What is Tivo?

Post by **Gandalf** » 2003-10-04 11:17am

I keep hearing references to this Tivo thing, I was wondering, what in the name of Zeus is it?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-04 11:27am

It's basically a hard drive system for your TV. You have this large and fairly fugly box under your TV which can "pause" live broadcasts in case you really need to make that grilled cheese sandwich and not miss all of Bush's latest apologetic speech.

It can also actively and annoyingly seek out programmes you'd like since it monitors what you like watching, even if you're just channel hopping. Then it gives you a nice list of all the possible crap you could fit in one TV viewing.

Did I mention the gov't uses it to keep track of you and your family?

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-10-04 12:05pm

You're basically much better off juts getting a plain hard drive for your TV, or a DVD recorder.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2003-10-04 02:14pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:It can also actively and annoyingly seek out programmes you'd like since it monitors what you like watching, even if you're just channel hopping. Then it gives you a nice list of all the possible crap you could fit in one TV viewing.

Did I mention the gov't uses it to keep track of you and your family?

I've heard this aspect of it described as a "stupid kid who tries very hard to please you".

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-10-04 02:20pm

What I don't like about them is how they're advertsided as being a replacement for VCRs.

The problem with that is that they're only advertising the "record your shows so you don't miss them" aspects, and not the "record your shows so you can keep them" aspect that most use their VCRs for.

Am I correct in assuming that their hard drives are not removable?

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2003-10-04 02:21pm

It will be the death of us all. As soon as everyone gets Tivo (and trust me, as commercial breaks get longer and TV shows get shorter, you will) there won't be any way for corperations to plug their stuff on TV, so they'll pull the plug on our shows and civilization will decend into chaos because of it. With Tivo, TV is doomed! And without TV, mankind is doomed! DOOOOOMED!

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-04 02:25pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:It can also actively and annoyingly seek out programmes you'd like since it monitors what you like watching, even if you're just channel hopping. Then it gives you a nice list of all the possible crap you could fit in one TV viewing.

Did I mention the gov't uses it to keep track of you and your family?
I've heard this aspect of it described as a "stupid kid who tries very hard to please you".

Bonzai Buddy is the best analogy.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-10-04 02:25pm

Darth Garden Gnome wrote:It will be the death of us all. As soon as everyone gets Tivo (and trust me, as commercial breaks get longer and TV shows get shorter, you will) there won't be any way for corperations to plug their stuff on TV, so they'll pull the plug on our shows and civilization will decend into chaos because of it. With Tivo, TV is doomed! And without TV, mankind is doomed! DOOOOOMED!

Is`nt this what all Gnomes want doomed mankind

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2003-10-04 03:52pm

There are other types of TV recorders that aren't as annoying.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-10-04 04:07pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:What I don't like about them is how they're advertsided as being a replacement for VCRs.

The problem with that is that they're only advertising the "record your shows so you don't miss them" aspects, and not the "record your shows so you can keep them" aspect that most use their VCRs for.

Am I correct in assuming that their hard drives are not removable?

The HDs are removable. They're bog-standard ATA drives.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-10-04 05:53pm

I think it's that thing that records porn for you. Hasn't there been a case where that happened or something?

theski · Post by **theski** » 2003-10-04 05:56pm

StormTrooperTR889 wrote:

There are other types of TV recorders that aren't as annoying

Just get Replay.. its just a hard drive. no bells and whistles.. so you can record without the little helpers.. and in upgraded models you can share over the net to another Replay

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-04 05:57pm

The upcoming Sony PSX will likely be a good competitor in this field. PSX as in the new entertainment system, not the original PSX (PSOne).

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-10-04 06:00pm

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi wrote:I think it's that thing that records porn for you. Hasn't there been a case where that happened or something?

Only if you tell it to.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-10-04 07:24pm

Gandalf wrote:I keep hearing references to this Tivo thing, I was wondering, what in the name of Zeus is it?

It's a device that records movies (like a VCR) but then analyses your tastes and automatically programs itself to record gay porn.

Sharp-kun · Post by **Sharp-kun** » 2003-10-04 07:27pm

phongn wrote: The HDs are removable. They're bog-standard ATA drives.

A better question would be how convieniant is it to swap drives.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-10-04 07:59pm

It takes some work, you need a working computer and a customized Linux boot CD (which can be downloaded) to setup the drives.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2003-10-05 12:35am

Thanks everyone, now I can watch American TV and know what the hell it means when they say Tivo.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-10-05 05:28am

*sigh*just get a DVD recorder. You get all the advantages of the hard drive - the biggest of which is beign able to record and play at the same time (so you don't need to wait for the prgram to finish befroe you watch it), and the adavntages of being able to make a permanent copy on DVD (with ads edited out and divided into titles and 5 minute chapters)

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-10-05 11:23am

This is a thread asking what is a Tivo, not asking whether to buy or not a Tivo.

GREAHSIAM · Post by **GREAHSIAM** » 2003-10-05 08:14pm

Yup, I do have a TIVO. I've had it for over four years. Love it. My machine is one of the original 14-hour Tivo's, meaning it could record 14 hours of basic quality video or a little more than 4 hours of highest quality. I spent some bucks and got a 2nd larger capacity hard drive for it. Now it records 84 hours/24hours. The newer Tivos can record just as much or more than my machine for considerably less cost than I put into mine. A DVD recorder sounds like it would be a great investment, but right now I don't really need one. I think I'll wait for the DVD rec's price to come way down, just like VCR's did. Have a better one.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

What is Tivo?

What is Tivo?

Re: What is Tivo?