# Why do USA get all the best of tivo



## Trini (May 23, 2005)

Is Tivo going to be forgotten in the UK. I have i'm afraid switched over to Sky+ and eventually the HD box. I am just at my folks installing tivo for them and forgot how much i love tivo.

Does anyone think tivo will come back to the UK or are we just stuck with Sky and cable copies


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## pauljs (Feb 11, 2001)

Trini said:


> Is Tivo going to be forgotten in the UK. I have i'm afraid switched over to Sky+ and eventually the HD box. I am just at my folks installing tivo for them and forgot how much i love tivo.
> 
> Does anyone think tivo will come back to the UK or are we just stuck with Sky and cable copies


I think if they were going to they would have done it by now.

My main reasons why not are:

Sky is a locked down system with no official CAMS

Freesat is not yet popular enough

Freeview would be a nice idea but would they sell subs when so many offer the EPG for free.

Sky shafted them once so why let them do it again!


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## sfalvey (Feb 26, 2004)

I'd vote for yes (but then I'm an optimist). I'd say its likely in two forms....

1. The recent release of Nero Liquid TV had enough "clues" in the installable to it working in the UK at some point. UK flag icons, UK mentions in the Java code. Postal codes supported not just zip codes and so on.
2. Nero annouced on its launch that they intend on expanding beyond US, Canada and Mexico to European locations. Here
3. The recent questions to TiVo's CEO indicated he wanted to launch (sic re-lauch) in the UK "soon". Here
4. They already have an EPG service and Support service for the UK which Nero could leverage.
5. The UK model of a news corp company with a closed system of encryption is one that is repeated round the world (i.e. Australia where TiVo launched on the DVB-T platform this year). Freeview has 15m+ households on it compared with just a couple of million in Australia so as a target market its presumably worth it.
6. TiVo have successfully launched in partnership in a PAL based country (Australia) and have issued a reference platform for PAL and DVB-T at a consumer show this year. Here
7. Wipro confirmed that it is supplying middleware to TiVo for DVB-T countries including CI (CI isn't used in Oz so its not here) for targeting European markets Here.
8. We all thought TiVo had given up on the UK after the suggestions thing but they seem to have worked out a fix for an obsolete platform where they presumably must be running at a loss now the lifetime subs have gone past their payback period. Why bother if you are going to pack up shop any time soon.
9. For the launch in Oz (where there are no EPGs to speak of for the DVB-T platform) TiVo and Seven abandoned its monthly sub structure for bundled lifetime only. This shows that their business model can adapt to different local considerations (i.e. where Australians dont give a XXXX for subs for free TV  ).


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## staffie2001uk (Apr 1, 2004)

The final answer to the OP's question is all about whether TiVo can make money in the UK market. 

I think that all the developments in Australia an the PAL/DVB-T platform are good and increase the possibility of TiVo re-launching in the UK. 

However, I think there may have been a lot of support from Seven in Australia. I am no expert here, but I think Seven are a commercial company in competition with another Murdoch empire. 

Sadly, I think that the people who want to pay for TV will go to Sky and TiVo would have difficulty convincing Freeview/Freesat users to pay £10 a month when the current PVRs are very useable. I have a Humax 9200 as well as my TiVo and it is OK. If I didn't know the benefits of TiVo I would need convincing, and I'm a gadget fan and technically savvy. Many of the current TiVo benefits are user add-ons and talking Linux to most people kills the conversation. 

Anyhow, whilst I wish, daily, for a twin tuner Freesat/Freeview HD TiVo I think our only hope is if we can utilise exactly the same machine that TiVo are launching in another market and they can just sell us the box and utilise the existing guide data service.


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## velocitysurfer1 (Sep 6, 2006)

Trini said:


> I have i'm afraid switched over to Sky+ ..(


I've also switched to sky+ but kept tivo attached to sky+ and only use it for clashes. TiVo is the main "recorder" due to wishlists, season passes etc.

I can honestly say that sky+ is a glorified 1980s video recorder - you tell it when you want it to record and it records, no search funtionality at all. TiVo is a true PVR.


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## hazydaze (Nov 12, 2001)

I've missed something here--is there a fix for suggetions? I turned them off when it broke. Do I just need to turn it back on again?


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Tivo are working on a fix, and have asked for testers:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=6925447#post6925447

Meanwhile if you want them working right now, 
and have upgraded your tivo with a network card 
you can install my replacement suggestion engine detailed in my sig below.


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## ksheena (Dec 7, 2006)

There are so may people on these forums that are begging for a new UK Tivo and with the launch of Freesat, has anyone though of getting a petition launched asking for a new UK Tivo. 
Sure it's &#163;10 per month but if they bring back the lifetime subscription then I can see a lot of people switching over. Even the best PVR of Today (including the devil's own sky+ box) cannot match out Series 1 Tivos for features and useability.


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## JudyB (Jan 25, 2006)

ksheena said:


> Sure it's £10 per month but if they bring back the lifetime subscription then I can see a lot of people switching over.


I didn't think that they had ever "taken away" the lifetime subscriptions?


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