View Full Version : PVR Vote
Would you use a PVR service if NTL launched one?
Basically you can pause live TV because it is recorded on a hard disk. Or you can rewind live TV. You can record one channel while watching another.
THis is a highly popular service with Sky but costs £10 unless your rental is >£30.
SMHarman
15-10-2003, 14:57
Build it they will come...
i woudl love to see something along teh lines of sky+, BUT i would say that NTL did an 'offer' with Tivo a while back, but considering it was the same price as buying the Tivo from anywhere else and that didnt include an additional decoder ( unless you paid for a second stb ) so it wasnt as attractive as SKY+ ( which afaik has 2 decoders built in, so you can record one thing and watch another )
I love Sky+, £200 for the box, no subscription fee as I have Sky sports. Am looking forward to when they have the ability to record two programs at once.
Undisputedtruth
19-10-2003, 12:18
I think PVR could take off in 2004. There are a number of multimedia products catering for PVR. Sony has just released a Playstation version with 160 G harddrive, so I do expect these devices to reach these shores by next year. Microsoft is also developing a product to rival Sony's offering. HP and Dell are also hoping to capture the Home entertainment market by realeasing products like LCD TVs. The PVR is basically a harddrive, so I can see no reason why Dell and HP can't manufacture their own versions. Those that have PVR devices have reported favourably on them. Even Adam Singer of Telewest have been impressed by them.
There are a number reasons why NTL & Tivo have not taken off.
1) A reluctance to pay the £10 monthly fee to TIVO or NTL.
2) Low choice in the number of PVR devices.
3) Products poorly marketed by NTL/TIVO.
4) Low public awareness of these products.
5) Relatively, high cost of PVR devices - considering the cost of a HDD is around £60.
I agree with UDT. I would love to see NTL selling PVRs I already have a Tivo, and would love to replace my current two boxes with one but Sky is out of the question.
I also agree that a bad selection of PVRs, cost and bad marketing has held back PVRs (particularly TiVo).
When I bought the TiVo, had I had a choice, I would not have bought the Thomson I did, I would have bought a Sony.
dialanothernumb
29-10-2003, 13:36
The PVR is basically a harddrive, so I can see no reason why Dell and HP can't manufacture their own versions.
No it is not basically a hard drive. The key difference between a PVR and a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) is software/GUI. On a DVR or hard/optical disk recorder, you have a digital version of the VCR, but with Sky + and especially with TiVo you have a well thought out user interface, capability to search listings by genre, title, actor, director, book series based "season passes", automatically record programmes on your "wishlist" that appear on listings. I love Ealing comedies, so I have a wishlist that, when such comedies appear, they are automatically recorded.
TiVo's search, season pass and wishlist capabilities are more extensive than those of Sky +, but Sky+ can record from twin tuners, reducing the chance of clashes. Swings and roundabouts.
The moment you come in from work, for the first time after you buy a PVR and see a programme you forgot about, waiting to be watched, is a good moment.
It reduces the TV that you flick through by giving you TV you actually watch, when you want.
Anyone who has used TiVo and Sky + will have seen the differences in functionality between these two offerings. They are both worlds apart from the Pace Twin DTT recorder and other basic replacements for the old VHS VCR.
I set up a poll on .com suggesting that Sky+ would cause a major switch away from ntl, not realising this simpler more straightforward poll was on here. So my point again is that not having ntl+ may cost ntl dear
SMHarman
29-10-2003, 14:06
<snip>Microsoft is also developing a product to rival Sony's offering. HP and Dell are also hoping to capture the Home entertainment market by realeasing products like LCD TVs. The PVR is basically a harddrive, so I can see no reason why Dell and HP can't manufacture their own versions. <snip>.
And you answered your own question with a watch this space.
Microsoft XP MME thats MultiMedia Edition is designed with specific functionality to make PVR a option on it, display on TV screens usable and also for it to operate better without a mouse and with and IR remote.
MSXPMME has teamed with the BBC to get channel listings etc. Between these Dell, HP etc now have the software to operate on thier hardware and create PVRs without proprietary requrements (i.e. TIVO).
Still won't get rid of the NTL box though.
I can't believe the lack of interest in this from you lot. Would'nt you want this?.....maybe just apathy?
Undisputedtruth
29-10-2003, 21:56
No it is not basically a hard drive. The key difference between a PVR and a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) is software/GUI. On a DVR or hard/optical disk recorder, you have a digital version of the VCR, but with Sky + and especially with TiVo you have a well thought out user interface, capability to search listings by genre, title, actor, director, book series based "season passes", automatically record programmes on your "wishlist" that appear on listings. I love Ealing comedies, so I have a wishlist that, when such comedies appear, they are automatically recorded.
TiVo's search, season pass and wishlist capabilities are more extensive than those of Sky +, but Sky+ can record from twin tuners, reducing the chance of clashes. Swings and roundabouts.
The moment you come in from work, for the first time after you buy a PVR and see a programme you forgot about, waiting to be watched, is a good moment.
It reduces the TV that you flick through by giving you TV you actually watch, when you want.
Anyone who has used TiVo and Sky + will have seen the differences in functionality between these two offerings. They are both worlds apart from the Pace Twin DTT recorder and other basic replacements for the old VHS VCR.
I set up a poll on .com suggesting that Sky+ would cause a major switch away from ntl, not realising this simpler more straightforward poll was on here. So my point again is that not having ntl+ may cost ntl dear
I was actually thinking in hardware terms and the costs associated with PVR & DVRs. The software is a different issue and I think there will be a number of software from different manufacturers. At the moment TiVo is probably the must functional of the lot but I think most people would be satisfied with the Skyplus offerings. Like I said before, the PVRs and DVRs will be mass product products when they start costing around the £100. Even better, if the devices incorporates the DVD burner. We have seen DVD burners gone through the £100 mark, so it is feasible to have PVR with DVD burner for around £200.
I think the real danger for NTL is when Sky starts to drop the price of the box. Expect mass exodus from NTL.
homealone
29-10-2003, 22:15
I was actually thinking in hardware terms and the costs associated with PVR & DVRs. The software is a different issue and I think there will be a number of software from different manufacturers. At the moment TiVo is probably the must functional of the lot but I think most people would be satisfied with the Skyplus offerings. Like I said before, the PVRs and DVRs will be mass product products when they start costing around the £100. Even better, if the devices incorporates the DVD burner. We have seen DVD burners gone through the £100 mark, so it is feasible to have PVR with DVD burner for around £200.
I think the real danger for NTL is when Sky starts to drop the price of the box. Expect mass exodus from NTL.
some similar stuff is also possible using showshifter, digiguide & a hard disk in a computer with a capture card - that type of setup may be more provider independent - & if a DVD RAM drive did the recording, even better.:)
Undisputedtruth
29-10-2003, 22:22
some similar stuff is also possible using showshifter, digiguide & a hard disk in a computer with a capture card - that type of setup may be more provider independent - & if a DVD RAM drive did the recording, even better.:)
There was an article on it a few months ago in Toms hardware. But I think most people will want to have a dedicated unit.
homealone
29-10-2003, 22:42
There was an article on it a few months ago in Toms hardware. But I think most people will want to have a dedicated unit.
if you could, a link to the article would be handy - but yes, a "one stop shop" would be much less hassle.
poolking
29-10-2003, 22:48
An excellent idea. I always forget the dates and times of my favourite programmes and this would be an ideal tool to catch up with missed episodes. :D
But the one thing I would like to see before this though as many others would like to see, is a decent interactive service.
Undisputedtruth
29-10-2003, 23:19
if you could, a link to the article would be handy - but yes, a "one stop shop" would be much less hassle.
as requested:
http://www6.tomshardware.com/video/20030731/index.html
Undisputedtruth
29-10-2003, 23:21
An excellent idea. I always forget the dates and times of my favourite programmes and this would be an ideal tool to catch up with missed episodes. :D
But the one thing I would like to see before this though as many others would like to see, is a decent interactive service.
it is also possible to recordusing mobile phones or through the internet. How's that for flexibility.
dialanothernumb
29-10-2003, 23:53
http://forum.nthellworld.co.uk/showpost.php?p=73149&postcount=9
Huh? lack of interest??
dialanothernumb
29-10-2003, 23:55
Hey UDT, how long are you banned for on the otherside?
Undisputedtruth
30-10-2003, 00:37
Hey UDT, how long are you banned for on the otherside?
I think they were trying to get me banned for a looong time now. I've been with nthw since the early days. I have a lot of time for Frank, but I think the present mods are just running the site into the ground. They might as well turn into an NTL intrasite, especially when the mods are mostly NTL employees.
NtlRebelReborn
30-10-2003, 00:52
I've been using a Tivo since they first emerged. Only wish they had 2 tuners, apart from that really pleased with especially as currys had them on offer via the net for £99. Should have bought 2. :rolleyes:
http://forum.nthellworld.co.uk/showpost.php?p=73149&postcount=9
Huh? lack of interest??
I was commenting on the 27 votes that have been cast. Not a lot... I thought there would be a lot more people interested in this facility...
The thread has strayed away a little from the subject, hasn't it..... :notopic:
I was commenting on the 27 votes that have been cast. Not a lot... I thought there would be a lot more people interested in this facility...
Well I just placed vote 34. I have a Tivo linked to a dedicated Sky box so it doesn't intefere with anything I'm watching on my NTL box. :D
I have also played with Digiguide linked to WinTV using my PVR250 and await some of the PVR functionality they are developing atm.
By this time next year I could have Sky+ recording some programmes, Tivo recording from the second tuner in the sky+ box and Digiguide recording stuff on my PC ! If only I had the time to watch all these damn programmes .....
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