Monday, March 27, 2006

near Tivo disaster

So I come home from work today, ready to enjoy an evening of Tivo. And somehow, the channel won't change. It SAYS it's changing, but it's stuck on CITY-TV. I don't love Gord Martineau that much.

So I go through the troubleshooting, until I remember the mantra of the Knitty household: when something suddenly stops working, go check the cords.

Yes. A nice clean nip through the IR cord, probably by Boeing. She's the real destructo bun.

Hub was able to splice the wires back together, and we have reinforced the area where the wires sit behind the TV. We thought we'd secured it before, but we've added a big sheet of masonite that is as bunny proof as anything we can put there.

As for the people that told me it would change my life, they're absolutely right. There's no urgency to watch anything. I don't have to schedule my life around TV schedules. I can pee when I want. Even my favorite Sunday morning ritual [programming Knitty pages while watching Sunday Morning on CBS] was more enjoyable, since I could pause whenever I needed to concentrate, and then pick up where I left off.] Don't even start about the 30-second skip button. I would have its children, I love it so much.

Networks: you no longer control me. No more commercials for disgusting foot fungus or the rude Pepto-Bismol rap dudes. I am free!

posted by amy [Knitty] @ 8:02 PM 11 comments

Comments:
I tell people that TiVo is God..creator of free time. In our house we start watching everything at about 25-20 minutes after the start time...skip through those commercials and still be done on time. Love it - Can't live without it.
# posted by Blogger Darci : 8:20 PM, March 27, 2006
 
DVRs were born in heaven. i can't say enough good things about mine. i won't go without it ever again!
# posted by Blogger gleek : 10:03 PM, March 27, 2006
 
I thought Mom was being a little silly when she bought herself a Tivo for Christmas... and now I love it as much as she does! Finally we are able to watch our sci-fi shows without having to sit through terrible repetive Sci-Fi channel commercials! Huzzah!

(or alternately record decorating shows for tips later) XD
# posted by Anonymous Neveth : 3:10 AM, March 28, 2006
 
and my husband, geek and massive gear ho, was merely humoring me when i said i was getting tivo. he couldn't see how it would be so great, or that it would change our TV viewing habits. he's totally converted now. took about 8 hours, I believe. last night, he hardwired us into the home network, so we've got faster update access and hopefully (cause i haven't gotten it to work yet) online scheduling. eee!
# posted by Blogger amy [Knitty] : 8:47 AM, March 28, 2006
 
Just wait 'til you have TiVo impulses for other things. In the car listening to the radio...no back skip to catch that point again...no thirty second skip past annoying commercials. I kind of feel like podcasting could be the TiVo of radio- searching for topics you like, pausing, listening when you want.
# posted by Blogger Tisra : 10:16 AM, March 28, 2006
 
My black cat, Winnie, loves to chew electrical cords. I had to buy a new adapter for my computer because she chomped right through it. I really think she likes the feeling of getting shocked, that or she's a bit stupid.
# posted by Anonymous Caren : 10:40 AM, March 28, 2006
 
I WANT ONE NOW!!!! *pout*
# posted by Anonymous indigirl : 12:56 PM, March 28, 2006
 
amy, i believe you have a blood-relation enabler who can make it happen for you? just ship it to them and they'll ship it to you, and poof -- you can work at the shop and come home and see whatever the hell you want, whatever time it is.
# posted by Blogger amy [Knitty] : 1:03 PM, March 28, 2006
 
Why is this service better than the DVR services offered in Canada?
# posted by Anonymous Paula : 11:20 PM, March 28, 2006
 
DVRs in canada are just digital VCRs. the Tivo service is like a little brain. it knows that you want every episode of the sopranos and doesn't just record any showing -- it gets ones you don't have.

you have to tell a DVR every time you want to see something. with Tivo, you can say "these are the shows i watch. go get 'em!" and it does, all by itself. that's why you pay a monthly fee beyond the value of the box. the Tivo service is the big dealy.

:-)
# posted by Blogger amy [Knitty] : 7:08 AM, March 29, 2006
 
We are an ex-bunny family (too traumatizing to move 16 buns cross-country in the heat of summer, especially since the truck also contained 5 kids, a cat, and 2 big dogs) and know how destructive they can be. (Ours loved to eat thru the plaster wall so they could nibble the lathe behind it!!) Have you tried running all of your cords thru a length of PVC pipe?
# posted by Anonymous Tish (dudevoir@adelphia.net) : 1:56 PM, March 30, 2006
 
Post a Comment