the UGC: Because We Needed Another Remote Control

Because We Needed Another Remote Control
July 13, 2009

It is way past my bedtime, but I had a Coke about 2 hours ago and I think the caffeine is probably helping keep me awake. Mostly though, I think it's my absolute determination to install our new (used) Tivo.

A friend wasn't using it and offered it to us, and we're not the type to look a Tivo gift horse in the mouth. However, I've been attempting to get everything hooked up since about 9:30 this evening and it's now 15 past midnight. I think things would have gone faster had I realized I should have started running the system set-up. Also, the fact that my TV is old and only has a cable jack (and no other input output thingies) doesn't help things.

The television has to be hooked up through the VCR and that has to be turned on if we want to watch a DVD, and the cable is somehow hooked up through the VCR too (but it doesn't have to be on to watch tv). I've been pretty good about being able to take this set up apart and put it back together in the past, but adding a Tivo to the mix brings is a whole other story.

Not only do I have to figure out how to correctly connect everything (and it's not just coaxial cables, there's A/V cables too), I also had to figure out why it wasn't dialing out to wherever it has to dial out to (that took a good chunk of time). The past hour or so has been me double checking the connections and trying to figure out why live TV isn't quite working. About half an hour ago after some google searching, I realized that there's an actual set-up module thing I should be running (which is going on as I type this). Even if that fixes everything, I still may have to go buy an A/V cable on my lunch tomorrow if we want to watch DVDs again, because I'm currently using that cable in the hopes that it will make everything happy (well, except the DVD player - but why would we even need DVDs when we have Tivo?!).

If I get this all figured out, I think I should get to add it to my resume. And a certificate to frame and hang on my wall.

UPDATE: The set-up finished right after I typed everything up there, and it's mostly working! I may have to run set-up again to change the code on the remote, but OMG! WE HAS A TIVO!

$\"\"$ \n\n\nIt is way past my bedtime, but I had a Coke about 2 hours ago and I think the caffeine is probably helping keep me awake. Mostly though, I think it's my absolute determination to install our new (used) Tivo.\n\nA friend wasn't using it and offered it to us, and we're not the type to look a Tivo gift horse in the mouth. However, I've been attempting to get everything hooked up since about 9:30 this evening and it's now 15 past midnight. I think things would have gone faster had I realized I should have started running the system set-up. Also, the fact that my TV is old and only has a cable jack (and no other input output thingies) doesn't help things. \n\nThe television has to be hooked up through the VCR and that has to be turned on if we want to watch a DVD, and the cable is somehow hooked up through the VCR too (but it doesn't have to be on to watch tv). I've been pretty good about being able to take this set up apart and put it back together in the past, but adding a Tivo to the mix brings is a whole other story. \n\nNot only do I have to figure out how to correctly connect everything (and it's not just coaxial cables, there's A/V cables too), I also had to figure out why it wasn't dialing out to wherever it has to dial out to (that took a good chunk of time). The past hour or so has been me double checking the connections and trying to figure out why live TV isn't quite working. About half an hour ago after some google searching, I realized that there's an actual set-up module thing I should be running (which is going on as I type this). Even if that fixes everything, I still may have to go buy an A/V cable on my lunch tomorrow if we want to watch DVDs again, because I'm currently using that cable in the hopes that it will make everything happy (well, except the DVD player - but why would we even need DVDs when we have Tivo?!).\n\nIf I get this all figured out, I think I should get to add it to my resume. And a certificate to frame and hang on my wall. \n\nUPDATE: The set-up finished right after I typed everything up there, and it's mostly working! I may have to run set-up again to change the code on the remote, but OMG! WE HAS A TIVO!

Follow...