Interview with SONICblue's CEO 135
An anonymous reader writes "itvt.com has an interview with the current CEO of SONICblue Greg Ballard where he fields questions on subjects including: the future of the DVR, the current litigation with Hollywood and how he sees ReplayTV PVR stacking up against Tivo this upcoming holiday season."
Duh. (Score:3, Informative)
Steve Balmer is the CEO of Microsoft.
Tivo Vs Replay (Score:1, Informative)
Replay....you tools of Microsloth!!!
Re:There's one thing I want a DVR to do (Score:5, Informative)
What I want is to see addressable converters become something that you can buy instead of rent from your cable company. I want to see them integrated with VCRs, TVs, and PVRs in the same way that cable-ready tuners are ubiquitous today. Once you eliminate the need for an independent tuner, there's no reason you can't sell several models of ReplayTV with different numbers of tuners.
In the meantime, people who are far more serious about TV than I am will set up two or three ReplayTV units, each with their own cable box. (Really, people do that; I'm glad I don't watch that much TV.)
Replay TV-- Ya Gotta Love It! (Score:5, Informative)
Interestingly, the purchase of the Box caused me to order more channels from DirecTV. Prior to owning one, "there was never anything good on" when I watched TV (which was usually when I was feeding a child or performing some other paternal act). Now -- a veritable virtual library of programs culled from the recently ordered History International, Discovery Science, DIY -- all the next-tier networks I thought sounded "cool" before but that I knew I would never have time to watch.
PVR's will simply crush the market for pre-school tape vids from networks like Noggin, 'Toon, and PBSKids. I got my own (Commercial Free!) kids channel now.
Seriously thinking of getting another box for the bedroom and/or office...
No, I'm not a SonicBlue employee or affiliated with them in anyway, but, I am enjoying being able to sing a product's praises for once instead of ripping it to shreds.
Re:Replay vs. TiVo? (Score:3, Informative)
So unless ReplayTV have a patent on one button ad. skipping......... *smirk*
Troc
Re:Subscription (slightly OT)? (Score:3, Informative)
The subscription is to the service that provides you with scheduling information, so that the unit knows what shows are on when. This lets it automatically record shows that have changed timeslots, and it lets you pick shows to record by browing show listings rather than requiring you to enter an actual time.
Also, with the ReplayTV units, the price of the service is just included in the unit price as a one-time fee. If you don't want to go the subscription route, Tivo offers a similar deal for $250, which gives you the service for the lifetime of your Tivo. So it's really just that Tivo is giving you more payment options for the service.
Re:Replay vs. TiVo? (Score:3, Informative)
Tivo 30 Second Skip
- Press Select
- Press Play (Not the Yellow Play/Pause button)
- Press Select
- Press "3" and then "0"
- Press Select
Three Tivo tones indicates that the feature has been enabled.Re:There's one thing I want a DVR to do (Score:3, Informative)
For Satellite, it's far more complicated. Each input needs to be able to arbitrarily tune in even or odd transponders, and cannot do both simultaneously. You have to use multiswitches, and other assorted voo-doo to make it all go.
For detailed information, go to here [tivocommunity.com].
Because as usual most people won't read it (Score:5, Informative)
Here are the pertinent issues:
Re:There's one thing I want a DVR to do (Score:3, Informative)
It's true that adding an additional tuner to the standalone Tivo would add cost. Aside from the tuners themselves, which are actually fairly inexpensive (what does a vanilla cable box cost? $30), the real cost lies in the MPEG encoding hardware. That's why you don't see such a product today.
However, all of the DirecTivo models (Sony, Phillips, and Hughes) have dual tuners built-in. DirecTivos don't need MPEG encoding hardware, because it's an MPEG digital stream coming down from the bird. DirecTivos simply record this stream directly to the unit's hard drive.
I routinely record two shows simulateously while viewing a third that I'd previously recorded.
Re:TiVo Price Drop (Score:3, Informative)
The standalone units require expensive MPEG encoding hardware... That's why they are more expensive than DirecTivo combp units.
I bought my first DirecTivo last year, new, at Best Buy, for $119.00. (Practically free)
My new Series 2 DirecTivo only cost me $199.00 (I've pre-oredered it... It hasn't yet arrived).
The manufacturers (Sony, Phillips, Hughes) get a kick back (subsidy) from Tivo that already keeps the price down to where it is today. Tivo really can't afford to subsidize them any further. With the subscription, it already takes a while to make up the cost of the subsidy, and still longer to hit the break even point.
A person that bought a unit, and bought the lifetime subscription at the time of purchase, represented a loss for Tivo.
I don't know where that stands today, but I can't imagine it changed that much. That's why the lifetime subscriptions are going away.
Re:Replay vs. TiVo? (Score:3, Informative)
Tivo has a heads up over Replay because it had more marketing dollars (by initially charging their customers a monthly or one time fee). Tivo is also owned by Phillips.
Tivo willfully shares your Tivo data with others. [com.com]
Tivo has violated their privacy agreement with you a number of times. They changed their privacy policy to allow them to share your data without notifying their customers. The link they provided in their manual still made you click through on about 3 or 4 links before actually getting to the policy. I know of many Tivo owners who were concerned about their privacy were in an absolute uproar about this.
Replay TV refused to share your private information and were almost forced to do so. They paid lawyers to keep my information to themselves [com.com].
Though Replay now charges a monthly fee like Tivo on NEW units, I have a unit that did not have this charge. I paid $300 for a 20 hour Replay TV and have never spent a dime since.
Replay TV has allowed for me to access my Replay TV from anywhere with an internet connection [myreplaytv.com]. I have heard that Tivo has also adopted this. Not sure though.
Replay TV gave me the 30 second skip [techtv.com] so that I can easily bypass commercials. I believe Tivo has also snagged this feature as well?
One thing that Tivo has over Replay is that it was the first to let you can hack it to add larger drives. (1 [tivofaq.com], 2 [sonnik.com], 3 [9thtee.com])
ReplayTV does now too. (1 [sourceforge.net], 2 [reidpix.com]) Tivo has historically been easier to do so, but I'm not sure about these days.
Overall, features on both are very similar, though the methodology to record shows is a little different. Replay gives you more pause time as it isn't just recording things it THINKS you MIGHT like. Replay makes you be specific about what you want to record, though they have theme recording channels. Tivo is programed to make certain assumptions about what you want it to record in addition to what you specifically specify.
I know folks who own one or the other. Regardless of brand, they are both extremely happy with their new options for watching TV. For those of you who say, I barely watch TV, its likely because you think there's too much crap on. There is, but with one of these units, you will only be watching exactly what you want, without commercials. Iron Chef, Battlebots, Simpsons (I have archived almost 2/3s of all episodes), Southpark, West Wing, 24, shows for your kids/infants (ON DEMAND!!!) and both can wait for shows that aren't even in the programming guide yet.
Though Tivo is on better financial ground [msn.com] right now, Replay TV isn't and hasn't historically been as shady about your privacy [siliconvalley.com].
Bottom, line, do the math and find yourself the best deal. Even if one or both went out of business, we'd make a hack to grab the programing information anyway.
Re:Subscription (slightly OT)? (Score:3, Informative)
Umm, no, they have not. They discontinued yearly service sometime last year. As of two days ago Lifetime was an available option, and there have been no announcements of any upcoming changes. Can you produce one?
Re:Replay vs. TiVo? (Score:3, Informative)
Ok, there is a good amount of misinformation and ignorance in this post, I feel the need to respond.
Tivo is also owned by Phillips.
I'm pretty sure that is not the case. A few companies had large stakes in Tivo, but no one owns them.
Tivo willfully shares your Tivo data with others. [com.com]
That is a pretty small story you linked to. And if you had read the full story you would know that customers have to specifically agree to be part of the Neilson program.
Tivo has violated their privacy agreement with you a number of times. They changed their privacy policy to allow them to share your data without notifying their customers. The link they provided in their manual still made you click through on about 3 or 4 links before actually getting to the policy. I know of many Tivo owners who were concerned about their privacy were in an absolute uproar about this.
There has been a number debates about Tivo's privacy policy, but I believe they have done a very good job. I don't know what event you are refering to, but I don't believe it to be true. If you could provide a link I could make an intelligent responce.
Replay TV refused to share your private information and were almost forced to do so. They paid lawyers to keep my information to themselves [com.com].
Yes, good for them. But to my knowledge Tivo has never shared personal viewing information with anyone. They do share aggregate data, and have always been up front about this.
Replay TV has allowed for me to access my Replay TV from anywhere with an internet connection [myreplaytv.com]. I have heard that Tivo has also adopted this. Not sure though.
Tivo currently doesn't provide this feature, but it looks like they are planning to do this in the future. However if you hack your Tivo, you can get TivoWeb [lightn.org], which I imagine has more capabilities than myreplaytv simply because of how it works.
Replay TV gave me the 30 second skip [techtv.com] so that I can easily bypass commercials. I believe Tivo has also snagged this feature as well?
Yes, but you have to press a few buttons to active a backdoor to get this feature.
One thing that Tivo has over Replay is that it was the first to let you can hack it to add larger drives.
Yes, and a lot of other hacks too. ReplayTV does now too.
Overall, features on both are very similar, though the methodology to record shows is a little different. Replay gives you more pause time as it isn't just recording things it THINKS you MIGHT like. Replay makes you be specific about what you want to record, though they have theme recording channels. Tivo is programed to make certain assumptions about what you want it to record in addition to what you specifically specify.
This is a rather misleading statement. You have full control over what your tivo records. Although you can argue the merits of the different systems. The suggestions that tivo finds, only records to any extra space you have, and will never delete or preempt anything you have told it to record. And you can turn off suggestions if you want.
Bottom, line, do the math and find yourself the best deal. Even if one or both went out of business, we'd make a hack to grab the programing information anyway.
Agreed