

Yes...I think that disclaimer should have been on the box before we bought
our Tivos.

It was.

--
Lenroc

Charles Thistlethwaite wrote:

3. Is there a way to download more time into the future of the TV
guide? I see programs advertised on TV, but when I search for them
they're not there (yet).

Nope...however, the first few days your Tivo checks in for programming
listings, it will check longer in advance each time so your Tivo unit isn't
processing the schedule too long.

Incorrect. The first call after activating a standalone TiVo is very long
as it downloads a full 14 days worth of data.

To check, press TiVo - Messages & Setup - System Information.
Mine says "Program Guide Data To: Friday, Jul 16, 2004".
This means up to, but not including, 2004/07/17 at 00:00 GMT which
is 2004/07/16 at 5:00pm Pacific Daylight Time.

Going to Live TV, then Guide, press Enter, adjust "Day:" as far as it will
go, press Select. The last half-hour show I see listed is 4:30pm PDT.

Also from the Guide screen, you can back up to answer the question
"what was the name of that show I noticed but did not record yesterday?".
Right now it is almost noon on Saturday July 3, and I can see info
all the way back to 5:00pm on Thursday, July 1.

As others have posted, defining an Auto-Record Wish List is a good way
to not miss a show that is advertised as "starting in three weeks!".
-Joe