V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

I've had a look at the massive Tivo thread in this forum, but it is very longwinded, full of petty arguments, and I gave up looking for the info I needed.

Is there a web page that gives a simple breakdown of what the new VM Tivo unit and service gives you over V+HD with TV XL package. i.e. what is there that would be worth upgrading from V+ to Tivo.

Thanks

Boz

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

yer this one
http://tivo.virginmedia.com/

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

Thanks, but that doesn't give me what I was after, I want to see a comparison of the boxes' features and services.

That link gives general vague descriptions of being able to:

• watch VM channels (er... I should hope my V+ does that!)
• search for content in on demand and catchup (can do on V+ but seems like you can search on slightly more things with Tivo)
• record stuff and series link (same, although a lot more storage than V+)
• make a wishlist (like favourites in V+?)
• Apps and games (there are games aplenty on V+ interactive services, all crap, so I don't have any interest in these) and I have a PS3 that has quite a few apps, hardly any of which are worth using, so I'd be equally sceptical of their use on a TV box.

So it sounds like I will get slightly more advanced search and a lot more storage (which I don't need, V+ storage is enough for me). Is that really worth £150-£200 to upgrade + installation fee?

Surely there's more to it than that.

Boz

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

Tivos recording is smart.. for example if your series links clash it'll automatically reschedule another recording for later (the one you want 'now' and the one you want 'later' is settable using priorities).

It picks up on things you like and suggests other things. You catch a lot of new series that way (I often miss lots of stuff because nobody tells me about it until it's nearly on its last episode, then some says 'have seen zzz.. it's really good' and I've missed the lot. Never happened to me with Tivo - invariably it'd suggested the series before anyone even mentioned it - and I found a load of stuff before anyone else).

Wishlists can be set on individual actors, or genres, or all sorts of other information (it's the rich EPG that allows Tivo to be so smart).

Apps and stuff don't interest me that much, although the Tivo ipad interface sounds pretty nice.

And yes, Tivo is worth it. With a Tivo you view TV in a different way - instead of worrying about things like schedules and channels you can just look at what's available, watch some, thumb them up/down and never have to look at the EPG.. that's Tivo's job.. like a personal butler.

(getting deja vu.. I had this conversation hundreds of times 10 years ago except then the question was 'Why is Tivo better than my VCR?')

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

Thanks for the detail, that helps a lot. Have you owned V+HD? I can appreciate comparing TiVo to sky+ would seem like a massive leap but V+ is so far in advance of Sky+ anyway.

For instance, the actor thing sounds clever but not really useful. The telling me stuff I might like is interesting, although personally with the narrow interest I have, I know what I want to watch thru other means, and I never miss stuff others have watched.

It really doesn't sound that much more than V+, and that's still the comparison I'm after (hence the thread title).

The UI looks so much nicer than V+, and I really want to get one, but I need justification with features, so come on VM, help me out!
Boz

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

I think its always been difficult to explain the benefits of TiVo in writing but a lot easier to demo to friends, especially after Sky plus was launched and people were a bit more aware.


For me, its always been about the basics plus the advantage of the intelligent system built in.



For example, it allows you to prioritise the programs that you like and will then go out of its way to ensure they are all recorded.

If say House was on at 9pm and Ncis was also on at 9pm and Ncis was higher in your order of preferred shows it would record Ncis . . . . but then it realises Ncis is repeated at 01.00am so it would record House at 9pm and also pick up Ncis at its later time ensuring it avoids the clash but also records both shows. This is of course just an example as twin or triple tuners will allow for most clashes to be avoided but they do still happen and its the way TiVo learns to fix these issues (by itself) that quickly teaches you to have faith in it.


Its great to find it has also recorded a rock documentary (on an obscure channel) that you were unaware was listed but it has picked it up anyway because you watched an Old Grey Whistle Test special four weeks ago.




Mimar.

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

From the promotional stuff from VM the Tivo can also go backwards, and if it finds programmes available (presumably on catch-up) it will allow you to view them, rather than have to go through the catch-up menus.

Also, which V+ do you have? I have the SA, and the Tivo cannot be any slower - I don't think it is possible to make something that slow now. (When you press i you can see the black box draw, followed by the border then the text (if you are lucky)). Also, my V+ has a habit of randomly choosing functions when I press a button - the i button often doubles as pause.

The Tivo should be much more stable.

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

This may sound dumb but here are a few comparisons non tv related and its kind of the same thing with TIVO and V+, first of all most households more than likely have a oven with your main oven and a top oven that doubles as a grill, but also have a toaster, also we all likely have gas/electric hobs but also a kettle, like i said these sound dumb comparison as we are all used to having a kettle and toaster but do we really need them? as you can make toast in the grill and boil water on your hobs.

A second more technological comparison is this, back in the summer I bought a iPad, I have a laptop and desktop in the house and a iPhone, and I can say this honestly nobody needs a iPad, but after owning one for four months I couldn't live without it now.

The simple answer is this nobody needs a TIVO box but like kettles, toaster's or in my case iPad's once you get one you wonder how you ever got by without it, TIVO is a luxury item, if you have got the money to buy one you wont regret it, but at the same time is it worth going short to get one, probably not as like you say you can watch all the same programmes on your current box now, and at the end of the day that why we subscribe.

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

Thats nicely put, gerdav :)

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

Wow, are you saying the Tivo will download stuff from catchup/on demand that you've missed? That's pretty good, as once stuff goes from catchup/ondemand, it takes a while to come back.

If it doesn't do this, then not sure what benefit there is over V+, as V+ has Search option now which lists partial text matches across live, on demand, catchup and TV guide. A nice to have certainly, but not worth the price tag.

I have one of the new V+ boxes, which are pretty fast in all menus, except where you are waiting for the content to come down the wire, which I assume would be the same for Tivo, although it sounds like it does more stuff in the background so you wouldn't have this sort of problem. Different paradigm as they say.

Boz

---------- Post added at 20:34 ---------- Previous post was at 20:29 ----------

Ah, I think you've just nailed it. For a V+ user, there's no real need to upgrade but it's a more polished interface into the outstanding VM content.

Shame, I'll have to put my cash into an iPad instead, that sounds much more fun.

Boz

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

Why not do both? - I am....:D

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

Just watched the TiVo demo on my PC (iPhone won't play flash of course!). It looks a VERY slick interface. I can see what people mean about it being hard to describe.

Hmm, the damn sexy sales pitch has got me, and I don't even know what the benefits are over V+!

Fingers crossed I can hold out until the price drops

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

Just imagine you have a TiVo AND an iPad then watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6w3RUE8mhY

Now that's a TV experience I want. :)

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

You're just being cruel now!

Re: V+HD vs new Tivo?
 

I know, talk about killer app!!

I noticed there is a great page on the TiVo site that compares TiVo to the alternatives and one just happens to be the SA 8300DVB AKA V+.

http://www.tivo.com/products/tivo-ve...ion/index.html

I will point out that that is the TiVo Premiere on that page that isn't actually as high specced as the V+Tivo ironically.