TiVo : Sky Q and VM answer ?

[tweedle]

Originally Posted by hedgie

1-For me and many others suffering cripplingly bad connections due to overselling, poor network planning and under capacity the broadband is an unreliable second rate product. Their headline speeds are now so far beyond what most users actually need it doesn't matter if Sky or BT are slower, they are fast enough. So the BB advantage is being eroded anyway

2- The interface on the Sky+ was always better, more intuitive and faster than TiVO

3 - Maybe it's just me but Sky Go seems way better than TV Anywhere

4 - VM have no real version of sky store with Free DVD's.

Sorry but it needs to improve, and fast.

I would agree with you comments on the broadband, I line in an area where I could get VM Vivid 200mb. But I choose 80mb from Sky,

Originally Posted by muppetman11

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

I'm curious, when was the last time you (or anyone) needed to record four programmes all at the same time (as well as watching a fifth).

How many households have five people that all need to watch different programmes at the same time (spread across tablets & mini boxes).

Seems to me that almost no one really needs that many tuners, its just a gimmick.

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by Paul M

Seems to me that almost no one really needs that many tuners, its just a gimmick.

I used to think that way about TiVo; that I'd never possibly need 3 tuners. Now I find 3 red lights on quite often - not that I ever find time to watch all of it...
If only TiVo wasn't so painfully slow - its become its main drawback. Sky boxes and VM's own vhd, put it to shame.

[hedgie]

Originally Posted by Paul M

I'm curious, when was the last time you (or anyone) needed to record four programmes all at the same time (as well as watching a fifth).

How many households have five people that all need to watch different programmes at the same time (spread across tablets & mini boxes).

Seems to me that almost no one really needs that many tuners, its just a gimmick.

Errr...

We have four teenagers and two adults in the house.

Currently I am surprised quite how often TiVO has three red lights on. A couple of series links and wish lists is all it takes really. I can see this splurge of tuners as trying to reign in the Netflix, You Tube watchers and bring this content into the Sky ecosystem.

Watching with interest to see how this pans out vs the streaming options. I will be surprised if I have the same TV provision in 18 months as I do now.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by Paul M

I'm curious, when was the last time you (or anyone) needed to record four programmes all at the same time (as well as watching a fifth).

How many households have five people that all need to watch different programmes at the same time (spread across tablets & mini boxes).

Seems to me that almost no one really needs that many tuners, its just a gimmick.

I have Sky Multiroom now and there has been numerous times when both boxes have been recording using both tuners , you'd be suprised how much kids record and how much content they consume on their tablets also.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Paul M

I'm curious, when was the last time you (or anyone) needed to record four programmes all at the same time (as well as watching a fifth).

How many households have five people that all need to watch different programmes at the same time (spread across tablets & mini boxes).

Seems to me that almost no one really needs that many tuners, its just a gimmick.

You would surprised how many good series or programmes are put on at the same time during the evening as only last week there were 5 good programmes on at the same time and then a hour later there were several more and then there is the irritating habit of things never starting on time so that has to be factored in as well.

[r94yan]

Also suggestions often will use 2 of the tuners without you realising.
Would be good to have more tuners then perhaps allocate a particular amount of them to suggestions.

So if you really like what it throws up, give it 2/3.
If you don't then maybe just one tuner at a time

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by hedgie

1-For me and many others suffering cripplingly bad connections due to overselling, poor network planning and under capacity the broadband is an unreliable second rate product. Their headline speeds are now so far beyond what most users actually need it doesn't matter if Sky or BT are slower, they are fast enough. So the BB advantage is being eroded anyway

Depends how many people live in the home. 200 meg divided amongst four people is noticably slower than 80 meg used by one (assuming they are all using BB)

2- The interface on the Sky+ was always better, more intuitive and faster than TiVO

Each to their own, but I disagree. I always found the Sky + to be one of the most user unfriendly peices of kit I have used.

3 - Maybe it's just me but Sky Go seems way better than TV Anywhere

Can't really comment as I haven't used Sky Go. But, TV anywhere needs a lot of work IMO.

4 - VM have no real version of sky store with Free DVD's.

Is that *really* a selling point when Amazon have a far wider selection of DVDs and Blu Rays available than Sky, a lot of which can also be streamed via Ultraviolet?

Sorry but it needs to improve, and fast.

Agreed.

[1701-e]

Originally Posted by r94yan

Also suggestions often will use 2 of the tuners without you realising.

But the moment you start recording a different channel, one of the suggestions will stop and actually be deleted. No problem.

[heavyside]

IMO the supposed upcoming war of the set top boxes between Sky's Q and Virgin Media's upgraded TiVo will not be who has the superior box (my guess is they will be roughly equal in features) but who has the better content to watch via them. Sadly, no prizes for guessing who that will be.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by heavyside

IMO the supposed upcoming war of the set top boxes between Sky's Q and Virgin Media's upgraded TiVo will not be who has the superior box (my guess is they will be roughly equal in features) but who has the better content to watch via them. Sadly, no prizes for guessing who that will be.

Yes, we are missing out big time on all that Sky Atlantic programming. That is Virgin Media's serious content deficiency, and they have no alternatives available to balance that with what Sky provide.

If anyone doubts how much we have missed, they only need to subscribe to the Now TV Entertainment Pass. Incredible.

In my opinion, VM need to address this as a matter of some urgency if they don't want to haemmorage TV subscribers.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Yes, we are missing out big time on all that Sky Atlantic programming. That is Virgin Media's serious content deficiency, and they have no alternatives available to balance that with what Sky provide.

If anyone doubts how much we have missed, they only need to subscribe to the Now TV Entertainment Pass. Incredible.

In my opinion, VM need to address this as a matter of some urgency if they don't want to haemmorage TV subscribers.

There isn't a lot they can do if Sky wish to keep the channel as an exclusive.

[denphone]

Setting up their own channels and buy must see content would be the way to go but personally l cannot see it happening.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

There isn't a lot they can do if Sky wish to keep the channel as an exclusive.

Exactly.

[steveh]

Almost everything decent is already tied up in long-term content deals. I'm sure Sky also like it having Virgin TV customers subscribing to Now TV to get Atlantic as it means they get paid twice for the other channels. Sky added 205,000 new customers in the last quarter - their best growth for a decade - and Now TV customers made up a big chunk of that.