Product Review - Sony SAT-T60
- Part 2 - Set-Up
Upon completion of your equipment connections, TiVo will guide
you
through a very simple set-up procedure. Window by window the set-up assistant
steps you through the process of your personal configuration settings.
An important set-up step is to make sure you have chosen the correct satellite
dish type. Remember, in order to utilize the dual tuner capability, you will
need, at a minimum, a dual LNB satellite dish type. There will be two RG-6
coaxial cables coming off the dish and either going directly to the two
satellite input feeds on the back of the receiver or into a multiswitch. You
will still need to inform (select in the menu) your receiver of the correct dish type so it will
recognize the second satellite feed and initiate the dual tuner capabilities.
The phone connection holds a lot more importance in the use of TiVo service,
as compared to past DSS receivers. I would not recommend using those
wireless phone jack systems that plug into an electrical outlet so that you
can create a nearby phone jack. If a phone jack connection is not
close at hand, then use a long phone cord extension cable. TiVo will be
making many calls for your programming and software information, so you want to
be sure it is using a local dial-up number, not long distance. If there are no local numbers, you
can request an 800 number. TiVo will go through a process to see if you
qualify and can be authorized for a free 800 number. After set-up is complete,
you can go into the System Information screen to double check that your chosen
settings have been recorded correctly. You can see if the unit is set up
properly for two tuners, and also verify that Dolby Digital audio is available
for recordings. Information on the software version number and the unit's
internal temperature is shown in this screen. I will talk more about the unit
temperature a little later in this review. You will need software version 2.5
for the unit to be able to recognize and utilize the second tuner properly. My
T-60 came with version 2.0. To upgrade to version 2.5, you can either wait for TiVo to get around to making an upgrade call or force the unit to make an
upgrade call immediately. I would advise doing the latter, because your
probably itching to run this baby through its complete dual tuner paces. Once
you have completed all the set-up procedures, you are now ready to call
DirecTV to activate the receiver and the TiVo service. Then you will be set to start playing with the features of
this unit.
TiVo Features
When viewing live television through the T60, you are also always recording into a 30 minute buffer system. This unit automatically saves the past 30 minutes of live TV. Change the channel, and the saved material is cleared, and the receiver starts to record again on the new channel. This gives you the power to control live television. You now have the ability to pause, rewind, and produce your own instant replays. Once you press the pause or rewind button, a status bar will appear on the bottom of your screen. While watching live TV, the status bar represents one hour, whereas with recorded shows or movies it represents the complete program's length. This gives you a positioning map of where you are if you have paused or rewound the live broadcast. It will also show you how far away you are to catching up to live TV. The status bar will automatically disappear after a few seconds of watching television at regular speed. If the phone rings, the kids are fighting, or if it is just nature calling, you can always pause the TV and return at your leisure. That is the main idea behind this technology. You don't have to miss anything.
Pressing the replay button on the remote allows you to jump back 8
seconds. Press it again and you can continue to jump back in 8-second
intervals. Pressing the slow button after the instant replay allows you to
create your own personal slow motion instant replay. While the freeze frame
and slow motion are not quite to the picture clarity of a DVD, it is still amazingly clear. These trick play features are far
superior to any offered with VCR technology. Plus you have the added
knowledge, that since everything is in the digital format, you are not
damaging or stretching out video tape, nor making your video heads dirty.
There are no video heads or tapes to worry about preserving. Fast forward,
rewind, and pause to your hearts content. Plus, you don't have to type in the
day and time to start recording, or the day and time to stop recording. The
darn thing is so easy to use, that if you like to watch a lot of TV, this kind
of product is a must have.
The channel banner, always a solid feature of DirecTV, seems a bit more
informative than my last DSS receiver. I noticed more info on audio formats,
aspect ratios, and descriptive detail for each individual program. Channel
surfers do not realize the value of this feature until they go without. Ever
been stuck at a relative's home while someone else is channel surfing? Aunt
Margaret has yet to upgrade even to cable, so when the cousins have
control of the remote, get ready for some real torture. They will stay on one
excruciating boring channel and watch the most inane program until they can
figure out its title. It gets to the point where you will offer to run out in
the rain to the local mini-mart and bring back a TV Guide. With TiVo service,
your DirecTV Advanced Program Guide can now go 14 days in advance, rather than
just two or three days. But going through the grid to find programs to record
is still slow, so TiVo has a better way.
The search capabilities of TiVo are just what television fanatics always
dreamed they would be twenty years ago. These methods are the perfect
combination of digital television technology and new computer information age.
Finding your favorite programs could not have been made simpler. There are
five different search methods you can choose with the TiVo service. The first
and easiest is to just Search by Title. With the use of the scrolling
keys on the remote, you just spell out the name of the program and TiVo almost
instantaneously lists all matching programs for the next two weeks, to the
right of the window. You can title search through an all-inclusive 14-day
database, or limit the parameters (i.e. Movies, Sports, etc.)
Creating WishLists is a second interesting search methodology. You can create
WishLists using four different variable types, or use a combination of
variables. This method includes searching by actor, director, category, and or
keyword/title. For example, if you choose to search by actor alone, TiVo will
generate a list of every program that person appears in the next 14 days. This
list will not only include programs and movies, but also list guest
appearances on programs like the Tonight Show and or Saturday Night Live. You
can better pinpoint your search if you list more than one variable. Harrison
Ford and Movies will generate a list of only movies that he has appeared in
that will air in the next 14 days. You can even use a Keyword/Title WishList
for programs you want to view, but are not airing in the next 14 days. You can
set it to be automatically recorded when it does become available. If you have
a guilty pleasure like Raquel Welch in “One Million Years B.C.”, and it is not
on in the next 14 days. Well, then just set the WishList to auto record, and
the next time Raquel is prancing around in loin cloths, TiVo will record it
for your personal pleasure.
Season Pass is still another search method that locks in your favorite
program. By choosing a Season Pass, TiVo will automatically record every
episode of your favorite program. All without you putting in individual
requests each week. Season Pass also includes options that will enable you to
record just new episodes. This way you do not fill up your free space with
reruns or episodes from past seasons in syndication. Other search methods come
directly from TiVo and the Television Networks. TiVolution Magazine is an
interactive onscreen guide to the best upcoming programs generated by the TiVo
editors. Network Showcases spotlights a particular channel's upcoming
programs, movies, and specials. With all these search methods, you will begin
to call into question the value of your print guide
subscriptions.
Beyond recording programs of your own choosing, TiVo will also record programs
for you that it determines you may enjoy. These recordings are done in your
free hard disk space and never take priority over your chosen programs. How
does TiVo determine what you may like? It will go by both your past recording
history and a personal rating system. Your remote includes two rating buttons
simply called Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down. You can rate any program within a
range from a high of 3 Thumbs Up to a low of 3 Thumbs Down. The more programs
you rate, the better TiVo has in finding programs to your liking. Fear not
conspiracy theorists! TiVo says it is not collecting a database on you to send to the
Pentagon. TiVo has a privacy policy to protect its subscribers, that you can read
in detail either on the TiVo website or within your model documentation. So
fear not, Mulder-ites!
Click Here To Go To Part 3 - Performance
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Copyright 2002 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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