Buy TiVo instead of renting DVR?

I have TimeWarner cable and rent a DVR box from them - they just increased fees so I will now pay $11 for DVR service and $9.00 for the converter each month. I have been doing this for a couple years and am wondering if TiVo is a better investment?

I found a TiVo Premier on Craigslist for $375 - lifetime subscription already paid.
1. I read the subscription is for the life of the TiVo - so how long does it last?
2. I only want to record TV shows, pause live TV, etc.
3. In less than 2 years this will be paid off considering the above cable charges...am I correct that TimeWarner wouldn't charge me anything anymore re: cable services?

I'm clueless and don't have anyone to ask that has a TiVo - thanks for any advice.

 

Good point - never even thought of that.

I agree - so they can keep raising them whenever they like...

Yeah I wouldn't do anything before calling the cable co. - I just wanted an idea from you good folks.

 

It's been a while since I've checked into this but the last I read, the federal guberment passed a law requiring all cable and satellite providers to make available to their subscribers what is commonly called a "CableCARD". These "CableCARDs" were originally designed with the TiVo in mind, iirc.:confused

The "cableCARD" will fit into a slot of the TiVo. Unfortunately, if you want the ability to record one show while watching another, you will need two of these cards. Although, some of the newer ones can handle more than on channel at a time. To lease or rent the card(s) is substantially less than leasing one of the set top DVR boxes.

There are several types of these "CableCARD(s)", what TimeWarner has available I don't know.

From TiVo: About CableCARD decoders

From Wikipedia: CableCARD

 

For satellite customers, this is a no go, thanks to the greedy bastards at the networks and movie studios.

The box that decodes the satellite signal also houses the DVR. The DVR records in a top-secret Linux based encrypted format that can't be "converted" into standard MPEG or AVI without highly illegal and very complicated software.

The only current loophole in Copyright Law is to purchase a device like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116030

The Hippauge PVR is able to capture (quasi)-HDMI signals from a decoder box, provided the decoder box has composite (R/G/B) output. Composite video is technically an "analog" video format. By going from a digital converter box to an analog (R/G/B) signal and then back to a digital recording format, the Hippauge PVR does not "reverse engineer" or "hack" the signal in violation of the DMCA.

If you want a TiVo, build your own. A Basic PC w/ HDMI out and TV tuner card (for local signals) and the Hippauge box to capture cable/sat. channels. Doing this, you get to keep and archive what you record for personal use (Fair Use Doctrine) for as long as you want, plus play it back on any PC or networked device.

 

Gman863, now that you bring it up I remember reading about that somewhere, probably at DBSTalk. Have to agree with you about the networks and the movie studios. Especially considering the junk they produce.

I was under the impression that with the "CableCARD" what ever you were watching would/could be recorded to the hard drive of the TiVo or third party STB for pausing/replay/playback later, but could not be burned from the STB to a DVD because of the restricting encryption with the High def and digital formats. I never bumped into the problem as all of my STBs have analog as well as digital in/output and the burners have both as well.

I knew TiVo used Linux, I was unaware the others did too. Don't think my old Ultimate TV does, but that's Microsoft.

I haven't kept up with it much since "line of sight" became an unsolvable problem and we had to give up DirecTV.

It's irrelevant, but I haven't found much on TV worth watching once, let alone saving for playback.

Wondering what kind of impact all of these regs have on cable? About the only viewing differences I've noticed between satellite and cable is, VOD with cable seems better, but still nothing worth watching. Cable has a lot of AES alerts that I don't remember seeing with satellite. But then my memory could certainly do with an upgrade.