Series 3 Frequently Asked Questions

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WK-Jason

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#1

Series 3 Frequently Asked Questions

11-08-2006, 11:40 AM

Does the Series3 work with DIRECTV?
Unfortunately, no. There's not support for satellite users and the TiVo Series 3 has no way of controlling an outboard cable box.

Will the Series 3 work without a CableCARD?
Yes, you can use the unit to view and record digital and/or analog antenna signal and a standard definition, analog cable signal.

How do I acquire CableCARDs for my Series 3?
Cable providers vary on their pricing and installation requirements, so weaKnees has begun to gather the information to help you here. Bottom line is,
all cable providers are required by law to provide CableCARDs on request.

Can I install my own CableCARD(s)?
The cable providers seem to want to do this themselves. Usually a reasonable visit charge will apply...I've heard of fees anywhere from 20 to 30 bucks.

Can the Series3 order Pay-Per-View or Video-on-Demand?
No. The generation of CableCARDs that work with the Series3 are one-way only. There is no two-way communication between the TiVo and the cable provider, so ordering these services through the TiVo isn't possible. HOWEVER. if you've ordered a program either over the phone, online or on another cable box so that it's been descrambled for your house, the TiVo should be able to view and record the show.

Are the HDMI and component outputs simultaneously active?
Yes. Unlike with the Directv HR10-250, you can output in HD with both of these ports at the same time.

Are there any known problems with the Series3 yet?
None that we know of, except that demand exceeded supply for a short while.

That's all there is to it!
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jtsapienza

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#2

11-16-2006, 11:18 AM

External Hard Disk T3

Can an owner add an external hard disk to the Series 3? Tivo lists the port as "future" but there ought to be a way to use it. Is the problem that the user cannot format a disk? Or is this just Tivo's way of being the exclusive supplier of external HDs (and only when they get around to it)? I want to buy a T3, but I'm holding off until this is resolved. John Sapienza
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WK-Michael

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#3

11-16-2006, 11:50 AM

Currently, there is no support for external drives on Series3 units. It's not that TiVo wants to be the exclusive supplier (although they may indeed want that) but as far as I know it's that the CableCARD compliance doesn't allow for things like external storage. So compatibility with CableCARD is a trade-off - you can't do this or Multi-Room Viewing.

If somehow TiVo manages to deal with the legal hurdles and get these things going, we fully expect to be able to have external drives. But, to be honest, we really don't think this is going to happen any time soon.

Been here a long time . . .
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WK-Jason

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#4

11-16-2006, 11:58 AM

And, of course, in the meantime, you can buy a unit with double or triple the recording capacity.

From what we've learned, when the external storage does happen, it won't be a hot-swappable in that you won't be able to have various external drives and exchange them at will. When an external storage device is disconnected, the TiVo will ask if you're sure you want to remove this device, and if you confirm, it will need to be reformatted when you reconnect. The reason for this is to protect your data in case of a power loss, but not to allow a user to infinitely archive contect.

That's all there is to it!
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jtsapienza

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#5

11-16-2006, 02:25 PM

External Hard Disk T3--Not!

Thanks for the quick feedback. It looks like getting a WeaKnees unit with their largest hard disk is the way to go. Now, can we get WK to offer a full TB of hard disk storage? They exist, but possibly not in AV-favorable units. I'm just a little concerned about comments posted about the 750 gb drives not being as free of video noise as possible.
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WK-Michael

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#6

11-16-2006, 02:31 PM

These drives we're now using (Seagate DB35 SATA) are really the best available, and they're both extremely quiet, and rock-solid. Not sure about the 'video noise' issue, but we haven't seen that at all.

Next, we don't know of any terabyte drives out there, but if you can point us to them, we'll take a look.

Been here a long time . . .
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jtsapienza

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#7

11-16-2006, 02:58 PM

1 TB Hard Disks Are Coming

The LaCie Big Disk Extreme is an external 1tb drive. And Hitachi announced it has internal 1tb drives in development. But 750gb is probably going to keep me happy a long time. Thanks again for the prompt assistance. John Sapienza
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jtsapienza

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#8

11-16-2006, 03:22 PM

That Noise Issue--Not!

I apologize for my earlier comment on noise in the WeaKnees T3. I'm posting this so people don't go off with nasty rumors about WeaKnees based on my error.

I went searching and found the comment about noise in the techdigs.net review of the Weaknees T3. But I'd missed their 10/24/06 update:

"Today, weaKnees made available a modification that will make its 500GB and 750GB Series 3 upgrades quieter. The free modification requires that customers ship their TiVos to weaKnees. Details are available by contacting weaKnees. All future Series 3 upgrades, will include the modification.

"As we mentioned in a recent review of the weaKnees 750GB upgrade, the upgraded hard drive units available to weaKnees were not specifically designed for video streaming and there was a bit more chatter in the drive than on a standard TiVo Series 3. While we didn't find the noise significant, those who use the Series 3 in very quiet environments may welcome this free upgrade -- if they can bear to part with their Series 3 for a few days."

So it seems you solved whatever the slight noise problem had been. I'd misremembered it being about video noise. Oh, well, I'm old enough to have Senior Moments!
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WK-Michael

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#9

11-16-2006, 03:42 PM

Many thanks for the correction. We admit, those stock drives are LOUD and that's why we made sure to get quiet ones.

Note to any current owner of a loud 750 drive in a Series 3 from us: contact us to get a quieter unit!

Been here a long time . . .
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pilotster

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#10

12-01-2006, 06:10 AM

Response to Posts

I've read the posts in this forum and have a couple of (probably dumb) questions:

If I buy a new Series 3 from Weakness can I assume that it will contain the more quiet drive(s)?

Is the user interface on a Series 3 identical to the one I'm used to on the Series 2?

I have three Series 2 recorders - if I transfer my lifetime service from one of them to a Series 3 will I make it inoperative?

Thanks - I'll probably have more questions before I'm done ...
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WK-Michael

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#11

12-01-2006, 07:20 AM

Yes, all Series3 units from WeaKnees now containt the quiet drive.

The user interface has a few minor differences due to the different features, but the key options are identical.

If you transfer service using the TiVo VIP transfer then you get service on the old box for one year as part of the deal.

Fire away with more questions . . .

Been here a long time . . .
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pilotster

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#12

12-01-2006, 07:33 AM

VIP Service

Do you know what the cost of regular service per month will be on the box that I convert to HD? This is probably well-known by everyone else here, but I've never had to pay a monthly fee - all my Tivo's have "lifetime" service ...
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WK-Jeff

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#13

12-01-2006, 07:52 AM

You will get one month of service free on the box that had the lifetime service. After that, you will get a discount of $6/mo for that older box, so long as it remains on the account with the Series3.

The monthly fee you pay depends on the length of time you commit to TiVo for service, and whether you are willing to pre-pay for service.

The least you'll pay is $6.95/mo for the additional unit.

For more information:

Discount Terms
Discount FAQ
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bigruss

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#14

12-17-2006, 09:31 PM

Just purchased a series 3. I have a pair of WD 500GB Drives purchased from Best Buy. Looking in the TIVO box, it would appear I need to purchase the bracket you sell to allow both drives to fit. No problem. However, it appears that there is only one connection for one hard drive. Both one power and one data cable. Both go to a sort of connector that makes them one connector, which goes to the HD. Does the bracket come with any cables to make the second drive work? If not, does WK sell the new cables or adaptors to allow a second drive? For the sake of this thread, just where does the second data cable plug into on the board?
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WK-Michael

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#15

12-18-2006, 07:02 AM

Actually, the Series3 can currently only hold one drive, and it must be a SATA drive. We sell these drives here.

Been here a long time . . .
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