What would be your dream Tivo?

[innocentfreak]

After discussing whether there will ever be a 3 or 4 tuner Tivo here (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=419934), I started thinking about what I would absolutely love to see on a new Tivo. What would you like to see if Tivo offered an elite model with all the bells and whistles?

Mine would be more along the lines of a HTPC but still a Tivo.
1. Works on all platforms whether satellite, cable, fios, OTA, or anything else.
2. 4 tuners with the option to add up to 6 more tuners for a total of 10 tuners.
3. The ability to easily add and upgrade hard drives with a backup system or compatible to back up systems similar to Drobo (http://www.drobo.com/) where if a drive fails you simply pull it. When you plug in a new drive it rebuilds your data so no more worrying about dead drives and lost shows.

What about yours?

[mattack]

1) free space indicator (sort of joking, could be alleviated from further suggestions)
2) combined BluRay or at least DVD recorder WITH THE ABILITY TO EDIT RECORDINGS AND RECORD MULTI-SESSION
3) cooperative scheduling (largely does away with the need for "more tuners" in a single Tivo)
4) "Tivo Server". Some kind of box with a freaking ton of SATA/IDE ports that you can plop a zillion drives in, and move your recordings from individual Tivos to/from.
5) clear QAM with no cablecards

[Zoinks1]

It would need to dispense beer. Via the remote.

[swinca]

My dream Tivo would start with the current Tivo HD features, and add the things I like about my Dish DVR - multi room viewing from 1 dvr and work with satellite.

[Raj]

My truly dream TiVo would be a completely wideband unit that could record the whole spectrum and allow me to truly choose what I want to watch instead of having to choose just what's recorded on 2 tuners.

[Joe01880]

One with a built in and supported 2gb HDD, no ads, fully hacked with all features available and a fine looking red head to operated the remote at my comand who doesnt like to talk...ever!

[pkscout]

I would like a TiVo that integrates downloaded and streaming content into my Now Playing List. And it should produce a golden pony every day.

[magnus]

1) Cooperative scheduling
2) DLNA/UPnP support
3) More Video Content (Hulu and Joost)
4) Ability to see now playing and change scheduling from my web browser. From within my own network, not from tivo.com
5) Ability to add my own folders

**** would really like to have TWP (or something very similar) without having to hack it

[guppies]

A hard drive that could be upgraded easily and to the largest capability available on the market (Perhaps a drawer unit that slides out) At least 6 tuners! The ability to chose which program you want to override if you are trying to tape something and it overrides with another show. If there is an external drive, then when the show is taping it tapes ONLY to one drive or the other so when it is playing it does not freeze when it is switching back and forth. A rechargable remote wIhose battery can be replaced easily when necessary!

Plus all the same things it has now of couse, adding new technolgy to keep up with the newest TVs!

[DrewS3]

Have much stronger support for music/internet radio and include a built in simple display like a SqueezeBox. This would let me play my music or listen to internet radio quickly without turning on the TV and turning on my desktop PC. It would also use a small fraction of the electricity needed for an extra TV and computer.

My local music collection should be able to be stored locally on the TIVO or on a USB drive attached, or on a UPNP NAS on my network.

Intenet radio should include support for Shoutcast.

[ZeoTiVo]

more broadband content.

Would be cool if it could have a browser that would do flash and thus play Hulu or any other web based content with no hassles or waiting for TiVo to try and incorporate it

[ctcraig]

Cooperative TiVo Server. Let me plan all my recordings from one location across all my networked devices.

[classicsat]

From an engineering perspective, with some dergree of reality:

A base TiVo hardware platform, which will come out basically what a TiVo HD now is, with the added capability of IPTV, MRV streaming, co-operative scheduling, proper uPNP/DNLA support, and gigabit ethernet, and possibly a built in DOCSIS modem for Tru2Way, if it must be built in.

The hardware platform could be factory upgradable with add-on modules, or even user upgradable with retail modules.

The modules would be:
SD box input with IR/Serial.
HD box input with IR/Serial. They could be independent.
Docsis modem (if allowed to be modular by Cablelabs).
Dual satellite tuner unit, with smartcard slot. (would require provider support though).
IPTV Ethernet port or MoCA card, to free up main network port.

There would be a choice of a Basic or a Premium front panel. The former with just indicator LEDs and a format button, the latter including as well an industry standard display module and full navigation keys.

New remotes would be a qwerty touch remote, and a full IR keyboard.

[netringer]

No copy flags.

Support NAS as a media source directly. I mean, the world is going the way of media on the home LAN. TiVo needs to tap into into it.

[berkshires]

No copy flags.

I think that would be your dream cable co. ;)

[wtherrell]

One that just works. Without gray screen problems. A robust HDMI port that works for more than three weeks. Software to make MRV work without dropping out the other units in the system every day or so and having to reset. Mpeg 4 support.

[bschuler2007]

Pytivo support built in with custom folder creation.
A decent coverflow type Mp3 player.
Editable menus (stops the lockups to fill the screen with useless items)
Less ads and blocky video moments.
Better universal remote.
Editable menus (yeah I know, but it bears repeating)

[berkshires]

One that just works. Without gray screen problems. A robust HDMI port that works for more than three weeks. Software to make MRV work without dropping out the other units in the system every day or so and having to reset. Mpeg 4 support.

I have 4 TiVos that fit that description perfectly.

[Zoinks1]

How about an ability to make your own folders and move recordings around? Perhaps via the web interface.

[mec1991]

Just map the free QAM channels; don't want or need cablecards nor a STB for my extended basic cable.

[HiDefGator]

one that runs windows so I can use it for other things besides recording tv.

[muerte33]

A Tivo branded PCI or PCI-e card that accepts cable cards and does HD.
This way you could have a PC with MANY cards in it.
You could drop in a hardware raid card, and have whatever amount of storage you want.
I thought the Nero LiquidTV was a start, but it does not take cable cards, so it is useless to me.

But if we are dreaming....
How about a total remote package (no box at my house).
My TV hooks up to the internet and gets whatever shows I want (streams it).
This way I have no device except my TV to keep working.
All the updates are done on the server side.
I can buy packages remotely or just get what I want when I want it.
I don't have to worry about "owning" anything. It is all streamed on-demand.

[berkshires]

one that runs windows so I can use it for other things besides recording tv.

What, a Windows PC that runs TiVo isn't good enough for you? :p

[RoyK]

One that just works. Without gray screen problems. A robust HDMI port that works for more than three weeks. Software to make MRV work without dropping out the other units in the system every day or so and having to reset. Mpeg 4 support.

+1

One that works no matter how badly TiVo screws up the software.
Mine is just now working like it should (after V11.0b update) and I've had it for 3 months!

[johnf@home]

One that can stream (or, preferably, download) content from "almost anywhere", not just a few preferred sites. If I miss an episode of CSI or House or Heroes or ... I'd like to be able to watch it on my TV, not on my PC, and in decent video quality.

[wtherrell]

I have 4 TiVos that fit that description perfectly.

You should buy lottery tickets. I, OTOH, should not.

[ZeoTiVo]

One that can stream (or, preferably, download) content from "almost anywhere", not just a few preferred sites. If I miss an episode of CSI or House or Heroes or ... I'd like to be able to watch it on my TV, not on my PC, and in decent video quality.

this is my dream as well :up:

[DougF]

I'd like some kind of client/server setup. One master box that handles all recording and then serves those recordings up to the others via the network. Recordings/SPs/etc. could be set from the client boxes.

Also, while I personally wouldn't need this, I imagine lots of people would like the master box to be tuner-upgradeable. Meaning, those who want them could purchase additional tuners. I never use more than than the two my DTiVos provide, but I'm sure some people would use four or more.

[lordbah]

1) Bugs with Netflix fixed (bombing out to the VOD menu, rebooting, loooong pauses).
2) Video tricks like the ability to zoom in, expand one quadrant until it fills the screen.
3) Automatic, immediate adjustment when a show gets pushed back due to a previous event running long. (probably requires help from the networks, which they probably aren't willing to give)
4) Saved bookmarks.
5) Allow me to crop the beginning or end of a recording. (due to the possibility of preceding live events running long I sometimes record 1.5 hrs for a half hr show just to make sure I get it - but there's no reason to keep the extra around)

[RoyK]

+1

One that works no matter how badly TiVo screws up the software.
Mine is just now working like it should (after V11.0b update) and I've had it for 3 months!

Belay that - now getting gray screens on analog channels.

[gayste]

One that dosen't involve the cable company (they hate supporting it and don't know what to charge me for cable cards.)

[magnus]

I have a Tivo HD and S3. Neither of them require cable. :D

One that dosen't involve the cable company (they hate supporting it and don't know what to charge me for cable cards.)

[jeepguy_1980]

Gigabit ethernet
Web server for management
Profile support for multiple users
Custom folder support
View live TV while navigation menus
Onboard transcoding, with download support for transfer to mobile devices, from the mobile device
Place-shifting streaming
QAM Mapping
RF remote
Multi-room viewing
Color display with RSS display (to show weather or other info)

[Jonathan_S]

I don't know about dream TiVo, but right now I'd love to have a TiVoHD+Blu-ray player. Where the Blu-ray had the same progress bar as a normal TiVo show and you could use the peanut remote. (The skip ticks would be the disk chapters).

Use the disk space to automatically bookmark the movie when you exit part-way through so it alway gives you the 'Resume Playing' option just like normal TiVo shows. (Even on Java blu-rays that don't normally support resume playing)

Obviously I'd want it to have a 1st class PS/3 level of Blu-ray functionality. (RF remote would be a nice touch, although I'd like it if they left the IR receiver as well so legacy remotes or univeral remotes were still an option for people who prefer them)

But I'd buy that unit in a heartbeat.

[toy4x4]

1. Gigabit Ethernet
2. The ability to set the seconds that the info box stays up. It's just too long and my wife can't seem to hit the info button to remove it...

3. It to figure out how to fix crappy HD signals... :)

[MasterCephus]

I would like to remove the concept of a PVR connected to a TV and have a server that has the ability to handle multiple tuners (maybe 4-6) and can connect to a NAS box for storage.

Then the only thing connected to your TV would be the front end to the server.

[BJezz]

Said before, but either a server or cooperative scheduling including shared thumb ratings between grouped TiVo boxes (preferably the latter since we already have TiVo boxes). If the recording is made on a box other than the one that set the recording, move the recording automatically so that you can still keep your recordings organized. The ability to stream live video from a spare tuner on a different box if the tuners in the current box are already in use (I know for HD bandwidth could easily be an issue here). Effectively every additional TiVo you group gives you two additional tuners and an additional viewing point. For this to completely work we'd also need to permit TiVo to TiVo transfers for protected shows.

Also agree that the more broadband content that can reach the TiVo, the better.

[mhonigstein]

I'd love some of these reasonably simple software upgrades. I have a series 1 and a series 2, so maybe some of these features exist:
1. Keep At Most feature allows you to set Tivo to stop recording the Season Pass when a certain number of episodes has been reached (so my 3 year old can watch one of the 20 episodes of Sesame Street she already has, and Tivo will stop deleting one and recording a new one every 8 hours).
2. Lets you set up a Season Pass to record just once a day or once a week, without having to make it a manual recording (handy for Daily Show, other oft-reaired shows), and will automatically reschedule to one of the other airings if there's a conflict.
3. Ability to create mulitple users with their own Now Playing (again, my 3 year old inspires this one).
4. Ability to use checkboxes to select multiple items from the Deleted Items folder, and delete all checked items at once. (I know I could leave that folder alone, but I have a crashy Tivo Series 2 which for some reason is worse when the drive is more full).
5. Ability to temporarily suspend a Season Pass, either for a certain period of time (enter the date -- going on vacation, don't need 24 Daily Shows?) or indefinitely (too many Blue's Clues for now, will resume when 3 year old has watched some?).
6. Option to receive reminders (under Messages) based on your watching -- If you had a Season Pass to Survivor: Samoa, Tivo will send you a reminder that Survivor: Heroes and Villains is beginning next week.
7. Cooperative scheduling? I've seen the term but don't know it -- if it means that my Tivo would have the sense to shuffle around shows with muliple airings so I don't miss something with only one airing, that's what I want.

That's all for now!

[innocentfreak]

I'd love some of these reasonably simple software upgrades. I have a series 1 and a series 2, so maybe some of these features exist:
1. Keep At Most feature allows you to set Tivo to stop recording the Season Pass when a certain number of episodes has been reached (so my 3 year old can watch one of the 20 episodes of Sesame Street she already has, and Tivo will stop deleting one and recording a new one every 8 hours).

TiVo already does this if you set Keep Until I Delete for that show. If you have it set for KUIP and 5 episodes, it will stop recording at the fifth episode until you delete one.

[Raj]

Here's what I would love.

Let's call this product "TiVo central."

It's a home server, like WHS but strictly for media and recorded TV.

It has a CableCARD for M card, 6 streams. An XL model would have two slots for a total of 12 streams. 2TB hard drive, with an option for a second drive and ESATA expansion.

At each TV you'd deploy an extender that can access live and recorded TV streamed across the network.

It has ethernet - wired, wireless and MoCA.

Without the extender you can use DLNA and access recorded content (and probably live content too).

All of the standard TiVo features with the new HD UI.

That would be my "realistic" dream TiVo and is actually what a lot of people plan to do with media center (with 4 tuners instead of 12).

[atmuscarella]

A dream Tivo well lets see first it wouldn't be a stand alone device it would be a system.

The core would be a Tivo Server connect to your home network via gigbit Ethernet using RAID 10 with either 6 or 8 drives that could record at 6-8 things at once, with a full function built in web browser.

Attached to the core via USB 3.0 would be your Tuners (think SilconDust only via USB 3.0 instead of Ethernet) separates devices for OTA/Cable/Dishnetwork/DirectTV any combination you wanted.

Attached to each of your TVs would be a hard drive less device connected to the server via Ethernet or wireless N with an option for a built in blu-ray player. The device would stream what ever from your server and you would have a wireless keyboard to communicate with it.

and of course their would also be software available to connect to your server from your PC/Laptop from any place in the world and stream anything you wanted to your PC/Laptop and with fully control over the "TiVo".

[ferrumpneuma]

My dream TiVo would have a half baked HD/SD UI and PIP in the menus.:up::D

[mr.unnatural]

A ReplayTV that records digital cable and/or FIOS and no monthly fees attached.:D