TiVo TiVo speed - not good enough? - Page 3

zantarous · 01-09-2011, 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

to be fair TiVo is doing a hell of a lot more than Sky+HD or V+HD boxes, so you can't expect everything in a instant... It's pulling information from everywhere.

I've had a play around with a Sky+HD box at my sisters and I wouldn't say it was instant either. It's generally fast and nice looking, but fairly basic compared with TiVo in features.

Exactly Sky HD and Tivo are very different boxes and for the want of a better term the Sky HD box is pretty dumb and is simply a PVR.

The Tivo is doing so much more and constantly pulling metadata when you explore a show. All these whiz bang features will come with a bit of overhead. So it takes 3 seconds to display my shows big deal.

The EPG is lightning fast way faster then the V+ ever was. I agree that there are a few places where they can improve so hopefully in future we will get more performance enhancements.

Risco · 01-09-2011, 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by zantarous

Exactly Sky HD and Tivo are very different boxes and for the want of a better term the Sky HD box is pretty dumb and is simply a PVR.

The Tivo is doing so much more and constantly pulling metadata when you explore a show. All these whiz bang features will come with a bit of overhead. So it takes 3 seconds to display my shows big deal.

The EPG is lightning fast way faster then the V+ ever was. I agree that there are a few places where they can improve so hopefully in future we will get more performance enhancements.

Regardless of the metadata it is pulling, I still believe that with todays technology that TiVo should be much faster. I still think that poor firmware is holding it back.

Oh and bring out the bloody qwerty keypad, or an app to control TiVo fully already!

zantarous · 01-09-2011, 22:22

These boxes have to be made at a price, if cost wasn't an issue then you could have all singing dance machine. But to keep it realistic they have to skimp on things.

They still have yet to get the second core to work and I am sure that the code could do with a lot of tidying up. The only time the box really annoys me is when it is recording three HD shows, navigating My shows can be very slow then.

robtuk06 · 01-09-2011, 22:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by zantarous

Exactly Sky HD and Tivo are very different boxes and for the want of a better term the Sky HD box is pretty dumb and is simply a PVR.

The Tivo is doing so much more and constantly pulling metadata when you explore a show. All these whiz bang features will come with a bit of overhead. So it takes 3 seconds to display my shows big deal.

The EPG is lightning fast way faster then the V+ ever was. I agree that there are a few places where they can improve so hopefully in future we will get more performance enhancements.

Unlike navigating a data and graphic rich website which is instant?

I don't buy that at all, as mentioned above, it is all down to costs.

savvychels · 01-09-2011, 23:53

I *have* had mine at 99% recording capacity and saw no difference in the speed to when it's below 50

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDFootyMan

Most people seem to report that the more you've recorded, the slower TiVo is. I'd hate to see the performance at 99% recording capacity.

clinteastman · 02-09-2011, 00:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by New to cable

Any chance of you making a quick video of you using Tivo's menu? I will also supply a video of my Sky HD box so we can compare?

Its just if Tivo is as fast as you say it is then I may get one as the one in Telfords VM-Store is so slow they have stopped using it and they now use a v+ AGAIN.

Also I know someone with a Tivo an there is really slow. Infact if you can't provide a video I think I will video my friends. Just use your mobile phone to take the video.

I know from previous posts that your mobile phone can take video.

I'm sorry but I can't.

---------- Post added at 23:31 ---------- Previous post was at 23:29 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by devilincarnate

You do really need to get out more mate

This is what happens when you work from home.

denphone · 02-09-2011, 06:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by zantarous

Exactly Sky HD and Tivo are very different boxes and for the want of a better term the Sky HD box is pretty dumb and is simply a PVR.

The Tivo is doing so much more and constantly pulling metadata when you explore a show. All these whiz bang features will come with a bit of overhead. So it takes 3 seconds to display my shows big deal.

The EPG is lightning fast way faster then the V+ ever was. I agree that there are a few places where they can improve so hopefully in future we will get more performance enhancements.

Yes l have to agree with you on much of what you say and it can only get better.

**Hugh** · 02-09-2011, 11:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by robtuk06

Unlike navigating a data and graphic rich website which is instant?

I don't buy that at all, as mentioned above, it is all down to costs.

You are not comparing like for like.

With the website, it is "one size fits all"; with the TiVo box, each individual users' information has to be updated with the appropriate metadata and data for the programmes they have on the box, each time they record something.

Now I am sure this could be improved, by caching info (if they don't do it already) and then only looking for changes in data, and uploading that, but it is not the simple task you make it out to be, imho.

btw, you say you "don't buy that at all"? Is that statement based on technical knowledge, or just an opinion?

robtuk06 · 02-09-2011, 13:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by robtuk06

Unlike navigating a data and graphic rich website which is instant?

I don't buy that at all, as mentioned above, it is all down to costs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh

You are not comparing like for like.

With the website, it is "one size fits all"; with the TiVo box, each individual users' information has to be updated with the appropriate metadata and data for the programmes they have on the box, each time they record something.

Similar to how Google personalises your search results based on your Google preferences and search history then? Or how facebook displays information relevant to you when you are navigating the site?

Quote:

Now I am sure this could be improved, by caching info (if they don't do it already) and then only looking for changes in data, and uploading that, but it is not the simple task you make it out to be, imho.

Caching is not needed, better specs on the box and headend are required - but as I already stated, it boils down to money.

Quote:

btw, you say you "don't buy that at all"? Is that statement based on technical knowledge, or just an opinion?

Technical knowledge (and common sense re keeping costs down).

You are very defensive, but I am speaking of ALL set top boxes (as I have already mentioned in previous posts) - it is not limited to TiVo.

New to cable · 02-09-2011, 13:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh

You are not comparing like for like.

With the website, it is "one size fits all"; with the TiVo box, each individual users' information has to be updated with the appropriate metadata and data for the programmes they have on the box, each time they record something.

Now I am sure this could be improved, by caching info (if they don't do it already) and then only looking for changes in data, and uploading that, but it is not the simple task you make it out to be, imho.

btw, you say you "don't buy that at all"? Is that statement based on technical knowledge, or just an opinion?

How large a file do you think the "metadata" is? Tivo has a 10Mb connection with its own dedicated modem.

The speeds which large files can be shifted around these days and your excuse that Tivo is slow because it needs to fetch data do not add up.

Its not fetching video files,its text with maybe a jpg.

**Hugh** · 02-09-2011, 13:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by robtuk06

Snippety snip snip....

Technical knowledge (and common sense re keeping costs down).

You are very defensive, but I am speaking of ALL set top boxes (as I have already mentioned in previous posts) - it is not limited to TiVo.

Thank you for the ad hominem attack - not sure which part of my post was 'defensive' or what I was 'defending'....

You seem to have higher expectations of technology and coders than I have, and comparing Google engineers with TiVo engineers is like comparing Man U with Bradford, imho - poles apart in scale and funding.

Whilst it would be nice to have sub-second responses, it doesn't ruin my day not to have them - ymmv.

clinteastman · 02-09-2011, 13:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by robtuk06

Caching is not needed, better specs on the box and headend are required - but as I already stated, it boils down to money.

Caching is needed!!! That's the only way TiVo is every going to hit the instant milestone. (by instant i mean 150ms and less).

**Hugh** · 02-09-2011, 13:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by New to cable

How large a file do you think the "metadata" is? Tivo has a 10Mb connection with its own dedicated modem.

The speeds which large files can be shifted around these days and your excuse that Tivo is slow because it needs to fetch data do not add up.

Its not fetching video files,its text with maybe a jpg.

It also has to search for the data and the metadata - you are talking about multiple searches across multiple files and their many indexes, imho (unless, of course, you know more about the TiVo database and index structure than I do, as I am just going on general data warehousing principles...).

robtuk06 · 02-09-2011, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh

You seem to have higher expectations of technology and coders than I have, and comparing Google engineers with TiVo engineers is like comparing Man U with Bradford, imho - poles apart in scale and funding.

You seem to be making things up and twisting peoples words (hardly a good impression to give as a member of staff on this forum) - so it is a pointless debate. You have your opinion, I have mine.

**Hugh** · 02-09-2011, 15:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by robtuk06

If you could show me where I made that comparison, I would be grateful.

You seem to be making things up and twisting peoples words - so it is a pointless debate. You have your opinion, I have mine. .

That would be where I said

Quote:

You are not comparing like for like

and you responded with

Quote:

Similar to how Google personalises your search results based on your Google preferences and search history then?

btw, I am not a "member of staff" - I am a volunteer (who doesn't work for VM) who helps moderate this forum (once again, you resort to ad hominem attacks).