Seven gives Foxtel the heave-ho with TiVo

by Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Wednesday, 02 July 2008

Page 2 of 3 Yes, TiVo has launched without some features like TiVo To Go, letting you transfer recordings to your iPod, or the ability to use your TiVo to play content stored on your PC, such as music, movies, videos and photos. This feature will require a firmware update. The firmware update will cost in the "tens of dollars", and you'll need a broadband connection to download and - and for the TiVo to access the EPG. But with broadband in so many homes, this is hardly a deal breaking requirement, especially not if you’re reading this article. A YouTube channel is due in the first quarter of 2009, and the first firmware update will deliver as are other features such as different Internet video, TV shows and movie downloads, and the aforementioned TiVo To Go. It will also allow the switching on of the eSATA connection to add an TiVo branded external hard drive and the expectation of any compatible hard drive - and more, with banner ads being displayed while you fast forward at 30x speeds through commercials. So there are "catches", but none changed the TiVo value proposition of being the very best personal video recorder that money can currently buy when it comes to recording and controlling the free-to-air TV experience. Harvey Norman will get its vaunted three month exclusivity, able to benefit from the massive exposure the Olympic Games will give the TiVo, and the AUD $699 price is very competitive with other PVR and Blu-ray recording solutions on the market. And while the sniping between executives is getting dirty, I'm sure that "we ain't seen nuthin' yet!" iTWire colleague Adam Turner has already published his own hands on with the TiVo, giving it a big thumbs up while covering the shortcomings, such as upcoming firmware upgraded features, although none seem to be deal breakers for Adam. And we’ve already heard the sniping between Seven and Foxtel executives, with Foxtel's head of content and product development, Patrick Delany, quoted in The Australian newspaper as saying "Time-shifting devices are at their best when they're fed with a lot of content. The free-to-air offering hardly gives rise to the need for a DVR." Continued on page 3. << First page <   1 2 3 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

< Next story in category		Previous story in the category >

Visitors last 30 days Suscribers

904,266 13,751