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New with questions
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Posted by: lm4139

Hi, I just had my first unit installed and I have a few questions that I was not able to answer with the instruction book.
1 - What is the "Window" button for on the remote?
2 - Can you or should you turn off the Tivo unit when you are through with it? If yes then how do you turn it off?
3 - Is the unit supposed to have noticably loud "hum" to it?
4 - Many networks are now showing "bonus" episodes of many of their programs one right after the other (the second is usually a repeat),
how do you record with "Season Pass" only the new episode without wasting time recording the repeat?

I am looking forward to exchanging information and ideas with you,
please don't be strangers.

Posted by: Your User Name:

1. Hmmm, I'm not familiar with a "window" button. I'll leave this one for someone else.
2. Well, presumably you're never "through with it." The Tivo is always on so it can update itself and record programs you miss. The only way to turn it completely off thatn I know of is to unplug it. You should only do this if moving it, however. It should not be a regular occurance.
3. It does have a hum, yes.
4. Set your Season Pass to record "First Run Only"

Posted by: phone1

Nothing, nada, zip. Do a search for "window button" if you like.
TiVo should stay on 24/7 - so should your cable box if you have one.
The "hum" could be the fan or hard drive or a combination of both. It varies by unit, but some constant noise is normal.
In your SP settings, select first run only.

Welcome to the TiVolution! :)

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by Your User Name:
1. Hmmm, I'm not familiar with a "window" button. I'll leave this one for someone else.

Posted by: Robert S

You shouldn't turn the TiVo off (Standby isn't off, it just mutes the outputs). The TiVo is always processing its Guide data, so even if it's not actively recordings something, it's still busy. Why do you want to turn it off?

TiVoes are pretty noisy. You've got a fan, the hard drive spindle motor (more of a whine than a hum), plus the hard drive head seek (an irregular ticking sound).

You should find the TiVo does not record repeated episodes. This depends on the Guide data being accurate, of course. It depends how old the repeat is. If it happened within the last month, it will be dropped at the default setting. If the repeat is of an older episode, then First Run Only will do the trick.

Posted by: lm4139

quote:
Originally posted by lm4139
Hi, I just had my first unit installed and I have a few questions that I was not able to answer with the instruction book.
1 - What is the "Window" button for on the remote?
2 - Can you or should you turn off the Tivo unit when you are through with it? If yes then how do you turn it off?
3 - Is the unit supposed to have noticably loud "hum" to it?
4 - Many networks are now showing "bonus" episodes of many of their programs one right after the other (the second is usually a repeat),
how do you record with "Season Pass" only the new episode without wasting time recording the repeat?

I am looking forward to exchanging information and ideas with you,
please don't be strangers.

Thanks for the quick response - just what I was looking for.
(the "Window" button on my remote is in upper left corner)

Posted by: lm4139

quote:
Originally posted by phone1

Nothing, nada, zip. Do a search for "window button" if you like.

TiVo should stay on 24/7 - so should your cable box if you have one.

The "hum" could be the fan or hard drive or a combination of both. It varies by unit, but some constant noise is normal.

In your SP settings, select first run only.

Welcome to the TiVolution! :)

Thank you - Why do you think they would put a "Window" button on the remote with nothing for it to do, no reference to it, just to drive customers insane?

Also, another question - I thought my installation tech told me that you can change the look of the screen (mine is a blue cloudy looking background),
do you know anything about this?

Posted by: David Platt

quote:
Originally posted by lm4139
Thank you - Why do you think they would put a "Window" button on the remote with nothing for it to do, no reference to it, just to drive customers insane?

To be fair, it does mention in some of the manuals (not sure if it's in every version or not) that the Window button is reserved for future use.

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by lm4139
Thank you - Why do you think they would put a "Window" button on the remote with nothing for it to do, no reference to it, just to drive customers insane?

Why to get threads started here, of course. More posters, members and potential revenue for the TC forum!

quote:
Also, another question - I thought my installation tech told me that you can change the look of the screen (mine is a blue cloudy looking background), do you know anything about this?

He may have been referring to the two on line guide styles. There's no way to change the background color of the menu screens.

Posted by: bedelman

Actually, the "Window" button can be made to do something with the Pioneer units!

It can be used to change to a different camera angle during the viewing of a DVD which has multiple camera angles.

Posted by: wmcbrine

It's possible to change the menu backgrounds, but only by opening up the unit and getting shell/network access first.

Posted by: jamesbobo

That you mentioned the window button shows that you have a Directivo unit. The standalones have no such button.
As others mentioned, the button does nothing for now.
You can set your season pass to first run only in the options area. Keep in mind that for this to work properly there has to be adequate guide data, something that not all programs supply.

Posted by: kettledrum

quote:
Originally posted by jamesbobo
That you mentioned the window button shows that you have a Directivo unit. The standalones have no such button.

I just joined the Tivolution this past Thursday when I bought an 80 hr SA unit from Best Buy & my remote has the Window button on it. Could be they have plans to make use of it soon for everybody?

Posted by: futerfas

It's there for "future use". What they will do with it, we dont know.

Posted by: futerfas

It also lookes like the window button wasn't always there.
http://www.tivo.com/resources/images/series2/series2_remote_72dpi.jpg

Posted by: SheltieBlue

quote:
Originally posted by jamesbobo
That you mentioned the window button shows that you have a Directivo unit. The standalones have no such button.

I have a stand alone series 2 and it DOES have a window button.

The card that shows the remote functions points out very clearly, though, that the *Window button is not active; functionality may be included in future TiVo service update.

Posted by: Robert S

Obviously, they'll start using it when they switch from Linux to Microsoft :)

Posted by: tomo_kun

quote:
Originally posted by futerfas
It also lookes like the window button wasn't always there.

Uhh, that looks like the AT&T tivo remote, caus that was suposedly the only remote with stand by on it. The window button's rumour is to be for PiP. IF you look at the tivo store, it says "future button for PiP"

Posted by: lm4139

quote:
Originally posted by tomo_kun
Uhh, that looks like the AT&T tivo remote, caus that was suposedly the only remote with stand by on it. The window button's rumour is to be for PiP. IF you look at the tivo store, it says "future button for PiP"

After reading your comments, I agree that because there are two feeds that perhaps you can use the "PiP" feature on you TV (something I have not been able to do for over 2 years). Thanks

Posted by: bidger

quote:
Originally posted by Robert S
Obviously, they'll start using it when they switch from Linux to Microsoft :)

Good one, Robert. :p

Now I have a question. Since the remote that futerfas provided an image of doesn't have the DirecTV logo on it, it's obviously for S2 SAs. What I'd like to know is, do the S2 D-TiVos have that same "DVR1-2" switch on them? Sure would come in handy.

Posted by: lm4139

quote:
Originally posted by futerfas
It also lookes like the window button wasn't always there.
http://www.tivo.com/resources/images/series2/series2_remote_72dpi.jpg

Your remote is quite different from mine. What is the "Standby" key for?
I actually like the layout of your remote better, the "TVOn/off" switch is at the top as it should be, not near the bottom in a cluster like mine.

Posted by: ccwf

quote:
Originally posted by lm4139
What is the "Standby" key for?

For putting your TiVo into standby mode. :) Those of us without the standby key have to use the standby menu item.

(On standalones, standby allows watching one live channel while recording another without having to use a splitter if not using a cable or satellite box.)

Posted by: lm4139

quote:
Originally posted by ccwf
For putting your TiVo into standby mode. :) Those of us without the standby key have to use the standby menu item.

(On standalones, standby allows watching one live channel while recording another without having to use a splitter if not using a cable or satellite box.)

Thanks for your response and info.

Posted by: phone1

quote:
Originally posted by bidger
Good one, Robert. :p

Now I have a question. Since the remote that futerfas provided an image of doesn't have the DirecTV logo on it, it's obviously for S2 SAs. What I'd like to know is, do the S2 D-TiVos have that same "DVR1-2" switch on them? Sure would come in handy.

Nope, they have a SAT/TV switch for controlling TV functions (just like the S1 DTiVos I think). Kind of useless for most people with satellite alone since there are no TV functions other than volume, mute and power to control. It's a lot more useful for SA users who split a cable signal.

Posted by: Dajad

I've had my TiVo for four years and I've never heard a peep out of it. It doesn' hum ... in the quietest of nights, I can be standing in front of it and I can't hear anything ... so it isn't true that al TiVo's make noise. I think it's a roll of the dice with the hard drive you have.

With the computer I'm typing on now, when I bought it, I could barely hear the hard drive, but as I type, it's quite a significant humm/whirr ... this can happen to hard drives over time ... but it's never happened to my TiVo.

...Dale

Posted by: lm4139

quote:
Originally posted by Dajad
I've had my TiVo for four years and I've never heard a peep out of it. It doesn' hum ... in the quietest of nights, I can be standing in front of it and I can't hear anything ... so it isn't true that al TiVo's make noise. I think it's a roll of the dice with the hard drive you have.

With the computer I'm typing on now, when I bought it, I could barely hear the hard drive, but as I type, it's quite a significant humm/whirr ... this can happen to hard drives over time ... but it's never happened to my TiVo.

...Dale

Thanks Dale - I work with computers all day and my TiVo sounds like hard drives running but a bit louder - I will keep an eye on this unit.

Posted by: ddonohue

FWIW, I just replaced my SVR-2000 with a Series 2, and MY remote actually says "PIP." Seems like they weren't quite sure what that button was going to end up doing.

While I'm on the subject, I have to say I'm really going to miss the Sony remote. I think it was laid out much, much better than the tivo's, and the shape was perfect. It fit my hand like a glove for hours on end.

Posted by: futerfas

Does it work, I thought you couldn't replace sony remotes with tivo remotes?

Posted by: ddonohue

Sorry for the confusion, I replaced the whole box, I didn't swap remotes.

My parents now have the Sony, so I can always go there to visit it (sniff).:)