Tivo suffers as DirecTV bolts

imported_tss4

Golden Member
Jun 30, 2004
1,607
0
0
Originally posted by: HDTVMan

We all know the HD units are going to be obsolete.

.

That doesn't neccesarily make them a bad buy. Supposedly, DTV is going to offer a trade in program, so depending on the details, the HD unit going obsolete may be irrelevant to the user.
 

tm37

Lifer
Jan 24, 2001
12,436
1
0
Well will they still keep my Tivo I hacve had for 3 1/2 years working?

Will my Tivo rates go up?

What is the price for the new DRV?

Tivo is in trouble but was before this. Tivo is great but the reality is that it is something that ANYONE can build and build cheaply.

So why should I pay Royalties when they are cheap tpo make?
 

imported_tss4

Golden Member
Jun 30, 2004
1,607
0
0
Originally posted by: tm37
Well will they still keep my Tivo I hacve had for 3 1/2 years working? yes

Will my Tivo rates go up? No rate increase announcments, but they could just like any other feature

What is the price for the new DRV? not announced yet

Tivo is in trouble but was before this. Tivo is great but the reality is that it is something that ANYONE can build and build cheaply.

I agree totally, but what is weird, is that most of the knock offs are functionally very buggy. I don't understand why they are having such a hard time making a solid alternative to Tivo

So why should I pay Royalties when they are cheap tpo make?

 

HDTVMan

Banned
Apr 28, 2005
1,534
0
0
I dont get Tivo's buisness model. I think they cry wolf/cook books more than the reality is. If you get 5.00 from every direct tivo per month and 12.99 per month on a non lifetime/non direct tv and 300 for a life time how can you not make money?

World of Warcraft charges 13.00 a month and Im betting they are making more money than ever and they have a lot more to maintain/repair that Tivo's network.

As for HD units yes its a bad buy. Direct Tv could go to a you dont own the box but rent it to you method like Dish Network. Those who paid several hundred will be aggitated because they could have saved a few hundred on buying the unit.

Those with Super high End HD units what are they going to be given? They wont be happy if they are replaced with generic units?

How about those who bought units with Firewire output that connect it to their PC and record HD like a tivo? They will lose that ability.

This will end with Class Action suits no doubt unless they do a free exchange which is highly unlikely.
 

HDTVMan

Banned
Apr 28, 2005
1,534
0
0
Originally posted by: tss4
Originally posted by: tm37
Well will they still keep my Tivo I hacve had for 3 1/2 years working? yes

Will my Tivo rates go up? No rate increase announcments, but they could just like any other feature

What is the price for the new DRV? not announced yet

Tivo is in trouble but was before this. Tivo is great but the reality is that it is something that ANYONE can build and build cheaply.

I agree totally, but what is weird, is that most of the knock offs are functionally very buggy. I don't understand why they are having such a hard time making a solid alternative to Tivo

So why should I pay Royalties when they are cheap tpo make?

Microsoft's Ultimate TV was significantly better and faster than Tivo. But Microsoft pulled from the market for some reason. Maybe it was profitability? Who Knows?
 

mcmikemc

Senior member
Jan 20, 2005
281
0
76
This sucks :-(

I modded my Direct TV/ Tvio unit with a 120gig drive and can get the video off over the network. Now I hear I will have this taken away from me. Time to start burning all those shows I have on it before I can't.
 

HDTVMan

Banned
Apr 28, 2005
1,534
0
0
Originally posted by: mcmikemc
This sucks :-(

I modded my Direct TV/ Tvio unit with a 120gig drive and can get the video off over the network. Now I hear I will have this taken away from me. Time to start burning all those shows I have on it before I can't.

I dont think it will be taken away. But Service charges may change. No one knows.

But then again you might be right. There is nothing to stop Tivo from making changes to your firmware/software but then they would seriously lose Tivo customers. So I think they will avoid doing that to you and take the 5.00 a month.

Im in the same boat I modded 2 of mine for more space. Cant add network and I have vonage so I get bombarded with Make a Daily call which is very annoying. But I run mine into a DVD recorder for archiving stuff. Although I never archive anything.

HERE IS A SERIOUS QUESTION:
If Direct TV phases out the TIVO entirely down the line how does that effect customers who bought a lifetime Tivo sub?

Either way Direct TV needs to address the questions being asked instead of just ignoring the whole thing.
 

tm37

Lifer
Jan 24, 2001
12,436
1
0
Originally posted by: HDTVMan
Originally posted by: tss4
Originally posted by: tm37
Well will they still keep my Tivo I hacve had for 3 1/2 years working? yes

Will my Tivo rates go up? No rate increase announcments, but they could just like any other feature

What is the price for the new DRV? not announced yet

Tivo is in trouble but was before this. Tivo is great but the reality is that it is something that ANYONE can build and build cheaply.

I agree totally, but what is weird, is that most of the knock offs are functionally very buggy. I don't understand why they are having such a hard time making a solid alternative to Tivo

So why should I pay Royalties when they are cheap tpo make?

Microsoft's Ultimate TV was significantly better and faster than Tivo. But Microsoft pulled from the market for some reason. Maybe it was profitability? Who Knows?


Ultimate TV was spendy as well

I LOVE my tivo and I just have a 40GB drive in it. I have considered upgrading but now I will wait.

DVR is a simple concept to make work however it is difficult to make work well

As far as Tivo's fees and profitability I don't know you would think that they are raking in the money but how much of my $5 goes to tivo and what is directTV charging them to use the network? You don't know and as far as having a netowrk simpler than WOW you obviously don't understand what all tivo needs to do.

Remeber that TCP/IP is an OLDER protocal that is used WORLD WIDE where as what the different Cable and local systems use are OLDER still and different. Phone systems are different and well there are 100's of different standards in play here. Als o WOW only has to deal wih THEIR NETOWRK and YOU as the customer are responsible to get there. TIVO deals with EVERYONE ELSES network and they are responsible to get it toi your box.
 

HDTVMan

Banned
Apr 28, 2005
1,534
0
0
Originally posted by: tm37
Originally posted by: HDTVMan
Originally posted by: tss4
Originally posted by: tm37
Well will they still keep my Tivo I hacve had for 3 1/2 years working? yes

Will my Tivo rates go up? No rate increase announcments, but they could just like any other feature

What is the price for the new DRV? not announced yet

Tivo is in trouble but was before this. Tivo is great but the reality is that it is something that ANYONE can build and build cheaply.

I agree totally, but what is weird, is that most of the knock offs are functionally very buggy. I don't understand why they are having such a hard time making a solid alternative to Tivo

So why should I pay Royalties when they are cheap tpo make?

Microsoft's Ultimate TV was significantly better and faster than Tivo. But Microsoft pulled from the market for some reason. Maybe it was profitability? Who Knows?


Ultimate TV was spendy as well

I LOVE my tivo and I just have a 40GB drive in it. I have considered upgrading but now I will wait.

DVR is a simple concept to make work however it is difficult to make work well

As far as Tivo's fees and profitability I don't know you would think that they are raking in the money but how much of my $5 goes to tivo and what is directTV charging them to use the network? You don't know and as far as having a netowrk simpler than WOW you obviously don't understand what all tivo needs to do.

Remeber that TCP/IP is an OLDER protocal that is used WORLD WIDE where as what the different Cable and local systems use are OLDER still and different. Phone systems are different and well there are 100's of different standards in play here. Als o WOW only has to deal wih THEIR NETOWRK and YOU as the customer are responsible to get there. TIVO deals with EVERYONE ELSES network and they are responsible to get it toi your box.

You would think they have a deal on POTS and just make all future systems NIC'ed instead of POTS. Would be real easy to make those USB ports Wifi with a $10.00 plug in also. Surprised there is no Class Action suit on the proposed expansions that never came out.

TIVO has to be seriously mis managed to not be profitable by now. But Im thinking this is thier edge to making money without paying the government extra.

I miss my Ultimate TV. I upgraded those to 120GB as well. Was easier than Tivo upgrades. Wish Microsoft MCE was more capable than it is. But I am hoping XBOX 360 will solve part of that.
 

jmgonzalez

Senior member
Dec 1, 1999
525
0
0
I bought 2 HD DVRs (Tivo) for my Directv in the last month, and I know that my boxes will work for years as DTV works to upgrade their infrastructure to handle MPEG4 programming. It has been said many times (by DTV or by vendors) that they have a plan to take care of those who do have the older HD equipment.

I would rather enjoy the HD programming now, and to not wait a year or so for their new stuff to appear.
 

lzpoof

Senior member
Jan 20, 2001
916
0
0
Originally posted by: HDTVMan
Originally posted by: mcmikemc
This sucks :-(

I modded my Direct TV/ Tvio unit with a 120gig drive and can get the video off over the network. Now I hear I will have this taken away from me. Time to start burning all those shows I have on it before I can't.

I dont think it will be taken away. But Service charges may change. No one knows.

But then again you might be right. There is nothing to stop Tivo from making changes to your firmware/software but then they would seriously lose Tivo customers. So I think they will avoid doing that to you and take the 5.00 a month.

Im in the same boat I modded 2 of mine for more space. Cant add network and I have vonage so I get bombarded with Make a Daily call which is very annoying. But I run mine into a DVD recorder for archiving stuff. Although I never archive anything.

HERE IS A SERIOUS QUESTION:
If Direct TV phases out the TIVO entirely down the line how does that effect customers who bought a lifetime Tivo sub?

Either way Direct TV needs to address the questions being asked instead of just ignoring the whole thing.

lifetime Tivo subscription is for lifetime of the product , not Tivo's lifetime
that is standard answer.

It's like a lifetime warranty on something .. if they never carry the part again , then they don't encessarily have to give you a new one. fine print


In an ironic twist , I have a Tivo/dvd with tivo basic for free and honestly I wouldn't cry if I could keep my home media option and record like a VCR but lose tivo guide and pay nothign per month.

Someday I might just block it's network IP from outside traffic entirely.
 

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
Originally posted by: tm37
Well will they still keep my Tivo I hacve had for 3 1/2 years working?

Will my Tivo rates go up?

What is the price for the new DRV?

Tivo is in trouble but was before this. Tivo is great but the reality is that it is something that ANYONE can build and build cheaply.

So why should I pay Royalties when they are cheap tpo make?

I never realized how easy until I got my DirecTIVO. Prior to that I was using a Dazzle DVC 2 for capping stuff on a PC and I have never worked with a more tempermental and frustrating piece of hardware. I got the TIVO and loved it and was chatting with a friend about it one night and he was telling me about Snapstream and one thing led to another and built myself a PVR using a Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350. With my current setup I have the best of both worlds and can save stuff from the TIVO to my PC as well as cap directly with the PC.
 

labgeek

Platinum Member
Jan 20, 2002
2,163
0
0
Originally posted by: HDTVMan

You would think they have a deal on POTS and just make all future systems NIC'ed instead of POTS. Would be real easy to make those USB ports Wifi with a $10.00 plug in also. Surprised there is no Class Action suit on the proposed expansions that never came out.

DTV has control over the DTivo boxes and what firmware upgrades they will get. Always have. I bought very early on and many were speculating that DTV would offer the announced then optional networking features. DTV always said even back then that there was no announcement when or even if those features would be made available to DTivo customers. (edit - And Tivo's answer was you had to speak to DTV) Anyone looking to sue because they jumped to conclusions needs a good swift kick to the groin. BTW, I was one hoping and expecting the DTV would make them available some day. But I took my chances. I still think it's a better alternative than the SA Tivo box with a separate DTV receiver for most. I have both, but use the DTivo box 90+% of the time.

Edit2 -
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=188241

As of 08/06/04

Dear Alex:

Thank you for writing DIRECTV. I can assure you that DIRECTV has a
strong relationship with TiVo and we have not ended our relationship
with them, no matter what you may have heard or read. DIRECTV held a
small equity stake in TiVo which we sold earlier this week, but this
transaction will have no impact on customers who have (or are thinking
about getting) our DIRECTV DVR with TiVo service.

We continue to offer the DIRECTV DVR with TiVo service, and DIRECTV DVR
with TiVo receivers will still be available for purchase in standard or
high definition format.

Currently we do not have plans to add the Home Media Option to our
equipment. Just as personal computers are rapidly evolving, we expect
DIRECTV System receivers to incorporate many new features in the coming
years. We will enhance our programming service as the receiving
equipment evolves. For example, receivers capable of decoding Dolby
Digital sound, high definition programming, and even interactive
television are now on the market, and we have begun offering programming
in all of those formats.

We hope that this clarifies any questions you might of had. Please let
us know if we can assist you further.

Sincerely,

Suzie
DIRECTV Customer Service

Guess parts of that have changed, but as of 1 year ago (and earlier I know from personal experience) they were not saying what features will/will not be made available.
 

labgeek

Platinum Member
Jan 20, 2002
2,163
0
0
Originally posted by: tw1164
Isn't comcast in talks w/ Tivo about a buyout?

Comcast. On March 15, 2005, we entered into a non-exclusive licensing and marketing agreement with Comcast STB Software
DVR, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, and Comcast Corporation, as guarantor of Comcast STB?s
obligations under the agreement. Pursuant to this agreement, we have agreed to develop a TiVo-branded software solution for
deployment on Comcast?s DVR platforms, which would enable any TiVo-specific DVR and networking features requested by
Comcast, such as WishList? searches, Season Pass? recordings, home media features, and TiVoToGo? transfers. In addition, we
have agreed to develop an advertising management system for deployment on Comcast platforms to enable the provision of local and
national advertising to Comcast subscribers.
Under the agreement, Comcast will pay TiVo an upfront fee and a recurring monthly fee per Comcast subscriber who receives
the TiVo service through Comcast. Comcast will also pay us fees for engineering services for the development and integration of the
TiVo service software solution (subject to adjustment under certain circumstances) and the advertising management system.
The initial term of this agreement is for seven years from completion of the TiVo service software solution, with Comcast
permitted to renew for additional 1-year terms for up to a total of 8 additional years as long as certain deployment thresholds have
been achieved. During the term of the agreement, TiVo will provide Comcast with certain customer and maintenance support and will
provide certain additional development work. TiVo will have the continuing right to sell certain types of advertising in connection
with the TiVo service offered through Comcast. TiVo will also have a limited right to sell certain types of advertising on other
Comcast DVR set-top boxes enabled with the advertising management system, subject to Comcast?s option to terminate such right in
exchange for certain advertising-related payments. Development and deployment of the TiVo service software solution and
advertising management system is targeted to occur within two years from the date of the agreement, with certain consequences,
including, but not limited to, termination of the agreement, in the event development of the TiVo service software solution has not
been completed by such date. As part of this agreement, Comcast is receiving a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to our
intellectual property in order to deploy the TiVo service software solution and advertising management system, including certain
trademark branding rights and a covenant not to assert under our patents, which rights extend only to Comcast Corporation, its
affiliates, and certain of its vendors and suppliers with respect to Comcast products and services. Such non-exclusive, nontransferable
license to our intellectual property will, under certain circumstances, continue after the termination of this agreement. In
addition, Comcast is entitled to certain most favored customer terms as compared with other multi-channel video distributors who
license certain TiVo technology. Pursuant to the terms of this agreement, Comcast has the right to terminate the agreement in the
event we are subject of certain change of control transactions involving any of certain specified companies.
 

SemperFi

Platinum Member
Apr 5, 2000
2,002
0
0
I have 2 direct tivo's I don't think direct will phase them out at least right away. Direct tv has the say in all upgrades.

I have done quite a few mods on my unit that probobly won't be availabe on the in house Direct dvr. The operating system on the tivo is lunix and lots of hacks are available. From displaying caller id onscreen to access through the internet. I am not ready to give them up yet.

As for ultimate tv from what I was reading I think it was the motion picture industry who shut them down. I have not owned an ultimate tv so I don't know for sure. Anyhow Ultimate tv was capable of transfering video to the computer digitally. That is the stream from direct tv is digital to the reciever. On a tivo, not the direct tivo, it gets the signal through s-video which breaks the full digital stream. That is why tivo is capable of transfering between tivo's through network connection. I believe that is why direct tivo doesn't allow that. Well that is until you take the cover off and crank it up.
 

kki000

Senior member
Jun 6, 2001
597
0
0
Originally posted by: HDTVMan

We all know the HD units are going to be obsolete.

Posted here because Tivo's are a hot buy lately and not sure if this should effect purchasing decisions.

One day everything we own will be obsolete...

own 2 hdtivos, bought the new one last month.
1) this is not hotdeal
2) none of this is new to anyone.

hdtivo at 499 is the uber. Bought my first one on pre order at 999. Would gladly pay more.

2 tuners of hd goodness with premium content with 120g storage is the closest thing to tv nirvana on earth.

 

Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
23,643
3
81
Originally posted by: HDTVMan
Posted here because Tivo's are a hot buy lately and not sure if this should effect purchasing decisions.
That's a lame excuse for getting a thread started here. :laugh:

 

kof

Senior member
Oct 31, 2000
408
0
0
Thanks OP -
This entire discussion is a bunch of BS if one is smart enough to brew their own Tivo.
BUT
your link showed me an article about hp printers being sold for cost!
 

mudboy

Senior member
Mar 21, 2000
498
0
0
Good God. People have been forecasting TiVO's death for 5 years now and they're still around. And, if by chance TiVO does happen to go under, it's not like the hardware will just stop working, and it's not like there wouldn't be other (probably public domain or open source) listing options that will be available.

Pete
 

Shaorinor

Senior member
Dec 31, 2001
443
0
0
Originally posted by: tm37
[
I LOVE my tivo and I just have a 40GB drive in it. I have considered upgrading but now I will wait.

Just buy a bigger hard drive and do it yourself. Believe there's a web site detailing how to do it.
 
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