Archive for the ‘Tivo’ Category

Deal Alert: Tivo Series 3 for $389

January 16th, 2008 No Comments
Just saw this on TechBargains. A Tivo Series 3 for $389.99 after a $200 rebate from Buy.com. The rebate is good until January 26th, so check it out if you're in the market for an HD Series 3 Tivo. [tags] deal, Tivo, Series 3, DVR, Tivo Series 3 [/tags]
Posted in Tivo

Sling Supporting BlackBerry

January 16th, 2008 No Comments
Sling Media (now owned by EchoStar) announced that it was now supporting BlackBerry smartphones. The Slingbox allows customers to watch and control their home TV on an Internet-connected computer, or mobile phone including those based on Windows Mobile, Palm OS and Symbian operating systems. Having support for BlackBerry was a long time coming and it should bring some more users to Sling. BlackBerries, however, were never known as multimedia friendly devices, which is probably why it took so long to support them. There are other ways to get your TV content on the go, but Slingboxes are the best way to actually connect and control your home TV, DVR and other components while you're traveling or away from your home. However, you must have pretty fast broadband connections in order to make it work. Since you don't have the videos saved locally to your PC or phone, you do save on storage space, which can be a premium for older smartphones. However, the streaming, live nature of Slingbox makes it only for those with fast connections, like broadband cards or unlimited data plans for your phone. Here are the ways how I see how to watch your home DVR/TV shows while on the road. Transferring to Portable Devices. Rather than use a Slingbox, I use Tivo's Desktop software to transfer shows to my PC. From there, I can burn videos onto a DVD or transfer it to my portable device, like my Windows-based smartphone. The downside? It's a slow and clunky process--I have to wait for Tivo to transfer the file over my home network, then wait while I burn the show on a DVD. The whole process can take about 1 hour or more. Portable DVRs. Comcast's upcoming portable DVR is going after the same market--those who want complete access to their DVRs while away from the home. But the Comcast portable device is the actual set-top. So what happens when you un-dock the device from your home and take it on the road? Will you miss recordings? Will your family that's not traveling be able to watch TV? Or should this portable DVR be relegated as a second set-top and not the primary one for the home? I guess it's still too early to tell since the Comcast DVR isn't out yet. Network DVRs. This would seem to be a great option since you theoretically wouldn't need to buy anything. Network DVRs save your shows on your TV provider's hard drive so you don't actually need to buy a separate set-top box like a Tivo. Everything is saved out there in the network. The benefits are that you get unlimited storage (well, almost), and access from anywhere. Imagine recording a show like American Idol, traveling to another city, then just logging in to your cable provider's network DVR via your laptop (or smartphone) and streaming it. All your shows would be available and you don't need to buy a Slingbox. Unfortunately, here in the U.S. network DVRs are available because of a lawsuit between Cablevision and the TV studios and networks. Things are different in Europe, and maybe things will change here in the future. I think network DVRs are a great idea and wish that consumers were able to use them. In the short term, I would really like it if Tivo started offering place-shifting (Slingbox functionality) in its boxes. I just don't feel the need to go out and buy and hook up yet another device to my TV/DVR right now. Perhaps if I traveled more often I would feel differently.
Posted in Place-Shifting, Tivo

Tivo vs. Comcast DVR

January 10th, 2008 No Comments
For anyone using a DVR and HD, it's the classic dilemma: Do you use your cable or satellite provider's DVR box or buy a Tivo? It's like "Sophie's Choice". On one hand, your cable provider offers a low cost DVR that works with HD content for just a few dollars a month--Comcast charges me about $5 per month. You also get just one box, rather than having to use a cable set-top and a separate DVR. Plus cable companies don't charge you for buying the box; you usually rent the box for just a few dollars a month. Going with Tivo means, higher initial cost of buying the HD DVR (about $600 to $800 for a Series 3 DVR).  It also means higher monthly costs--I pay about $20 per month for the Tivo service. So lots of people are going through these issues when they upgrade to an HDTV and HD service. One blogger called "Dog Monster" wrote about this dilemma after deciding to go with a Comcast DVR, rather than buy an HD Tivo DVR.  And he writes that his frustrations with the Comcast DVR happened in less than one day of using it. He writes: "I loved watching television until I got my cablebox DVR." He goes on to list his 20 reasons why he decided to dump Comcast's DVR and buy a new Tivo Series 3 box. Here's the quick list:
  1. Comcast DVR has no predictive fast-forward.
  2. No Start From Beginning When Reaching the End of a Recording.
  3. Not Recording Shows.
  4. Searching for Shows is Clunky and Slow.
  5. Finding Your Favorites Shows is Difficult.
  6. The Cable Box Doesn't Show the Time When Recording.
  7. No Way of Knowing if A Show is Being Recorded.
  8. Button Lag.
  9. No Sound Effects like Tivo.
  10. Not Intuitive Interface.
  11. No Recommendations.
  12. Recording Same Episode Multiple Times.
  13. Doesn't Know What Shows Are New.
  14. Cannot Change Recording Quality.
  15. Not Being Able to Exit the Play Timeline.
  16. Doesn't Warn About Conflicting Recordings.
  17. Accidentally Recording SD Channel Rather than HD.
  18. Comcast Doesn't Group Shows Together Like Tivo.
  19. Remote Control Is Not Easy to Use.
  20. No Scheduling Shows Online.
Along with the points made here, I really miss the integration with the Internet for downloading photos, and other content (like RocketBoom) and the ability to save files on my computer with Tivo Desktop software. I must admit I am hitting my breaking point with Comcast's DVR. I've been using it for about two months now (alongside my Series 2 Tivo for SD recordings) and have been very frustrated with it as well. Since I have multiple inputs on my HDTV set, I have both my Comcast DVR connected to watch and record HD content, and my Tivo for SD recordings and all my previously recorded shows. But switching between the two is getting tedious. I want HD recording and Comcast's DVR just isn't giving me what I want out of an HD DVR. It's probably just a matter of time before I buy an HD Tivo and use it 100% of the time and drop Comcast's DVR. [tags] Tivo, Comcast, HD DVR, DVR, Comcast DVR, Series 2 Tivo [/tags]
Posted in HD, HD DVR, Tivo, Uncategorized

Hillary Clinton Getting Tivo Tutorial

January 8th, 2008 No Comments
TMZ is reporting that Hillary Clinton is getting someone from Tivo to help her use her DVR. It seems that Hillary told her daughter Chelsea that she couldn't get her Tivo to work properly since it was always recording shows she didn't want to see and deleting shows she had recorded. Hillary Clinton Well, Tivo came to the rescue. TMZ said that Tivo will send over a "Tivo man" who will teach Hillary how to use her DVR in just five minutes. That's a mighty nice offer, which means pretty good publicity for Tivo. At the same time, what's wrong with Hillary that she can't figure out how to use a Tivo? They are well known for being very easy to use. Perhaps she should have asked Bill or Chelsea for some help. [tags] Hillary Clinton, Tivo, TMZ [/tags] [Photo courtesy of SEIU International]
Posted in Tivo

NetFlix Delivering Movies to TV Sets

January 2nd, 2008 No Comments
In a bid to remain atop the online movie rental business, NetFlix said it will deliver movies directly to TV sets later this year. Currently NetFlix only lets subscribers to its "Watch Instantly" service view rentals on PC screens. This new service will come in the form of a new set-top box that connects to the TV and computer, much like Apple's Apple TV product. In many ways, the device isn't a new approach or anything really startling--the main thing is that it's coming from NetFlix which already had a deep library of movies, an existing DVD by mail rental business and the PC viewing option. Those things make it a very compelling strategy and is may make it a success for NetFlix. In essence, NetFlix is understanding that it's critical to deliver content (movies, TV shows, etc.) to TV screens since many people are getting HDTV sets and most do their viewing on the big screen in the living room. Having yet another set-top box, however, seems like the biggest flaw in this plan. People will not rush to buy another box unless it offers something compelling that they can't get anywhere else. And customers can definitely get movies in many other ways, without getting a new box and hooking it up to a PC, like the NetFlix service requires. For example, want to watch a recent hit movie like Pirates of the Caribbean? There's On-Demand, DVDs, free TV, premium channels like HBO, and online pirated versions available. Will consumers really flock to a device that just delivers movies? Tivo seems like it has the right approach with its partnership with Amazon for its Unbox movie delivery service. However, Unbox (and even Apple TV) have not been huge hits. Another downside is that the movies that NetFlix delivers to TVs will likely not be HD-ready. Many people will still want to rent the physical DVDs, especially if they own Blu-Ray or HD-DVD players. Guess we'll have to wait and see how NetFlix tackles this interesting new delivery to the home. [tags] Apple TV, Apple, NetFlix, Amazon, Tivo, Unbox [/tags]
Posted in Tivo

Bridging the PC-TV Gap

December 19th, 2007 No Comments
Nick Wingfield from the Wall Street Journal writes about how no one's really figured how  to watch Internet video on TV sets.  So far, products like Apple TV and Akimbo haven't reached mass usage for a number of reasons such as they're hard to use, hard to install, high cost and low value proposition because content can be found elsewhere. Wingfield goes through the problems and talked to vendors to discuss possible solutions. For example, the problem of too many set-top boxes. Consumers need to know that a new stand-alone box gives them something they can't get anywhere else. Things like new high def DVD players have the potential to keep a coveted place underneath the TV set. Also, game systems like PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 act as set-tops since they can download music and movies. The solution to this is incorporating features into existing devices or one new converged box. However, there's no consensus on what that box might be. Will it be Tivo? A cable box with a DVR and Internet functions? According to Scientific Atlanta, cable companies may end up winning this battle. Cable and satellite TV providers already provide the majority of DVR devices to U.S. consumers, so it seems possible that Internet connectivity will soon be a part of set-tops. Kip Compton, general manager at Scientific Atlanta said that cable companies will begin rolling cable boxes that can access Internet video next year. However, others believe that cable companies won't want to do this because consumers will be able to watch TV free by accessing content on the Internet. And that may impact their revenue. Cable and satellite companies, however, need to think beyond their quarterly earnings cycle and think longer term. Consumers will be happier and increased usage in Internet video may mean better integration of digital media advertising and may spur other revenue that we haven't even thought of. IPTV services may have the biggest jump. In the U.S. AT&T's U-Verse and Verizon's FiOS TV services use IP networks to deliver broadcast TV programming. So integrating other IP features should be relatively easier than it would be for cable or satellite providers. So far, however, IPTV providers are just ramping up in the U.S. so they're just trying to roll out broadcast and VOD services and gain new customers. Advanced Internet features aren't yet a big part of IPTV, either in the U.S. or the rest of the world where IPTV is much more mature.
Posted in Satellite, Tivo

Dropping Tivo for Cable HD DVR

December 14th, 2007 No Comments
I recently got a new HDTV for my living room and that means a re-evaluation of my DVR. Currently, I own a Series 2 Tivo which I've had for about a year or so. Previously, I owned a Panasonic ShowStopper ReplayTV that served me for about 5 years. (Yes, I came to the Tivo party late, but I think using DVRs other than Tivo gives me some good background and experience with DVRs.) So now that I'm using HDTV, I got HD cable from my provider Comcast. So I had to upgrade my cable box and also decided to add on an HD DVR so I can record HD programming. It was just an extra $5 a month for the HD DVR and it gave me 30 hours of HD recording. Not a bad deal. The Comcast HD DVR works OK, but the interface and design isn't as friendly or sophisticated as Tivo. Nevertheless, I decided to use both DVRs. My SD Tivo is hooked up on one input on my TV, and the Comcast HD DVR is connected via HDMI to get me that clear digital HD picture. It's working great so far. I can switch back and forth between HD Comcast and SD Tivo. But as I started to watch more HD, I quickly realized one thing: I probably wouldn't be using my Tivo much anymore. Why use my Tivo when it can only record in SD? The SD picture quality looks awful on my new HDTV set. It's like being an expensive stereo, and only listening to AM radio. An HD DVR is practically a necessity once you get an HDTV. But Tivo's Series 3 DVR is too expensive. And the new Tivo HD ($300) just doesn't have the features I expect in a Tivo product. Even though I'm still using both DVRs at the same time, I realize I won't keep my Series 2 Tivo much longer. I do still have lots of TV shows recorded on my Tivo that I've been meaning to watch. At the same time, all those unwatched shows are somewhat of a burden. These shows have been patiently waiting for me to watch them, but I choose to let them sit in Tivo purgatory. An article at PC Magazine crystallizes my sentiments. The writer, Sascha Segan says that they're leaving Tivo and getting a cable HD DVR. Why? Essentially it comes down to economics. Tivo's Series 3 HD DVR costs $800 plus monthly fees of $20 vs. cable which is free and $5 monthly fee. (See the article "So Long, TiVo; Hello DVR".) Here's a good quote:
Trust me. If I'm leaving TiVo, it's in trouble. This breaks my heart; TiVo has always been friendly, innovative, fun, and easy to use. It should be celebrated, not abandoned. It's a verb, for heaven's sake. But by turning into a luxury product, it's consigned itself to the quiet fringes of a bustling TV world.
Okay since that was written, the Series 3 Tivo has gone down in price somewhat ($600 rather than $800) but it's still not enough. It's still a luxury item. And a luxury item that I can't afford to buy right now. Guess I'll be using my cable company's DVR for a while. Bonus: Take the poll on HD DVRs. [tags] HD, HDTV, Tivo, Comcast, satellite TV, digital video recorder, DVR, HD DVR [/tags]
Posted in HD DVR, Tivo

Tivo Making Friends with Advertisers

December 13th, 2007 No Comments
The New York Times has a story about how Tivo is finally making in-roads with advertisers, after many were initially mad at the company since it allowed viewers to fast-forward through ads. In recent years, Tivo has been moving away from being a technology company that had to deal with hardware and subscriptions into a media/ratings company that is dealing with services. How has it made this change?
  • Creating a DVR Ratings Service. Its recently unveiled Stop|Watch service allows advertisers to track "second by second" movements by DVR viewers. This gives a more accurate count of who's watching ads, how many people skip ads, most popular Season Pass shows and other top-rated shows. Tivo says its DVR ratings service has a larger panel than Nielsen's (20,00 vs. 3,000).  NBC recently became a subscriber.
  • Partnering with Advertisers. Rather than becoming enemies with advertisers, Tivo has grown into a media partner, giving them new ways to promote their products to their users.
  • Creating New, Effective and Creative Ad Solutions. Because Tivo breaks new ground, it must also change how it advertises. As such it has created numerous new advertising buys including:
  1. End of Show Text Ads. When a show ends, viewers are shown a short one line ad about a new show that they might want to watch. Or some other product that comes with a pre-downloaded video that viewers can watch for more information.
  2. Thumbs Up/Record From Commercial. If you happen to watch (or fast forward through) commercials, you can see a thumbs up icon pasted on top of the screen. This allows viewers to hit their Thumbs Up button on their Tivo remote and record a show that's being advertised.
  3. Featured on Now Playing Screen. Sometimes ads appear just on the Now Playing menu, which is the menu that users go when they want to view their pre-recorded TV shows. A text ad sits on the bottom of the menu. If a viewer clicks on it, they are taken to an action screen with more information and possible a video/commercial to watch.
The Times story also said that things are looking up for Tivo in other ways. The lawsuit against EchoStar is progressing in Tivo's favor, which may add substantial revenue if it finally gets the $90 million it was awarded (but is still in appeal). Which means Tivo my soon be in a better place financially:
According to Tony Wible, an analyst with Citigroup, television networks now “have to embrace DVR advertising, and TiVo is a leader there.” He added that “the NBC deal adds a lot of credibility to that business, which I think could be as big or bigger as the current DVR business today.” He predicted that TiVo could start to break even in its quarterly earnings within a year.
Posted in Tivo, TV Ratings

Western Digital Unveils External Hard Drive for Tivo

October 26th, 2007 No Comments
Western Digital unveiled external hard drives that can be hooked up to Tivo's Series 3 DVRs and Tivo HD. Its "My DVR Expander" was launched in June 2007 for the Scientific Atlanta 8300 series of HD DVRs for $200 and they are now available for Tivos. The product was Tivo verified and is even on sale on Tivo's web site. sm_wdexpander.jpgThe 500GB model provides 300 additional hours of SD content or up to 60 hours of HD. I have a Tivo Series 2, so this isn't available for me. That's ok, since this is really for hard-core users that want more space for their HD content. Although 60 hours of HD content still doesn't seem like enough space for a TV junkie like me. [Via Gizmodo, TivoLovers] [tags] Western Digital, Tivo, HD DVR, DVR, HD [/tags]
Posted in HD, HD DVR, Tivo

Interested in HD USB Sticks?

October 16th, 2007 No Comments
So you want to watch HD programming but you don't want to pay over $1,000 to buy an expensive HD TV set? Well, there's another option: your laptop. Pinnacle has a USB device that comes with an HD tuner and DVR software so that you can catch over-the-air HD programming on your computer. Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick ($99) comes with a full remote control, the ability to watch SD and HD programming, an A/V adapter for analog video capture and support for Windows Media Center. The cheaper non-Pro Stick version ($79) doesn't come with the A/V adapter or remote control. Now, ReplayTV has a similar device going on sale in November 2007 for $99. Last month, ReplayTV said it was releasing its "Personal HD" solution, a USB device with a multi-tuner and ReplayTV software. I have a soft spot for ReplayTV since it was the first DVR I ever used. And I owned for for over 5 years. But about a year ago, I decided to upgrade to a Tivo because a) I wanted newer technology and more importantly b) I wanted to use my home network rather than have a home telephone line to get my DVR updates. My Panasonic ReplayTV ShowStopper didn't support Ethernet and I no longer had a home phone. Anyway, now ReplayTV is making hardware again (a USB device) even though it announced a few years ago it was no longer making hardware and making DVR software only.replaytvhd.jpg ReplayTV is touting the ability to encode video into portable devices, like iPods, as well as the ability to stream shows over the Apple TV. But the Pinnacle Pro Stick encodes to iPods too. ReplayTV's solution comes with "one year of ReplayTV Electronic Program Guide service" which turns into $19.95 per year. Pinnacle also charges recurring fees after one free year of the electronic program guide, but it doesn't list the price on their website. The one bright spot for ReplayTV is the multiple-tuner support, but that will only work if additional tuners are installed. But out of the box, it doesn't come with an additional tuner. ReplayTV says it works with tuners from companies like Hauppauge, ATI, and Pinnacle, however. Overall, this an interesting trend. Portable HD DVRs on your laptop. It's not quite a replacement of your TV and set-top DVR. But it can eliminate the need to buy a Slingbox if you're just looking for a laptop solution. The real competition will come with the DVR software. I'd give the edge to ReplayTV, since they've been doing this a lot longer than Pinnacle--but I haven't actually played with either of these products. It's just a gut instinct. An easy-to-use interface, good searching ability and managing your recorded shows can really make a difference to some users. Just look at how users love their Tivos primarily for its user interface. But how big is this market? It seems very niche. Will end users really flock to these USB HD sticks? The price is good but the real downside is not getting all the cable HD channels if you're just using the over-the-air HD signals. But adding a cable connector to your laptop really ties it down. There's nothing as huge and bulky as a coaxial cable hanging from your laptop. [Via ReplayTV press release] [tags] ReplayTV, Tivo, USB HD [/tags]
Posted in ReplayTV, Tivo
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