DirecTV TiVo box with Bell ExpressVu

[SoulTrain]

I recently moved to Canada from the US. In the US I had DirecTV with an RCA TiVo receiver, which my wife and i grew to love. Suddenly in Canada I am confronted with the incredibly high prices of buying the PVR packages for Bell (and StarChoice, for that matter). I am wondering if there is a way to use my current RCA (DirecTV) box to receive the Bell signal (and use the TiVo features), or to buy a cheap non-PVR Bell or StarChoice package and use just the TiVo functionality of my existing box in conjunction with it. I greatly appreciate any help that can be provided.

Thanks.

 

[rkrenicki]

No, there is no way.

Depending on the service you wish to use, you must buy the hardware from them.

Theres always the choice of using DirecTV in Canada.......

 

[htguy]

You can create yourself a PVR computer. Much more powerful and useful than any Tivo; just make sure you are comfortable w/ computers.

 

[Pepper]

However, none of the DBS services produces a tuner card you can put in that computer, so you're stuck with FTA or figuring out how to get it to control an external receiver box.

 

[htguy]

You don't need a DBS tuner for your computer. "S-Video out" on Receiver to "S-video In' on Mpeg2 encoding card. Variety of different mpeg2 hardware encoding cards on the market.


Of course you are limited to SD material.


www.sagetv.com




Having it control the tuner on receiver is simple.

 

[Jumbo Dumbo]

or to buy a cheap non-PVR Bell or StarChoice package and use just the TiVo functionality of my existing box in conjunction with it. I greatly appreciate any help that can be provided.

Thanks.

I picked up one of those Voom clearout receivers at Future Shop last weekend. Great deal for $129. As a new customer in Canada, you would also get a $50 programming and free install of elliptical dish. $79 net is a great price.

Bell is already selling the 9200 HDDVR for less than Dish sells the 942. SC is keeping their HDDVR price high probably due to the firmware bugs that Motorola hasn't fixed yet. But I can't see them going lower than $399 in the next 12 to 24 months. Star Choice doesn't charge extra for HD so they try to break even on the HD hardware costs.