Jul 3, 2008 12:33 PM | 3 Comments

Adam Turner is in couch potato heaven as TiVo v Foxtel begin spruiking their high-def Personal Video Recorders in the lead up to the Olympics.

The Personal Video Recorder is finally about to hit prime time in Australia, with TiVo and Foxtel set to battle it out for gold during the Olympics. Both PVRs should hit my lounge room next week and I'll be putting in some serious hours on the couch in training for Beijing.

I've had a quick play with both PVRs at media events this week and I like what I've seen. I think the media has been too hard on TiVo. It's annoying that the media player features have been held over until a firmware update (which will cost extra), but as a video recorder it will be impressive straight out of the box.

Both PVRs seem to offer the four vital features missing from almost every other PVR on the Australian market - a proper Electronic Program Guide, a "Season Pass" feature, intelligent storage management and a generous margin for error when it comes to scheduling recordings. In my experience, a PVR lacking any of these features is a waste of time and money.

A media centre computer would also get a tick in every box, but I wouldn't recommend one to a non-tech-savvy user. While the digerati celebrate the virtues of media centres and devices from the likes of Topfield and Beyonwiz, TiVo and Foxtel will battle it out for the hearts and minds of suburbanites - which is where the real money lies.

While a war of words has kicked off between TiVo and Foxtel in the media, the truth is that the two PVRs are not really competing directly with each other. No-one is going to shell out at least $50 per month for Foxtel and the iQ2 if they don't already want pay TV anyway.

The fact TiVo will eventually offer movie downloads, presumably without a monthly subscription fee, could be enough to satisfy those who were contemplating the jump to pay TV. On the other hand, if you've already got Foxtel, why would you buy a TiVo that can't record the pay TV channels?

The iQ2 alone isn't going to win converts from free-to-air when the TiVo will do the same job for a one-off cost of $699. Yes, there will be another cost in the "tens of dollars" for next year's firmware upgrade, but it's not as bad as paying a monthly subscription fee. Perhaps if you were already contemplating a Foxtel subscription, the iQ2 could tip you over the edge, but it's more likely that the promise of high-def pay TV channels or access to specific sporting events would influence your decision.

My lounge room PVR shoot-out should make interesting reading, but to be honest I think it's irrelevant. Whichever PVR takes gold will have bragging rights in the war of words, but it's unlikely to directly influence buying decisions. It's a bit like the arms race - neither side can't afford to be without a weapon like a PVR if the other side has it but, when both sides have one, they cancel each other out.

What do you think? Will the winner of TiVo HD v Foxtel iQ2 influence your decision to sign up for pay TV?

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mickg Jul 5, 2008 8:35 PM	Adam, I can't wait to try Tivo, have Iq2 already but I see them as doing different things. Can you tell me more about what is in the firmware update next year?
Adam Turner Jul 6, 2008 5:32 PM	Mickg, thanks for your comment. TiVo is talking about features like streaming content from computers on your network and accessing online service like video on demand. It'll also activate the eSATA port to allow you to add external storage, but I suspect you'll have to buy the external drive from TiVo.
dionysiost Jul 7, 2008 4:47 PM	Thanks Adam. I'll wait for your review before I make a decision. Something I'd like you to consider and maybe research is the fact that Foxtel IQ comes from diferent providers with diferent plans and diferent options. I have Foxtel IQ from Optus and I missed out on the Euro 2008 soccer tournament as it was provided by SETANTA sport only to FOXTEL custumers. I also don't have the option of online recording (go on the online TV Guide and pick what will be recorded back home). I found it frustrating as well as the the fact that I had to discovered all these after hours of research or hours of holding on the line. On top of that they lock you in a 24 months contract so it makes you think twice before you change into a new technology. Thanks DionysiosT