To Tivo...or not to Tivo? That is the question!

[amcmeans]

Need some help from past or current Tivo user's!

I'm ready to graduate to HD...but given the cost of upgrading hardware and the anxiety around building a stable box...I'm wondering how BTV compares to Tivo HD (3 series)

Comments?

[queonda]

If you want record encrypted HD go with Tivo3.

BTV offers unencrypted HD with HDHomerun.

[redlion4]

Tuners only limited by PCI slot count, SD and HD tuners side by side, no monthly charge, storage only limited by HDD size...really no comparison IMO, provided you do not need encrypted HD signal (see post above).

[Bloggator]

As a former Tivo Evangelist, I can tell you that I prefer BeyondTV to Tivo. But if you're married, check the Wife Approval Factor first.

We've had our BTV set up for over a year, and after awhile, I had to ALSO set up the HD Tivo for her. She started off excited about the new system, but quickly missed the Tivo remote, the Tivo guide and the Tivo "feel".

Over the year, she's slowly started using the BTV box as I've added her favorite movies and TV shows in Divx onto the hard drive, added the Tivo sounds, networked her computer as a BTV Link machine and got a Harmony remote, but it's been slow going.

Unfortunately, the BTV guide is truly painful to use for anyone who's ever used the amazing Tivo guide, as I posted here earlier:

The Tivo Guide is the ONLY thing I Miss in BTV

Jeff

[cfaslave]

I've never used a Tivo, but I do use BTV. I can see the advantage of Tivo Series3 being:
1. Plug it in and it works.
2. Digital CableCard Support - get all cable channels, not just the unencrypted ones.
3. Not as much maintenance and "tweaking" required

Advantages to BTV (or other HTPC's)
1. You control the content
2. You can watch from any room if you use BTV Link, or stream over the internet etc.
3. More flexible ( for example, check out fonceurs BTV Negociator for some of the things you can customize in BTV)
4. Ad-detection and skipping
5. Squeeze (compress) shows to take less space on the hard drive
6. I'm probably forgetting something - I know there are other advantages here....

For a story about a person who moved from an HTPC to a Tivo Series3, read this story. It's a good chronicle of what was good and bad about the move.

[seeker_ktf]

I've never used a TiVo either but here's why I like BTV better.

When you build an HTPC and stick it in your living room along with all your other stuff, you get a lot more than just a TV recording system. For instance, I now have several thousand mp3s available in my living room anytime I want. I also have a nice internet radio selection. I don't pay for Sirus radio but I get a few stations for free through Winamp. I can get instant updates, RSS feeds, etc. It turns out that having a full PC in your living room rocks.

I live in Houston, one of the best OTA HD cities in the US. I have 3 HD tuners and 2 analog tuners and I can easily record with all of them simultaneously while I play the aforementioned mp3s or watch something else that I've already recorded. I can also watch TV in my office using BTVLink which is kind cool since I also have a few security cams wired into the antenna system. And if I'm really a TV junkie I can burn shows to DVDs to save forever.

And the best ever... once I got everything to work, I got almost immediate "wife acceptance" for the HTPC. I really think having all our music instantly organized and available is what sold her but why complain?

[btvfreak]

Here's thread on this exact topic:
Snapstream vs. Tivo Series 3 HD