What's so good about Tivo/Sky+ [Archive] - Forums @ The Digital Fix

The Icebun

10-01-2002, 16:28

There's a thread in the Bargain forum at the moment about cheap Tivos. In it, lots of people are saying that it's the best thing since sliced bread.

1. One poster said that "You will never watch live TV any more." Why not ?

2. The TV will record programs automatically based on what you've already recorded. Do people actually watch any of this automatically recorded stuff ? Surely it can't be very accurate. I don't think I'd want it automatically recording crap for me as surely most of it just get deleted without ever being watched. I realise that you don't have to use this feature, BTW.

3. "Tivo/Sky+ will revolutionise the way you watch TV." Why ?

Don't get me wrong, HD recorders look great and I'm sure they are the way forward, but I don't know why people are raving about them.

Can someone convince me, maybe with some real world examples.

vila

10-01-2002, 17:33

There are some shows which i like but have never properly watched - seinfeld, will and grace, jackass to name some

they are on at erratic times on several different channels and I always miss episodes.

Tivo 'finds' the whole season for you and records it.... lets say I hadnt seen / heard of will and grace but always watch friends.

Tivo might record and episode of will and grace for me to watch - you then tell it if you liked it or not.

Its SUPERB is you can afford it.

I dunno about sky plus havent used it properly - nor did I see if you can / how you tell it if you like a show or not - tivo you give it the thumbs up or down.

nigel_williams

10-01-2002, 17:57

The best way to think of TiVo is a filter, you teach it programmes you like by using a simple thumbs up/down system. If you have digital cable, satellite or terrestrial, there are dozens of channels showing all sorts of crap.... but there are probably things you might like which are broadcast at 4am. TiVo will record suggestions (if you want it to) based upon your viewing habits - If you don't watch them, they will be deleted to make space.

At first, it does make some wild suggestions but give it a few days and you'll find it to be getting more accurate.

Basically, there's no need to watch live TV anymore as TiVo will almost certainly have recorded something you asked for OR suggested something you might like. How many times have you come home from the pub, switched on the TV and gone through 50 channels and found nothing to watch?

What about recording programmes from Sky/Cable/OnD? You need to programme the video AND your set top box to switch to right channel at the right time - that's 2 timers to set. It's a real pain. TiVo will switch channels automatically using an infa-red signal mimicing your remote.

There's much more than that. You can start watching a programme while it's still recording (impossible with a VCR) so you can skip the adverts. Sky broadcast 20 minutes of ads an hour.

You always have the last 30 minutes of a programme in the buffer. The quality of recording is much better than S-VHS/VHS, recordings are indexed and listed so no more "what did I do with that tape" or FF/RWD to find a recording.

It's easily the best bit of technology I've bought, check the http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/ UK section too.

There's a software release soon which offers even more (useful) functions.

The Icebun

10-01-2002, 18:59

It's not that I don't think it's useful (the picture quality of recordings sounds great, as does the facility to go straight to things you have recorded without having to use REW/FFWD).

It's this "you'll never watch live TV again" that I don't get. Why wouldn't I want to watch, say, Corrie at 7:30 when it's normally on ?? OK, I might not be in when it's on so I would record it, but I can do that with a VCR.

As for recording stuff you "might like" - I don't see how it can work. It must record loads of stuff you don't like and miss loads of stuff you might like - if so, what's the point ??? I know enough about TV programs to know if I like them or not without having a box stuck under my TV telling me what to watch. Is it as simple, as "Oh, he's taped Jools Holland so he must like music programs - I'll tape Pop Idol/TOTP." If so, it would be out of the window very soon.

Using Will and Grace as an example (as above) - it may record a poor epsiode of the series which you say you don't like but the rest of the series may be excellent.

Sounds a bit like TV for idiots to me - a bit like VideoPlus on VCRs where you are really paying for something that you already have (i.e. a method of setting the VCR's clock).

The appeal for me is the picture quality/convenient access/ pause live TV stuff.

Rathion

10-01-2002, 19:15

Originally posted by The Icebun
The appeal for me is the picture quality/convenient access/ pause live TV stuff.

Isn't this reason enough to get it then???

Also I think it would be just soooo much handier than fumbling for a tape and worrying you were taping over something you hadn't seen yet or wanted to keep!!

You MUST at one point in your life been watching something and then realised there was a great movie/program on the other side at the last minute and dived for a tape etc.????

Maybe claiming it will "revolutionise the way you watch TV" is a little overboard but I will certainly be getting Sky+ or Tivo soon (leaning towards Sky+ as my olde Pace series one digibox really is getting too slow for me :(

Mac1

10-01-2002, 19:32

Has anyone tried the sky+ ? As well as everything else it will allow you to watch selected movies in Dolby Didgital when connected to an appropriate decoder. It sounds great but I'd love to know if anyone has taken the plunge yet.

drscollier

10-01-2002, 19:49

Whilst "never watch live TV again" is going a bit too far, I do find after 9 months with a TIVO that practically the only thing that I must watch as it happens now is live sport.

There are some programs that are on at the same time each week that I do watch. What happens now is that I still set up a season pass to record them, and then start to watch them when I am ready - for example, this may be at 7:05 after I've been to the bathroom rather than at 7:00. There's no more rushing around to sit down so that I don't miss the start. The TIVO carries on recording the rest of the program at the same time as I am watching the start, and this is the bit that really makes the difference - you can't do that with a VCR, you have to wait until the end of the program to rewind the tape. If I watching ITV or Sky, I can then also fast forward through the ad breaks (while the program is still recording), and might catch up with the live broadcast. It really is amazing how much difference this one feature makes.

As to the suggestions, it is spooky how after a while it gets to know your TV habits. You don't have to watch it's suggestions - if you don't, it'll overwrite them automatically, but what it does mean is that after a few weeks you can turn the TV on at any time of the day or night, and be sure that there is something recorded that you will probably enjoy watching.

Finally, it is much easier to use than a VCR - you search for and record programs by name, and the TIVO then sorts out the channel and time.

The bottom line - I would hate to be without it now. :D

nigel_williams

10-01-2002, 21:51

Originally posted by The Icebun
It's this "you'll never watch live TV again" that I don't get. Why wouldn't I want to watch, say, Corrie at 7:30 when it's normally on ?? OK, I might not be in when it's on so I would record it, but I can do that with a VCR.

The appeal for me is the picture quality/convenient access/ pause live TV stuff. [/B]

OK. Never say never! I still watch some live TV, but that's just sport. You can watch Corrie at 7.30 if you're sitting waiting for it but what happens if the phone rings/someone calls? What about the ads? Irritating aren't they! If you start watching at say 7.40, you can fast-forward through the ads when they come on. Maybe time-delayed is a better way of describing it.

Say you're watching a football game and you want another beer? Pause live TV and get the beer without missing anything!

Season passes. Ever gone out and forgotten to set the video? Never miss an episode.

Suggestions. Yes you might get a crap episode, but that's life, not all series are great! You wouldn't have seen it anyway with a video!

Recording. You get 3 weeks of schedules, use the search function to find the programme you want and select it to record. It's done, you won't need to remember to set the video a week next thursday for your programme.

My video is now in the cupboard, I doubt I'll ever use it again.

To get a demo, have a look at the www.tivo.com - The UK one is crap, they have no idea how to market such a great product in the UK.

The Icebun

10-01-2002, 22:53

I'd expected a post by Craig@rewind by now !!

The Icebun

10-01-2002, 23:00

Originally posted by nigel_williams
I still watch some live TV, but that's just sport.

Sorry to harp on, but WHY has the Tivo stopped you from watching programs when they're on ?? Is it a case of using it for the sake of it ?

Or do you lot spend a lot of time down the pub ? :D

I need to be convinced about this timeshifting business !

gram99

10-01-2002, 23:05

The Icebun

10-01-2002, 23:17

Originally posted by gram99

because if you record it and watch it later, you can also be recording something else at the same time, then there is the benefit that u can FF through the ads as well.

But WHY would you record something just to watch it later if you're not doing anything else - which is what people seem to be saying (i.e. "I never watch live TV any more."

Can you really record two things at once ??

As for the point about FF through the adverts, can't you do that with a VCR ?

nigel_williams

11-01-2002, 00:12

Originally posted by The Icebun

Sorry to harp on, but WHY has the Tivo stopped you from watching programs when they're on ?? Is it a case of using it for the sake of it ?

Or do you lot spend a lot of time down the pub ? :D

I need to be convinced about this timeshifting business !

It's just more convenient to be able to watch programmes when you want to. It's so simple to use that it's no real effort to tell it to record a series of programmes - that's the power of season pass.

I don't want to be governed by TV schedules i.e. Can't go to the pub, have to watch Eastenders because I didn't set the video.

If Eastenders is on at 8 and you arrive at ten past you can start watching it from the beginning straight away.

It's very difficult to explain all the reasons of timeshifting, once you've used it, you'll wonder how you managed without!

And yes, I do spend too much time down the pub! :nuts:

drscollier

11-01-2002, 08:21

Originally posted by The Icebun

But WHY would you record something just to watch it later if you're not doing anything else - which is what people seem to be saying (i.e. "I never watch live TV any more."

Can you really record two things at once ??

As for the point about FF through the adverts, can't you do that with a VCR ?

I record "prime time" programs, and then watch them usually only delayed by a minute or so - I don't have to rush to make the start if the kettle hasn't boiled! :)

You can't record 2 things at once - you can watch a prerecorded program while another is being recorded (you would need 2 VCRs for that), and you can watch 1 program live whilst another is being recorded (as long as only 1 of them is coming via Sky - the basic Sky box can't decode 2 programs at once)

Finally, you can FF through ads with a VCR (bit not at TIVO's x30, which means that a 3 minute ad break takes 6 seconds :D ), but first you have to wait until the program has finished broadcasting, then rewind the tape and start watching. TIVO lets you start to watch while the program is still recording.

Magic!

jon smith

11-01-2002, 08:25

Originally posted by Rathion

Maybe claiming it will "revolutionise the way you watch TV" is a little overboard

No overboard at all. Tivo does in fact revolutionise the way you watch tv. The £10 a month subscription is well worth it, you get far more value for money out of the tv channels you do subscribe to.

Icebun - why are you so hung up on this "i'll never watch live tv again". If you don't feel tempted to buy one after the things people have said above, you never will. Video and Tivo are not alike at all, I think that is the common misconception.

The Icebun

11-01-2002, 08:39

Originally posted by jon smith

No overboard at all. Tivo does in fact revolutionise the way you watch tv. The £10 a month subscription is well worth it, you get far more value for money out of the tv channels you do subscribe to.

Icebun - why are you so hung up on this "i'll never watch live tv again". If you don't feel tempted to buy one after the things people have said above, you never will. Video and Tivo are not alike at all, I think that is the common misconception.

I am tempted to buy one, but not for the features that people seem so keen on (i.e. having the box record things that you "might like" and timeshifting).

I'm still not convinced that the device's ability to record stuff that it thinks you will like is anything more than a gimmick. I can see it would be useful for those that sit in front the of the TV watching whatever is on, but I'm not like that.

trooper1212

11-01-2002, 08:59

I can put my hand up and say that I never watch live tv any more, to be honest I have no idea when anything is on anyway nowadays. I just get in from work and switch on the tv and select from the list of programs that are on the tivo. At the top of the list is all the programs I've told tivo I want to record, at the bottom is the the things that tivo thinks I might like.
I'll watch a few things, have some dinner, put on a dvd, go down the pub, play some games etc... When I next switch on the tv I'll look at the list and pick something else to watch. I really can't see why it matters to watch anything live anymore? I usually get to watch things the same day if not at around the same time, because the programme will get put at the top of the list and if I'm really desperate to see it, then I just press play.

It has changed the way I watch tv, before I never used to use the VCR because I couldn't be bothered and I was always trying to fit in dvds and stuff around top gear and buffy etc... Now I don't even think about it.

T.

vila

11-01-2002, 09:08

Why would you want to ALWAYS watch stuff when its broadcast.

Dunno about anyone else but I have a life and on a Friday night I go out - theyre a ***** load of decent stuff on TV... edited staying in for it - I'll enjoy it saturday morning on the couch or when I want to.

Often there is good stuff on late at night.... over the past few years Ive had a few dreary mornings after staying up late to watch stuff like late night anime, bitz, vidz, house of rock all that 4laterstuff. Now I could never be edited with setting the vcr for anything more than a film - but its nicce to be able to go to bed and watch that stuff at 5 oclock instead of regular crap.

Over Christmas - superb tons of stuff was on well I was at work - never in a million years would have set the video for it, hadn't seen mary poppins and chitty chitty bang bang in ages.
Christmas day I definetly had better things to do than watch some of the shows - lost world etc, I enjoyed them just when I wanted to.

For me it box that always gives me something good to watch, where as before I used to flick through 50 channels think - edited they is nothing on, oh i'll go do some work now & stay up and watch something later.

The Icebun

11-01-2002, 09:16

Vila,

Your eloquent and well structured post almost has me convinced.

nigel_williams

11-01-2002, 09:27

I think your next post will be "Where can I get a TiVo for £199?". Everywhere seems to be sold out at the moment!

Good luck, you won't regret buying one. You'll wonder why you ever sat down at 7.30 waiting for Corrie and sat through 5 minutes of ads each time!

Jason

11-01-2002, 11:18

OK, now everyones go me interested.

My question is what is the difference between Tivo and SKY + is it major stuff? can one do things that the other cant? or is it just the price? oh and which is better?

Cheers, Jason

craig@rewind

11-01-2002, 11:26

Without getting all bogged down with a Tivo vs Sky+ debate, here are each systems advantages and disadvantages in my own opinion:

Tivo

Advantages:

* Uses own TV guide which gives you up to 2 weeks of listings
* Rate programmes using Thumbs Up or Thumbs down which TiVo uses to record programmes it thinks you may like
* Season Pass - automatically records all of the episodes in a certain series
* Pause and Rewind Live TV - Sky+ can only pause
* When you pause a programme, it will record the next programme after it as well. Meaning if you have paused the first programme, you won't miss the beginning of the next one, you can just watch that on a delay too!
* 30 minute buffer on Live TV so you always have the last 30 minutes of the channel you are watching stored in memory
* Variable recording quality to enable more hours of programmes to be recorded
* TiVo Community at www.tivoportal.co.uk (links from there) who will help you with anything
* Upgrading to a larger Hard Drive easier (see links above)
* One off £199 lifetime subscription option
* Whole unit now costs £399 including one off subscription
* Works with any platform or just terrestrial on it's own
* No extra money to Sky!

Disadvantages:

* £10 per month charge
* Programme guide is updated through the night via a free phone call. Due to this, late programme changes are not made to the guide so can sometimes be inaccurate.
* Only record one channel at a time but this isn't really that much of a problem. You can however watch a recorded programme whilst TiVo is recording something else.
* Only outputs Stereo and Dolby Pro-Logic sound
* Sometimes misses the end of BBC and ITV programmes due to them transmitting the programmes later than advertised. This will be corrected in the new software.

Sky+

Advantages:

* Can record one channel whilst watching another. Eventually you will be able to record 2 channels at the same time.
* Dolby Digital 5.1 sound on about 25 widescren movies per month. Quality is questionable apparently.
* Uses Sky EPG so data is always accurate
* Records digitally so quality is same as broadcast (although it is hard to tell the difference between this and TiVo's best setting)

Disadvantages:

* Riddled with bugs including saved recordings being deleted or programmes not being recorded at all!
* £10 per month charge
* Only 7 days worth of listings
* No suggestions
* Much less functionality
* Only works with Sky Digital
* More expensive
* No lifetime option
* If you pause a Live TV programme, it only records up to the end of the programme you paused it on. Therefore, you will miss the beginning of the next programme!

ZX81

11-01-2002, 11:40

Originally posted by jon smith

No overboard at all. Tivo does in fact revolutionise the way you watch tv. The £10 a month subscription is well worth it, you get far more value for money out of the tv channels you do subscribe to.

No way is £10 a month good value. You have to stump up £300 quid first (OK I haven' looked at the bargain forum cos of the supscription cost). The subscription is going to have to come down a hell of lot before there's any real take up. Once you add on the cost of subscription channels as well then the cost is way way too much!!!!!!!

ZX

Keiron99

11-01-2002, 11:43

I've had Sky+ a couple of months now and it really has revolutionised the way I watch TV. If you've got small children who are a bugger to get to bed, you'll really appreciate it.

Lots of info at
http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=35

craig@rewind

11-01-2002, 11:52

And you would rather pay £10 to Sky+ would you for no visible differences?

Keiron99

11-01-2002, 12:08

Originally posted by craig@rewind
And you would rather pay £10 to Sky+ would you for no visible differences?

Is that a question to me? What does it mean?:confused:

The Icebun

11-01-2002, 12:23

Originally posted by Keiron99

Is that a question to me? What does it mean?:confused:

Think it was aimed at ZX81.

The issue of the £10 subscription is a thorny one, especially with Sky who are already charging you a substantial monthly amount to begin with.

Ron Hill

11-01-2002, 12:56

I've weighed both and i'm going for Sky+

I like the extended functionality that TiVo offers esp. the preference engine but the clincher for me in Sky+ favour is the fact that what you record is EXACTLY what you receive. No quality loss at all. The no lifetime subscription and £10 a month privilege of use charge is a bit mean though. It'll be a few months yet before I actually buy the kit so maybe the situation will have changed re: the £10 a month charge or the box price.

Time will tell.

One other thing, are there Sky+ boxes from makers other than the current one planned?

Keiron99

11-01-2002, 13:10

Boxes are only available from Pace.

By the way, if you decide to buy, try calling an independent installer. They should be able to supply and fit for £300 all in.

craig@rewind

11-01-2002, 13:10

I would say big mistake Ron but it is up to you at the end of the day! :)

For what it is worth, I can't tell the difference between live broadcast and the "Best" setting of TiVo. Also after 20 months of having TiVo (20 x £10 = £199), Sky+ users will continue to pay their £10 per month charge! Whereas mine is already paid for! :D

Sky won't bring the prices down this year I don't reckon and I can't see the £10 charge being dropped EVER.

Enjoy your Sky+!

Ron Hill

11-01-2002, 13:22

Craig: Out of curiosity, how much can TiVo record in max quality mode? I may have said i'm going for Sky+ but that's if I had cash right here right now. :) Give it a few months and more tooing and froing in the forums and I might yet go for TiVo.

To be honest, there's bits of both I like and dislike. There's definitely room in the market for another HD recorder with the best bits of both.

craig@rewind

11-01-2002, 13:30

12 hours approx. I leave it in this mode all the time and find it is more than enough for me. Just think, tonight you could have a TiVo with a lifetime subscription for as low as £349!! :)

Ron Hill

11-01-2002, 13:40

You're a good salesman Craig. :D

If I keep saying to myself "£120 to Sky every year for nowt extra" enough times i'll probably opt for TiVo. :)

craig@rewind

11-01-2002, 13:49

Go on, you know you want to! ;)

neilalford

11-01-2002, 14:38

Sky+ has some serious issues at the moment, mainly the "season link" doesn't work very well and relies on data from the broadcasters, without this feature working properly a lot of the advantages of a PVR are lost. Obviously the situation will improve but at the moment Tivo is probably the best option (cheaper too).
Plus there's a major software upgrade to Tivo being sent out soon that will majorly improve it's functionality.

Also as Craig said before, there is no visible difference (to my eye) between a live broadcast and a Tivo recording.

The Icebun

11-01-2002, 14:52

Craig,

Nice to see your "unbiased" pros/cons list !!! Not very helpful for the prospective buyer.

It's obvious from the list which piece of kit you use. For example, you list the £10 monthly charge as being a disadvantage of Sky+. Don't you also have to pay this to get the program guide for the Tivo ?

vila

11-01-2002, 15:02

If you read Craigs post you would have read the option for a lifetime subscription which sky doesnt give you.

Overall you seem down on the whole PVR thing.....

It's simple really - if you dont want one, don't buy one, its not the treaty of Versailles.

vila I've edited the offending words out. There is no need to resort to bad language. Having checked through your earlier post I found a significant use of the f-word. When you joined you agreed to the T&Cs which specifically ask you not to use foul language. Please consider this a serious reprimand and further disregard for the T&Cs will result in action being taken - Gromit

craig@rewind

11-01-2002, 15:09

Sorry if it sounded biased but I can honestly say, I can't see what the real benefits are of Sky+. To me, it is a hard disk in a box with the option to record one channel whilst watching another and the option to have Dolby Digital sound on around 25 movies a month. To me this is not worth £350 plus £10 per month.

TiVo is so much more sophisticated. Also remember that some of TiVo's features (Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down) are patented to TiVo so Sky+ wouldn't be able to use this feature anyway!

Go for Sky+ by all means but I am a bit puzzled by people saying Sky+ has revolutionised their TV viewing. How is this possible? You have to manually find your programmes and be extremely lucky if you have Series Links. Isn't that just a glorified video?

Edit - I have improved the list now! :nuts:

The Icebun

11-01-2002, 15:27

Craig - didn't mean to get at you mate. Your "riddled with bugs" comment gave me a chuckle though.

Do you really have to manually find you programs using Sky+ ? On the demo it just lists everything you've recorded and you select using up/down.

Vila - I'm surprised your abusive language has slipped through the net so far. Expect a reprimand from the mods.

As I've said repeatedly thorughout this thread, I'm not down on PVR. Many of it's features sound amazing but there are a couple that I'm not sure are as useful as people are making out, that's all.

craig@rewind

11-01-2002, 15:34

Sorry when I say manually find them, I mean you have to search through the listings. I was talking about TiVo suggestions where it records things I may like. Sorry I wasn't clearer.

To find things to record you use the TV Guide in Sky+ and on the TiVo you use the TV Guide (clunky) or Search By Name.

Regarding my "riddled with bugs" comment, if I was paying £10 per month to Sky, I would be mightily ****** off if I lost recordings or had failed recordings. I know TiVo had bugs when it first came out but none were as bad as this. Sky should TEST these things instead of rushing it out for a pre-Christmas release.

Gromit

11-01-2002, 15:38

Originally posted by The Icebun
Vila - I'm surprised your abusive language has slipped through the net so far. Expect a reprimand from the mods.

It's been noted :)

Digital

11-01-2002, 16:31

Originally posted by craig@rewind

Tivo

Advantages:

* Pause and Rewind Live TV - Sky+ can only pause

What do you mean by this?

If you press pause on Sky+ and then unpause it and let it run, you will be able to rewind upto were you originally paused the live picture.

I can only assume you mean without actually having to first pause the live picture and using the 30 minute live TV buffer??

Also, regarding bugs, I've haven't had a single recording problem, no failed recordings etc.

On another note, something I found out a couple of days ago was if you record something on Sky+ and you haven't switched on the subtitles but you wanted them on, don't worry, if you switch subtitles on they'll be there when you playback the recording ... this is something VERY useful too me.

jon smith

11-01-2002, 17:25

Originally posted by Digital

What do you mean by this?

If you press pause on Sky+ and then unpause it and let it run, you will be able to rewind upto were you originally paused the live picture.

I can only assume you mean without actually having to first pause the live picture and using the 30 minute live TV buffer??

But this is one of the great things about Tivo, the 30 minute buffer. Say, you come in and see something interesting on the TV, but it's 15 minutes in - you can just rewind those 15 minutes and start from the beginning. Tivo is always recording for you.

Digital

11-01-2002, 17:57

Originally posted by jon smith

But this is one of the great things about Tivo, the 30 minute buffer. Say, you come in and see something interesting on the TV, but it's 15 minutes in - you can just rewind those 15 minutes and start from the beginning. Tivo is always recording for you.

... and there's no reason why Sky couldn't implement this feature into the Sky+ boxes.

craig@rewind

11-01-2002, 18:40

Yes of course Sky COULD (apart from TiVo patented features) but Sky are notorious for buggy software updates AND taking ages to release them. Ignoring the imminent 2.5.5 software update for TiVo (which will take TiVo even further ahead of Sky+), for Sky+ to get to the current level of TiVo functionality will take Sky 2 years I reckon. Why wait? For £150 LESS than Sky+, you can get it now!

nav

11-01-2002, 18:48

Any ideas what "Lifetime" subscription actually guarantees you? (e.g. you'll get updates on all channels current and future?)

nav

craig@rewind

11-01-2002, 18:53

A Lifetime subscription allows you access to the TiVo listings guide for the life of your TiVo box.

philatio

11-01-2002, 21:02

So, does TiVO need to be connected to the phone line all the time like a skybox? or can you just plug it in & select UPDATE like say.. when you update digiguide?

My TV's in a different room to the phone socket. If you need to leave it plugged in I'd have to put an extention lead doodah in.

nigel_williams

11-01-2002, 21:11

You really need a permanent connection to a phone line.

It is possible to only connect the line when you want to update and perform a manual update.

NicolaUK

11-01-2002, 22:07

I think Sky+ also has an advantage over Tivo for ease of use for existing Sky digital customers - it works seamlessly with the EPG/planner which is an obvious plus for Mr Average :)

I've had it for a few months now, can't imagine not having it and have not had any failed or lost recordings :)

Only downside IMO is the £10 a month :(

The Icebun

11-01-2002, 22:52

Does the Tivo hold the Sky EPG ? If not, how does one record from Sky ?

nigel_williams

12-01-2002, 00:08

TiVo downloads the schedules every day, I think they are produced by Tribune. They are not the Sky EPG ones but contain all the sky channels available to you.

When you setup TiVo, you enter your postcode (so it knows your region) and you can then select all the channels you have in your subscription. TiVo can record digital and analogue signals.

One thing to remember, although TiVo updates only once a day, it is extremely rare for Sky to update the EPG if programmes are running late i.e. if a programme is scheduled for 9pm but starts at 9.05pm, Sky will not have up-to-date information.

The TiVo schedules are extremely easy to use, you simply highlight the programme you want to record and press select. Unlike Sky, you then have option to record all programmes (Season Pass) in one go.

MikeToone

12-01-2002, 08:15

Someone I know has actually installed a 80 Gig Disk in his Tivo and also still has the original 40 gig in there, so he can now get something like 52 hours of higher quality recording. He also says that the Tivo forum is quite excellent.

Personally I'm tempted, but I'll wait to see if the price comes down a bit more to say about £150 then I would go for it with the lifetime subscription.

I am a Sky customer but I would not touch Sky+ with a bargepole yet, £300 quid plus ten pound a month, stuff that....