TiVo : Sky Q and VM answer ?

[r94yan]

With Sky Q set to launch this year, and it looks very good although for a premium. Does VM have an answer to this service? or it just going to do the same and keep pumping out faster internet?

Sky Q looks like it will have everything Tivo has, but more and better. Tivo has not really improved at all since its launch, I think VM TV is becoming stagnant, I know they are moving away from TV, but they should still be trying to improve the service?

Anyone heard anything through the grapevine?

[Stephen]

If you had a launch TiVo and compared it side by side to the current update you would find a lot has changed.

[r94yan]

But nothing of mass note, its been quite a while since it launched, I did expect some greater improvements.
The standard stuff has improved like speed etc, but no landmark improvements.

Looking at the Tivo services available in other countries ours is being left behind. ANyone seen the TIVO Bolt????

[warrenb]

Originally Posted by Stephen

If you had a launch TiVo and compared it side by side to the current update you would find a lot has changed.

Yep, it is slower and reboots more often

[denphone]

Not in our household......

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by r94yan

But nothing of mass note, its been quite a while since it launched, I did expect some greater improvements.
The standard stuff has improved like speed etc, but no landmark improvements.

Looking at the Tivo services available in other countries ours is being left behind. ANyone seen the TIVO Bolt????

I agree, we badly need some progress on this.

A new Tivo is being planned and I am hopeful it will launch later this year. Hopefully the speed issue will be resolved with the new box and a lot more streaming and on demand content will be added.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by warrenb

Yep, it is slower and reboots more often

Not in my house it doesn't.

I do agree though that it needs some improvements in RAM and better management of it. A built in WiFi connection and cloud based storage would be better.

Am sure there was a recent TiVo improvements thread already.

Here it is

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11...hat-would.html

[r94yan]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Not in my house it doesn't.

I do agree though that it needs some improvements in RAM and better management of it. A built in WiFi connection and cloud based storage would be better.

Am sure there was a recent TiVo improvements thread already.

Here it is

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11...hat-would.html

Had a flick through that thread, is there anything concrete though? that seems like a wishlist.

There are the obvious improvements like speed, but something groundbreaking would be amazing. I am intrigued by what the new box will do. I just hope it's not a lame improvement like just speed and larger HDD.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by r94yan

ANyone seen the TIVO Bolt????

The Tivo bolt will do what the forthcoming Sky Q will do, though not quite so many tuners. However Tivo have indicated that they are working on an updated Roamio, which I think does have more tuners than the Bolt.

Whether VM adopt the Bolt or an improved Roamio (or more likely the software of each in new VM hardware), only they will know, anyone who does know will be under a NDA.

[muppetman11]

Tivo Bolt and SkyQ aren't really comparable , the SkyQ Silver is meant as a master box feeding SkyQ minis and Tablets hence 12 tuners I believe the Bolt only has 4 tuners so would struggle feeding Tivo mini's.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by passingbat

The Tivo bolt will do what the forthcoming Sky Q will do, though not quite so many tuners. However Tivo have indicated that they are working on an updated Roamio, which I think does have more tuners than the Bolt.

Whether VM adopt the Bolt or an improved Roamio (or more likely the software of each in new VM hardware), only they will know, anyone who does know will be under a NDA.

This is what I was referring to. It is a Q & A with Ira Bahr, Tivo's CMO on the Tivo community forums. I read this several months ago and found the whole thing interesting and it is well worth a read.

This is an extract from the first post by Ira, where he talks about a better product than the bolt being developed for a 2016 release, and expands on that later in the thread.

As an overarching thought for this whole conversation I would emphasize what many of you have already inferred. And that is, that the Bolt product was not really designed for the TiVo enthusiast. So your lukewarm reaction is not unexpected. Bolt is low on Tuners, light on storage, doesn’t fit into your racks and really doesn’t offer this group much more than 4K and software features you figure we’ll roll-down anyway.

So this leads to “why the hell did you NOT design for the TiVo enthusiast?” First, we already have a roadmap plan to bring you something you’ll like way better in 2016 (more on this shortly).

http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/sho...d.php?t=532368

[muppetman11]

For me personally SkyQ would represent a great addition , the mini box doesn't require any extra satellite cabling like my current multiroom box and can be moved to a different room if required , our tablets can pick up live TV , DVR recordings and On Demand all bookmarked.

For our house it's never been an issue paying for equipment upfront however I'm changing here , in the current market I much prefer VM's method of including the equipment in the subscription costs. Why the change ? Simple the market is now so fierce with products continually changing its no longer beneficial paying large upfront costs.

Sky haven't announced pricing yet and there was speculation they'd change to a similar rental method however personally I can't see it I guess time will tell.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Tivo Bolt and SkyQ aren't really comparable , the SkyQ Silver is meant as a master box feeding SkyQ minis and Tablets hence 12 tuners I believe the Bolt only has 4 tuners so would struggle feeding Tivo mini's.

As I said, and have now posted a link to, Tivo will be releasing a new Tivo this year, that will have at least 6 tuners and a 3TB hard drive. That is the current top end Roamio spec, so the new model could have more.

Time will tell which will be the best option and providing VM do adopt the software in a new box, the jury is still out.
.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by passingbat

As I said, and have now posted a link to, Tivo will be releasing a new Tivo this year, that will have at least 6 tuners and a 3TB hard drive.
.

Agreed which is great if your looking at the box as a single DVR however those tuners soon get taken away if feeding minis or tablets with live TV.

Don't forget SkyQ Silver allows 4 shows to be recorded whilst watching a 5th and the ability to feed 2 minis and 2 tablets.

I think the tuners are used as follows

4 for recording
1 for live TV viewing on main box
2 for 2 Sky Q Mini boxes
2 for 2 tablets
With the rest used for future expansion

SkyQ Silver needs a larger HDD than a 2TB especially when UHD arrives considering it will record the whole homes shows , many Multiroom subscribers now have 1 2TB and the standard Sky+HD giving them greater capacity.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Agreed which is great if your looking at the box as a single DVR however those tuners soon get taken away if feeding minis or tablets with live TV.

Don't forget SkyQ Silver allows 4 shows to be recorded whilst watching a 5th and the ability to feed 2 minis or tablets.

I think the tuners are used as follows

4 for recording
1 for live TV viewing on main box
2 for 2 Sky Q Mini boxes
2 for 2 tablets
With the rest used for future expansion

SkyQ Silver needs a larger HDD than a 2TB especially when UHD arrives considering it will record the whole homes shows , many Multiroom subscribers now have 1 2TB and the standard Sky+HD giving them greater capacity.

But we don't know what the new Tivo box will be like. I would be surprised if it was just a Roamio with bigger drives and more tuners. The Roamio was a top of the range PVR two and a half years ago, and the new box is classed as an enthusiasts box. I know your loyalty to Sky wants the new Q box to be the best; it is impressive and it may well be so. But I fail to see how you can be sure of that until the new US Tivo is revealed. That's when I will make a judgement.

And of course, it's not certain that VM will actually release a new box this year, and if they do, which Tivo software will they base it on and what hardware they will use?