TIVO vs Beyond TV = Beyond TV

[mpyles]

Last week DTV upgraded my home - gave me 2 boxes and a TIVO for free. So what the heck, I've been using TIVO almost exclusively since its been in my home. Well the verdict is IN-- TIVO is OK. OK when compared to Beyond TV.

Beyond TV has a better search engine and better navigation. The only thing that TIVO has over Beyond TV is picture quality. I have a PVR250 and its good, but the TIVO picture still looks better. The difference is not much except for sporting events. I'll probably keep TIVO around for a while, but make mine BTV!!

[davefred99]

Originally Posted by mpyles

Last week DTV upgraded my home - gave me 2 boxes and a TIVO for free. So what the heck, I've been using TIVO almost exclusively since its been in my home. Well the verdict is IN-- TIVO is OK. OK when compared to Beyond TV.

Beyond TV has a better search engine and better navigation. The only thing that TIVO has over Beyond TV is picture quality. I have a PVR250 and its good, but the TIVO picture still looks better. The difference is not much except for sporting events. I'll probably keep TIVO around for a while, but make mine BTV!!

My experience with DTivo vs BTV is similar but different than yours. The picture quality is better on the DTivo but its not the biggest difference for me. I love the fact that Dtivo has Dolby 5.1 surround w/spdif connections. My wife was never happy with BTV but took to DTivo like butter on bread. So I use the BTV for recording and saving stuff to DVD and the wife uses the Dtivo for all here soaps and stuff she just watches and deletes. Each has its own benifits but if I had to choose just one it would be a Dtivo. When the Warrantee is up I will probly see about getting it hacked so I can share the files with BTV. Then I would truely be in HTPC heaven.

[flavius]

Let's get the math right, alright?

"TIVO vs Beyond TV = TiVo + Beyond TV"

1. I can't see the TiVo search should be considered any worse than BTV search.
2. In BTV you can not schedule something that's not on yet - 'TiVo Wishlist'
3. TiVo suggestions are just fun. And very useful.
4. TiVo's expiration manager is just insanely clever (it also works).
5. Same thing with FF at medium speed.
6. TiVo has just one interface whereas BTV forces you to use that - thing - called webamin.
7. On the fly recordings will also record the Live TV buffer.

Don't get me wrong, ever since I managed to set up a stable BTV server, I'm a fairly happy camper. But I just don't see me, - ever, ditching the TiVo.

[Edgarmoon]

Cost is another factor of course. Dtive units sell for about $100 and you basically pay an additional $4.99/mo for service. That lets you watch one input and record a second, or record two simultaneously. To do this with BTV, you have to have two directv tuners, then you can watch one, record another, or record two (with two tuners). Minimum cost is $500 (WAG).

Now, if you could transfer the TIVO movies through ethernet onto a computer hard drive, then it becomes a recording front end. Hell, for $100 who cares about the warrantee, hack away and put that beast on the network.

[davefred99]

Originally Posted by Edgarmoon

Cost is another factor of course. Dtivo units sell for about $100 and you basically pay an additional $4.99/mo for service. That lets you watch one input and record a second, or record two simultaneously. To do this with BTV, you have to have two directv tuners, then you can watch one, record another, or record two (with two tuners). Minimum cost is $500 (WAG).

Now, if you could transfer the TIVO movies through ethernet onto a computer hard drive, then it becomes a recording front end. Hell, for $100 who cares about the warrantee, hack away and put that beast on the network.

The Dtivo subscription is really the same as the added receiver fee for each direct tv box. You only pay one box(per reciver) fee + one Tivo subscription (House) but get the benifit of both tuners. So it would cost the same to have two direct tv boxes hooked up to your BTV. Although with BTV you could watch two different live programs if you have BTV link on a separate PC.

Tivo is supposed to be coming out with an upgrade for home networks that will allow you to share files/programs across your private network and burn to DVD. When and if this really happens its going to be a whole new world. You can make back ups of anything off a Tivo unit by using the record to Vcr function and just capture into BTV in real time. I have tried it and its not much different than hitting the recored button while watching live Tv. For me the $100.00 for Direct Tivo was well worth it and haveing BTV also is like icing on the cake.

[ccarlin]

So TV announced they are going to start putting up banner ads while fast forwarding. Wouldn't it be neat if snapstream bought some ad time:

"If you never want to see dumb banner ads again: www.snapstream.com"

I hear they can even be interactive.

[dagent23]

Having considerable experience with both DTivo and BTV, it is my opinion that each product has its strengths and weaknesses and I need not waste anyone's time rehashing them. Overall, I am happier with BTV due to the flexibility I now have with the media I record and how I configure the BTV unit (e.g. Girder remotes, adding new drives, etc.) In addition, I was very disappointed to hear that Tivo will be using banner advertisements for commercial skippers. That is akin to Tivo throwing mud in the face of their subscribers.

I am even happier to be a BTV customer after I read the following in USA Today, “The issue of commercial skipping is also playing out on Capitol Hill. The Senate is expected to vote on the Intellectual Property Protection bill in this lame-duck session. The bill has a provision to prohibit technology that skips commercials during a DVD or televised movie; opponents, including advocacy group Public Knowledge, say the provision would make it a crime to fast-forward through a commercial.�

I am confident knowing that no law or company will have the power to force me to sit through a commercial ever again.

‘Nuff said.

Joe

[Edgarmoon]

Commercialization without representation... I forget the rest of the quote.

Down with lame duck laws!

[davefred99]

Originally Posted by dagent23

[color=black]
I am confident knowing that no law or company will have the power to force me to sit through a commercial ever again.

‘Nuff said.

Joe

If that ever actualy became law, what makes you so sure that snapstream or any other software PVR won't impement it as well. Look how the retail DVD copy programs all dried up after they got sued. Heck I am sure that they could make the hardware manufacturer like Haupauge disable FF & Rewind or put some Kinda onboard chip that would also play banner adds.
Personaly I think Tivo will rethink its position when and if they start impleminting the banner adds and get more complaints than new customers. I dont mind so much if I can still ff & rewind through them but we will see. As with all technology it wont take long for the hackers to figure out how to defeat it.

[TV Scheduler]

I have a DirecTV dual tuner TiVo rig. But I don't like it much. It was free so I'm not complaining about it. I do like it better then a dual tuner BTV rig.

I'm just a hobbyist working in my spare time but I think I beat them both. I never planned on creating a full PVR but it looks like I did it anyway.


Bob

[dagent23]

Originally Posted by davefred99

If that ever actualy became law, what makes you so sure that snapstream or any other software PVR won't impement it as well. Look how the retail DVD copy programs all dried up after they got sued. Heck I am sure that they could make the hardware manufacturer like Haupauge disable FF & Rewind or put some Kinda onboard chip that would also play banner adds.
Personaly I think Tivo will rethink its position when and if they start impleminting the banner adds and get more complaints than new customers. I dont mind so much if I can still ff & rewind through them but we will see. As with all technology it wont take long for the hackers to figure out how to defeat it.

With a software solution, like Snapstream, I don't need to upgrade my software if fast forwarding was disabled in a newer version. With TIVO, you are forced to upgrade your software because they control the box and push updates. As for retail DVD copy programs, I have two of them and they work great and they are still available today through p2p. Nonetheless, there always will be PC hacks available to circumvent regulations that prevent consumers from enjoying their media as it should be enjoyed.

[Edgarmoon]

I thoroughly botched this quote when similar subjects of government restrictions on fair use and the justification of software piracy/hacking as rebellion against tyranny came up on the Yahoo SCO boards.

"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from the government."
- Thomas Paine

Some other favorites
"A little rebellion now and then... is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
Thomas Jefferson

[Btime]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...astadvertisers

All I gotta say

[Eric3a]

If I had a Tivo I'd cancel right now, making clear why I do so.

We're somewhat safe as we can always use our 2004 machine for the next however many years broadcast will be available on SD TVs.
Eric

[Crooze]

I think they are both good. I all depends on the user. After seeing my BTV box my sister asked me to build her one. After thinking about all of the troubles I've had to help her with on her family pc... I suggested that she look into a TIVO or call her cable company that offers a DVR cable box. Not that I have had many problems with my BTV box in fact it's been quite stable but I feel you need to enjoy tinkering/tweaking to use BTV.