All PVR

So you received a Tivo for Christmas. Congratulations and welcome.

Owning a Tivo will definitely change the way you watch TV. It may very well change your life. Yes, you may watch more TV but you’ll have fun doing it. Chances are you’ll watch exactly the shows you want, when you want. If you’re an avid TV watcher like me, that’s the best gift of all.

Since you’re new, I’ve compiled the top six things you can do right now to customize Tivo and make it work even better:

1. If you own a Tivo Series 2, you can enable 30-second skip so you can zip by commercials faster than a speeding bullet. To enable it just perform the following commands on your Tivo remote while watching a stored show: Select Play Select 3 0 Select.

2. If you’re having set up problems, check out some diagrams of typical Tivo connections. Or go right to Tivo.com and see examples of typical setups for your box(series 1, 2 or 3). There are diagrams on how to precisely connect your cable box, sound system, DVD player, game system or other devices.

3. You might want to turn off those Tivo sound effects or at least turn down the volume. Some people find them cute but after a few weeks it can get very annoying. Go to the Tivo main menu, then select Messages & Setup; then My Preferences; then Audio Options; and then Sound Effects Volume. Select either Off, Low, Medium, or High.

4. Find your favorite TV shows to record. You can use Tivo to type in names of your favorite shows. But it’s much easier if you register on the Tivo.com website and do it from there. You can search much easier since you can type rather than use your remote as a keyboard.

5. Don’t use the telephone line connection, if at all possible. If you use a router on your broadband connection, connect your Tivo via an Ethernet cable instead. For an even better experience, purchase a USB WiFi adapter for your Tivo to avoid having to string another wire across your living room. Tivo will use your broadband connection to download updates. And there’s nothing like going completely cordless.

6. If you have a Series 2 Tivo, download the TivoToGo software for your Windows computer, so you can download shows from Tivo to your computer. You can also view photos or listen to music on your computer from your new Tivo.

That’s it for now. If you have any questions, or have tips of your own, just reply to this post or send me an e-mail. I’ll collect the best ones and write an update.

Enjoy your new Tivo!