TiVo Is Tivo actually ready for VMs market?

24-05-2011, 08:36

Enjoying my Tivo, but more for hardware (1TB & 3 tuner record) than software which promised bug things (that should said 'big things' but maybe i'll leave the typo)

I dont know how big a market the Tivo is used to (currently serving) but:

1/ Lot of what i have experienced seems to be quite dated (pre 2005) - does it even know what a +1 channel is?

2/ V+ has resolved some very very basic issues that Tivo is still totally unaware of - which suggests it's not been exposed to such a large market before

joff81 · 24-05-2011, 08:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by JethroUK

Enjoying my Tivo, but more for hardware (1TB & 3 tuner record) than software which promised bug things (that should said 'big things' but maybe i'll leave the typo)

I dont know how big a market the Tivo is used to (currently serving) but:

1/ Lot of what i have experienced seems to be quite dated (pre 2005) - does it even know what a +1 channel is?

2/ V+ has resolved some very very basic issues that Tivo is still totally unaware of - which suggests it's not been exposed to such a large market before

ive had my TiVo since last friday and have to admit that even with its bugs and issues (most of which ive read and not experienced as of yet) its pretty awesome.
its like nothing else offered by any other pay tv company and its very much the future and im very suprised on how much of an advancement over the V+ box it is.
one thing that is obvious at the moment is that TiVo has been developed for a US market which is apparent with the lack of the red button which the US dont have and and some of the sofware seems very US based, but saying that VM have done a good job to hide the majority of it.

TiVo has a big following in the US but is a generic product over there here VM needed to take that generic product, brand and market it for their company as an exclusive product. its been done well and once the red button is added (both Sky, BBC and other channels) and the other little niggles are ironed out, VM with have an awesome exclusive product that no other company can come close to offering.

after having my TiVo a few days i understand VM TiVo as their future as its unique and nothing else out there in the UK is even close to what it offers.

carlwaring · 24-05-2011, 09:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by JethroUK

does it even know what a +1 channel is?

How is that relevent to anything? If you want to record something on a +1 channel then set a SL on it. Or set a wishlist which will catch a programme on any channel.

Does V+ record something off a +1 channel if it can? No!

Quote:

2/ V+ has resolved some very very basic issues that Tivo is still totally unaware of - which suggests it's not been exposed to such a large market before

Such as? Yes, the "dropping padding" thing. Nothing else that I can think of though.

Yes, I know he won't answer as he's ignoring me, but that's only because he knows I call him on his "issues" because they're mostly complete rubbish.

**Hugh** · 24-05-2011, 10:22

Can we focus on issues, not personalities - flaming will be infracted.

carlwaring · 24-05-2011, 10:33

Nothing but the facts, Hugh. As always

**Hugh** · 24-05-2011, 11:05

You appear to be confusing "facts" and "opinions" - let's try not to, eh?

passingbat · 24-05-2011, 12:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlwaring

How is that relevent to anything? If you want to record something on a +1 channel then set a SL on it. Or set a wishlist which will catch a programme on any channel.
.

It is relevant in that I see no reason wht Tivo couldn't be modified so that when it's trying to resolve recording clashes, it could also look at the +1 channels. If it did that, it couldn't hurt and I'm sure would help in some instances.

Whishlist are brilliant for what they do, but for ongoing shows, a series link is better in my view and including +1 channels in conflict searches can only help.

I don't know much anout the US TV broadcasters, but do they have +1 channels? If not, that's maybe why a pretty obvious inclusion of them was ommited from Tivo?

DaBoz · 24-05-2011, 12:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by passingbat

It is relevant in that I see no reason wht Tivo couldn't be modified so that when it's trying to resolve recording clashes, it could also look at the +1 channels. If it did that, it couldn't hurt and I'm sure would help in some instances.

Whishlist are brilliant for what they do, but for ongoing shows, a series link is better in my view and including +1 channels in conflict searches can only help.

I don't know much anout the US TV broadcasters, but do they have +1 channels? If not, that's maybe why a pretty obvious inclusion of them was ommited from Tivo?

although I strongly agree with Carl's point on wishlists being much more powerful than series links, I think he's missing the point of how +1 channels should be included as alternatives for the non+1 version of the channel, as it would give TiVo more scope for resolving clashes.

In fact I'd go further and say it's unintuitive not to use the +1 channels as alternatives.

spiderplant · 24-05-2011, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by passingbat

I don't know much about the US TV broadcasters, but do they have +1 channels? If not, that's maybe why a pretty obvious inclusion of them was ommited from Tivo?

It seems they don't, or at least not in the way we do.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeshift_channel

24-05-2011, 13:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by joff81

...after having my TiVo a few days i understand VM TiVo as their future as its unique and nothing else out there in the UK is even close to what it offers.

i wont be taking my Tivo back any day soon - i'm sure VM will invest whatever it takes to put it on track - just surprised at a machine with long history/experience in PVR and market it has been selling to (US) to stumble over some basic things i would only expect of new-comer

.

denphone · 24-05-2011, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by joff81

ive had my TiVo since last friday and have to admit that even with its bugs and issues (most of which ive read and not experienced as of yet) its pretty awesome.
its like nothing else offered by any other pay tv company and its very much the future and im very suprised on how much of an advancement over the V+ box it is.
one thing that is obvious at the moment is that TiVo has been developed for a US market which is apparent with the lack of the red button which the US dont have and and some of the sofware seems very US based, but saying that VM have done a good job to hide the majority of it.

TiVo has a big following in the US but is a generic product over there here VM needed to take that generic product, brand and market it for their company as an exclusive product. its been done well and once the red button is added (both Sky, BBC and other channels) and the other little niggles are ironed out, VM with have an awesome exclusive product that no other company can come close to offering.

after having my TiVo a few days i understand VM TiVo as their future as its unique and nothing else out there in the UK is even close to what it offers.

And this is one thing l have congratulated Virgin on is the superb tivo box they have released.

joff81 · 24-05-2011, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by JethroUK

i wont be taking my Tivo back any day soon - i'm sure VM will invest whatever it takes to put it on track - just surprised at a machine with long history/experience in PVR and market it has been selling to (US) to stumble over some basic things i would only expect of new-comer

.

That's what happens when you take a product based on the demand for the US Market and try to package it for another country. Instead of being suprised at the small niggles that will be fixed in time be more wowed at how great the product is out of the box and think of the potential that TiVo on VM has.

Most of us can tell even at this early stage VM TiVo is going to be massive and a unique product offering that nobody out there can come close to.

muppetman11 · 24-05-2011, 15:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by joff81

That's what happens when you take a product based on the demand for the US Market and try to package it for another country. Instead of being suprised at the small niggles that will be fixed in time be more wowed at how great the product is out of the box and think of the potential that TiVo on VM has.

Most of us can tell even at this early stage VM TiVo is going to be massive and a unique product offering that nobody out there can come close to.

I agree as a non TIVO user I would consider taking one in the future especially if more HD channels can be added as well , content is the only thing that took me to Sky for my main TV service.

denphone · 24-05-2011, 15:25

The dark side of the Lord is losing his grip on you.

mark1234 · 24-05-2011, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBoz

although I strongly agree with Carl's point on wishlists being much more powerful than series links, I think he's missing the point of how +1 channels should be included as alternatives for the non+1 version of the channel, as it would give TiVo more scope for resolving clashes.

In fact I'd go further and say it's unintuitive not to use the +1 channels as alternatives.

Windows Media Centre does this wonderfully. If there are clashes then it will look across all channels to find another showing that it will then schedule to record. If it cannot find another showing within the the current guide data (it has a fortnights worth) then it remembers what show(s) it cannot record and if they are repeated in the future then they get scheduled to record.