To those who went...

[BillyT2002]

... to the convention...

Did you learn anything new about TIVO there?

Was it just a recap of everything that has happened for TIVO already this year, such as the release of the TIVO Series 2 DT units, the inability to purchase Lifetime service on a TIVO unit anymore and the new pricing scheme which factors in the price of the unit into the monthly price?

Was there anything newer than that talked about? Is there any further information on the TIVO series 3? Did you see a series 3 in action at the convention?

Was there any mention of TIVO working on boxes for other cable companies (non-Comcast) - hopefully Time Warner?

Was there any new information at all?

[InigoMontoya]

Yeah, I learned lots of new stuff.

Ed's doing better.

Joules and Wiring got married.

Some others hooked up (what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas).

Some others are taking their hook up to another level (ditto).

And on and on and on....


Oh... You meant about Tivo?

Beats me. Yeah, Tivo corporate gave a presentation and had some shiny new hardware (I think "series 3") and said stuff about when this or that would be released but I didn't pay attention to that stuff. I was there for the peeps.

[marct]

I was not there, but I did see some parental control stuff in one of the pictures... Can someone overview that for me?

We have a little one on the way and it would seem appropriate. I can't stand that a parentally marked item still shows in the now playing list currently.

[wouldworker]

It's not really about Tivo any more, is it? Was it ever really about Tivo?

[Raj]

I learned a lot of new things.

I got to see the Series 3 in person.

I learned about Kids Zone.

I learned about the new TiVo desktop.

To answer your questions, the series 3 will work with any cable provider that supports CableCARD. It will even work with an off air antenna. You don't even need cable (confirmed this with Pony). The series 3 was there but it wasn't all that different from regular TiVo apart from recording HD and supporting CableCARD. Well one minor difference in that it had HDMI ports, component out and a real ethernet jack (but I think the USB one is still there for the Wi-Fi adapters).

The front display is nice. Pony joked that if someone got the display to blink 12:00 it would be a cool easter egg. It shows the time, format and the name of the show playing. Not sure what else.

I have pics of the Series 3. Check the link in my sig (the main event).

[BillyT2002]

Thanks Raj... I'm glad to know there was one on display. I can't wait for this unit to come out. I'm pretty sure my cable company (currently Adelphia) will be Time Warner by the time the series 3 comes out. I just hope that Time Warner still supports CableCard 1.0 cablecards, so that I can use them with the series 3 when it comes out. ;)

[Raj]

I was not there, but I did see some parental control stuff in one of the pictures... Can someone overview that for me?

We have a little one on the way and it would seem appropriate. I can't stand that a parentally marked item still shows in the now playing list currently.


You mean the fact that your kids can still see that you watch pr0n? :D

I dunno if that's been fixed.

[Raj]

I was really hoping for some series 3 news, even a confirmation that there was a series 3 unit on display at the convention.


Read my posts and look at my pics! I took close up shots of the S3.

I wish I could have opened it though, but of course that wasn't happening.

[Raj]

HEre are some photos of my future new toy:

http://static.flickr.com/49/178160988_aaef7cda2d_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/67/178161007_8052fa5305_o.jpg

[jsmeeker]

I was really hoping for some series 3 news, even a confirmation that there was a series 3 unit on display at the convention.


There was one there. I took a picture of it, even. But I had seen one back in January, so it was no huge deal for me.

But essentially, what Inigo said.

I learned harvscar was a foodie.

I learned that I liked a sancerre. Never had it before, but it was very nice.

You know, stuff like that. It's why I went.

[Raj]

Some others hooked up (what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas).


LOL! It was so funny when someone shouted out "<blank> and <blank> are dating!!! " during drinklink...

I guess someone let the cat out of the bag!

[BillyT2002]

That's it - if the series 3 isn't released by the next TCF - I'm going just to get my own picture of one. ;)


Thanks for the pictures, guys.

[Raj]

By the way, TiVo also gave out some nice swag... Check out what we scored:

http://static.flickr.com/63/178160519_8db4f79ab6_o.jpg

[Raj]

People also got some of these:

http://static.flickr.com/51/178160510_56548d1bfd_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/46/178160551_2c74d1be5c.jpg

SonicCookie even won a Series 2 DT TiVo with lifetime:

http://static.flickr.com/53/178160804_3ab220c722.jpg

[Raj]

Other sponsors gave away prizes too, like WeaKnees:

http://static.flickr.com/47/178161157_2d1fb2b4d8.jpg

Robert from Value Electronics (http://www.valueelectronics.com) gave this (and I think a couple other things):

http://static.flickr.com/56/178161037_24806f64b3.jpg

He also gave us other stuff like playing cards etc and of course the Con shirts. He always treats us well at TCF meets.

[marct]

You mean the fact that your kids can still see that you watch pr0n? :D

I dunno if that's been fixed.Is it better that it is soft porn??? Probably not if they still ask questions.

Actually as my kids will be very little for some time I am less worried, but some new features would be nice.

I guess I need to goo dig up some stuff on this Kids Zone.

[Havana Brown]

I was not there, but I did see some parental control stuff in one of the pictures... Can someone overview that for me?



You mean this pic?


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y224/HavanaBrown/AlGore.jpg


Oh sorry, that's the one of Al Gore. :D

[Raj]

Is it better that it is soft porn??? Probably not if they still ask questions.

Actually as my kids will be very little for some time I am less worried, but some new features would be nice.

I guess I need to goo dig up some stuff on this Kids Zone.


yeah I was just kidding.

What I think it does is that you can separate kids content and the adult (not necessarily pr0n) content.

It looks cool though. You can password protect individual shows and I believe entire ratings. It's like a V chip for TiVo.

[whoknows55]

I learned tivos are soft.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c185/BeanMeScot/IMG_0909.jpg

[sschwart]

I learned tivos are soft.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c185/BeanMeScot/IMG_0909.jpg

Did you successfully get him home, or did someone steal him from you?

[Bierboy]

HEre are some photos of my future new toy:

http://static.flickr.com/49/178160988_aaef7cda2d_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/67/178161007_8052fa5305_o.jpg
Mine, too!

[BillyT2002]

After seeing that wiring job - I don't feel so bad about the wiring behind my A/V cabinet anymore. It's about like that with maybe 50 more wires. I think I have 63 wires at last count in my wiring diagram. I really need some wire organizing help. ;)

[ChuckyBox]

Read my posts and look at my pics! I took close up shots of the S3.

I don't suppose anyone was sober enough to take a look at the TSN of the S3, were they? It would probably tell us if the box was from a production run or was just another prototype.

If only I had been there. Me or that plucky little Veronica Mars.

[Raj]

I probably have a closer photo.

It did have beta software on it, so I'm guessing prototype.

It did work as well, so it wasn't just a mockup.

[Raj]

It looks like a prototype. (Surprise) The back said P1.5-2 EIGER Prototype.

[andydumi]

is that a digital audio out above the HDMI connector?
and is that optical audio out above the S-Video?
and 2 CableCard slots, well see how Comcast reacts to everybody wanting two cable cards all of a sudden.

[Raj]

is that a digital audio out above the HDMI connector?

No. Looks like a screw.

and is that optical audio out above the S-Video?

Yes.

and 2 CableCard slots, well see how Comcast reacts to everybody wanting two cable cards all of a sudden.

Yes, but you only need one. The second one is optional for dual tuner functionality. Also, it was explained that some cableCARDs can process multiple streams, so only one may be needed.

[jfh3]

Yes, but you only need one. The second one is optional for dual tuner functionality. Also, it was explained that some cableCARDs can process multiple streams, so only one may be needed.

Well, but if you have digital cable and want to be able to record two channels, you WILL need two single stream cable card (what most/all cable cos have now) OR one multi-stream card.

[megazone]

It looks like the same S3 unit they had at CES, or its twin, and I have a number of close up photos of the back with all the ports and such.

[JustAllie]

The S3 was cool. TiVoPony did talk about how it would be possible to connect an external hard drive to an S3, and then discussed some of the technical details about what would happen to the new recordings on the TiVo if you unplugged the external hard drive for any length of time (poof!).

I am hoping for an easier way to burn DVDs from the S3, because I love that feature of my Humax DRT-800 TiVos. Yeah, I know it's easier on a PC than it is on my Mac, but frankly it's too involved even on the PC.

But now that I think about it, the new TiVo Desktop feature allowing you to copy shows to an iPod with Video is probably sufficient for my needs. So I just need to figure out how to get that to work on whatever computer hardware I own when the S3 is released.

[moyekj]

TiVoPony did talk about how it would be possible to connect an external hard drive to an S3, and then discussed some of the technical details about what would happen to the new recordings on the TiVo if you unplugged the external hard drive for any length of time (poof!). Doesn't exactly throw out good vibes about the rest of the design... If that's the case then internal hard drive upgrade still sounds like the safer way to go.

[JYoung]

The issue with the external drive is that the TiVo would essentially treat the two drives as a spanned volume.
Like the other TiVos do for two internal drives.
Pony said that if you unplugged the external drive you wouldn't get the GSOD but it would nag to put it back and you wouldn't be able to watch all your shows.
You'd only have a problem if the external drive was toast.
(I suspect that you could recover unit functionality but you'd lose shows)


LOL! It was so funny when someone shouted out "<blank> and <blank> are dating!!! " during drinklink...

I guess someone let the cat out of the bag!

Uhm if you couldn't figure that out by watching people, you weren't paying attention. ;)

[kdmorse]

It was implied that if the ESATA drive were disconnected, the unit would give you the choice of either waiting for it to return, or unmarrying the drives and looseing all recordings that were on that drive.

-Ken