I haven't missed Tivo

[Podgy Dad]

I know, its a shocking admission. Since I got my V+ box I haven't used Tivo and while its not perfect its good enough. My biggest annoyance with it is that you are limited to 32x when forwarding through a show, you can't jump to a point in the show like you can with Tivo.

[mikerr]

Workaround for that:

Start playing the recording,
press v+
restart the recording
It now asks you where to start from
You choose the time to jump to, and type in 15:30 or something.

Not as elegant as tivo's 15minute skip though

[ndunlavey]

Interesting. Does V+ do wishlists and suggestions?

[cwaring]

No. Other than meta-data for linking series, it's pretty-much a dumb DVR.

However, it's nice to know that I won't have to suffer "live tv" ever again if my Tivo ever does die.

[ndunlavey]

Oh, OK - so it does no more than Sky+, then?

[cwaring]

No, but it does have THREE tuners and TWO decoders

[Podgy Dad]

Originally Posted by ndunlavey

Oh, OK - so it does no more than Sky+, then?

And series links actually work, and has a better UI than Sky+

[Pete77]

If some Freeview Playback machines start offering Wishlists the Sky+ and V+ will surely have to follow in due course.

Once the basic idea of what a PVR can do is there then there is sure to be a demand for more sophisticated machines with a greater range of recording facilities.

It seem incredible that Virgin can miss this clear cut opportunity to gain a marketing advantage over Sky.

[mikerr]

V+ still has two major drawbacks:

Pressing record begins from when you press record, it doesn't record the buffer.
There is no programme search facility. You have to use the guide to record anything.

[Pete77]

Originally Posted by mikerr

V+ still has two major drawbacks:

Pressing record begins from when you press record, it doesn't record the buffer.
There is no programme search facility. You have to use the guide to record anything.

But clearly both of these relate only to limitations of the software and not the hardware and could be easily rectified with the use of superior and tried and tested software for cable boxes (e.g. Tivo's cable box version).

[Podgy Dad]

Originally Posted by mikerr

V+ still has two major drawbacks:

Pressing record begins from when you press record, it doesn't record the buffer.
There is no programme search facility. You have to use the guide to record anything.

I didn't realise that, that's annoying.

Did I read somewhere that the V+ boxes are made by the same company that make Tivo's in the US?

[blindlemon]

Yes, Scientific Atlanta make the box, and it's basically the same model as used by Cox Communications in the US, for whom TiVo have agreed a deal to supply TiVo software via an OTA upgrade as they do with Comcast.

[Craig B]

Originally Posted by mikerr

V+ still has two major drawbacks:

Pressing record begins from when you press record, it doesn't record the buffer.
There is no programme search facility. You have to use the guide to record anything.

No search facility! What is this, the dark ages?

My vague thoughts on getting a V+ are now dead and buried. Why on earth would they not include this simple but useful feature?

[mikerr]

Sadly the great unwashed seem to be happy with simple dumb record functionality,
with series links at most. That's why there doesn't seem to be any advances(1) in DVRs.

(1) Where "advances" means "slowly reinventing various parts of tivo functionality"

[PhilG]

You know, every time I see a review of PVRs (of any sort) I really wish they'd compare the functionality with the dead Tivo. Perhaps that might embarass someone into doing the job properly

Snag is (I guess) that with a lot of the Tivo functionality, if you've never had it you won't miss it (or realise how useful it is)

[Simon George]

I got my V+ a year ago, and I loved it for HD, upscaling, record two, watch another etc.

As a PVR however its software is terrible. It is less buggy than it was but development hs been non existant for all practiable purposes the last six months. (ever since the Virgin rebranding).

So my Tivo was gathering dust

Then HD content, the most important techical value added of V+ went backwards, not forward. (reduced so a bit of on demand and the BBC service) and no prospects of any more on the horizon.

Then Sky One disappeared (I realise not a problem for many, but a killer for a Stargate/24/BSG nut like me - and my wife even more importantly)

So I cancelled V+, vacuumed my Tivo, installed a cachecard. a 500gb drive, bought an external scalar and rediscovered just how good Tivos software is. I feel like the repentant sinner. It is a cracking piece of kit

If you can do wthout the extra tuners, then stay with Tivo. Believe me you are doing yourself a favour.

(The only thing that is definitely a step backwards is te picture quality. Even with Mode 0 enabled. it is just not as good as V+, hence the extra scalar)

[blindlemon]

Although, of course, if Virgin Media were to do the deal with TiVo then you could have TiVo software with HD, triple tuners etc. on your existing V+ box

As a V+ customer, have you written to VM to ask about this?

[Gavin]

Originally Posted by blindlemon

As a V+ customer, have you written to VM to ask about this?

Please don't.

They cant keep the services they have working smoothly, please don't ask them to do anything that might taxes them....

[Pete77]

Originally Posted by Gavin

They cant keep the services they have working smoothly, please don't ask them to do anything that might taxes them....

Clearly they are still only NTL with a new name then.

By the way welcome back and also congratulations on your wise decision. As the old saying goes "there is more joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth than over 50 good and true..................."

As to the lack of dual tuners you could buy yourself a second unsubbed Tivo and then use TCM's (or Sanderton as he was) manual Conflict Resolve model to schedule the other conflicting recording on the unsubbed Tivo over the Cachecard and network (mind you you would need a Cachecard or Turbonet card in the other Tivo to do that). Or just get hold of a second Tivo with a sub and make the SP for the conflicting shows a higher place in the list on that machine than on your main Tivo.

[cwaring]

Originally Posted by Pete77

Clearly they are still only NTL with a new name then.

...and clearly that's simply not the case. However, don't let the truth get in the way

Just for the record, here's the time-line:

1. NTL purchased Virgin.Net (ADSL provider) some years ago
2. Telewest did the same with Flextech (now Virgin Media TV)
3. The merger happened - on paper Telewest actually acquired NTL
4. The new firm, ntl: Telewest purchased Virgin Mobile
5. The whole group rebranded to Virgin Media on Feb 8 this year

All my VM services are working smoothly. There are obviously 'regional issues' and this has always been the case, even when I was with Telewest.

[Pete77]

My points is that NTL Digital was famous for regular bizarre technical problems and sudden loss of all channels. It sounds to me like those problems have not yet gone away despite the shiny new Virgin badge.

[RichardJH]

Pete have you ever had any cable services? I agree entirely with Carl and as far as I am concerned VM have brought cable services to a new level. I have been with cable from way back when it was analogue only in the days of Windsor Cable and the Cable Corporation.

I have never been able to get Sky despite 3 attempts by installers to try to circumvent the tree problems.

I agree that the loss of Sky One etc was a nuisance requiring more use of Torrent services but in no way can I blame VM for that loss.

[Simon George]

Blindlemon - IF ONLY. I did a customer survey on V+ which I said more ore less as you suggested. I hold out exactly 0% hope.

Carl - I do not agee that Virgin have made things better, actually i think Telewest were the ones (in my area) who had done most of the work already (including V+ development). Virgin have done what they always do, I.e. professionalised the marketing. However in some areas things have gone backwards. Customer service is WORSE than it was in the latter days of telewest, V+ stalled, HD stalled, an VOD and EPG search is slow to the point of being non functional. Then they pick a fight with Sky which they are going to lose (it's a simple matter of the economics of scale).

Two TiVos - I only have one cable tuner now, so how does having a second tivo get round that problem? (I should say I already use the freeview tuner on my Panny HDD/DVDR as a second tuner).

(BTW I would have Sky but I am in a conservation area so no dishes allowed)

[jonphil]

Originally Posted by cwaring

...and clearly that's simply not the case. However, don't let the truth get in the way

Just for the record, here's the time-line:

1. NTL purchased Virgin.Net (ADSL provider) some years ago
2. Telewest did the same with Flextech (now Virgin Media TV)
3. The merger happened - on paper Telewest actually acquired NTL
4. The new firm, ntl: Telewest purchased Virgin Mobile
5. The whole group rebranded to Virgin Media on Feb 8 this year

All my VM services are working smoothly. There are obviously 'regional issues' and this has always been the case, even when I was with Telewest.

Interestingly I saw in the paper on Tuesday that some American firm were looking at a takeover bid for Virgin Media.

On a side note why are all Sky Virgin and Freeview developing their own PVR's when they could have got Tivo to do a much better job.
I still dream of the day Tivo relaunch in the UK, but the long that is the less likely that will happen. They seem to have lost interest in the entire European market now, maybe scared of the new ROSH law over lead content in boxes and such. Outside of Europe you can sell what you want but here you have huge red tape to jump through.
I know coz I'm waiting to get my hands on a Ziova Clearstream box which just just a rebadged Z500 from Australia (had to be redesigned for the strict European market)

[Paul555]

Virgin joining with TiVo on the V+ box would convince me to drop Sky forever. Are you listening Virgin?

Somehow I doubt it. If someone gets me an email contact address for Virgin I'll email and ask!

[Pete77]

Originally Posted by Paul555

If someone gets me an email contact address for Virgin I'll email and ask!

See www.virginmediatv.co.uk/about_us/our_people/

Try the Head of Brand Planning for Virgin Media Tv, Paul Hancock

paul.hancock@virginmedia.com or if no joy try paul.hancock@virginmediatv.co.uk

and Director, Broadcast Services - Ashley Holloway

ashley.holloway@virginmedia.com or ashley.holloway@virginmediatv.co.uk

Or from the main parent company the following

Steve Burch, the CEO of the company and quoted by the BBC at the time of the split with Sky over their basic channels:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6389015.stm

Try steve.burch@virginmedia.com and/or stephen.burch@virginmedia.com

or the Chief Operating officer

neil.berkett@virginmedia.com

or the Chief Commercial Officer

ernie.cormier@virginmedia.com

or the Chief Executive Officer - Content Division

malcolm.wall@virginmedia.com

See http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/p...p=irol-whoswho for more info.

I would email all of the above personally as you never really know who calls the shots on this kind of issue. In fact you almost need to set one of them off who knows Tivo starting to ask the question to the others who may be ignorant of it -also especially the version of Tivo's software that will run on their V+ boxes.

Also some of Virgin's board appear to be Americans who will understand Tivo and its benefits a lot better.

[cwaring]

Yes, once again Pete, I'm sure they'll thank you for plastering their email addresses all over a public forum

Yes, I know they're available on VM's own web site. The point is they know that they're listed on there. They don't know that someone else is plastering them all over other Forums. You could (and should) have just posted that final link and said "there you go!".

[Pete77]

Originally Posted by cwaring

Yes, once again Pete, I'm sure they'll thank you for plastering their email addresses all over a public forum

(Yes, I know they're available on VM's own web site. The point is they know that they're listed on there. They don't know that someone else is plastering them all over other Forums.)

Carl if this was secret information it wouldn't be on their website viewable by anyone on the planet. Also you have a strange way of thinking if you really imagine that posting the details of these people for the handful of geeks who read the threads on the UK part of this website will generate many emails compared to the thousands of disgruntled Virgin Media customers over the loss of the Sky channels who will clearly all visit the VirginMedia sites directly if they wish to find someone to vent their anger on.

I think your problem is having never moved anywhere near the hallowed corridors of power you wrongly regard these people with a kind of reverential god like status. But the reality is they are only people (usually somewhat selfish, single minded and egotistical people to have reached these positions) and if they didn't want to hear their customers views then they shouldn't have taken those jobs in the first place.

And whether you accept it or not emailing the senior staff is far more likely to slightly increase the chance of Tivo software appearing on a Virgin Media box than trying to make the point to some clueless customer service adviser, who finding Tivo not even in their call centre script doesn't end up even recording the complaint.

[ndunlavey]

I think your problem ...
Hmmmmm ....

[cwaring]

Originally Posted by Pete77

Carl if this was secret information

Exactly where did I mention it was secret information?

My point is that - for example - I know my email address is on my website. I don't want it anywhere else without my knowing about it.