Great unit that will change the way you watch tv
Written: Jun 27 '01 (Updated Jan 25 '02)
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Pros: Pause live tv, recording using wishlists, many other things
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: This unit will change the way you watch television. There's always something on to watch now.
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| mrbluesky's Full Review: Sony SAT-T60 DIRECTV Receiver with TiVo Service |
Note: This review was originally written in June 2001. I have updated it as of mid January 2002.
The Sony SAT-T60 is a wonderful piece of equipment that will absolutely change the way you watch television. I am very happy that I bought mine 4 months ago. In this review, I'll try to list some of the positives, and a couple negatives to help you determine if its right for you.
The Sony SAT-T60 is sometimes referred to as Directv Receiver with Tivo. The receiver works only with Directv service.
Purchase and Installation
The Directv Receiver with Tivo allows you to set the unit to record programs scheduled to come on in the next ten days. Programs are recorded in MP3 format on the units hard drive. You can store as many programs as you wish, but you are limited to 35 hours of digitally recording. One difference between this unit and others that you should note: all recording on this unit is in high quality digital. Other units that advertise high capacity times actually have much lower capacities when recorded in high quality mode. My brother has a Dish unit that has a capacity of 30 hours. However, if he were to record all his programs in the same quality mode as the unit I'm reviewing, his recording capacity drops to about 11 hours. He only gets the 35 hours of recording when his unit records in low quality mode. So just be aware that 35 hours is not always equal to 35 hours between units. Tivo has a proprietary method of recording its programs that allows it to squeeze more recording time in less disk space.
The unit itself is very easy to set up. I had a Directv dish and system installed prior to buying the unit, so it was just a matter of unplugging the old unit and plugging in the new one. I didn't have to run new wires, thankfully. If you don't have a satellite tv system yet, you'll first have to purchase a dish, install it, run wires from the dish to the receiver inside, then connect the receiver to your television. You'll need a telephone line installed next to your tv so you can order pay-per-view events with the remote control, and receive software updates from Tivo. You'll need to call Directv and follow the instructions they give you about programming packages that best suits you. If all the above sounds overwealming, then you can have a professional install it for you for about $100. If you have a friend that is a little handy, you may have the friend help you and save the money. I installed mine by myself from start to finish, and I'm by no means a technically gifted person. You'll have to check with Directv about programming packages and the cost. Tivo will add another $10 monthly, but its well worth it.
After installing the equipment, a setup program walks you through preferences, and is a breeze. When the setup is complete, the menu's and programming schedules begin to download from Directv. At first, they'll download just enough to get you started...about two days worth of schedules. Overnight for the next couple of nights, the unit will automatically dial into Tivo and receive the remaining program schedules.
Features
Pause Live Television
I first thought I would have no need for this feature, but I use it all the time. During a sporting event, its easy to rewind a close play, and even view it again in slow motion, or frame by frame. You can do this because the unit keeps up to 30 minutes of the current program in a cache file. If you change channels, the cache is emptied and begins to fill again with the new channel contents. If you decide you'd like to save the current program to disk, just press the record button and all that is in cache is transferred to the disk, plus the unit continues recording the duration of the program.
Wishlists
A great way to find programs you'll like is by Wishlists. If there is a particular actor or director that you are fond of, you can select that persons name from a list on screen that Tivo provides. You can then have the unit automatically record all programs that the actor is in. I enjoy Hitchcock movies, so I set Tivo to record all Hitchcock movies by using wishlists. When a Hitchcock movie comes on Directv, whether the tv is on or not, the unit stores it to disk. I can easily play the movie again, or store it to my vcr for permanent keeping. Wishlists are available for Actors, Directors, or even keywords. My wife is interested in Orchids, so I set up a wishlist keyword for Orchids, and Tivo searched the schedule for the next 10 days and found two programs relating to Orchids.
Tivo Suggestions
As you're watching tv, you can rate a program about how much you like or dislike it. You can give the program one, two, or three thumbs up, or one, two, or three thumbs down. If you watch a program, Tivo automatically assigns the program as one thumb up, unless you specify otherwise. This rating system tells Tivo the type of program that you like to watch. It takes the information and searches the schedule, and suggests an upcoming program that it predicts you will like. Its a nice feature if it works for you. However, I share time watching tv with my wife. I tend to watch sci-fi or classic movies, whereas my wife watches the tearjerkers on Lifetime. Tivo is apparently confused by the variety of programming, and is not able to make a suitable recommendation for me. The only time it began to work is when I went on Lifetime and gave everything a thumbs down, but to keep doing that is an impossible hassle.
Record by Time or Channel
If you are aware of a program that is coming on, you can go into a menu and search that channel on a specific day and find the program you'd like to record. You can also specify a particular day and scroll all channels at a specific time of day and choose programs to record. The third option is to list a specific time, day, channel and length of program just like you would a vcr.
Season Pass
We all have our favorite programs we like to watch on a regular basis. You set these up as Season Passes. Whenever a specific program comes on, it will automatically record for you. You can specify how many of these programs you'd like to keep on the disk before Tivo deletes them.
Tivolution Magazine
There is an online magazine that highlights programs coming on in the next 10 days. I find this very informative, and the suggestions are generally very good. There's even a Leonard Maltin review section listing a thumbnail review by the famed movie critic.
Dual Tuners
This unit has dual-tuner capability, and Tivo has released the new software version which allows you the ability to use the dual-tuner. Dual tuner means you can record two things at once. That comes in handy when you need to record two different programs that come on at the same time. Dual tuner also allows you to watch one channel and record a different program on another.
Directv Spotbeam and Local Channels
This unit now receives local channels in clear digital. Recently, directv launched a sattelite which gave them the capability of directing their signal via spotbeam. Spotbeam means that the signal you receive is actually one directed to your geographic area. In other words, my signal in Milwaukee is a totally different signal than the one in Arizona or Florida. Since the signal for my area is directed to me, my signal is stronger than it was previously. A prior signal strength test consistently showed in the high 80s (on a scale of 1 to 100). I now have a transponder that shows 100 strength out of 100!
Service
I haven't had to use customer service for Tivo yet. My unit has performed flawlessly so far. However, there is a website where users correspond with others on the how-to's of Tivo, and you can get virtually any question answered there. The site is monitored by Tivo staff. You can find this site by going to Yahoo, and performing a search on the two words avsforum and tivo. From there you'll just need to select the Directv Receiver with Tivo option. This message board has experts on the unit.
They answer questions ranging from macros to hacking your unit. Many of the Macros are not published, but the capability is there in the software. A typical macro would be to press the advance button on the remote control and the unit responds by skipping 30 seconds ahead. This macro is handy because commercials are typically 30 seconds long. If you're watching a taped program, you can zoom through a commercial break with 3 or 4 presses of the advance button. Some users are not happy with the 30 hour recording time capability. They have provided detailed instructions on how to open your unit, and replace the hard drive with one with more recording capability. It's commonplace to see recording times bumped from 30 hours to 150 hours, or more. This act, while legal, will void the manufacturers warranty on the unit. Hopefully, that gives you an idea of the breadth of help you can get from that site.
There are a few downsides to the system that need improving.
First, the menus are generally slow. You can scroll down three screens before the hard disk will pause the menu in order to catch up.
When you first view a program, a title bar appears. There are two settings for the speed in which to display the titles: normal and fast. I find the normal is generally too slow, and the fast is too fast. A middle ground would be better.
Movie descriptions need to be given more thought. When you view the details of a movie to see what its about, the descriptions are generally bad, and many times plot revealing. A description for the movie Psycho might read "Crazy man kills travellers at eerie motel."
The cost of the system is prohibitive. You can expect to pay $399 for the Sony SAT-T60. In addition, you'll have to pay $10 per month for the Tivo service. All in all, despite the high cost, its still worth it.
UPDATE ON UNIT COST: The cost of these units have decreased drastically. The unit I paid $399 for less than a year ago can now be purchased for $99. The cost of the service is still the same.
An additional note on cost: If you have two or more televisions in your home, you can have two or more Tivo units drawing off the same dish. Your only additional cost is $5 that Directv charges for each additional unit. It's becoming more commonplace for people to own 2 or even 3 Tivo units since the price has dropped.
Overall, its one of the better pieces of television equipment you can purchase. I highly recommend this unit.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 399
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Epinions.com ID:
mrbluesky
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Location: Milwaukee, WI USA
Reviews written: 37
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
I like working in the garden, and watching sports on television.
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