How dare they!

[Glued2TiVo]

Okay, so I may be wrong, but wasn't TiVo the company that introduced and pioneered the DVR? According to ReplayTv.com, they did... So, who started the whole DVR deal? Replay or TiVo?

[nhaigh]

This been discussed at some length in the past. If my memory of those discussions is right then Replay anounced just before TiVo but TiVo produced and sold DVR's just before Replay. I think the conclusion is TiVo was first to market.

[Glued2TiVo]

Good. TiVo's much better anyways. :p

[cwoody222]

I bought the 2nd gen (early after the 1st) ReplayTV in Oct/Nov 1998. When I first started to get interested in the product I had never heard of TiVo.

I think by the time I was going to buy and finally ordered I had heard of TiVo but wasn't as familiar.

Either was, it was very close both ways. They both arguably had produce announcements around the same time and they both arguably shipped products at roughly the same time.

What matters is who won. CLEARLY TiVo did. Right from the get-go too. No one knew who ReplayTV was. No one.

[TiVo Troll]

ReplayTV isn't nearly as bad as some on these Forum's claim. It basically had a different focus than TiVo. However its software was never honed to the same degree as TiVo's. As good as it is Tivo is still running as fast as it can to avoid this niche fate (http://www.replaytv.com/product_details.asp) which certainly avoids the pitfalls and expenses inherent when producing and distributing hardware.

[miadlor]

I was looking at this yesterday..........I like the pricing.
I had several Showstoppers and only went with TiVo when I was looking into the HMO.
When and if my TiVos finally die, I might make the switch (assuming Replay makes it and TiVo doesn't come out with their own).

[ZeoTiVo]

I was looking at this yesterday..........I like the pricing.
I had several Showstoppers and only went with TiVo when I was looking into the HMO.
When and if my TiVos finally die, I might make the switch (assuming Replay makes it and TiVo doesn't come out with their own).


getting the HD content will be the thing to watch out for on these products. watch that carefully if it is important to you.

aside from that I would sooner go a MYTH TV route - they are more mature in that market and are more generic in tuner support.

[Hunter Green]

Do a search on the story of "Blue Moon Friday" and you'll find out the details on how TiVo got to market first.

[TiVoPony]

I bought the 2nd gen (early after the 1st) ReplayTV in Oct/Nov 1998. When I first started to get interested in the product I had never heard of TiVo.

I think by the time I was going to buy and finally ordered I had heard of TiVo but wasn't as familiar.

Either was, it was very close both ways. They both arguably had produce announcements around the same time and they both arguably shipped products at roughly the same time.

What matters is who won. CLEARLY TiVo did. Right from the get-go too. No one knew who ReplayTV was. No one.

Cwoody222, you're off by one year. Replay didn't start shipping production units until late April/early May 1999. The first production TiVo systems shipped to customers in March 1999.

Replay ran the first magazine advertisement, back before CES '99. That's why some people 'heard of them first'. But running an ad doesn't count. ;)


Pony

[samo]

And Tivo was also first to retail (Dish was technically first, but DVR feature was not activated). This is why I ended up with TiVo. I bought first TiVo they sold at local Sears Sep'99. Best $500 I ever spent. Replay did not become available in retail till few months later.

[TiVoPony]

And Tivo was also first to retail (Dish was technically first, but DVR feature was not activated). This is why I ended up with TiVo. I bought first TiVo they sold at local Sears Sep'99. Best $500 I ever spent. Replay did not become available in retail till few months later.

The 'first to retail' (ie. brick & mortar) is a distinction that seemed to lose a fair amount of significance in the late 90's. =)

But yes, even on that account TiVo was first. Echostar didn't activate any DVR features (other than pause) until the end of '99 IIRC.

Cheers,
Pony

[TiVo Troll]

Cwoody222, you're off by one year. Replay didn't start shipping production units until late April/early May 1999. The first production TiVo systems shipped to customers in March 1999.

Replay ran the first magazine advertisement, back before CES '99. That's why some people 'heard of them first'. But running an ad doesn't count. ;)

Pony

Can you tell us anything more about how you selected the program guide? Was there something about not wanting to pay Gemstar royalties for their grid format?
"We really needed a program guide before shipping the product. :) " (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=293830)

[megazone]

I was looking at this yesterday..........I like the pricing.You like the pricing - on what? ReplayPC?

If that's what you meant, you really haven't looked around. ReplayPC is the more expensive than SageTV or Beyond TV - and it does FAR, FAR less. It is also all new - so if you're looking for the ReplayTV UI on a PC - it isn't there. In fact, I find a lot of the features listed to be rather TiVo-like. No multi-tuner support, no HD support, it records in the DVR-MS format - so most standard video tools with not work with it.

ReplayPC is crap, IMHO. (http://www.tivolovers.com/318402.html) Anyone looking for a PC-based DVR package has FAR better options.

I predict ReplayPC will bomb. It is up against WinXP MCE and Vista - which will give people 'free' media center features automatically. Yahoo Go for TV is a free PC-based DVR service, and not at all shabby for a free product. And for full-featured products Beyond TV and SageTV run rings around what ReplayPC is promising - and they cost less. And none of these have ongoing guide fees - ReplayPC does.

[TiVo Troll]

ReplayPC is the more expensive than SageTV or Beyond TV - and it does FAR, FAR less.

The websites:

Sage TV (http://www.sage.tv/sagetv.html)
Beyond TV (http://www.snapstream.com/products/beyondtv/default.asp)
ReplayTV PC (http://www.replaytv.com/product_details.asp)

The simplest pricing for each:

SageTV Media Center Version 5.0
Code: STVS
Price: $79.95
"**Currently, SageTV provides electronic programming guide service (the "EPG Service") to End Users in the U.S. and Canada at no charge. SageTV reserves the right to discontinue provision of the EPG Service or to separately charge End Users for provision of the EPG Service."
More! (http://store.sagetv.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PLST&Store_Code=SOS)

Beyond TV 4 (standalone) + FREE Firefly PC Remote1 Price: Only $69.99 (The free remote offer (and free shipping) ends on July 4th.)
"No Subscription Fees. Ever." More! (http://www.snapstream.com/products/beyondtv/buynow.asp)

ReplayTV PC Edition $99.95 including one-year ReplayTV PC Electronic Show Guide service (Annual fee thereafter: $19.95 per year for each ReplayTV PC Edition).
Since ReplayTV PC isn't out yet there isn't much more (http://www.replaytv.com/download.asp).

Could you elaborate on your "FAR, FAR, less" observation? The problem for me is that there is so much information on their websites that without actually using these products it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff in understanding their capabilities and/or ease of use. The screen shots for all three generally look appealing.

I did read your comments (http://www.tivolovers.com/318402.html) on the TiVo Lovers site which are helpful.

[jmoak]

You may have better luck and get more info from the Build Your Own PVR (http://www.byopvr.com/) website.

....unless, of course, you want to hear how much better tivo is in comparison.
:)

(or if you're just looking to stir the pot!;))

[TiVo Troll]

You may have better luck and get more info from the Build Your Own PVR (http://www.byopvr.com/) website.

....unless, of course, you want to hear how much better tivo is in comparison.
:)

(or if you're just looking to stir the pot!;))

An interesting looking site which I bookmarked. "WHY TEEVO WHEN YOU CAN FREEVO?" (http://www.byopvr.com/)

PC DVR's aren't really my thing, but comparing competing concepts of similiar products is.

The problem with many reviews isn't that they don't have enough information but rather that they present so many details that, without actually using whatever is being reviewed, a reader can't quite get a handle on differences which may or may not be important to him/her.

I'd rather read a biased but involved subjective opinion instead of a bean-counting supposedly factual review as long as the writer makes clear where and what his/her biases are.

[megazone]

Could you elaborate on your "FAR, FAR, less" observation?No multi-tuner. No HD. No ability to record in other formats like MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX. Limited support for other video formats for organizing the library. No hardware extender support (SageTV has it). Plus the others have add-ons and hacks galore.

[TiVo Troll]

No multi-tuner. No HD. No ability to record in other formats like MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX. Limited support for other video formats for organizing the library. No hardware extender support (SageTV has it). Plus the others have add-ons and hacks galore.

IC. Fair enough. PC based DVR's are an entirely different animal. As currently structured ReplayTV PC edition is not likely to succeed.

ReplayTV's software needs to get connected with a business entity which has the resources and motivation to fully develop it. But TiVo is the perfect example that it isn't easy to make money from the DVR concept no matter how innovative it may be. DVR's currently appear to generate the greatest potential for profitability when offered by program providers as incentives to subscribe.