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Plug your cable box, satellite receiver,
and/or antenna (collectively, your "input sources") into the personal television
(PTV) unit, setup any infrared (IR) blasters, connect the output from the PTV to your
television, and plug in the power and phone. Turn it on, configure your
input sources and you're about ready to go. Your PTV unit controls
your input sources; you use the PTV remote to change the channel, it
ferries the signal to your input source and changes the channel for you. Your PTV
remote can control other devices as well. After wiring the PTV to your
home system, but before you can start using it, there is a waiting period
while it downloads channel lineups and configures itself ("initialization
time").
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Feature
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ReplayTV
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TiVo
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Personal Television unit
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5000/5500 series:
4000/4500 series:
Replay-branded:
Panasonic (Showstopper):
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TiVo-branded Series2:
AT&T Broadband:
Philips:
Sony (SVR-2000):
Sony (SVR-3000):
Thomson (U.K.):
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Remote control
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The 4000 and 4500 series come with the backlit 46-button remote
control shown on the left. It includes a Bypass button to see the raw input
signal unbuffered. The quick skip button is awkwardly located near the
bottom. The 5000 and 5500 series include the redesigned 40-button remote
control shown on the right. It is not backlit, and resembles the Sony TiVo
remote.
This remote comes with the 2001, 2003, and 2004: 48 buttons, many of them
tiny; QuickSkip button; universal remote can control up to 6 devices;
traditional remote shape.
The left remote comes only with the 2020, 3020, and 3030:
Slims down to 45 buttons, controls up to 4 devices, redesigned look and shape.
The right remote comes with the Panasonic models and is functionally identical.
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The TiVo Series2 remote has 34 buttons; separate Live TV and Guide
buttons; additional Standby, TV Input, and PIP buttons (the latter currently
does nothing); additional DVR switch for controlling multiple units;
otherwise it is the same as the Philips remotes. The AT&T Broadband remote
(not shown) is functionally identical.
 
The Philips remote is on the left, and the Thomson on the right.
They each have 30 buttons, many of them do double-duty; volume/mute can
control either TV or stereo; power can control either one, or both
simultaneously; contoured remote.
This heavy-bottomed, 37-button remote is bundled with Sony units.
It comes with an additional button that brings you directly to
the list of recorded programs. It also has a PTV power button. Like the other
models, you can control the TV and volume through the remote, except
this one can also learn the codes directly from the TV remote.
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Accessories
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Documentation
1 RCA audio/video cable
1 S-Video cable++
1 Phone "Y" splitter*
1 Dual IR blaster cable
1 A/C power cord
1 25' Telephone cord
2 AA batteries
1 RJ-11 to 9 pin adapter
1 Pass-through serial cable
1 9 to 15 pin adapter
1 Coaxial cable+
1 Ethernet cable++
+ Only with 4000 series and newer
++ Only with 4000s/4500s
* Only with older pre-4000 models
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Documentation
2 RCA audio/video cables**
1 S-Video cable++
1 Phone "Y" splitter
1 Dual IR blaster cable
1 A/C power cord
1 50' Telephone cable*
2 AA batteries
1 RG-6 coaxial cable
1 DB-9 serial cable
1 DB-9 to DB-15 converter+
+ Not with Series2/AT&T/SVR-3000
++ Not with Series2/AT&T
* 25 feet with Series2/AT&T/SVR-3000
** Only 1 with Series2/AT&T/SVR-3000
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Optional accessories
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Wireless phone jack ($49.95)
Replacement IR blaster cable ($6.95)
Extra remote ($29.99)
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Wireless phone jack ($69.99)
Extra remote ($29.99 and up)
Surge protector ($39.99)
USB Network Adapter ($43.99)
Wireless USB Network Adapter ($64.99)
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Initialization time
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About twenty minutes
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Takes two hours to fully initialize but it is usable after 30 minutes
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