Tivo vs Replay TV
Hi all
Looking for advice on which of the above to get. So far, Replay TV seems to be better than Tivo in terms of features, and integration with internet. I especially like the wireless internet option - this would fit in well with my home network.
But I heard something about Tivo developing close relationship with Apple - I would sure hate to miss out on this if it happened. Added value is what we want, right?
So what's the word? What will the additional functionality be, will it be a software download on the existing machine, or will a Tivo 3 come out?
Cheers
Looking for advice on which of the above to get. So far, Replay TV seems to be better than Tivo in terms of features, and integration with internet. I especially like the wireless internet option - this would fit in well with my home network.
But I heard something about Tivo developing close relationship with Apple - I would sure hate to miss out on this if it happened. Added value is what we want, right?
So what's the word? What will the additional functionality be, will it be a software download on the existing machine, or will a Tivo 3 come out?
Cheers
Comments
ReplayTV= Goood.
ReplyTV is on the verge of passing up Tivo.
1. DVArchive 2.0 gives you functionality that Tivo could only dream about
2. Ethernet. Why isn't this on Tivo??
3. Component Outputs on RTV!
4. Commercial Skip and Advance. Killer features that the Entertainment Whore Tivo will never add.
5. Cheaper. RTV is $9.95 per month or $250 Lifetime. Tivo is 12.95 per month or $299
The TiVo (at least used to) requires you to have the drive formatted A Partikulur Way(tm), and it won't do it itself. The ReplayTV looks at the drive, says "Oh, it's new, no problem" and lays down what it needs to use it.
The TiVo/Apple thing was TiVo adopting Rendevouz in its systems... which only makes sense if they're going to make them easily networkable. We'll see. So far they're still behind ReplayTV in my book, although I understand that some people vastly prefer the TiVo UI. You might want to try both and see which you like.
Go with the replay, I have one and LOVE it.
BEN
i agree replay TV has some great features...but those features have generated the hatred and illwill of the entertainment industry... and sonicblue has multiple lawsuits to prove it. TIVO has taken a compromise position which, along with their current partnerships with direcTV, sony and philips , will help to ensure its continued survival.
it's neat that replay can mail shows to other replay owners, but the process takes hours and who needs that? i honestly wish tivo had component out...it doesn't...oh well. my SVHS video input looks fine to me. as for commercial advance, a simple 2 second key combination on the remote gives tivo the same :30 commercial skip feature that replay boasts...and with the upcoming $99 tivo expanded service, you'll be able to ethernet it to your existing mac and share music & photos with your main entertainment system because apple & tivo are also partnering. OSX apps exist not only to format larger tivo drives with your mac, but also to share programming as well.
add to this a very easy interface, a very good remote control, and a low price ($350 with rebate for an 80 hour tivo SERIES 2) and you have a very nice experience.....
I've been ultra-satisfied with its service and features, and highly recommend this device. In fact, it's one of the few pieces of electronics I own (the iPod being another) that my wife absolutely loves. When I first brought home the Replay, my wife gave me that, "oh no, not another box" look. After I got it hooked up and showed her how it worked, she grabbed the remote control from me and hasn't given it back!
If TiVo does start having tight integration with my Macs and iLife, I'll be a tad jealous, but for the time being, I'm happy to have my home theater doing what it does well, and my Mac doing what it does well.
<a href="http://tivo.com/4.9.1.asp"; target="_blank">Description of what the new TiVos will be able to do soon</a>
[ 03-07-2003: Message edited by: David R ]</p>
[ 03-07-2003: Message edited by: David R ]</p>
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> Oh you mean like DIVX right? Getting in bed with greedy Entertainment smucks is no way to survice. Both services are in a precarious position. Computers with PVR functions are getting better and better and most offer free Guide services. Tivo's HMO(Home Media Option) can be accomplished by various devices without giving Tivo $99 additional.
[quote] as for commercial advance, a simple 2 second key combination on the remote gives tivo the same :30 commercial skip feature that replay boasts <hr></blockquote>
But you see that's my point. PVRs are supposed to make view TV EASIER. A freakin' $80 VCR offers that without the need to "Program" Every Tivo user I've read who's drank WAY TOO much of the koolaid bring up this point. Again Tivo has gone out of their way to make functionality more difficult for their users who are foolish enough to actually PAY them for this.
[quote]If TiVo does start having tight integration with my Macs and iLife, I'll be a tad jealous, but for the time being, I'm happy to have my home theater doing what it does well, and my Mac doing what it does well. <hr></blockquote>
Sonicblue can easily add Rendezvous to future RTV. It's a free SDK. They already have a Networked DVD player so why not add Ren support to both in future models.
[quote]
What is Home Media Option?
Home Media Option is a premium package designed to bring you the best in networked home entertainment. Subscribers who have a TiVo Series2 DVR and purchase Home Media Option will be able to enjoy four new features:
- Digital music
<hr></blockquote>Digital photos
Remote scheduling from the web
Multi-room viewing
Now THAT's Earth Shattering<sarcasm>
If Tivo wants to be the Entertainment industries pawn that fine...just send the freakin' bill to them.
If you have Replay and DirecTV, you have to make analog connections between the PVR and the satellite receiver. One of the worst things you can do in any digital compression scheme is add extra stages of decompression and recompression, add that's exactly what happens:
compressed digital in from sat -> decompressed digital -> convert to analog -> digitize again -> recompress with a lower-quality digitizer than was use in the original broadcast
What sucks right now is that the only second-generation PVR with TiVo doesn't do satellite. Some of the first-generation TiVos can be god-awful noisy (fan and drive noise).
What I'm really excited about, however, is that later this year TiVo is supposed to be introducing a PVR that does HDTV, both satellite and terrestrial, and it's going to add at least some of the networking capabilities of Replay.
I have HDTV, but I rarely use it because PVR convenience wins out most of the time, and because my old HDTV receiver, now out of warranty, has become very flaky and buggy. I'm not going to bother to replace it until I can get PVR and HDTV in the same box.
Tivo has clearly shown by it's actions that it's consumer's needs come after the Entertainment Industry. Their "pause adds" lack of features that help "manage" commercials leads me to believe their just a an advertising vehicle for Hollywood.
It's amazing. Television used to be free and now the typical consumer PAYS to be fed %20 of commercials and companies like Tivo actually Thwart any attempts to reduce this. HDTV will now only raise the paranoia of Hollywood and you'll see more restrictions.
I hope Sonicblue and Tivo survice but I don't think they will honestly. $550 is alot to pay for what essentially is a HD based VCR with super VCR+.
Eventually their will be computer based PVR's without the monthly or lifetime service and consumers will migrate quickly to those.
Is the network link up on the RTV fairly easy to organise? i.e. Is it easy to join a wireless network?
[quote]Originally posted by David R:
<strong><a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2003/jan/07rendezvous.html"; target="_blank">Press release about TiVo and Apple</a>
<a href="http://tivo.com/4.9.1.asp"; target="_blank">Description of what the new TiVos will be able to do soon</a>
[ 03-07-2003: Message edited by: David R ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
I was offered a job at ReplayTV back in 1999, but honestly, I didn't think they were going to be around as long as they have been. I haven't looked at their stuff too much, truth be told. I hate to say it, but I went with the TiVo 'cause 'that's what everyone else has'.
I've been able to easily make my nightly TiVo calls wirelessly with the help of an RCA wireless phone jack. My friend has his connected to his DSL line and makes his calls that way.
TiVo DOES have commercial advance. Type the code into the remote once, and there it is. I use it constantly.
A new software upgrade in April will bring many new capabilities to TiVo. I posted a couple examples at this thread:
<a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=000492"; target="_blank">http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=000492</a>;
But most importantly, I have to mention again how superior I think the TiVo user interface is. To me, TiVo is the Mac of the PVR world. Good luck!
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RosettaStoned
[/QUOTE]
<gasp> Blasphemous!!
<strong>
TiVo DOES have commercial advance. Type the code into the remote once, and there it is. I use it constantly.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Ok, pretend like I'm a complete idiot. What do I do to get commercial advance?
Also, with the way the television industry is moving, not shipping your current PVR with component jacks is just plain careless.
Grab your TiVo remote.
Bring up any recorded program. (You have to be watching a recorded program rather than "Live TV" in order to enable the feature.)
On your TiVo remote, key in the following sequence:
SELECT PLAY SELECT 30 SELECT
If you've successfully entered the code, you should hear three "bings" in succession to inform you that you've successfully enabled the 30 second skip.
After enabling the 30 second skip feature, The -->| button becomes a 30 second skip button. Once you begin using this feature, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Note that any time your TiVo is rebooted (such as after a power outage or a software update) you'll have to re-enable this feature.
Should you not like the 30 second skip, you can disable it by re-entering the Easter Egg exactly as you did to enable it.
Enjoy!
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RosettaStoned
PS - some people are way too loyal to products they use... it's just a DVR... calm down.