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TiVo Could Return to DirecTV

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

June 6, 2007, 1:35 PM

Could TiVo make a return to DirecTV? Comments from the DVR maker's CEO are certainly opening the door to such an idea.

With DirecTV under new management, it could very well happen. The two companies parted ways after the satellite provider's former owner, News Corp., decided to back technology from its NDS subsidiary.

Now with Liberty Media about to take the reins, the situation could change. TiVo CEO Tom Rogers said at a Deustche Bank conference that it could open the door again for the DVR maker to market directly to the company's customers.

DirecTV's new owners reportedly have TiVo fans among their ranks. The DVR company could use the boost as well; its best period of customer growth was during the partnership with the satellite provider.

Rogers also elaborated on its cable offerings, saying tests will begin in two New England markets this August, and Cox will debut its offering later this year. He added, however, that those programs were largely beyond TiVo's control.

Concerns over the DVR manufacturer's capabilities to attract new customers are some of the biggest drags on its stock price, say analysts.

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By mikekrasner

edited Jun 7, 2007 - 12:45 PM

I have both DVR's in my house and each one has their Pros/Cons. The ONLY option I wish the HR20 had that my Tivo does have, is the fact that I can swap tuners and not miss anything. I do it with the HR20, but I have to start recording the show o n the other tuner to keep from missing any information. The DTV DVR does have some very nice features, like streaming music, pictures, etc...from my Windows Vista machine to the living room, TV in the right hand corner while browsing the Guide, etc...Instead of looking at everything in a black and white context, just understand that each one is different and each one offers some qualities that are better then the other. Expect that updates will come out, as they did for the DTV Tivo, much faster for the with H20. When you cut out the waiting game for a 3rd party vendor to come up with a patch and have your own developers working on your product, you can provide more features faster.

Score: 0

By ermax18

posted Jun 7, 2007 - 2:55 PM

The music is an advantage of the HR20.. I didn't think about that one because I use my Xbox with XBMC for music. SA TiVos would stream music with the HMO (Home Media Option) but DTV wouldn't allow TiVo to add HMO to the DirecTiVo. You could enable HMO on a hacked TiVo though. You could also do multi room viewing with HMO. This let you have a TiVo in one room play recording that where recorded on a TiVo in another room. This I think is why DTV didn't allow HMO. They must have feared people would figure out how to make the PC emulate a TiVo and stream video to it for archiving.

Score: 0

By SandieYV

edited Jun 7, 2007 - 10:25 AM

I hope so, directvs dvr isn't very good quality. I have alot of problems with it. Hoping for sooner rather than later.

Score: 0

By Hollywood__

posted Jun 6, 2007 - 9:16 PM

You people are retarded. The HR20 is flawless in my opinion, the DVR functionalty is top notch. What do you need a TiVo for? Suggesting crap you don't want to watch and letting them put up commercials even while you are skipping them?

I dont know what Tivo costs a month these days but anyone willing to pay to use a DVR is an idiot.

Score: 0

By ermax18

edited Jun 7, 2007 - 12:32 PM

I can name some reasons for a TiVo over the HR20:
- Dual Live Buffers!!!!!! (Bigest problem with the HR20).
- Hackability.
- Ability to extract and insert video.
- Schedule recordings, delete recordings, search guide, ect. remotely (via web interface).
- Rewind/Fastforward compensation. (TiVo Patent 6850691)

The things I do like on the HR20 over my DirecTiVo:
- Speed. Thats it.

Oh and one more thing.. If you have an HR20 then you are paying to use a DVR. Just as much as you would have in the DirecTiVo days. Don't be silly. :)

Score: 0

By lonechicken

posted Jun 7, 2007 - 1:27 PM

I haven't seen it in action, but I heard the HR20 has a workaround similar to the FF/RW compensation. Instead of hitting play (and getting that couple of seconds of overshoot back), you hit "replay" or something like that.

Score: 0

By ermax18

posted Jun 7, 2007 - 2:49 PM

Yeah.. but it isn't very consistent. If you FF level 4 then you have to hit replay x number of times.. if you FF at level 3 you have to hit replay x number of times. The TiVo is automatic. I am going to wear out my $400 remote with all the extra button presses needed with the HR20. haha..

Score: 0

By Hollywood__

posted Jun 7, 2007 - 11:55 AM

How much TV do you watch? A DVR is meant to watch recorded programs and skip commercials, basically. Being able to rewind and pause live TV is the other main feature.

How many people truly want to hack thier Tivo? Most Americans can't even set up a simple DSL/Cable modem and wireless network without calling the Geek Squad.

I guess Tivo would be cool for the people who can't seem to leave anything alone without modifying it, I don't have time for that stuff and I just want a simple DVR that works and don't have to pay 15 to 20 dollard a month for the privilage of using it.

Did Tivo impliment that feature where they force you watch commercials even if you want to blast through them or put them at the end of the recorded program? I dont remember the exact way they were going to force you to watch them.

Score: 0

By ermax18

edited Jun 7, 2007 - 12:30 PM

I don't watch much TV at all.

You are correct the masses don't care about hacking. But the key advantages of the TiVo over the HR20 don't require any hacking.

TiVo doesn't force you to watch commercials in fact it is easier to skip commercials on a TiVo then it is with the HR20. Trust me if anyone is anti comskip it is DTV not TiVo.

When DTV adds DLB I will get off their back. DTV has been good about adding stuff that the community asks for but DLB it the first and most asked for features and DTV has completely ignored the wish. The HR20 already has all the tools needed to do DLB (bookmarks and dual tuners) they just need to combine all of them and give us a one button tuner swap. They just don't want to. I can only guess that DTV isn't implementing it because they know we use it to watch two shows at once and never watch commercials.

My wife has complained every night since I first got the HR20 about not having DLB. She likes to watch a show until a commercial comes on. Then simply hit pause it and hit the down arrow to swap to the other tuner (yep that easy, one button) then look for something else to watch until a commercial comes on then just pause this buffer and hit the down arrow to swap back to the other tuner and then hit FF to skip all the commercials. You will find your self literally NEVER watching commercials ever again.

Sure you can recoded two shows at once and the watch them later but if you aren't a TV addict that has a lits of shows you watch religiously and just want to randomly sit down and see what is on, you end up watching lots of commercials. :)

Score: 0

By Lord of the Dense

edited Jun 6, 2007 - 8:55 PM

So where to start. This is news they're not even sharing with us DirecTv employees. I daresay it is nothing but speculation at this time. There hasn't been anything of a peep about reconnecting with Tivo. There seems to be a lot of negativity about the HR20, but none of you are backing up your claims. For starters, don't look forward to a new DirecTv Tivo unit, if any, for a long time. At least not until late next year at the earliest. And even if there were hopes, a new version of the R-15 DVR is on the horizon. Not an upgraded model, a new version, such as an R-1#. AWEinCA, unless you bought yours in a store, your installation technician didn't do his job explaining to you just what you had. Are you saying you wouldn't want it had you known it wasn't a Tivo? So what's so bad about non-Tivo or great about the Tivos? I realize they both have pros and cons, but Tivos break down just as much as the DTv DVRs. Yes, the interface is drastically different. I guess you could compare it to Windows and Linux. Tivo, like Windows, is all gussied up and nice to look at. It has colorful screens and everything is nice and big. DTv DVRs, are much the contrary. The provide less menu interface and concentrate more on delivering the product at hand. They also have Caller ID and set up much faster. In addition, they also have bigger hard drives. Finally, for Pixelsmack, a change is coming this year. Your outdated HR10-250 will not work with the new HD programming that will be released this year. In addition to needing an HR20, you will need to upgrade to the Ka/Ku 5-LNB dish in order to pull in the 2 additional satellites broadcasting the new HD content. Sure, you could keep your existing setup, with your maximum 10 HD channels (or a few more if you have local HD), but until you make the upgrade, that is all you will have. I wouldn't recommend anyone purchase a DirecTv Tivo product at this time.

Score: 0

By ermax18

edited Jun 7, 2007 - 12:31 PM

Yes the HR20 has some advantages like simpler menu navigation and speed but lacks some stuff that out weighs the few advantages the HR20 has. Like DLB and RR/FF compensation (TiVo patent 6850691). And I miss being able to dump video onto my computer and then burn it on a DVD. DTV is never going to let us have this on the HR20. The only reason we had it on the TiVo was because we could hack the TiVo unlike the HR20.

Score: 0

By Pixelsmack

posted Jun 6, 2007 - 4:08 PM

I got my DirectTV HD Tivo (series2) about 2 weeks before they stopped supporting it. I paid $399 at CompUSA.

It is awesome and I would never use anything else. It still works so I guess existing owners are still supported. I've never had an issue with service or Pay-Per-View.

So not sure what all the fuss is about. You can find these TiVO DirectvHD DVRs on Ebay still.

Score: 0

By btn

posted Jun 6, 2007 - 8:21 PM

As splitsec mentions, the DIRECTiVo HD boxes won't support DIRECTV's forthcoming HD encoding format.

I hope DIRECTV re-engages TiVo so I don't have to switch to Comcast.

Score: 0

By Couscous

posted Jun 7, 2007 - 8:57 AM

It's not "forthcoming" MPEG-4 local channels are already here. You need to catch up.

As far as threatening to leave for Comcast.. Go ahead. We'll see you in the dust.

Not to mention the HR20's VOD implementation. We should start testing that within a month or so.

Score: 0

By ermax18

posted Jun 7, 2007 - 11:49 AM

Please don't wast anymore time on VOD. Work on something useful like DLB.

Score: 0

By Hollywood__

posted Jun 6, 2007 - 9:17 PM

The Comcast DVR is rated one of the worst ever. It's a sluggish POS with huge lag pronblems and missing sound on HD programming. Save yourself some greif and stick with the HR20.

Score: 0

By ermax18

posted Jun 7, 2007 - 11:51 AM

TiVo is working an a complete OS replacement for the Motorola hardware to replace the crap they run now.

But as they stand today with the crappy Motorola software I wouldn't switch if you paid me.

Score: 0

By deminicus

posted Jun 7, 2007 - 8:57 AM

Yup. From my pov the more stuff you add to a box the slower it responds. +hd= slow +dvr=slow +hd+dvr="oh the humanity"

I always liked the dtv normal boxes because the gui was quick, my standard dvr dtv box is noticably more sluggish. If I get hd then I fear it will be unbearable.

The cablevision and comcast hd boxes are horrible. I don't even want to know what their dvr hd solutions are like.

Score: 0

By gazzie4

edited Jun 6, 2007 - 3:26 PM

I am a die hard tivo fan and got really ticked at Directv for dropping them and going to their crappy HR20. It has gotten better, but no where near as good as tivo. I would be happy if they would just be able to run the tivo software on their HR20 receivers, to avoid sending them back for new ones or having to pay more money for new receivers

Score: 0

By AWEInCA

posted Jun 6, 2007 - 3:24 PM

I was surprised my DirectTV HD DVR wasn't Tivo! Very disappointed! My contract's almost up too and I have no plans on renewing unless they they bring back Tivo...and they upgrade thier current piece of crap HD DVR FOR FREE!!!!

Score: 0

By splitsec

posted Jun 6, 2007 - 2:18 PM

So how do I start to poke Liberty Media to make sure that one of the first things they do is pick up the phone and call Tivo?

My contract term is almost up, and I am not willing to renew until I know I can get a new HD Tivo that supports MPEG4 their new HD transmission scheme.

Score: 0

By bls2k5

edited Jun 8, 2007 - 12:47 AM

OK first off. DirecTV's DVR is JUNK. I got suckered into that junk box and actually broke my contract to get rid of the box. It was so slow, it froze all the time, and DirecTV made no attempt to help me. The Tivo version was pretty cool, I liked it. If you are looking for a good basic DVR that is fast and has nice features check out Dish Network. Before you say it, I do not work for Dish, I am just a satisfied customer. Imagine that.... a satisfied customer, now that's an idea.

Score: 0

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