Comments on: Thoughts on PVRs and the TV Industry http://steinbaugh.com/journal/pvr/ University of Michigan Cellular and Molecular Biology graduate student. Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:31:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://steinbaugh.com/journal/pvr/#comment-865 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://mike.steinbaugh.com/?p=467#comment-865 <p>TiVo offers a lifetime subscription for $300 -- that pays for itself in two years and you don't have any monthly commitments.</p> <p>Alternatively, go the DirecTV route and you'll pay $5 a receiver, which is what you pay for additional receivers anyway.</p> <p>TiVo is a lot more than a glorified VCR. Can I VCR determine when your favorite shows come on and automatically record them? For example, when a network moves a program from Wednesday to Friday nights, or extends a program from its normal 30 minutes to a full hour, can a VCR adapt to that and make sure that your program is recorded? Nope. But TiVo <em>can</em> and <em>does</em>!</p> TiVo offers a lifetime subscription for $300 — that pays for itself in two years and you don’t have any monthly commitments.

Alternatively, go the DirecTV route and you’ll pay $5 a receiver, which is what you pay for additional receivers anyway.

TiVo is a lot more than a glorified VCR. Can I VCR determine when your favorite shows come on and automatically record them? For example, when a network moves a program from Wednesday to Friday nights, or extends a program from its normal 30 minutes to a full hour, can a VCR adapt to that and make sure that your program is recorded? Nope. But TiVo can and does!

]]> By: Michael Steinbaugh http://steinbaugh.com/journal/pvr/#comment-866 Michael Steinbaugh Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://mike.steinbaugh.com/?p=467#comment-866 <p>Oh sweet I didn't know about the lifetime deal. And that is a good point that you can schedule TiVo, but if you ran your cable input through a PVR that you left on all the time, it could do the same thing without having the TV turned on. I just get weirded out by these reports that clearly show companies like TiVo are able to collect a lot of data about its customers.</p> Oh sweet I didn’t know about the lifetime deal. And that is a good point that you can schedule TiVo, but if you ran your cable input through a PVR that you left on all the time, it could do the same thing without having the TV turned on. I just get weirded out by these reports that clearly show companies like TiVo are able to collect a lot of data about its customers.

]]> By: Brian http://steinbaugh.com/journal/pvr/#comment-867 Brian Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://mike.steinbaugh.com/?p=467#comment-867 <p>You may want to wait on the TiVo purchase. Many cable companies are now offering integrated DVRs. There is usually no upfront cost for the hardware, usually an additional 7-12$ a month fee for the use of the new box and service.</p> <p>Pros:</p> <ol> <li><p>No need to layout the cash on TiVo</p></li> <li><p>You have to pay a subscription fee anyway and this may be cheaper.</p></li> <li><p>Recording a show while watching another doesn't require a splitter it is all done in the box. I hear some of these boxes can record 2 different shows at the same time.</p></li> <li><p>As the boxes get better you can turn your old one in for a new one and not worry about buying a new TiVo when something better comes along - as it always does.</p></li> </ol> <p>Some Cons I have heard it doesnt have as much programming as TiVo like if a show moves times and no season pass. But in many cases not a need for people.</p> You may want to wait on the TiVo purchase. Many cable companies are now offering integrated DVRs. There is usually no upfront cost for the hardware, usually an additional 7-12$ a month fee for the use of the new box and service.

Pros:

  1. No need to layout the cash on TiVo

  2. You have to pay a subscription fee anyway and this may be cheaper.

  3. Recording a show while watching another doesn’t require a splitter it is all done in the box. I hear some of these boxes can record 2 different shows at the same time.

  4. As the boxes get better you can turn your old one in for a new one and not worry about buying a new TiVo when something better comes along – as it always does.

Some Cons I have heard it doesnt have as much programming as TiVo like if a show moves times and no season pass. But in many cases not a need for people.

]]>