On Demand with HD TiVo

[SPARTEN II]

The HD DVR that my cable company provides is terrible. The only reason I don't have a TiVo yet is because I wouldn't be able to view On Demand using a cablecard provided by my cable company.

I heard that they're working on building VOD functionality into TiVos. Is there any word on when this will be available?

[TonyD79]

There is already Amazon Unbox via the internet on the Tivos. No HD content yet but lots of other stuff.

[lew]

The HD DVR that my cable company provides is terrible. The only reason I don't have a TiVo yet is because I wouldn't be able to view On Demand using a cablecard provided by my cable company.

I heard that they're working on building VOD functionality into TiVos. Is there any word on when this will be available?

They're working on a solution to the SDV issue. AFAIK VOD won't be solved until/unless a S4 tivo comes out nothing imminent. The only work around is to have a cable company box for another set in your home.

[ah30k]

The VOD issues was the next generation TiVo which will be dual mode with OCAP and TiVo mode. What is totally unclear is how the user will switch between the two modes and what can and can't be done in each mode. Thinking that TiVo will just add VOD to the existing S3 to call it an S4 is not likely at all.

[lew]

The VOD issues was the next generation TiVo which will be dual mode with OCAP and TiVo mode. What is totally unclear is how the user will switch between the two modes and what can and can't be done in each mode. Thinking that TiVo will just add VOD to the existing S3 to call it an S4 is not likely at all.

Cable company DVRs won't generally record VOD, my guess is tivo won't be able to record it either. The theory is since programming is available "on demand" there isn't a valid reason to allow the customer to record it.

My guess is the next generation tivo (series 4) will only let customers view VOD.

The easiest work around is to have a cable company box on one TV set.

[jayfest]

I think I have recorded VOD with my S2. I just started the VOD on whatever channel it is (on my Comcast system, it's 199) and then hit record on the TiVo. It goes into your Now Playing as a Manual Recording, but I think I remember doing it once and it worked. Ironically, that won't work with S3, since it doesn't record from what the TV is showing.

I just got a TiVoHD, but I still wanted the OnDemand anyway. It helps me out in my constant struggle to keep from filling my DVR (Comcast or TiVo). I was going to trade my Comcast HD DVR back for a regular HD box without DVR (just to keep getting the VOD), but the cable installer who was supposed to install my cable cards called up right before the appointment and said there were no more cards at the warehouse. So I called Comcast and complained loudly and they gave me the DVR promotion rate (=free) for a YEAR! Now I don't even have to trade in my Comcast DVR until next year. Of course, I still don't have HD on my TiVoHD - they canceled the second installation appointment 5 days later for the same reason, but now I don't care so much.

[sparklygurl2007]

wow jayfest that is messed up. ive had some terrible issues with Comcast as well

[BobB]

I have an HD box with both an M-card for general viewing and recording and a cable box for the sole purpose of getting VoD. I don't actually use it much and have thought about getting rid of it and saving myself a few bucks a month, but I decided to wait and see what happens when ComCast adds the promised enlarged library of VoD selections, which is supposed to happen sometime soon.

There is talk that when VSD is implemented there will be a dongle for use with cablecards, but no availability dates that I've seen yet.

[ZeoTiVo]

They're working on a solution to the SDV issue. AFAIK VOD won't be solved until/unless a S4 tivo comes out nothing imminent. The only work around is to have a cable company box for another set in your home.

TiVo spoke of the series 4 in their last investor call. It will be the tru2way (read standardised OCAP) and enable VOD/PPV in just the way the cable company wants it to work. So it will be up to the cable company if you can record it or not/etc.. My guess is that some of it will be record and watch for 24 hour window - some of it will be view only.

I exepct we will see the serie 4 at next Jan. CES show with some anouncement on when TiVo expects to sell it.

The SDV dongle to get channels that cable card can not send the signal back to tune in now is in testing somewhere by the cable companies. TiVo is not making the thing so has little control over dates and of course can not speak for the cable companies on where it is in the timeline to delivery to customers.