TiVo - Informations

What’s in This Book?

First, here’s what’s not in this book. This book isn’t written for TiVo experts — people who want to take apart their TiVo, analyze its software construction and fiddle with its innards. If you’re a TiVo tinkerer, pick up Jeff Keegan’s Hacking TiVo from Wiley Publishing, Inc., and you’ll find detailed descriptions of TiVo’s inner workings and workarounds.

This book, by contrast, explains things left out by the advanced books. TiVo For Dummies starts by explaining the differences between TiVo models, and how to choose the one that meets your specific needs.

You’ll find out how to set up a new TiVo with your TV, VCR, and other gadgets clustered around your TV. I explain TiVo’s standard tricks like pausing live TV shows and playing Instant Replays. You’ll discover ways to record your shows automatically, even if you’re not sure when they air.

How to Use This Book

This book is a reference — a collection of informational nuggets, organized logically so you don’t have to remember anything. (Some of the most fre¬quently accessed information lives on this book’s tear-out “Cheat Sheet.”) Don’t bother reading this book from cover to cover. Instead, take the pick-and-choose approach, flipping to the particular part or section containing the information you need.

People who haven’t purchased their own TiVo yet should start with Part I to discover their options. (TiVo comes in several models, each with their own particular flavor.)

TiVo owners might head straight for the Part of Tens to read tips, all orga¬nized into categories like creating recordings, watching live TV, watching recordings, or figuring out error messages.
If you’re an advanced TiVo user, jump straight to Chapter 12 to upgrade your TiVo with a larger hard drive. Imagine storing 60 hours of best-quality record¬ings on your TiVo! When you find something you like, feel free to dog-ear the page or highlight the section with a marker. Then keep this book near your TiVo or its remote so you can flip to the most appropriate section, read the information, then close the book and keep watching.

How This Book is Organized

I’ve divided this book into five parts, each dealing with a certain theme. I’ve broken down each part into three or more chapters dealing with specific TiVo information relating to that part’s theme. Here’s the rundown on what you’ll find in each one.

Part I: Before Buying Your TiVo . . .

Don’t have a TiVo sitting by your TV yet? Start here to discover exactly what a TiVo is — the concept, the things TiVo can do, why you’d want TiVo to do them, and the things TiVo can’t do.
After helping you choose the right one, this part of the book guides you through hooking it up to your TV or home theater, weaving the cords through VCRs, telephones, and other audio-visual exotica.

No telephone line jack nearby? I’ll even divulge a trick or two to slip you past that requirement, if necessary.

Part II: Using the TiVo

Once you’ve connected TiVo to your TV, this part of the book explains how to acclimate TiVo to its new surroundings. It explains how to run TiVo through its Guided Setup, telling it what channels you receive (while weeding out shopping channels and other detritus). Another chapter lets you start playing tricks while watching live TV, rewind¬ing to catch missed snippets, and watching slow-motion replays of fumbles, explosions, or whatever else flashed by too quickly.

The next chapter guides you through telling TiVo about your favorite pro¬grams, actors, directors and subjects, allowing TiVo to automatically grab them whenever they may air.
Once you grow comfortable watching TiVo’s recorded shows, a chapter explains how to fine-tune TiVo’s performance, adjusting recording schedules so everything fits to best advantage.
Part III: The Home Media Option
People who enjoy their home computer will enjoy TiVo’s Home Media Option (HMO), and this part of the book explains how to connect TiVo to your home computer. When set up, TiVo’s HMO lets you access your computer’s good stuff — your stash of digital photos and music — and play it on your TV or home stereo. No more crowding around the computer monitor to show off vacation photos!

This section also explains how to make TiVo record those “can’t miss shows” you just heard about around the office water cooler — even if you’re still at the office (or anywhere there’s an Internet connection). Log on to the Internet from any computer and send TiVo your recording instructions.

If you’re not already listening to Internet Radio stations on your home stereo, you’ll be listening to them once you read this part of the book.

Part IV: Upgrading and Fixing Your TiVo

Sometimes your TiVo’s too good — it finds so much good stuff, it runs out of room to store it all. A chapter here explains how to order and install a “TiVo-Ready” hard drive, custom made for your particular model. Upgrade your TiVo to 200 hours, and avoid future family fallouts. And although you may never need it, a chapter explains how to fix any odd problems you may experience. (With TiVo — not yourself. That’s a different book.)

Part V: The Part of Tens

Nothing but tips here — long lists of tips for using TiVo more quickly and effi¬ciently. Flip here on occasion just to make sure you’re using TiVo to its fullest.

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