 
Rhobite
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Cambridge, MA
clubs:
| Cool I thought this was coming after Akimbo announced the same thing. If this is done right it could be really cool. Still, I think Netflix and VOD will be better deals initially. TiVo will probably opt for shorter download times so video quality will suffer. It's very hard to compete with cable VOD, which boasts a nice library of shows and movies, and is instantaneous.
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Jimmysquid.com - I take pictures. | |
|  | vic102482
Premium
join:2002-04-30
Upper Marlboro, MD | Re: Cool Too bad they had to wait until competition mvoed in to do this. Other DVR providers have been giving network access for years.
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I tie a rope around my penis and jump from a tree, don't you wanna grow up to be just like me!!!! | |
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ronpin
Imagine Reality
join:2002-12-06
Nirvana | Re: Cool My ReplayTV DVR has had a broadband connection for years now. Anybody wonder why they never went for TVoD??? | |
| | | FastLearner
join:2003-09-14
Arvada, CO | Tivo does have network access; the article was talking about adding VOD. | |
| | | | moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Cool said by FastLearner  :
Tivo does have network access; the article was talking about adding VOD.
Not all of them and you have to pay extra for it. | |
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Rhobite
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Cambridge, MA
clubs:
| Re: Cool said by moonpuppy :
Not all of them and you have to pay extra for it.
No, they don't charge for the network features any more. All standalone TiVos sold in the last couple years have USB ports for network access, however DirecTV units don't. Even if you have a DirecTV unit or a Series 1 unit, there are ways to modify it if you really want network access.
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Jimmysquid.com - I take pictures. | |
| | | | | | moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Cool About time they grew with the times. I can't imagine it being more expensive, for them, to do the network thing than the phone thing.
I have a series 1 unit that I used for a bit then used only as a manual DVR. I have a 250GB drive I may put in it to play around with but don't know if the network boards from 9th tee will work under Tivo's scheme. | |
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Rhobite
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Cambridge, MA
clubs:
| Re: Cool You should check at tivocommunity.com but I'm pretty sure the 9th tee boards can download schedules over the Internet. However Series 1 tivos can't do home media stuff, like playing mp3's and photos.
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Jimmysquid.com - I take pictures. | |
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insomniac84
join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN
| Since every show on dvd is available through netflix, I doubt these systems will be in high demand for the technical user. The lay person might like them, but it will cost a lot in the hopes people will use the service. The technical user just gets everything through netflix and copies them. Then they don't have to pay everytime they want to watch. | |
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leppard
join:2001-03-22
Franklin, TN
edit:
June 9th, @09:14AM
| cool beans bbtivo sounds cool...however i have a directivo combo unit which doesn't even have active usb ports. i would venture to guess that directv won't play happy with that idea considering they market ppv movies on their own service. however this could lend vod to directv...and may spell the wonderous demise of cable. that sounds so nice...i will say it again...demise of cable.  maybe i am wrong...if so i'll be buying a new unit when and if it happens! | |
| | Queasy
join:2004-01-20
Lawrenceville, GA
| Re: cool beans bbtivo I kind of doubt DirecTV will do anything with broadband. They don't have to. They can just as easily transmit VOD through their satellites. Plus, how long have stand-alone Tivo units had the Home Media Option? DirecTV simply has to send in a software update to enable that feature on DirecTivos but they won't.
Plus, DirecTV just had one of their VPs resign from a Tivo board and sold all their shares of stock in Tivo. All signs point to DirecTV developing their own Tivo/VOD receivers in the next couple of years. | |
| | | | | Automate
join:2001-06-26
Atlanta, GA
| said by leppard :
...and may spell the wonderous demise of cable. that sounds so nice...i will say it again...demise of cable.
Sounds like a good idea but I don't see it happening anytime soon. Right now the cost is too high to steam live programming to thousands/millions of viewers. I do see the posibility of cutting into HBO, Showtime etc. Why pay for monthly movie programming when you can watch exactly what you want, when you want to watch it! But I think they see this comming and that is why they are developing their exclusive programming like the Sopranos. | |
| 
GNXPower
Got Boost?
Premium
join:2003-12-18
Huntington Beach, CA
| As a CC HDDVR and TiVo user TiVo has NOTHING to fear from cable DVR deployments at least from what I see. While an HDDVR is pretty cool, at least with Comcast the software is complete CRAP and makes the DVR virtually worthless for routine recording. What TiVo needs plain and simple is to deploy a stand alone HD-TiVo and now.
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10.98@121 | |
| | Collins
Premium
join:2002-06-19
Houston, TX | Re: As a CC HDDVR and TiVo user They do from what I have seen. The Scientific Atlanta HD unit I have seen demoed is quite powerful. Two tuners built in, and very simple operation.
TWC Houston will be deploying one shortly.
-- C | |
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maartena
Obama 2008
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
| No phone line The reason why I chose for my Cable Company's DVR and not for TiVo is that there is no phone connection near my TV.
I use a basestation and 2 handsets in the house, where the basestation is connected in our home office. I would have to re-wire half the house to get a phoneline anywhere near where the TiVo would be.
What TiVo needs is alternative methods of authentication and/or program schedule downloading. I have a wireless network in place, and if the TiVo had a wireless connection I may have chosen them over my cable company's DVR as it is a lot easier to copy programs from the TiVo to a DVD then it is from my current DVR.
The most important thing that cable companies have the advantage in is that hooking up their DVR requires nothing more then a power outlet, and the same cable you are already using for your TV. | |
| | FastLearner
join:2003-09-14
Arvada, CO | Re: No phone line You can set up Tivo with a wireless network connection; that is how my Tivo is set up. | |
| | 
Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
clubs:
 ·Site5.com
·AT&T Midwest
 ·Comcast
| You mention a lot of misinformation so I will address each one.
First, you don't need to hook your Tivo up to a phone line. The only thing a phone line is used for is software updates, and those are very rare. Stand alone Tivos can download these updates with a broadband or wireless connection now over the internet. If you don't have that, I know people who just buy a long extension cord and plug in their Tivo's when a software update is released.
Lets say you do need a phone line, you can get a wireless phone jack for $40 on ebay that will solve that problem. I have one of those systems in place near a Tivo in my living room. Works like a champ, and very cheap.
Oh, and the Tivo doesn't use the phone line for program schedule downloading for the Directivo.
I can tell you from a DVR standpoint that Directivo is heads above better than the DVR that Comcast is using. I tried that DVR, and it is all time based. The Tivo is name based, which makes a huge improvement when you are recording a show that comes on at multiple times, special times, or extended showings on a night.
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My Domain
Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal | |
| | |
maartena
Obama 2008
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
| Re: No phone line said by Nightfall :
I can tell you from a DVR standpoint that Directivo is heads above better than the DVR that Comcast is using. I tried that DVR, and it is all time based. The Tivo is name based, which makes a huge improvement when you are recording a show that comes on at multiple times, special times, or extended showings on a night.
Actually, the one I use from the cable company works the same way. You just point to the program guide, and tell it whethe to record all broadcasts of this program, on which channels, (you can get ALL "Friends" repeats from ALL channels if needed). And it comes with 2 digital tuners, so I can actually tape 2 programs at a time... And because I have it setup so that it uses the line-in for my TV input, and a cable split to my analog input I can actually record 2 things at once, and still watch the first 100 channels through the analog input of the cable.
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And i'm right. I'm always right, but this time I'm a little more right then I usually am. | |
| | | Queasy
join:2004-01-20
Lawrenceville, GA
| said by Nightfall :
Lets say you do need a phone line, you can get a wireless phone jack for $40 on ebay that will solve that problem. I have one of those systems in place near a Tivo in my living room. Works like a champ, and very cheap.
You do need to mention a couple of caveats for that, especially for DirecTivos
- If you don't have a phone line plugged in, you'll get the 'your phone line is disconnected' annoyance messages constantly.
- For DirecTivo, you'll only be able to purchase so many PPV shows before you'll have to hook up a phone line.
- Also for DirecTivo, there isn't a wireless/broadband solution available (at least not last time I checked). | |
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Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
clubs:
·Site5.com
·AT&T Midwest
·Comcast
| Re: No phone line said by Queasy :
said by Nightfall :
Lets say you do need a phone line, you can get a wireless phone jack for $40 on ebay that will solve that problem. I have one of those systems in place near a Tivo in my living room. Works like a champ, and very cheap.
You do need to mention a couple of caveats for that, especially for DirecTivos
- If you don't have a phone line plugged in, you'll get the 'your phone line is disconnected' annoyance messages constantly.
- For DirecTivo, you'll only be able to purchase so many PPV shows before you'll have to hook up a phone line.
- Also for DirecTivo, there isn't a wireless/broadband solution available (at least not last time I checked).
True, true, and true again. I didn't say there weren't drawbacks. Just that there are ways around them.
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My Domain
Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal | |
| | | | macmouse
Premium
join:2002-05-30
Saratoga, CA
| ( If you don't have a phone line plugged in, you'll get the 'your phone line is disconnected' annoyance messages constantly. )
On mine, I was able to set it to "ignore dial tone" and so on, which seemed to stop those.
( For DirecTivo, you'll only be able to purchase so many PPV shows before you'll have to hook up a phone line.)
Well, you can use the website or call them up on the phone, and they will activate the PPV remotely for you without having the tivo connected to a phone line at all. | |
| | rsha
join:2002-10-31
Garland, TX
| I have made my series one tivo dial out just fine, as well as my alarm system. First some comments.
This is not new technology. It is just a phone routed in a different way. Anyone who has seen digital pbx systems will tell you that is all VOIP is. IF you hook it up right everything will work. IT also takes a lot of patience.
Here is my setup
I Have cable modem , going to Linksys router, from router to voip modem. I have cut the main line into my house so not to fry the modem. The important thing is to remember that if there is NO Phone plugged into line 2 line 2 will not work. I have a NORMAL phone cord running to a wall jack , and ALL lines are now powered. I have no problems dialing out. To get tivo to work properly you must tell it to dial 1 and not wait for a dial tone. IT does work though.
When the alarm company came out to install, the sales guy was like " Your alarm wont work with voip" I called him out on this because again i have experience setting this stuff up and asked him if he even knew what it was he replied no. The setup guy came and ran all the tests and every thing worked fine ( READ NO Problems). Your mileage may vary, but i am working perfectly.
I compare working with your phone the same as a car. Would you replace something in your car just out of the blue to try and see if it works, not knowing anything about how your brakes function? Why would someone do that with their phone system. Technology is easy folks, but not that easy. The amount of people that can do this kind of stuff , is totally outnumbered by the people who should not. LOOK at at the comcast and broadband zombies out there. The same people that can not patch a computer , are installing voip lines. That just spells disaster. | |
| | 
Roundboy
Premium
join:2000-10-04
Drexel Hill, PA
| I actually put this to the test when i bought my second TiVo.
Tivo is perfectly capable of using an existing network connection.
but the FIRST connection to the TiVo service MUST be made w/ a phone call.
Annoying as i had to run a LONG phone cord to the jack..
I could understand it when the tivo had to download the software to use the net connection.. but this tivo was newer, and should have been able to connect via the network no problem (and it did)
its hardcoded in the software to ojly use a phone for the first connection... can't even choose net
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512 man lan
Coming soon
»www.thegxl.com | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | davebenham
join:2002-01-31
Round Lake, IL
edit:
June 9th, @01:31PM
| Re: RIP TiVo Well, you've met someone who likes the autorecord feature now  And autodeleting old programs, that's not so much a feature as it is a necessity. That is, unless of course you want to constantly manage what shows to keep and delete. But if you do that, I think you're missing the point of having a Tivo in the first place. I hardly ever delete shows, having them automatically fall off my Now Playing list to make new room for new shows is a great feature.
The thing I'm curious about, do the new DVRs on the market have features like Season Passes and Wishlists, or all these new DVRs just glorified VCRs with a huge recording capacity? Will users still have to tell the unit what time and channel to record? That is one thing that Tivo users do not have to worry about, times and channels. | |
| | | | | | | | gephc
Premium
join:2003-05-31
Minooka, IL
| said by pike :
And I don't know anyone that finds useful the feature that automatically records programs based on your viewing habits - which seems to be turned on by default like many other annoying "features".. programs being deleted automatically, etc..
I like it. And while it is on by default, it can easily be disabled at any time. And the TiVo never deletes something you've asked for in order to make room for a program of it's choosing. | |
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Rhobite
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Cambridge, MA
clubs: | I think I agree that TiVo is in danger. In addition to cable DVRs, the free Linux DVRs are always improving. It's hard to compete with free.
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Jimmysquid.com - I take pictures. | |
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JoeOnSunset
Doublethink Is Doubleplus Ungood.
Premium
join:2002-11-25
Ormond Beach, FL
| Re: RIP TiVo Well this discussion isn't getting settled anytime soon, and it goes on at tivocommunity.com all the time. But I think it's probably pretty premature to predict Tivo's demise. People like to post dramatic statements like this on boards all the time, with really no expertise or research to back it up.
Tivo I think has been resting on its laurels for too long. It hasn't substantially improved its service in a long time. The Home Media features, if you've tried them, are super limited and really make you want to go out and buy a separate media server. We've been waiting for Tivo-to-go forever, and we've also been waiting for improvements to the base OS for a long time (auto padding, negative padding, Boolean operators in wish lists, etc.)
People complain about the Suggestions feature, but I really loved it for a long time. Once you have a bunch of thumbs in (and, contrary to some statements, the suggestions work only on thumbs entries, not on viewing patterns*), it did a pretty great job of selecting shows that I often wanted to watch but didn't necessarily want a season pass to. NOW, however, the suggestion engine is broken and Tivo has been promising a "fix" forever. (Search tivocommunity.com for info on this.)
So, although I don't know if Tivo's business will really suffer if they don't, I sure as heck wish that Tivo would get off its behind and starting souping things up again the way they did in the beginning.
*(When you get a season pass, Tivo automatically assigns a thumbs up to the program. So if you're recording shows for, say, your children that you don't like, you have to make sure to remove this thumb. Personally, I have a season pass to "General Hospital" for my roommate [ugh] but its got three thumbs down on it.) | |
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Rhobite
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Cambridge, MA
clubs:
| Re: RIP TiVo Well, tivocommunity is populated by insane TiVo devotees. A very small percentage of TiVo's currently large userbase. Many of us fall into the category of "like my TiVo, but I wouldn't follow it off a cliff." While I'm not predicting its demise, I'm saying that it won't be long until I save myself the $13 each month and get an open solution, or a cable DVR. And I think many people are with me. Whatever TiVo's current market share, I agree that they need to do something to shake things up. They can't rest on their laurels forever.
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Jimmysquid.com - I take pictures. | |
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The Future of Tivo
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