Is Tivo Still a good buy?

TopMeTom

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Hi,

I currently have sky+,and,with all the problems associated with it was thinking of getting a tivo to run alongside it.

The question is is it still worth getting Tivo even though it left our shores years ago,don't want to be left with something that does not work in a few months(i bought an mg 3 months before they collapsed and now can't trade it in!)

So what do you guys reckon?

Cheeseo,

Phil
 
Well worth it IMO. Been using one for years, couldn't live without it:rotfl:

I've got Sky+ too, the plan was to replace the TiVo with it, but Sky+ is just nowehere near as good, apart from being able to record two thigs at once.

I just use the Sky+ as a backup now, for the rare occassions where two recordings clash and one of them isn't repeated.
 
Goooner said:
Well worth it IMO. Been using one for years, couldn't live without it:rotfl:

Where would you get one?
How much are they?
Are there new boxes available? or are they only available second-hand?
Is there any support for them if they go faulty?
 
Only available secondhand, probably Ebay is the best bet.

There are some people that repair them, can't remember the name of them off hand, although Pacelink or something similar comes to mind.

I don't think there's too much in them to go wrong, probably a harddrive failure is the main thing, but that can easily be replaced.
 
I thought the advantage of Sky+ over Tivo is that Sky records the actual bitstream giving you the same quality as the broadcasted programme when decoded and played back.
 
What is the quality like over sky then?Is it like watching a video(yuk!)
 
philb said:
Hi,

The question is is it still worth getting Tivo even though it left our shores years ago,don't want to be left with something that does not work in a few months

Thomson where the only company who produced a Tivo unit for the UK market, but did not renue their license due to lack of demand.

Tivo state the following on their website:

"TiVo service is independent of Thomson and is provided directly by TiVo so all current subscriber and any new subscribers who are able to purchase a unit, will continue to receive and be able to activate the TiVo service as they do now"

I hear that "Stateside" they are now able to transfer recordings from Tivo directly onto the Ipods/PSPs. I think if someone were to launch such a product in the UK, it would sell!?
 
philb said:
What is the quality like over sky then?Is it like watching a video(yuk!)

The quality is quite alot worse.. Not quite as bad as video but not far off...
Sky+ records the signal not the picture...The tivo digitises the signal and will loose alot during this process...
 
Baldybouncer said:
The quality is quite alot worse.. Not quite as bad as video but not far off...
Sky+ records the signal not the picture...The tivo digitises the signal and will loose alot during this process...

In that case I would rather have Sky+ anyday. :smashin:
Pic quality is paramount and far more important than features and useability.
 
I still have one fully boxed in my loft and (last seen) working order. Happy for someone to take it off my hands if they are will to collect in SW London !
 
Baldybouncer said:
The quality is quite alot worse.. Not quite as bad as video but not far off...
It certainly is not a lot worse and it is streets ahead of a VCR. There are some modifications that you can make to a Tivo that will allow you to improve the picture quality above the default setting. There are also numerous hacks that can be made to a Tivo that will provide all sorts of amusing extras. The Tivo software and EPG is much better than that running on the Sky+.
 
wandersen said:
I still have one fully boxed in my loft and (last seen) working order. Happy for someone to take it off my hands ....
You're giving away a boxed Tivo? Are you mad or just incredibly rich? Any working Tivo is worth £150 or more without a sub and up to £350 or more with a lifetime sub.

If I was within 10 hours drive of you I'd be in my car right now.
 
I checked on Ebay, and those without a sub are going for between £50 and £75 - to be honest, I can't be bothered with that for that amount of money, happy for someone to take it off my hands if they want it.
 
wandersen said:
.... £50 and £75 - to be honest, I can't be bothered with that for that amount of money....
Well I'll be ******! This has just been mentioned in a dark place inhabited by many Tivo fanatics and I dare say that you will be hearing from one or more of them soon.
 
PM'd

Love to help you out...

wandersen said:
I still have one fully boxed in my loft and (last seen) working order. Happy for someone to take it off my hands if they are will to collect in SW London !
 
wandersen said:
I checked on Ebay, and those without a sub are going for between £50 and £75 - to be honest, I can't be bothered with that for that amount of money, happy for someone to take it off my hands if they want it.
I will take it off your hands if you don't want it!

I've been using TiVo everyday for almost 8 years and it's still the best PVR IMHO!
 
Baldybouncer said:
The quality is quite alot worse.. Not quite as bad as video but not far off...
Sky+ records the signal not the picture...The tivo digitises the signal and will loose alot during this process...

If you have a decent RGB box like John Sims it looks pretty good compared to Sky+ if you use the Best quality mode, especially if you use the mode zero hack. This uses more disk spacee but ups the quality to very close to Sky+ or an original Sky box.

If you modify TiVo to use SDI and throw in a scaler it will look as good as Sky+, albeit for a heck of a lot of money!
 
I agree; I've had a TiVo since it launched in the UK and wouldn't be without it.

The only component which tends to fail is the hard disc, and they're relatively straightforward to replace. If you don't have a PC and a few hours to spare, you can buy pre-configured discs and bolt them straight in.

The TiVo originally came with about 40GB of storage, which was never enough. Mine has 320GB, which is overkill - but at least it means I can use the highest quality setting all the time. As stated above, there is a hack which enables an even higher bit-rate recording option, though I've never felt the need.

The listings service has been going without interruption for years since new Tivos stopped being offered for sale, and there's no reason to believe it's going to be discontinued any time soon. I've heard it suggested that if the official Tivo listings service were ever discontinued, it would be possible to make the machine download its data from elsewhere instead - though hackers are discouraged from talking about such a modification just in case TiVo get upset about people no longer needing a subscription. Where there's a will, there's a way, though. TiVo runs Linux, the language of hackers ;)
 
xxxx said:
a dark place inhabited by many Tivo fanatics
Sorry, I think you must have light and dark mixed up :eek:

The UK Tivo fourm is for people who've seen the light :clap: :lesson:

JayCee said:
I would rather have Sky+ anyday. :smashin:
Pic quality is paramount and far more important than features and useability.
I guess you must enjoy ploughing your way through the sky+ EPG looking for things to record then...?

My TiVo knows what I like and finds and records it automatically. And the PQ with Mode 0 recordings and high bitrates is virtually indistinguishable from the original sky source (which isn't that great anyway) on my 42" plasma - and I'm pretty fussy. And that's before you start talking about the other features:-

- proper season passes (series links)
- wishlists
- advanced wishlists
- networking
- remote programming
- direct video extraction

...etc. etc. etc. :smashin:
 
wandersen said:
I checked on Ebay, and those without a sub are going for between £50 and £75 - to be honest, I can't be bothered with that for that amount of money, happy for someone to take it off my hands if they want it.
I'm in striking distance. I'll take it off your hands (and, to be fair, give you a few quid for it).

Let's move this to PM.
 
wandersen said:
I still have one fully boxed in my loft and (last seen) working order. Happy for someone to take it off my hands if they are will to collect in SW London !

This still up for grabs?
 
Well, I've had 8 PMs, so am sure it will go !! :)

I really am just trying to release some room in my loft !
 

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