After much, much work in Photoshop, we’ve added a new page to our website showing and describing each key on the Harmony 880 remote. The bottom line is that literally any key can be customized with any function (or macro) but we list the default for each for use with a TiVo DVR.

We really think this remote is excellent and we highly recommend it for any user with an A/V receiver in their system. And for the time being there’s a $50 rebate on the remote.

If you’re looking to buy a DIRECTV DVR (R10 or HR10), you should be aware that the rebate from DIRECTV is ending soon. The rebate expires 2/28/06 (you have to purchase, but not necessarily receive, install, or activate by that date). To the best of our knowledge, this rebate will not be replaced by a new rebate for existing customers.

Our rebate list is here:

http://www.weaknees.com/rebate

So you have until tomorrow night to get in under the wire!

OK – so you’re hi-tech and you’ve dumped your landline for Vonage or some other VoIP. And now your TiVo doesn’t dial-in. You’ve got a bunch of options to get back on track. Figure out which model classification you have below and we’ll tell you what to do. Believe it or not, all TiVo DVRs have a serial port (even though it looks like a headphone jack) and this makes for some possibilities.

Series 1 TiVos (Philips DSR6000 and HDR series, Sony SVR-2000 and SAT T-60, Hughes GXCEBOT): These units are the original. If they work, keep them going. We sell an external modem kit for your TiVo that will work with Vonage and most other VoIP providers. It’s easy to install, quick to setup, and just plain-old works.

Series 2 Standalone TiVos and DVD TiVos: If you’ve got one of these, and you’ve got VoIP, then you just need a network adapter and you can get your TiVo on the net and you won’t need a phone line. Just go into Messages and Setup and tell your TiVo how to connect after you hook up the hardware.

Series 2 DirecTV TiVos (including HD): Two options here. Easiest is: don’t dial it in at all. If you’ve already set up the unit, it doesn’t need to dial-in anymore. It’ll complain that you haven’t dialed it in in XX days (mine is finally over 400!) but you just have to click Select once per day, max, and it’s gone. You can’t purchase PayPerView from the unit, but you can still purchase it by phone or on the internet and this TiVo will see the show. Don’t worry about the guide data running out – that comes from the satellite dish on these units. But if you want to get rid of the warning message (nag screen) and/or be able to do PayPerView, you can use our external modem kit. If you have one of these units, you’ll need the $11 cable also since one didn’t come with your unit originally.

If you haven’t set up your Series 2 DirecTV TiVo yet, then you have two options. You can go to a friend’s house (even one without DirecTV) and get through the two setup phone calls there. If you do that, first get the unit through the beginning of setup with a satellite dish connected; then call DirecTV and have them activate the card. After that you can do the dial-ins without the satellite dish connected if you need to. The other option is, yet again, the WeaKnees external TiVo modem kit. This will get you through initial setup, and the later dial-ins.

One final note: at least one VoIP provider doesn’t support modems at all, so we recommend that you avoid them: Packet8.

We have just posted a new page listing all of the rebates available for products we sell:

WeaKnees Rebate Page

We’ll try to keep them all listed here and up-to-date.

The vast majority of remote-controlled consumer electronics devices these days, including all TiVos, are controlled using infrared (IR) technology. While useful and convenient for most uses, IR suffers from one primary drawback: It requires a line of sight from the remote control to the unit that is being controlled.

Increasingly, though, many of our customers are looking for radio frequency (RF) remote controls for their TiVos and other equipment. If you are not using RF now, or if you have not thought about moving from infrared to RF, here are some reasons to do so:

1) Using an RF remote, you can put your TiVo in a closet, drawer or other cabinet (which is often quieter than on top of or next the TV), and run wires from there to the TV. If your TiVo is in your bedroom and are bothered by the drive or fan noise, this can be a marriage-saver!

2) With RF, you can control your TiVo, radio, etc., from any room in your house (presuming it’s not the White House or some other monstrosity—RF does have a limited range). This will help if you want to watch a TiVo on multiple TVs, if you have audio playing throughout your house from a central location, etc.

3) You can use RF to drive people in the house crazy…sitting safely in your bedroom while the person in the living room is trying to watch TV

…and the list goes on.

If you have a device that has an infrared remote (such as a TiVo), but prefer RF, you have a couple of options. One of the easiest and least expensive is this device, the RF Remote Extender, which replaces a battery in the remote with a smaller battery (same voltage) and a special transmitter that sends the remote’s keypresses via RF to a receiver that sits near the TiVo (or other device(s)) that you are controlling. It’s range is up to 150 ft, depending on the type of material the signal has to penetrate.

Alternatively, a number of RF universal remotes will convert IR into RF, although they can be quite expensive, and we are still searching for one that we are happy enough with to stock.

As RF becomes more popular, more consumer-electronics devices have the functionality built-in. DIRECTV is incorporating RF functionality into its more of its higher-end receivers and remotes. The H20 high definition receiver (which is not a DVR, not a TiVo) includes an RF remote control.