Anybody want to buy a slightly used* TiVo?

It's been a good four years or more since we first fell in love with the TiVo. It's Rob and Katie's fault. They showed it to us upon our first visit to their apartment. We immediately (the following weekend, if I recall correctly) ran out to get our own. Everything about the device was revolutionary: the interface, the performance, the ease of use, and the ability to follow your favorite shows automatically when they changed dates or times without your knowledge. It was the rare device that did exactly what it claimed it would do. It changed the way we watched television.

But that was four years ago. A lifetime in technological terms.

A couple of weeks ago, a salesperson from AT&T stopped by, offering to upgrade us to their new U-Verse fiber optic system. This would transfer our existing phone and DSL service to a digital phone and wireless gateway-based system, as well as offer us a wealth of digital television options. Plus, they'd give us a free month of service, and a hundred bucks. "Um..." I said, "Let me think about it a sec."

I've been resisting the upgrade of our standard analog cable hookup for a long time. Our brief experience with a cable box in Fishkill did not go well. Often, planned VCR recordings would fail because the box was tuned to the wrong channel, or turned off entirely. The TiVo has the ability to interface with a cable box, but only through a IR-based system, one that isn't 100% error free. I wasn't excited about adding an extra technological layer to our system. Still, if we ever plan on upgrading to an HDTV setup, we'll need digital cable, and Comcast just keeps raising the price of analog while removing programming from the analog lineup (last I checked, $56 a month for "extended basic"). Switching to the AT&T bundle would save us about $40 a month.

Oh, and the new system comes with a DVR. I didn't really pay attention to the specs, because I intended to continue to use the TiVo though the cable box, but in the back of my mind I heard the words "...can record four programs at once." Hmmm... interesting, I thought. We don't really need a DVR, but I guess it will be worth wading through the clunky UI as a backup to our VCR setup. I told the sales guy okay, and we set up an install date.

We got the system this past Friday. It took longer to get up and running than anybody expected, so I didn't really have a chance to fiddle with things until Saturday. Still, the TV worked, our standard Friday night recordings were being picked up by the new DVR (since the TiVo was technically blind at that point) and both of my studio computers could access the internet (though not each other, more on that in a sec), so I was pretty happy to start with.

Then I tried setting up the TiVo. Hookup cable box output to TiVo input, check. Rerun TiVo setup, uh-huh. Zip Code stays the same... Do I have cable, or satellite? Um... neither? Okay, let's try cable. Wait for it to call home... nope, the only cable option is Comcast. Okay, back up, and choose satellite. Wait for it to call home again... DirecTV or Dish Network? No, I have U-Verse now, TiVo. Where is that?

The TiVo suggested that I go to the support forums online. The official FAQs didn't help a whole lot, but a Google search soon located some other forums that addressed what I needed. See? All we have to do is call TiVo, and they'll give us a zip code that DOES include the U-Verse info... but it's not 100% correct. Oh, I can request that they update their lineup on the TiVo website, but that takes 2-3 weeks. What's this? People can't seem to get the IR blaster to change the channels on the U-Verse box. What? Need to buy a third party IR cable? Huh? Don't point it at the IR port on the cable box, but about three inches to the left of it? And remove the front cover first? What? The best results were found by holding the IR emitter two inches above the box, over the left-hand corner, and rotating it 45 degrees? Oh, and the U-Verse box has a habit of falling asleep when it's idle, requiring user input to return to programming, so you often end up with a recording in the TiVo marked "Doctor Who" that's just an hour's worth of a screen saying "Press OK to continue?"

My head started to swim. This wasn't going to work. Even if I could get MacGuyver some sort of setup that worked most of the time, there would always be that doubt in the back of my mind that something wouldn't record because the two boxes wouldn't communicate properly. We're going to have to cancel the U-Verse. We certainly can't abandon the TiVo! Our TiVo.

Or could we? After all, the U-Verse included a DVR, one that, while different, wasn't all that bad. What was I trying to do? Get my four-year-old box to interface with the brand new unit so I could get it to do exactly what the new box was capable of doing on its own. And the new DVR can record four shows at once. No more priority lists. No more VCR backup. No more needing to watch anything live ever again. Plus, it has video on demand, picture in picture channel surfing, and the ability to browse menus while the video continues in the background.

It slowly dawned on us (it took me longer than Stef). This was okay. We'd gotten our money's worth out of our TiVo. It was time to move on. Then we checked eBay. 80-hour Series 2 units with lifetime subscriptions are still going for several hundred dollars. Well, that settles it.

So, nearly all of our season passes have been migrated over to the new DVR. The TiVo's still connected, as there are a few more shows in there that we'd like to watch, but it's not set up to record anything anytime soon. Actually, it thinks it's attached to a DirectTV system and that it's able to change channels and everything. I just couldn't bring myself to tell it the truth.

This isn't to say that everything is peaches and cream with the U-Verse system. My two studio computers, which used to be hard-wired to a Linksys router in the old DSL setup, are now connected to the wireless gateway in the other room via USB wireless antennas. I'm still fiddling with the antenna positions, and I do occasionally lose the connection. My shared folders, which used to be visible between the two computers, are now missing as well. From what I can gather, it's likely a firewall issue, but I haven't had the guts to dive into both the Norton and Windows firewall settings, armed with port numbers and IP address ranges, to make it all work. Not sure what I'm going to do on that front quite yet. Do I need to call the Nerd Herd?

On the whole, though, we're pretty happy with our upgrade. Plus, since we get the first month free, we have the super-deluxe package, with, like, eight HBOs. Yesterday, I watched some classic Doctor Who on Demand. No, I'm not talking Christopher Eccleston. This is Patrick Troughton, Doctor Number Two, from 1968. Odd.

Goodbyes are so hard. Later, TiVo!

*Okay, moderately used** TiVo.

**Fine. Ridiculously overused TiVo. But well loved.

Again, I think I'm behind the curve on this one, but this is just too awesome not to share:

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Whedon. Harris. Fillion.

Super-villains. Freeze Rays. Musical Theater.

And it's a love story.

Act I is up now. II and III on the way.

The Kid is six months old today. Can you believe it?

The milestones, they keep a'comin'. This past weekend, we brought the high chair up from the basement to prepare for the administration of (ta da!) solid food.

Actually, it's not all that solid. We're only supposed to introduce one food every couple of days, to make sure that there aren't any crazy reactions. First up is the joys of rice cereal, which looks more like rice glop to me. Not even glop, really. Just thickened liquid.

Mmmmmm... yummy. So we mixed the stuff up, strapped him into the chair, and put it in front of him. There was a bit of a stare down before they began.

"Wait. Let's talk about this first. What exactly are you planning to do to me?"

It didn't take too long for him to realize that this was something he could put in his mouth, though, so he was quick to open up.

What he thought of the taste was debatable.

"Seriously, Dad? You're just going to stand there and let her do this?"

Still, these early feedings are less about nutrition and more about getting him used to the process of eating. In that regard, it went well. He didn't eat much on the first go round, but yesterday he ate about half of what was in the bowl. Sure, he made a mess doing it, but he seemed to enjoy it, actually grabbing the spoon and shoving it in his mouth.

Next up... bananas.

Oh, and here's a shot of TK in his new car seat (too heavy for the old one, hooray for Babies "R" Us coupons!) on his way to a stamping convention with Stef. She stamped his little dragon shirt. Cute.

Once again, Penny Arcade has convinced me to purchase a video game. Last time, it was Puzzle Quest, which led to not only my purchase of the game, but a system to play it on. This time, caving in only cost me five bucks.

Here is the comic. The game is Song Summoner, an iTunes download for click-wheel iPods designed by SquareEnix. It's an FF Tactics-style turn-based RPG that uses the songs on your iPod to create your in-game army. Through some mysterious process, any song on your iPod can be transformed into a "Tune Trooper," with a specific job class, strengths and weaknesses. You can then train this warrior, power it up, and take it into battle. You also get credit for listening to the songs that spawned your creatures outside the game. I'm not sure what happens when you earn enough of these credits, but my in-game mentor says it will be good.

The comic in question makes fun of using wimpy songs to create your creatures, so I decided to put it to the test. My iPod contains songs for the whole family, so I had a wide range to choose from, and I've found that the so-called "manliness" of the music doesn't necessarily translate to stronger troopers. Both Sepheroth's Theme and Nightwish's "Ghost Love Score" produced only average fighters, a mage and a knight respectively. Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway," however, created a very powerful warrior that I'm still using. I haven't yet built up the courage to try a Raffi song in this context, but I bet it will be awesome (and think how much credit I'd get for playing it!).

The game itself seems pretty tough, at least from a limited resource perspective. Each trooper can only be deployed a certain number of times, and only the use of a very expensive item can replenish that number. Dying in training or battle will also reduce deployment stats, so I'm faced with a dilemma regarding how much I invest in a particular trooper who I may not be able to use later in the game. I can always make more, I suppose, but it's a bummer if I get attached to my favorite "Captain Turbo." and I simply can't use him anymore.

Still, it's an interesting diversion, and the price point makes it an instant recommendation. Just don't wander too far from a power source. The iPod isn't nearly as efficient at running the screen at full brightness as the DS is. That dwindling battery icon will become nearly as important as your magical defense stat when you go into battle.

Looks like another audiobook has hit the 'net:

Sure-Fire by Jack Higgins and Justin Richards

It would seem that these are available on iTunes as well, which I personally find a bit odd. I've hit the big time, yes sir-ee, I have!

Happy listening.

It's official. The Kid's first words are...

(drumroll)

"Hi Da-Da!"

Yup. I'm calling it. He's been toying with the "d" sound for the past few days, but he's really been sticking with "da da da da da da!" Yesterday, when I picked him up out of his crib, he looked right in my eyes and said "Hi, Da-Da!" I smiled in surprise and repeated it, and he said it right back to me.

Then, he turned and said it to his crib. And the dog. And Stefanie.

He's pretty much been saying it nonstop, actually. Still, he did in fact say it to me, and I am Da-Da, so I'm calling it as his first words.

I've called it. It's been called.

So my Father's Day request was to travel to South Norwalk to show The Kid the aquarium there. We thought he'd be a little young to enjoy a zoo, but the bright colors of the tropical fish might just hold his attention nicely. Of course, we'd have to make sure he was in a position to see all of the fish, but that wasn't much of an issue.

Wow, that is an incredibly unflattering shot of me. I look like that old alternate Strong Bad from Homestar Runner. Anyway...

There were times, like with the tropical fish and the frogs, that he really wanted to interact with the animals. He probably thougt they were chewable toys.

You can't see it here, but we're looking at a column of jellyfish. They looked like little Metroids. Here's a shot through the collumn:

On Sunday, we visited my grandparents and went out to lunch with the family. After all, we had not only Father's Day to celebrate, but also Tracy's birthday, our anniversary, and The Kid's five month milestone. But first, we played a bit with TK's favorite play center.

Notice how Lucy wants to play too. Sorry, Dog.

Happy Dad's Day!

Eight Years.

The Ocho.

I went back to see what I was talking about around this time last year, and it's odd to remember the mindset we were in at that point. We knew The Kid was on the way. We had known for about a month, but we didn't want to jinx it by telling all of you people. I'm sure you understand. So instead, I spent a lot of time talking about Cedar Point and the Stargate Finale. You guys never saw it coming.

It would be an understatement to say that the past year has been an eventful one. We've had our share of challenges this year, but when it came right down to it, I was never really worried, because I had my lovely lady right beside me to face them together. Hurdles certainly are a lot easier to tackle that way.

We celebrated our many years of wedded bliss last night by leaving The Kid with Stef's aunt, and visiting our favorite restaurant (Taste). We went all out, ordering appetizers, a "wine flight," our favorite entrees, and our own desserts (we usually share one). The owner came over to say hi, and when he heard it was our anniversary, he gave us a bottle of champagne on the house. It's nice to be a "regular" (it's also nice to have a unique last name, it's easy for him to remember us).

The rain had really picked up as we finished our meal, and the only other party in the room decided to order another round of drinks and wait it out. We, on the other hand, decided to brave a few drops so we could get back to our little boy. When we came in the door, he got the biggest smile on his face. Mommy and Daddy are home!

It was a perfect evening.

I have a whole bunch of awesome pictures of The Kid and his trip to the aquarium this past weekend, but my blog software is being pissy and won't let me upload them. I'll figure it out at some point, I'm sure, but for now you'll just have to hold your horses. Sorry.

I would really like to own a Playstation 3, but I have not yet been able to justify its purchase. There are at least three reasons for this*, but the one I most often share with people is that I haven't yet found my third must-own game.

Much like my justification for purchasing music albums, I try to follow the Rule of Three when it comes to adopting a new game system: until I can point out three games that I really want to play and that I can't currently find for the systems I have, it's not worth the new system purchase. As I recall, it took a full year after the release of the PS2 for me to find my must-have trio (Ico, and the original Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter games). Until then, I had to make do with the original Playstation (and even then, all I could do was nicely ask Stef for it for Christmas, but it was a justified request).

For the longest time, I only had one must-own game for the PS3: Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. That game is oh so pretty. I smile just thinking about it. Then, I started hearing great things about Portal, part of The Orange Box. It sounds like a fascinating puzzler with a quirky sense of humor, and it quickly became my Number Two (yes, I know I can purchase The Orange Box for other systems, but none that I own, so it applies).

But where was Number Three? Many of the "big" PS3 releases, while mildly interesting, don't really create a large enough blip on my radar. Grand Theft Auto IV? Nah. I've never played one, and I doubt I have the time to dive into such an immersive world. Metal Gear Solid 4? Again, never played any of them, and stealth action really isn't my cup of tea. I must admit that Bioshock on the PS3 is intriguing, but not in a system purchase kind of way. But then I found it:

Hail to the Chimp - An animal-themed political-parody minigame competition with tongue firmly in cheek. It has an in-game news network that recaps the game events and broadcasts political commercials. One of the reviewers from EGM said he left it on in the background while he was working so he could hear the snide comments by the news anchor on the idle menu screen. That says a lot. I almost get a You Don't Know Jack vibe from the review. I could be sorely disappointed by this game, but at the moment, Hail to the Chimp sits firmly in the Number Three slot.

Though I guess if that game doesn't work out, I could always wait for another Ratchet and Clank to come out. Maybe the price will have come down a bit more by then. It's okay. I can wait... for now.

--

*Additional reasons include the fact that I don't actually need any new video games right now. I'm still in the middle of Okami and Phantom Hourglass. I haven't even started on Twilight Princess, Sly Cooper 2 or 3, or Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg. I'm sure I left a good chunk of Burnout Revenge tracks unconquered. And that doesn't even touch on any last-gen games that I could still enjoy, like the PS2 release of Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters. Reason Three was pointed out by Mr. Lindberg, and that is that a next-gen system isn't nearly as cool without a next-gen television, and I can't imagine the look I'd get from Stefanie if I just showed up with a flat screen HDTV saying that I needed it to play my new PS3. In fact, I can't imagine what she'd do right now if I showed up with the PS3 in the first place, which I guess makes Reason Number Four.

And there's that whole child care time sink, which would be Reason Number Five. Drat.