TiVo - Page 10

ShadowTD · 01-12-2010, 15:17

@Pauldavies: I'm sorry, but anyone comparing Sky's On Demand functionality to VM's is smoking some real good shizzle. It's only decent when used via an Xbox when looking at movies, and there's huge chunks of content missing, more it seems than VM. Anytime+ on the actual Sky box needs you to sit and wait before you start watching it, isn't available to non Sky BB customers and still isn't available to even half of the people who are!

Youview is a good six months away from launch. This is literally weeks away for some lucky people.

Let's not forget what Sky charge for a 1Tb box with *no* extra functionality over the standard HD box. This is VM's *true* next generation platform. The only thing that's been anywhere near this revolutionary on UK cable was NTL's prototype h264 box, which never saw the light of day. Everything else has been a cheap cop-out.

pauldavies83 · 01-12-2010, 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowTD

@Pauldavies: I'm sorry, but anyone comparing Sky's On Demand functionality to VM's is smoking some real good shizzle. It's only decent when used via an Xbox when looking at movies, and there's huge chunks of content missing, more it seems than VM. Anytime+ on the actual Sky box needs you to sit and wait before you start watching it, isn't available to non Sky BB customers and still isn't available to even half of the people who are!

Youview is a good six months away from launch. This is literally weeks away for some lucky people.

I didn't compare it directly, I said its available elsewhere. And it is. No matter how incomplete it might be. £200 for TiVo doesn't improve VM's on demand offering

You have to wait a good 5-10 seconds before you can watch OD on V+ (plus x amount of extra time for the interface to catch up with what you want it to do) - people don't complain about that. But they see fit to slate Sky's progressive download system because it has the word "download" in it.

---------- Post added at 15:26 ---------- Previous post was at 15:23 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowTD

This is VM's *true* next generation platform. The only thing that's been anywhere near this revolutionary on UK cable was NTL's prototype h264 box, which never saw the light of day. Everything else has been a cheap cop-out.

Agree with that, but it's come a little too late for me to get excited about paying a huge wedge for it. If the original TVDrive / whateveritwascalledonntl was a TiVo, I'd probably have had no issue stumping up the £200. I was a TiVo user back then, and I loved it.

All these years later and it doesn't excite me enough to drop so much money on it - Virgin are asking for more or similar than I paid for my Series 1 TiVo nearly 10 years later.

ShadowTD · 01-12-2010, 15:26

I don't want to get into a slanging match on the internet, but would you prefer it was done via another 'tenner a month' like Sky seem to do (see my previous maths example)? Don't forget, that's what TiVO originally charged in the UK for the EPG + recommendations engine. Admittedly, cable has the EPG in place but there's a lot more going on to power TiVO.

clinteastman · 01-12-2010, 15:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauldavies83

Don't remember saying anything about a Freeview HD box?

Nope your right, you said "freesat HD", point still stands.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauldavies83

The core functionality is all available elsewhere. On the same platform and the competing platforms (Sky now, Freeview soon in the Youview guise) PVR, On-Demand, 2/3 tuners, HD, 3D.

It's the bells and whistles that fall into the nothing comes close category. And in my opinion, the bells and whistles just aren't worth the price.

TiVo have very specific functionality not available elsewhere (the recommendation system for one), that's the point of them using TiVo for middleware.

To boil it down to "PVR, On-Demand, 2/3 tuners, HD, 3D" doesn't take into account the experience of actually using those features. That's like saying why would you buy a Jaguar over a Fiat, both have engines and get you from a to b, it doesn't take into account the experience of getting there.

If you don't think it's worth the price that's fine, I see your point, but surly you see why somebody would want it over the competition, somebody would want to pay the price?

pauldavies83 · 01-12-2010, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinteastman

Nope your right, you said "freesat HD", point still stands.

None of my posts in this thread contain the word Freesat - I think you are confusing me with someone else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinteastman

If you don't think it's worth the price that's fine, I see your point, but surly you see why somebody would want it over the competition, somebody would want to pay the price?

I see your point too, looks like we'll have to agree to disagree.

clinteastman · 01-12-2010, 15:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauldavies83

None of my posts in this thread contain the word Freesat - I think you are confusing me with someone else.

Yes your right, sorry about that, you replyed to something I wrote to somebody else thus confusing my tiny mind!

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauldavies83

I see your point too, looks like we'll have to agree to disagree.

Lets just say we're both right.

pauldavies83 · 01-12-2010, 15:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowTD

I don't want to get into a slanging match on the internet, but would you prefer it was done via another 'tenner a month' like Sky seem to do (see my previous maths example)? Don't forget, that's what TiVO originally charged in the UK for the EPG + recommendations engine. Admittedly, cable has the EPG in place but there's a lot more going on to power TiVO.

TiVo charged me £199 for a lifetime subscription and I bought the box for £99 - and that was nearly 10 years ago. Surely times have moved on enough to absorb the cost better than VM are suggesting with their initial pricing? I think that's my main argument.

ShadowTD · 01-12-2010, 15:38

That would have been a long time after launch. I was in on TiVO's UK launch and they were £399.

With a single analogue tuner. :shock:

pauldavies83 · 01-12-2010, 15:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinteastman

Yes your right, sorry about that, you replyed to something I wrote to somebody else thus confusing my tiny mind!

No worries

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinteastman

Lets just say we're both right.

OK, I like being right

---------- Post added at 15:41 ---------- Previous post was at 15:39 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowTD

That would have been a long time after launch. I was in on TiVO's UK launch and they were £399.

With a single analogue tuner. :shock:

It was still 10 years ago :shock:

Sky+ was launched at £x (around £300 if memory serves) and £10 a month. It's free now (subject to you being a Sky subscriber)

ShadowTD · 01-12-2010, 15:47

Yep, £299 plus £10/month. VM's TiVO pricing is well in line with this, well under in fact. Forget the old 'you own the box' argument - without a Sky sub, a Sky+ box is about as much use as a £40 Maplin FTA receiver - less so in some people's eyes. So I don't understand why you think this pricing is any worse than the competition, and in fact not quite reasonable?

Yeah, the TiVO launch was a *long* time ago. I've wished many times over the years that I'd bought one... Not going to hang around now!

fugu · 01-12-2010, 15:48

http://www.techradar.com/news/televi...-review-912240

The UI is soo much better looking than what we have at the moment, IPTV is the way forward imo, its nice to see VM embrace it.

pauldavies83 · 01-12-2010, 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowTD

Yep, £299 plus £10/month. VM's TiVO pricing is well in line with this, well under in fact. Forget the old 'you own the box' argument - without a Sky sub, a Sky+ box is about as much use as a £40 Maplin FTA receiver - less so in some people's eyes. So I don't understand why you think this pricing is any worse than the competition, and in fact not quite reasonable?

Because that launch was how many years ago? 8 years ago (Sky+ this is)?

Today's Sky+ price is £0, and £0 a month (for TV subscribers). My point was that this is the price today's TiVo commands, as all it has over the TiVo 10 years ago is internet-connected apps and a back-in-time EPG (VOD and multiple tuners have come from the platform advancing, not TiVo). Not a big enough jump to reset the pricing to 2000 levels.

VM could be missing a chance to take Sky subscribers here, and big time. I wouldn't move from Sky for this price if I were a Sky customer, that's for sure. It doesn't give enough benefit for the price asked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowTD

Yeah, the TiVO launch was a *long* time ago. I've wished many times over the years that I'd bought one... Not going to hang around now!

When the price is more reasonable, I'll be with you. TiVo really is very good, and its a shame I got rid of mine all those years ago when I did. The price is the only issue for me.

vanman · 01-12-2010, 16:41

Update from the sofa

Quote:

some addition faqs below, in case anyone was wondering: are there going to be any deals for vip customers? - we're working on that - we'll release details in the coming weeks
we're releasing it with two tuners, however there will be three in the new year. Does this mean a new box or does it already have three and we'll just be doing a software update to enable it? - this will be a software update
will we be making any changes to our v+ and v hd software? - we won't be stopping development on the existing boxes - both products will coexist for the time being,
when will tivo be demoed in our retail shops so people can see it in action? - initially it will be demoed in the oxford st and westfield stores only across jan/feb 2011, all other retail stores will be enabled with the roll-out plan still being worked through for when these will start.
any news on prices for those of us who already subscribe? - there is additional pricing, including discounts for various groups of existing customers which will be revealed in the coming weeks
when tivo first launches with two tuners will be able to record two programmes at once, or only be able to record one and watch one other at the same time? - it will be able to record two, but you will have to 'watch' one of them, until the third tuner is activated, which will be early 2011

pauldavies83 · 01-12-2010, 16:44

Cross fingers on VIP/existing customer deals then

MediaBoy's rumoured pricing sounded good (although maybe a touch unrealistic)

01-12-2010, 16:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanman

Update from the sofa

hahahaha you gotta love the

"we're releasing it with two tuners, however there will be three in the new year. Does this mean a new box or does it already have three and we'll just be doing a software update to enable it? - this will be a software update"

This means the software is not ready yet. It is not fully working and imo will be released with beta software