# TiVo UK Website Gone!!



## Glen (May 9, 2004)

I wonder why? Are they updating it? or is it the end of it?


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## Benedict (Jun 8, 2002)

Hmmm. Maybe they're using the web server space for this.


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## BobBlueUK (Jan 4, 2002)

The UK TiVo site is still there at http://uk.tivo.com

Looks like they've just forgotten to renew the UK domain:



> Domain name:
> tivo.co.uk
> 
> Registrant:
> ...


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## Nero2 (Aug 22, 2005)

Already commented:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=360684


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## Glen (May 9, 2004)

notice from the mytivo.com.au site that their remote has VCR and AUX buttons! even though it clearly aint a series 1 remote!


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## Benedict (Jun 8, 2002)

Glen said:


> notice from the mytivo.com.au site that their remote has VCR and AUX buttons! even though it clearly aint a series 1 remote!


No it doesn't, those are "TV Input" and "Info" buttons as seen on a US S2 remote.

Additionally underneath those are "Window/PIP" and "Guide" buttons also missing from UK remotes.

"Info" and "Guide" both work correctly on UK S1 TiVos though. AFAIK the "Window" button is still "reserved for future use" on any TiVo.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

www.tivo.co.uk still not back

I suppose the request to renew the domain was returned to sender by whoever now inhabits the UK Tivo office concerned?..........................................

Surely someone at Tivo Inc can sort this out.

Its only 50USD or whatever to pay.


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## cleudo (Apr 7, 2002)

I think it jumps up a bit if you actually let the thing expire - a few hundred anyway..


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

cleudo said:


> I think it jumps up a bit if you actually let the thing expire - a few hundred anyway..


Not sure.

Thinking about it again the US office would probably be responsible for the domain as its on their website.

Perhaps some ignorant person there thought "oh we've closed the UK operation down so no need to renew that".

I suppose a few official complaints to UK Tivo customer services that may then get sent on to the USA are required.


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## kitschcamp (May 18, 2001)

cleudo said:


> I think it jumps up a bit if you actually let the thing expire - a few hundred anyway..


Only if you have a not so good registrar. The only time I accidentally did it was the same fee, just a slight delay and inconvenience.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Just spoke to Sky customer services (as Post Office Homephone still only charge 1.5p per minute to 0870 at the weekend at all times unlike greedy BT) and spoke to a very nice lady who was a real Sky and Tivo expert (been there for years and totally in to knowing all about technology products unlike half their advisers for whom its only a job) who assured me she would get Tivo in the US emailed about the tivo.co.uk site going down and agreed it was bad given that it was still a live service.

She said they had already received 43 calls today about Tivo in the call centre. Of course I hope that a lot of those weren't cancellations by existing monthly subscribers.


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## cleudo (Apr 7, 2002)

Ok, so own up - who's tried to register it here


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

I'm guessing you...


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## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

<innocent look>


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Still shown as registered via BT but "*SUSPENDED*" (see below). As BT are the registrars it seems unlikely someone else will be able to nab it provided Tivo act in a timely fashion. Ozsat have you emailed the relevant contact at Tivo about this?

Was this Windsor address the old uk marketing and sales office of Tivo?



> Domain name details
> 
> Domain name:
> tivo.co.uk
> ...


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## iankb (Oct 9, 2000)

Pete77 said:


> Was this Windsor address the old uk marketing and sales office of Tivo?


Yes. I remember looking for it when I worked near there.

I believe it contained one desk, one chair and a dog basket.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

iankb said:


> Yes. I remember looking for it when I worked near there.
> 
> I believe it contained one desk, one chair and a dog basket.


Companies House shows both a dormant Tivo in Birmingham and a still active Tivo (UK) in London. I wonder which of these is the UK Tivo subsidiary and deals with Sky? My money is on the London one due to the UK bit in the name:-

See

http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/9.../companysearch?disp=1&frfsh=1188143381#result

If the office had only one desk and a dog basket no wonder their UK marketing efforts were only half hearted and half baked!


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Actually on checking the Nominet entry its definitely the London registered firm as the company numbers match.

I wonder what the Tivo based in Birmingham does. But then it is a dormant company so may go way back.

I'm almost tempted to pay the £1 now to find out who the directors of Tivo UK are. I suppose the shareholders will be just Tivo Inc unless Sky also turns out to still have shares?


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## kitschcamp (May 18, 2001)

Finding out the directors and the shareholders are completely different things.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

kitschcamp said:


> Finding out the directors and the shareholders are completely different things.


Both are available in the Companies House website reports though. Private companies like this have to list all their shareholders in the reports (the only way to hide this is through using nominee shareholders). I think there are different rules for publicly quoted companies.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

They have to make them available too, although I think it's a different report.


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

Pete77 said:


> Still shown as registered via BT but "*SUSPENDED*" (see below). As BT are the registrars it seems unlikely someone else will be able to nab it provided Tivo act in a timely fashion. Ozsat have you emailed the relevant contact at Tivo about this?


Yes - a couple of months ago


Pete77 said:


> Was this Windsor address the old uk marketing and sales office of Tivo?


I went to the Windsor office a few times - but it closed several years ago (early 2002?).

All the beta testing was run out the office and also seemed to provide the callback support when normal CS could not handle.

You could also get spares from them - remotes, brackets, etc.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

ozsat said:


> Yes - a couple of months agoI went to the Windsor office a few times - but it closed several years ago.


Does that mean nobody at Tivo Inc cares about their UK image any more or have they have just overlooked the matter despite your email? Surely even with BT as the registrars renewing the tivo.co.uk domain must still only be a pittance in overall Tivo UK operational terms.

And surely at least Mike Ramsay still cares about their UK image. He even stated at the conference in Scotland he spoke at that they were committed to still continuing to support existing Tivo S1 users but couldn't see any prospect for coming back to the UK with S2 or S3 machines.

Having said that I vividly recall seeing Tim Henman interviewed on BBC television following his second round defeat at Wimbledon only 2 months ago (after his great first round epic victory against Carlos Moya) and being asked if he might perhaps now be thinking about retiring only for him to say definitely not and that he still thought there were a lot of opportunities out there for him and he was looking forward to it. Yet only weeks later in the US he announces its going to be all over after the Davis Cup at the end of next month......................


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

Pete77 said:


> Does that mean nobody at Tivo Inc cares about their UK image any more or have they have just overlooked the matter despite your email?


One of those two options I would guess - don't know why


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

ozsat said:


> One of those two options I would guess - don't know why


Well I logged an official complaint with Tivo Sky customer services with a nice lady who liked Tivos and agreed it was bad and assured me they would make sure my comments were passed on to Tivo in the USA.

Perhaps a few other people also need to call the UK Tivo customer services number about this.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Life's too short.

If you Google for TiVo UK you find the proper URL which has always hosted the UK site (http://www.uk.tivo.com/).


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> Life's too short.
> 
> If you Google for TiVo UK you find the proper URL which has always hosted the UK site (http://www.uk.tivo.com/).


Its hardly going to inspire anyone to sign up for a monthly sub on a secondhand Tivo or even to splash out on a Lifetime Sub if the domain for the official Tivo UK website brings back a Not Found message.

I have sent a PM to TivoPony alerting him to the existence of this thread. As he works in marketing at Tivo I am sure he has the relevant contacts at Tivo Inc to get this fixed.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

I could be wrong, but I don't think www.tivo.co.uk has ever been advertised as the proper URL; it's always been www.uk.tivo.com.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> I could be wrong, but I don't think www.tivo.co.uk has ever been advertised as the proper URL; it's always been www.uk.tivo.com.


From www.garysargent.co.uk/tivo/faq/printfaq.php



> The official website is at www.tivo.com although it's somewhat US-centric. *The official UK website is at www.tivo.co.uk*


Of course perhaps you disagree with our head Tivo UK moderator on this matter?


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## Raisltin Majere (Mar 13, 2004)

Pete77 said:


> From www.garysargent.co.uk/tivo/faq/printfaq.php
> 
> Of course perhaps you disagree with our head Tivo UK moderator on this matte?


TCM said URL, not website.

I don't see any disagreement, the website has two "names" - one a subset of the official US site, one a UK friendly one.


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

I've looked back through my e-mails and the website given in all e-mails from UK TiVo staff (including the Windsor office) is www.tivo.com (apart from when Beta testing when the links were to the UK version).

Even in links from TiVo UK news stories etc - they usually go to the main address.

I've never seen the uk site listed anywhere official!


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

ozsat said:


> Even in links from TiVo UK news stories etc - they usually go to the main address.
> 
> I've never seen the uk site listed anywhere official!


Isn't Gary's site official then as far as this forum is concerned? 

Whatever the "official" position may theoretically be it is certainly the address I have seen repeatedly quoted in this forum when people were wanting to refer others to the UK site to look at Tivo user guides or get the customer service number etc, etc.

And it is the logical address that UK Tivo users will instinctively be inclined to use.

And it was operational and now it is not.........................


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Raisltin Majere said:


> I don't see any disagreement, the website has two "names" - one a subset of the official US site, one a UK friendly one.


For once Raisltin you and I seem to be in complete agreement on an issue.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> Isn't Gary's site official then as far as this forum is concerned?


No, and I don't think he has ever said it was. However, that doesn't stop it being a. popular and b. a one-stop source for everything Tivo-related.

Just as my site about Virgin Media is also not official.

Oh and stop being a complete pedant will you. It gets boring after a while (and besides, we already have an official one )


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TivoPony has now responded to my query as follows:-



> "Thanks for the note. I'm afraid that I do not know the status on this, but I do know that the appropriate people here are aware of it."


So allegedly the appropriate people at Tivo US are aware of the issue but so far have done nothing about it.

If true this certainly seems disappointing as it can't be exactly difficult to pay to renew a UK website domain to ensure the continuing confidence of your UK customers in the service that many of them are still paying a monthly fee to use.


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## kitschcamp (May 18, 2001)

Erm, it does become difficult if you don't have a registered UK address and for a business a registered UK business address and business number.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

kitschcamp said:


> Erm, it does become difficult if you don't have a registered UK address and for a business a registered UK business address and business number.


But they do have a UK registered business address and an active UK company registration with Companies House with fully up to date accounts.

It therefore follows that they should have no trouble at all in renewing a .co.uk website address.

From the www.companieshouse.co.uk website:-



> Company Details
> 
> Print Page. Open help text in a new window. The WebCHeck service is available from Monday to Saturday 7.00am to 12 Midnight UK Time
> 
> ...


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## kitschcamp (May 18, 2001)

'Twould appear to be a mail forwarding address, or that of their solicitor.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

kitschcamp said:


> 'Twould appear to be a mail forwarding address, or that of their solicitor.


Doesn't matter.

If they are still a legally UK registered company they are more than entitled to run a .co.uk website.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Getting this done could take quite a while to get to the top of someone's to do list I'd have thought. I's not as if they are soliciting new subs!


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> Getting this done could take quite a while to get to the top of someone's to do list I'd have thought. I's not as if they are soliciting new subs!


I imagine it depends to what extent this thread keeps active on the Tivocommunity website and thus the need to take action in order not to look incompetent becomes more pressing.

Also I'm sure that at Tivo Inc there is someone who already has the job of renewing all their US website domain names. So all that is needed is for it to get in to their InTray or Email InBox.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Whatever. As has been said, the site is still there at the same address it's always a been at and Googling TiVo UK finds it fine.


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## BobBlueUK (Jan 4, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> I'm sure that at Tivo Inc there is someone who already has the job of renewing all their US website domain names. So all that is needed is for it to get in to their InTray or Email InBox.


A simple whois lookup of tivo.com reveals the info you require:

```
Domain Name: TIVO.COM

Administrative Contact , Technical Contact : 	 
TIVO INC. 
[B]domains[AT]tivo[DOT]com[/B]
2160 Gold Street
Alviso, CA 95002
US
[B]Phone: 408-519-9100[/B]
```


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## BobBlueUK (Jan 4, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> Doesn't matter.
> 
> If they are still a legally UK registered company they are more than entitled to run a .co.uk website.


Are there any geographical limitations on who can register a .co.uk TLD?

Could TiVo US not register the domain?


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

BobBlueUK said:


> Are there any geographical limitations on who can register a .co.uk TLD?
> 
> Could TiVo US not register the domain?


It seems you are right and kitschcamp is wrong:-

See www.1stchoicewebhost.co.uk/domain-name-guidelines.htm



> *Guidelines for .co.uk Domain Registrations :*
> 
> As mentioned above, there is basically no restriction as to what can be registered for a .co.uk domain, and it doesn't matter whether you are in the UK or outside the UK. Originally, this SLD was intended for UK companies.


So yes Tivo Inc has no excuse at all. This should be easy to sort out for the person there responsible for registering domain names.


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## BobBlueUK (Jan 4, 2002)

And on the subject of whether TiVo just use the tivo.com domain or country-specific TLD's:

http://www.tivo.com.au
http://www.tivo.com.cn


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

tivo.co.uk has been reregistered now, by one "Philip Plant"

http://whois.domaintools.com/tivo.co.uk

I wonder it that is a tivo employee, or a domain squatter?

The old one was registered using BT, this is by a less well known firm:
Completely Different Solutions Ltd 
http://www.cds.net.uk


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## martink0646 (Feb 8, 2005)

This is the worst sign yet of our (the UK TiVo subscribers) orphan status. As someone that has three different websites for various activities, I wouldn't dream of letting any of them lapse, especially as I get a warning. If TiVo Inc. have let this lapse I think it is almost as good as official that the UK is never going to be part of thier plans. If it was, something as integral to marketing & their brand presence as their website would never be allowed to lapse. That they didn't realise the situation & the lapse is a mistake is frankly unbelievable. It can't be the money. Keeping the service going (with SKY & Tribune) must cost them more per hour than the cost of the website

Shall we start speaking to the oztivo guys about how to continue service because it surely can't be long now......

Martin


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

I think I'd favour the **** up theory over conspiracy in this case...


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> I think I'd favour the **** up theory over conspiracy in this case...


Wrong I'm afraid.

I PM'ed TivoPony over this matter a few weeks back and he assured me that all the relevant people at Tivo Inc who had the power to fix this had been made aware of the issue and it was up to them as to whether they chose to do so.

It appears no one in the US could any longer give a stuff about any possible future marketing options for Tivo in the UK.   :down:


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Or they haven't got around to something as unimportant. All depends on your world view.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> Or they haven't got around to something as unimportant. All depends on your world view.


How hard is it to renew a domain.

It still basically says they see no future in the UK.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Takes 10 minutes when they could be doing something else. Says a clerk in their legal dept is busy.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Bear in mind they reference http://uk.tivo.com as the official uk website,
http://tivo.co.uk is just an additional pointer - but still what people would "guess at".


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## SPR (Nov 28, 2001)

WAS just an additional pointer...

tivo.eu is registered - anybody working near Embankment fancy paying Charlotte Kershaw a visit?


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

SPR said:


> tivo.eu is registered


A fat lot of good that will be with a different channel package lineup and language in operation in ever large European state.



> Some Tivo marketing hotshot no doubt thinks "Say hey guys wouldn't it be like simpler to just have like one product for the whole of Europe like we do right here in the USA......."


Oh dear Tivo is doomed if this is their current level of understanding of the European marketplace.


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## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> Oh dear Tivo is doomed if this is their current level of understanding of the European marketplace.


I think you're over-reacting there. The company I work for has a _global_ product - same core software used in _every_ market. Currently 64 countries and counting...

Sure, there are local small customisations, but it's the same core software. I don't see why TiVo couldn't be the same.

But now I'm starting to drift the thread.


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## SPR (Nov 28, 2001)

Pete77 said:


> A fat lot of good that will be with a different channel package lineup and language in operation in ever large European state.


When did TiVo ever have to worry about channel packages and lineups?


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

SPR said:


> When did TiVo ever have to worry about channel packages and lineups?


Whenever it tries to sell a PVR to customers of those channel packages and lineups who will clearly want to be sure they can record those programs on their Tivo and that the Tivo service has EPG listings for all the channels in the channel package they subscribe to.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

I think what SPR meant was that TiVo is entirely flexible packages and line ups; that's one of its advantages. So having all the European ones is no issue.

Pete, did you perhaps mean transmission frequencies and TV standards?


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> I think what SPR meant was that TiVo is entirely flexible packages and line ups; that's one of its advantages. So having all the European ones is no issue.
> 
> Pete, did you perhaps mean transmission frequencies and TV standards?


No I meant that Tivo's EPG suppliers do often actually seem to find it quite an issue to source EPG data for all of the channels available in a channel package to a Tivo end user.

The words Freesat come to mind as a case in point.

If they find it a struggle just for the UK imagine how much harder life would be if they have to cover all the channels and channel packages available within the EU.


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