Please explain TIVO

[Tempest]

Ok, I understand the Tech:

Box with Hard drive, encodes TV picture/sound into some format (mpeg I guess) and save on the hard drive.

40 hours may is it ?

1st Question: I suppose you can't put a bigger hard drive in ?

2nd Question: What do you do with it ?

Do you use it like a Video, set a time to record progs, VideoPlus built in ?

Can you explain how the subscription stuff works, cos don't like that bit of it at all.
Can you buy it without subscription (is it more if you do)
What does the sub offer?
What does not work if you don't take out subscription ?
Are there other versions coming out soon ?

I guess I'm just wondering why it was not sold as a alternative to a Video without all the complicated/expensive sub business.

Thanks

[gram99]

TiVo changes the way you watch Live TV.
With TiVo you can pause live TV, rewind, slow-motion, instant replay. You can do virtually anything with live TV that you could do with a video recorder, and more.

TiVo takes TV recording to a whole new level.
With a TiVo subscription you can set up a Season Pass™ and record your favourite programme every week, automatically. You can also find all your preferenced programmes listed by name.

TiVo brings you more of what you like to watch.
You can personalise TiVo and teach it your likes and dislikes, using the THUMBS UP™ and THUMBS DOWN™ buttons on the Remote Control. Subscribing to TiVo will bring you thousands of programme listings, and your TiVo Recorder will search through them to find fresh programmes that match your interests.

TiVo also brings you Channel Highlights and Inside TiVo. These exclusive programming services bring you the latest information on the best programmes on television.

TiVo keeps you up-to-date
As more features become available, TiVo may occasionally update the software, loading it into your TiVo Recorder via its daily phone call. You will receive information on new additions and features as they are added.

TiVo controls your set top box
TiVo can control your satellite / cable box so that channels are automatically changed when a programme is to be recorded. You can use the TiVo's remote control to switch channels, and turn your TV on or off.

What is the the quality of pictures and sound like?
TiVo records pictures and sound digitally for optimum quality. You can choose to record programmes at one of four recording levels allowing you to decide whether you want quality or capacity.

How much does TiVo cost to buy and run?
A Thomson Scenium box (currently the only model available) will store up to forty hours of programmes. This retails for approximately £250 on the high street. A subscription to the TiVo service is necessary to allow full functionality of the box. This costs either £10 per month, or £200 for a lifetime (of the box) subscription. The TiVo service gives you weeks of guide data detailing times and descriptions of programmes on all major terrestrial and satellite/cable channels. You will also receive software upgrades which enhance the product and add new features. Without a subscription only Live TV Trick Play™ is possible. You can not use any of the timer record facilities without a subscription.

Whilst the idea of a subscription may deter some users, the service really is worthwhile, and is the reason why TiVo is so popular with its existing users. With the TiVo service, TiVo will often record a programme you wanted to watch - even if you forgot to ask TiVo to record it!


They can be upgarded to use two larger hard drives but you need to be a bit techie!

[threadkiller]

hardware question + hardware forum, Muhooooving

[Tempest]

Originally posted by gram99
TiVo changes the way you watch Live TV.
With TiVo you can pause live TV, rewind, slow-motion, instant replay. You can do virtually anything with live TV that you could do with a video recorder, and more.
[snip]
They can be upgarded to use two larger hard drives but you need to be a bit techie!

Thank's for all that.
I just read a web page that quoted the playing/saving length times for the hard drive, and to be honest that's pretty much killed any interest I had in it.

I can see a Tivo being usefull for time shifting, but it seems pointless to use it to STORE anything on it.

And with Recordable DVD seeming expensive for a while yet, I'm starting to feel like a new Video (poss S-VHS) may be STILL the best sollution to recording films & stuff off the TV

[neilalford]

It is designed for time-shifting, not long-term storage and in that respect it works far better than anything else on the market.

You can basically forget about reading TV schedules and just sit down when you've got some time to watch whatever you've got, which is always stuff you want rather than whatever happens to be on.

A lot of people seem to lack an understanding of what it does (which is probably down to the poor advertising) but ask anyone who's bought one and they'll almost certainly tell you that they couldn't go back to watching TV without it.

As for long term storage, buy the DVD:D

[craig@rewind]

I love my TiVo! :clap:

If you did want to store stuff, you could get a larger hard drive put in. If you know how to build a PC, you can easily change a hard drive.

TiVo is literally amazing. Before you actually use it, you don't know what you're missing.