TIVO-Do you think it will win over Sky subscribers?

[Marcus125]

So VM users do you think Tivo will get people to leave Sky and join VirginMedia?

My view? Well I'm glad you asked.

I have had Skytv for many many years and have always been happy with my service. I had a Sky Tivo and a S1 Tivo which I thought were fantastic but stopped using along time ago.

When I heard VM were bringing a new Tivo I decided I wanted to be part of it so joined VM. Unfortunately this didnt work how I had planned. VM want over £100 plus a subscription fee for Tivo.

Ok the price may of been ok 10 years ago but its 2011 and Tivo is just not pushing any boundries. What has changed since I stopped using Tivo many years ago? Nothing? Oh the EPG is now red. Thats not enough.

I think and this is not "fanboyisim" or anything like that, that Sky users who join VM for Tivo will be gone back to Sky first chance they get. VM Should really listen to what I'm saying.

I find it hard to believe in 10 years Tivo have stood still in development but thats how it seems. New users in 2011 will not be impressed with the current Tivo offering the way we were in 10 years ago.

Don't turn this thread into a personal attack on me. Read it, give it thought, then reply.

[Chad]

No, I think Virgin will struggle to win their own customers over. I've always believed the new Tivo box will mainly appeal to tech geeks and coach potatoes.

If you want the best TV channels you go to SKY. If you want the best TV experience you go with Virgin. If you want to spend your life in front of the TV, you get Tivo.

[TheDon]

Originally Posted by Chad

If you want to spend your life in front of the TV, you get Tivo.

Except that's what Tivo is designed to avoid?

It's about conveniently finding content in a timeframe that suits you. It works out what you like to watch, then stores those shows for you so you DON'T have to tie yourself to the TV. To the extent that you can even watch those shows from anywhere with the mobile, ipad and pc apps available for the platform (which will no doubt be coming soon to VM).

Tivo looks after your viewing so you don't have to live your life around the TV.

[jamiefrost]

Not sure what the cost has to do with this as a 1TB box from Sky will cost more and offer less functionality.

All of the current PVRs supplied by Sky and Virgin (V+) do not compare in functionality. To claim all you get is an enhanced EPG is disingenuous at best.

I know Sky offer more HD channels but this would not make me consider switching and I'm not aware of Sky exclusive channels that would make me want to swap.

JJ

[GrimUpNorth]

I think it will, but not on its own. My own experience tells me that unless Sky have changed many people will, if they can, go the VM way.

The commander-in-chief decided some years ago that Sky was better, so on her orders we got the dish fitted and off we went. Great service apart from when it rained, when there were too many leaves on the trees, when smoke came out of the Sky box, when the UNB needed replacing, when the replacement UNB needed replacing, when the new box thought it was a beagle and like its predecessor started smoking, when the replacement replacement UNB needed replacing. When we'd had enough and called to cancel they guy on the phone was lucky he wasn't talking to me face to face - I'm not an angry or aggressive person, but he was such a nasty peice of work I think I would have broken every bone in my fist before I got bored of punching him. I had to put the call on speaker phone so my wife could understand why i was shouting "just cancel the flipping (or similar) thing". I'm over £20 in credit with Sky - they can keep it.

Anyway, moved the TV back to VM and have worked our way up to the XL package and we've had a good reliable service with pleasant staff at a spot on price.

Tivo will only improve the experience and maybe I'm easily impressed, but if it's as good as it was all those years ago then nothing will come close.

So to sum up, some people like the OP will never be happy with what life offers them, but others will see the light and make the move to VM. These people will look back and wonder why they wasted so much time and money using an inferior system.

Cheers
Grim

[gstadt]

Not by itself, as the public are still too tied to Sky Movies and Sports....Virgin need to do something different like offering VOD Movies in HD on a subscription (like Netflix) to directly compete. Vudu-equivalent 1080p/DD+ box office for new releases, in addition, and I think you would see a massive change from Sky to Virgin.

If I was Virgin, I would be seriously buddying up with Amazon/Lovefilm to make this happen pronto ......

[nialli]

Very much depends on how it is advertised/marketed. I never felt Virgin Media publicised its superior video on demand service well (did anyone know what Samuel L Jackson was on about?) and they have to get this one right to appeal to new customers.
Having said that, I doubt folk with a dish will look to migrate unless they have problems with the Sky service and I think the days of people changing platform are pretty much over. Arguably the future is IP TV, which makes home broadband speeds more influential longer term than the number of channels provided on conventional TV platforms.

[gstadt]

Originally Posted by nialli

Very much depends on how it is advertised/marketed. I never felt Virgin Media publicised its superior video on demand service well (did anyone know what Samuel L Jackson was on about?) and they have to get this one right to appeal to new customers.
Having said that, I doubt folk with a dish will look to migrate unless they have problems with the Sky service and I think the days of people changing platform are pretty much over. Arguably the future is IP TV, which makes home broadband speeds more influential longer term than the number of channels provided on conventional TV platforms.

This is where a Virgin/Amazon/Lovefilm tie-up would be essential, Virgin for delivery (if they are moving out of the content game) and Lovefilm for content. Only by seriously tooling-up with another heavyweight partner can they take on Sky.

Another observation, I know of a few a friends who have had to cut back on their Sky to tighten their belts. In every case they dropped Sports and kept Movies, shows where the real power in a house is

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Marcus125

So VM users do you think Tivo will get people to leave Sky and join VirginMedia?

My view? Well I'm glad you asked.

I have had Skytv for many many years and have always been happy with my service. I had a Sky Tivo and a S1 Tivo which I thought were fantastic but stopped using along time ago.

When I heard VM were bringing a new Tivo I decided I wanted to be part of it so joined VM. Unfortunately this didnt work how I had planned. VM want over £100 plus a subscription fee for Tivo.

Ok the price may of been ok 10 years ago but its 2011 and Tivo is just not pushing any boundries. What has changed since I stopped using Tivo many years ago? Nothing? Oh the EPG is now red. Thats not enough.

I think and this is not "fanboyisim" or anything like that, that Sky users who join VM for Tivo will be gone back to Sky first chance they get. VM Should really listen to what I'm saying.

I find it hard to believe in 10 years Tivo have stood still in development but thats how it seems. New users in 2011 will not be impressed with the current Tivo offering the way we were in 10 years ago.

Don't turn this thread into a personal attack on me. Read it, give it thought, then reply.

Well the is one thing that can be said you will never ever know unless you get TiVo and find out how good it actually is, but wait you have gone back to SKY so you personally will never know.

[LexDiamond]

If Tivo is pointless and nothing more than a different EPG how come you cancelled Sky to come to Virgin? Was it not just a fancy EPG then? Or did it just become one when you decided to leave again, having never actually used a VM Tivo?

Tivo seems to have taken over your life. Even threads that aren't about Tivo become about Tivo when you post in them.

[Cozzy]

IMHO tivo on its own is just an enhanced EPG with a bigger HDD ... at the moment ..

Tivo on its own does not bring new content it just handles the existing content in a much better way ... going on that then no sky customers wont flood over to VM because of tivo

IF however tivo develops by adding truly new apps like Lovefilm/Blockbusters and other content providers as well as have a far enhanced and expanded VoD then many sky customers i think would move over at the loss of some mainstream/HD channels

the ball is in VM's court as to how they use the potential but at the moment tivo is just a new box with an enhanced EPG and bigger hdd which wont seduce the vast majority of sky ( and probably a lot of VM ) customers that its a must have

[naeskydish]

grimupnorth

think it will, but not on its own. My own experience tells me that unless Sky have changed many people will, if they can, go the VM way.

The commander-in-chief decided some years ago that Sky was better, so on her orders we got the dish fitted and off we went. Great service apart from when it rained, when there were too many leaves on the trees, when smoke came out of the Sky box, when the UNB needed replacing, when the replacement UNB needed replacing, when the new box thought it was a beagle and like its predecessor started smoking, when the replacement replacement UNB needed replacing. When we'd had enough and called to cancel they guy on the phone was lucky he wasn't talking to me face to face - I'm not an angry or aggressive person, but he was such a nasty peice of work I think I would have broken every bone in my fist before I got bored of punching him. I had to put the call on speaker phone so my wife could understand why i was shouting "just cancel the flipping (or similar) thing". I'm over £20 in credit with Sky - they can keep it.

Anyway, moved the TV back to VM and have worked our way up to the XL package and we've had a good reliable service with pleasant staff at a spot on price.

Tivo will only improve the experience and maybe I'm easily impressed, but if it's as good as it was all those years ago then nothing will come close.

So to sum up, some people like the OP will never be happy with what life offers them, but others will see the light and make the move to VM. These people will look back and wonder why they wasted so much time and money using an inferior system.

Cheers
Grim

This brought a smile to my face on a wet miserable morning
Never been with Sky so can't compare. But looking forward to eventually having my own tivo, I'm in no hurry though, happy with what I've got.

[weesteev]

Originally Posted by Marcus125

When I heard VM were bringing a new Tivo I decided I wanted to be part of it so joined VM. Unfortunately this didnt work how I had planned. VM want over £100 plus a subscription fee for Tivo.

This has to be the most preposterous comment I have ever come across on this forum.

I think that most people will decide on their individual circumstances, and no "fanboyism" on either side is like to change many peoples views.

However, Marcus, I am slightly surprised you feel able to make a sweeping statement like

I find it hard to believe in 10 years Tivo have stood still in development but thats how it seems

without any supporting commentary - if it is true, Tivo would be the only technology company in the world to do so.......

[Marcus125]

Originally Posted by weesteev

This has to be the most preposterous comment I have ever come across on this forum.

Seriously? Have never read any of my previous posts?