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dnila
Jul 10, 2008 7:49 AM
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I've been using TiVos in the USA for years (there are 6 of them in my house). In all this time I have never used the 30 sec skip to jump over ads. I always use the fast forward feature. It allows you to see frames of the ads, and you can stop when you want. The over run feature makes up for the time it takes you to press that stop button when you see the portion of the show you want to stop at. One can become very adept at timing your button press so that you hit the spot you want perfectly. Personally, I feel that the lack of ad skipping is much ado about nothing.
Comment made about the PC Authority article:
First Look: TiVo HD, no ad-skipping but you'll still want one?
There's no ad-skipping, but we've had a play and we're still impressed. Slick recording options make the TiVo HD outclass a great option for keeping up with favourite TV shows and movies.
What do you think? Join the discussion. |
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Adam Turner
Jul 10, 2008 8:48 AM
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I agrees there's too much emphasis on the lack of ad-skipping - it's a luxury but not an essential, I place more importance on the scheduling and storage management features.
Aussies just don't like to be told they can't have a feature that's available in other countries, which is an understandable gripe. Still, since switching from my media centre to the TiVo this week I've missed the ad-skipping, there is a period of adjustment. The over run feature is fantastic, it certainly takes the sting out of losing ad-skipping. |
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bbjai
Jul 10, 2008 10:58 AM
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I think us Aussies gripe at everything that has to do with us getting rorted with product prices and features in their Australia spec. Just look at the amount of PC, Wii, PS3 and XBOX games we don't get. Lets not mention the variety of hardware, software, cars and gadgets that either are significantly more expensive then their US counterparts or are significantly paired down in features. Ad Skipping shouldn't have been too hard to implement and its just a gripe to note that we couldn't get it. It just feels like we are getting rorted on purpose. Its annoying and stupid.
But honestly it shouldn't be the deal breaker alot of people are making it out to be. I mean how many years have you put up with Ads on TV anyway? Who here remembers the old school way of recording on VHS and stopping and starting the recording to avoid ads? I mean if you could put up with that Im sure you can put up with pressing fast forward at a 4X rate. Seriously how hard is it to press fast forward people!! We are lazy enough as it is!!!
I think all these features are starting to appeal to me alot. Im even tempted to go get it. Pity the majority of my TV watching comes from ESPN and thats not available to stream on the TiVo just yet. I may just buy it when that happens. |
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kevin_watters
Jul 10, 2008 2:40 PM
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Who cares if it skips ads or not !!
Why would you bother getting this ?? To record any of the 4 or 5 HD channels available ? You CANNOT compare this device to the TiVO available in the US/Canada where they connect to 'cablevision' lines that carry upwards of 200 stations WITHOUT the use of a 'smart-card' system like we use here.
Complete waste of time ! |
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Pacman
Jul 10, 2008 5:02 PM
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It's a well known hack, that you can enable the ad skipping via inputing a code in the remote control. That's how it was enabled in the USA. I suspect Aussie land will be exactly the same, unless they manually took out the ability.
Anyway, all 30 second ad skipping comes down to is laziness. Use the fast forward button, it takes about 3 seconds longer to complete your ad skipping.
If people are so upset about this lack of feature, perhaps every Tivo sold should come with a redeemable coupon for a weeks supply of frozen, microwavable pizza...well you know, for that extra convenience, ensuring Lazy people will just get lazier.
Edited by pacman: 10/7/2008 05:02:53 PM |
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Dinks-c
Jul 10, 2008 9:50 PM
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I built myself a Media Centre, 12 months ago because it allowed me the ability to spec & configure to my liking. I find 750 GB HDD adequate for TV recordings and still don't get the time to watch all the programs I record. 160 GB is damn right frugal. The 30 second skip function is a godsend, as is the Electronic program guide.
Having said all that, if you’re not a computer enthusiast then a guess the TiVo is as close as you are going to get. As to the reason why the 30 second skip feature is missing, well think about it, channel 7 is the importer and they will do anything not to upset the advertisers. |
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tnetech
Jul 11, 2008 5:51 PM
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I agree with previous comment.. I have built a Media Centre using Vista Home Premium. I does all my home media, music etc. Also I downloaded a program called dvrmstoolbox and this has an ad skipping function. One-click to skip the ads in all recorded programs.
The PC is tucked away behind a couch, it is my home file server and I run VM's on it using RDC. It's great and was surprisingly easy to set up.
News & Views, Installation Guides and How To's
http://tnetech.net |
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whitedj1
Jul 13, 2008 3:38 PM
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Thanks for the article. As someone who doesn't know anything about TiVo it's put me in the picture. The site helps me keep up to speed with latest pc issues. My main motivation is a chance to win the Lenovo laptop. As a new teacher PC Authority has helped me to know it would be a good robust choice for teaching rigours and portability. May I try and help readers with a respectfully given piece of advice. Limit how much TV you watch. Use TiVo to record the programs you really want to watch. Plan to watch them at a good time and in the meantime do something productive, especially if it helps someone else. Not easy for me either as TV is so relaxing! Thanks for the chance.
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Noblejoker
Jul 14, 2008 12:40 PM
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For me though the 1 burning question not answered here is this - will the TiVo work with Pay TV too. I have Austar (Foxtel) and the TiVo won't be as useful if it won't work with it. Does anyone know if it will?
Another issue raised but not addressed by the article - we need broadband for the Elec Program Guide (EPG) but is this on a subscription basis? So after the 1st yr or whatever we need to pay for it to work? This needs to be factored in to the cost of purchase - although maybe the upgrade in a years time we will have to pay for includes another year of EPG?
Maybe the ad skipping needs a different hack code than the US and that HDD maybe upgradeable too (unofficially). The low capacity seems like planned obsolescence, that it, leaving them room to sell an upgraded model later.
I like the idea of a TiVo vs a Media Centre. TiVo is a consumer device - set and forget. You have more options with a Media PC but you also have more potential problems too. A lot of home users without OC knowledge will like a TiVo better and the US experience bears this out I imagine |
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bodog
Jul 18, 2008 7:35 PM
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160gb HDD ?????????
How long are people going to be happy with that?
A 750gb HDD is going for $99 at the moment - I just throw another one in my Vista Media Center when I want more storage. I'm still trying to figure out what TIVO offers over Vista Media Center.
I guess it's ok as a "mom & pop" consumer device but it's a crippled version of the US Tivo and lacks the CMC functionality and flexibility IMHO |