# Return of TiVo to DirecTV? One man's dream



## Joe Siegler (May 10, 2000)

First off, let me say I fully udnerstand what I'm getting into is speculation and dreaming, so there's no need to point that out. 

I've been seeing some news stories lately if I read them right seem to indiciate the Murdoch/Fox is trying to sell their controlling interest in DirecTV.

Assuming that's true, does anyone know what the committment to using their own DVR is? I wonder what kind of things would happen to bring TiVo back on board properly and do a "Series 3" for DirecTV?

I have to say, I've been a DTV user for awhile now, and if it wasn't for NFL Sunday Ticket, I'd probably go back to cable just so I can have a 'real TiVo' again. Even though I have one of the old grandfathered accounts on DirecTV that has lifetime DVR service for free.

Seeing as it's another Murdoch company (I think) providing the DVR equipment if I remember right, does anyone know the contractual obligation of DirecTV to that company to provide hardware/software?

Be curious to see what might happen there.


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## btwyx (Jan 16, 2003)

We can only hope. Having an S3 and Comcast makes me appreciate D* a lot more. If they did an S3 for D*, or even just an HR10-250 with MPEG-4, I'd be getting one of those.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

If the sale agreement doesn't preclude the purchaser dropping the NDS DVRs or otherwist getting more TiVos, I suppose they could very well make an improved (mostly to take advantage of current component stocks) SD TiVo and an MPEG4 capable HD box.


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## rhuntington3 (May 1, 2001)

I'd love to see a Series 3 DirecTivo. Even if it doesn't have all the features of a Standalone Series 3. My Series 1 (SAT T-60) is still humming along just fine.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

btwyx said:


> We can only hope. Having an S3 and Comcast makes me appreciate D* a lot more.


How so? I can considering the leap myself, from SD DirecTiVos over to Comast (now Time Warner) and the S3. Curious to know what to expect and why you're appreciating D* a lot more now.


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## btwyx (Jan 16, 2003)

Fofer said:


> How so? I can considering the leap myself, from SD DirecTiVos over to Comast (now Time Warner) and the S3. Curious to know what to expect and why you're appreciating D* a lot more now.


I used to think D* service was bad, Comcast's even worse.

I used to think D*'s SD quality was bad, Comcast's even worse.

Comcast wan't about $20 a month more for equivalent service.


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## marrone (Oct 11, 2001)

I would hope that Tivo would pounce on the opportunity to get back in the game.

-Mike


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## Rkkeller (May 13, 2004)

btwyx said:


> I used to think D*'s SD quality was bad, Comcast's even worse.


What I found strange with Comcast and their Moto 6412 was I had more pixelation and artifacts than with DirecTV when it should be vice versa.

To anyone who thinks they cant ever get used to or enjoy another DVR, you really can. I had no problems going from the DirecTiVo to the 6412, then back to DirecTV and DirecTiVo and now to the R-15.


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## btwyx (Jan 16, 2003)

Rkkeller said:


> What I found strange with Comcast and their Moto 6412 was I had more pixelation and artifacts than with DirecTV when it should be vice versa.


Why should it be the other way around?

Comcast and D* are both stuffing more channels into the available bandwidth than is sensible. The artifacts are telling you who's less egregious, or better at it.


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## MighTiVo (Oct 26, 2000)

Personally I think TiVo should be able to buy back customers from DTV since they have dropped the box.
I would prefer to pay $12.95 for the first and $6.95 for each additional DTV TiVo and get MRV, HMO, HME instead of the $5 fee for my entire account.

What precludes TiVo from offering a DTV box anyway?

DTV and Dish should not be allowed to maintain a lock on the set top box!
Comcast, and other cable companies can't anymore...


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## goony (Nov 20, 2003)

MighTiVo said:


> I would prefer to pay $12.95 for the first and $6.95 for each additional DTV TiVo and get MRV, HMO, HME instead of the $5 fee for my entire account.


I have all of that with a  Zippered Dtivo and direct web access for my 4 DTivos... who needs SA Tivos? $5/mo. -vs- $34/mo. for DVR fees is a big deal to me - that's $370/yr. (fees + tax) that I save.



MighTiVo said:


> What precludes TiVo from offering a DTV box anyway?


You have to get the OK from DirecTV to include the circuits that decode the DirecTV datastream.



MighTiVo said:


> DTV and Dish should not be allowed to maintain a lock on the set top box! Comcast, and other cable companies can't anymore...


I don't see DBS as a "lock" like a cableco box is. When you have DBS you can own your own gear and it will work no matter where in the USA you move to. If you wish to own your own cable box you have no guarantee of same. Also, you can always choose between the DBS companies, but how many people have a choice of their cableco?


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

goony said:


> I don't see DBS as a "lock" like a cableco box is. When you have DBS you can own your own gear and it will work no matter where in the USA you move to. If you wish to own your own cable box you have no guarantee of same.


In practice, true, for the most part.

In theory though, Cablecard permits one to own their own STB and use it for any provider.



> Also, you can always choose between the DBS companies,


At the expense of hardware portability.


> but how many people have a choice of their cableco?


Some do, and there are choices that are not DBS satellite or traditional cable (althought those options aren't that widespread yet).


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## MighTiVo (Oct 26, 2000)

goony said:


> I have all of that with a  Zippered Dtivo and direct web access for my 4 DTivos... who needs SA Tivos? $5/mo. -vs- $34/mo. for DVR fees is a big deal to me - that's $370/yr. (fees + tax) that I save.
> 
> You have to get the OK from DirecTV to include the circuits that decode the DirecTV datastream.
> 
> I don't see DBS as a "lock" like a cableco box is. When you have DBS you can own your own gear and it will work no matter where in the USA you move to. If you wish to own your own cable box you have no guarantee of same. Also, you can always choose between the DBS companies, but how many people have a choice of their cableco?


Very limited "gear" choice though.
Since the circuits are already in the Series2 TiVo DTV hardware it seems I should be able to pay TiVo for the DVR service instead of DTV and get MRV, HMO, HME, etc.


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## goony (Nov 20, 2003)

MighTiVo said:


> Since the circuits are already in the Series2 TiVo DTV hardware it seems I should be able to pay TiVo for the DVR service instead of DTV and get MRV, HMO, HME, etc.


Agreed, it seems like Tivo should be able to "just do the DVR part" but it's likely not that simple.

When there is "other hardware in the Tivo box" (the DirecTV part) it requires some careful cooperation (between DirecTV and Tivo) to ensure that things work right. That relationship used to exist, but it seems that DirecTV thought it a better business decision to 'roll their own', just as Dish network did with their DVRs.

I've suffered through a joint-development (Dish and Microsoft) DVR that wasn't done properly (the original 'Dishplayer' was a DVR, a Dish receiver and a WebTV box) and it was a truly nasty experience - bugs went unresolved or improperly fixed for long periods of time; new ones cropped up when there was a slight change in guide data, etc. It was a shame, because the basic user interface was pretty decent and it would buffer a program up to the available space on the hard drive - you could rewind for hours!

Downside: If you pushed 'record' it would only begin with the live program. Bummer. Upside: Put in a new, bare, larger hard drive (up to 137GB) and power it up - it would 'phone home' to the WebTV mothership, download an image (about 45 mins) and it would then be running a new, base software. An overnight software load from the satellite would bring it up to current software revision - pretty cool. Going from 17GB (original drive) to 120GB was very nice!

There was a very tight integration between the Dish part and the Microsoft part and when something changed in the satellite side it would often need fixed with the assistance of Microsoft and Dish got tired of paying them to come and fix things.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

Adding proper networking should not be too hard from a techincal perspective.

It is purely contractual that would essentailly prevent much, if any of it.


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