I know this is a dumb question because who cares about the TV on a cruise buuutttt Can you get NBC?
I have watched every episode of the Apprentice and the last episode is the 15th when I will be in Mexiceo on the VTC cruise. I guess I could call Donald and ask him who wins (ha ha)Perhaps Mr Trump is one of the lurkers on this board

Actually I hear it will be live so maybe Donald doesn't even know the winner yet. Addictive isn't it?
Can you get a friend to tape it for you? Bet you'll be having much too much fun to head for your room to watch TV!

Now I remember they did say that it was going to be live. I can have someone tape it but it isn't as much fun when you know the results before watching. I never look at the message boards the night of the show because I don't want to hear what they are saying on the East Coast.
I hardly ever watch TV because of a really full schedule but I am really hooked on the Bachelor/Bachelorette and the Apprentice. Between those programs, LCT, running a business and a home I am really kept busy.

Bette, I know how you feel as I am a Survivor and Amazing Race addict. Chances are, you won't even know who won the Apprentice. If you see a feature about it on CNN while you are on the ship, hurry up and change the channel!

Eva emailed me immediately with the results of the Survivor episode I missed last December while we were on Voyager; I was SO grateful! We were in Florida with groups for two consecutive episodes last month; I managed to get back to our room for the last few minutes of each, so I did get to see who got voted off (or quit, in the case of Sue).

There is an ezboard called Survivor Sucks that has a forum on the Apprentice, but I don't know how much information is there. They do a "play by play" on each Survivor episode, so it's possible to go back and pick that info up.

Oh, yes, Karen...The Amazing Race. That's the best. The male half of one of our couple friends kept telling me that we should try out. He said he could do the physical stuff and I could be the brains. He's late 50s and I'm early 60s. After we watched the last one, he decided that perhaps we might have a bit of a problem! We also thought that being "elderly" brings with it all those pills, schedules, etc. So we are happy to just watch from the comforts of home.

Maggie, I am trying out (again) for the Amazing Race with my girlfriend. You can apply for the next race here. The application is 10 pages long :ohmy: but the 3 minute video tape is the hardest part of the process. No matter what you do, you look lame :)

There is also an Amazing Race board at Survior Sucks.

Oh Karen...I'm rooting for you to make it.

It would be awesome to have one of our own in the race! Good luck!

By the way....no network TV on ship unless it's a special event (i.e. they had last game of world series because we docked in SFO one day early) - that's another topic.

Karen, You should put up the 3 minute tape as mpeg movie so we can all enjoy it.

Let me see how bad it turns out and then...maybe ;)

Good luck and we'd all love to see the tape. They always have a set of "girlfriends" so maybe you will be the ones this year!

Karen - that'd be great, if you could UL your audition tape to LCT!! :D

Masaki

I wanna see the tape!

Bette...one word...TIVO !
We have all of our favorite shows set up as season passes, so they record automatically even if the day or time of the show changes. We don't have to worry about setting up a 3 hour tape before our cruises or people forgetting to record our shows. The other great thing is for people like you that are busy you can basically watch shows at your convenience not the networks. It is the best electronic item since the light bulb.

TIVO - greatest invention since TV itself. I dont know how I lived without. So easy to use, it tapes the types of shows you like and there is always something to watch at any time. Pause live TV etc etc. It is so VERY simple anyone can figure it out.

Karen - I hate to admit it, but I am also a Survivor addict! I watched a lot of Amazing Race but was not as addicted to it. BUT IF YOU MAKE IT ON then it will really get my attention! Good luck!

I must admit - after TIVo, I hate watching live TV! I'm to used to >>> through the commercials!

We now have two TIVOs...one for my season passes - one for Tom - They are the best!

I knew I was surrounded by smart people here - Tivo is certainly a divine gift to the world. :D

Masaki

You can also check with your local cable company. They are now offering DVR's, which is the same thing as a Tivo. This is info from my cable company, Adelphia:

DVR
Pause live TV
Never miss your favorite programs
Watch one program while recording another
No equipment to buy

Now you can watch what you want when you want. With Adelphia Digital Video Recorder (DVR) you can finally take control of your TV and set your own viewing schedule. The built-in DVR lets you control live TV or rewind the program you're watching to create your own instant replays any time you want. You can also record your favorite programs directly from the integrated program guide without the need for video tapes or confusing VCR settings. In a single command, you can set your DVR to record a season's worth of episodes of your favorite program. You'll never watch TV the same way again.

Yes, TIVO is great...we started with one and now have 5 (in fact there could be more that I do not know about) and most of them are dual tuner so it always you to TIVO even more programs...we have DIRECTV but a friend of our uses cable and can not seem to watch one program and record another...eventually my husband is going to go there and look at it...it could be that her television is old (she is not into electronics)...

We have the DVR with our cable; cost is only $6 a month. We love it! Am I missing something by not having TIVO, too?

Marc,
Can you watch one program while taping another?

Yes, and tape two at same time (but you cannot watch a third).

Thanks Marc...Chuck is going to look and see what she has...he was thinking that her problem is that she goes through a box so there is no switching capability...

I believe that the DVR that you have is probably similar to TIVO which we use with DIRECTV which I think is great...we are actually watching more High Def now as we put a plasma in our bedroom with a High Def satellite receiver...Chuck can not wait for the High Def TIVO's to come out so that we can record in High Def and not have to watch commericals...

Pioneer now makes a TiVo with DVD-burner built in. Very handy. It's also Elite level so it has all of the snazzy Faroudja line-doubling technology built in. For example, when Sean Hannity was zinging Alan Colmes the other day on Hannity & Colmes, I could see all the little wrinkles in Alan's forehead as he scrunched up his face in pain.

Lawrence,
I think in all of the time that we have had TIVO (since it first came out), I can remember maybe once or twice that we actually made a tape of what was recorded...we have a seperate DVD Recorder which Chuck has connected to one of the TIVO's in the theater so if he wanted to make a DVD he could...

Margo, if you have DirectTIVO you can program the ->| button to skip forward by 30 seconds instead of using >>>. Here is how : Start a recorded show. Press Select - Play - 3 - 0 - Select. You should hear 3 dings. That means the TIVO has accepted the code. Now each press of the ->| button should skip forward 30 seconds. If you skip too far just press the |<- button to go back 8 seconds. If your TIVO ever loses power you will have to repeat entering the code. I am not sure if it works on other boxes, but you can certainly give it a try. Hail TIVO sticking it to the networks!

Michael...darn...don't have the DirectTIVO - in fact, I have one of the original model so I don't think I have that programing option but I'll look at my instruction manual.

Also, can't record 2 programs at once - able to record while watching something else that is already recorded.

I think if our cable company offers a newer version we may sign up - depends on the costs.

Lawrence you are totally wired there. I love my Directv Tivo. Don't think I'd ever need to DVR it as if it is a show I want that badly I just buy it from Radio & TV Reports. Oh, sorry, a service PR uses that tapes everything 24/7 so if I want it I just call.

I have asked on several other boards, but never got an answer. The television that I'd like to put TIVO on isn't anywhere near a telephone jack; would that preclude having it? In fact, there are two televisions I could use, and neither of them is close to a phone jack. I've never really actively persued it because the only two programs I simply *have* to watch are Survivor and Amazing Race, but I'd like to be able to store some stuff for the grandchildren sometimes.

Pam, You can use a wireless phone jack:

Installs in minutes; no tools, drilling, wiring or costly phone company charges required
Easily move the phone jack to other locations — perfect if you decide to rearrange furniture
Compatible with phones, modems, fax machines, satellite TV systems, personal voice recorders and more.

Wireless phone jack

Here is a better deal, RCA wireless phone jack on Ebay for $23.99

Here is the whole list on Ebay I prefer a "buy it now" auction and there are several for around $20

In the next couple months Tivo is coming out with a DirecTV High Definition unit. I understand the recording storeage time will be increased. With the quanity of HD programing each evening, this is a great addition.

Thanks, Karen! I'll look at TIVO soon, probably.

Greg & Sandi,
I know and my husband can not wait...in fact last night I did a search for him to see the lastest news on this...looks like Samsung and Hughes will be the first with Samsung the higher end...

We have a Sony Plasma TV with HDTV. I have DirectTV. I think that I will wait to get the recorder if a new one is coming out.My husband and I are terrible with electronics. I hope that it will be easy. I can't even figure out how to get our picture on here.I figure that someone on the VTC cruise can snap one of us .

I will say that Tivo's software and user interface is much better to use than the cable-company supplied DVR. I have an original series Tivo that we use to watch the majority of our TV on and a cable company supplied HD DVR (SA 8000HD) to record HD material on and have to say that the Tivo is highly superior in terms of ease of usage. Of course, I can't tape HD on my Tivo so no choice on that matter ... :)

The last I had heard, guys, was that DirecTV was going to stop outsourcing their boxes - they're all going to be made by DirecTV. So in the near future, no more Samsung and Sony DirecTV boxes. The DirecTV HDTivo, BTW, is scheduled to be released on April 13th.

Masaki

Masaki,
Thanks...I heard the same thing about the manufacturers...I will let my husband know about April 13th though I can not find anything on the internet and the person from whom we purchase and does our installations has not said anything...

Ronnie - information from another forum that I frequent ... :) Of course, since it's not out yet, who knows if the dates are going to be accurate. The beta testing program seems to be over though.

Masaki

Thanks Masaki...

I sent this to my husband for him to check out...he told me last night that he spoke with our supplier and he knew nothing...