Multi-Task Your Television Experience
Written: Jan 12 '02
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Pros: Records two things simultaneously. Perfect recording picture quality.
Cons: Expensive. Slow guide system. Have to set up a satellite dish.
The Bottom Line: Makes TV easier and more convenient to watch. I love it.
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| jrgvi's Full Review: Sony SAT-T60 DIRECTV Receiver with TiVo Service |
I started using a stand-alone TIVO unit in the middle of December (Sony SVR-2000) and was amazed by the new flexibility that I had while I was watching TV. I would never watch a TV show live in order to avoid the commercials and it was very simple for me to record any and every show that I was interested in. I never had to worry about missing any of my favorite shows again. This experience has been multiplied by two with Sony's latest DirecTIVO box, the SAT-T60. This little miracle has the miracle of 35 hours of recording technology as well as dual tuners. Thanks to the MPEG-2 format of the DirecTV signal that is beamed from the sky to your dish there is an all ready, perfect to record, format coming into your TIVO unit. If that isn't enough, the SAT-T60 has the ability to receive two signals, simultaneously. This means, that unlike with regular TIVO units you can watch one thing live and record another at the same time. You can even record two things at the same time. And if that were not enough, it is also possible to record two things at once, and be watching a third thing that was previously recorded, again, all at the same time. I tried this tonight and was impressed by the DirecTIVO's ability to do all 3 things without missing a beat. Having just ordered DirecTV, I am being overwhelmed with numerous movie channels. With so many movies on at the same time I can only control this madness by recording them and watching them at the same time. There is no other way, they often overlap.
Now all this obviously comes at a price. I paid $400 for all the hardware, which included a free 18" dual LNB dish (required for using the dual-tuner functionality of the SAT-T60) as well as two set-up kits that included all the necessary cables and of course the Sony SAT-T60. You set-up the system much like any other DirecTV system with the dish and getting pointing in just the right direction is a bit tricky, but once you have it, you are set.
The only other downfall I have seen so far is the slow moving guide. While browsing the on-screen guide it often takes a few seconds for it to populate and show you what is on or going to be on. This is frustrating if you are frantically looking for something that is on, but you just don't know on what channel.
A special note about the dual-tuner functionality. The SAT-T60 does not ship with the latest version of software that allows the feature to work. When you first install the unit it will act as though there is only one tuner. Do not fear, as the TIVO service will update this software over the next day or two and install it automatically. Just view your messages that are left in the TIVO inbox to find out what changes have been made, what changes will be made, or follow any instructions that have perhaps been left in the messages.
I have only had TIVO for about a month and now DirecTIVO for a day, but as a technology freak I cannot see how I ever did without it. I will update this if I find any thing new that I think I need to share.
If you like high-quality picture and sound, appreciate a myriad of channels to choose from, want the amazing flexibility of TIVO with the added feature of dual tuners, can look past a few extra seconds while using the on-screen guide and have a few extra bucks to spend. Buy one.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 400
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Epinions.com ID:
jrgvi
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Reviews written: 1
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