HD Directv Tivo unit no longer in short supply

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Jack Zwick <jzwick3@mindspring.com> wrote:
>> It depends on what you consider "a long time". For many
>> people spending $750 (or so) on something and not being told
>> that it won't work in two to three years from now is akin to
>> fraud. I think it just shows the dishonestly of some of the
>> stores like Circuit City and Best Buy (and they aren't the
>> only ones).
>
>Dont buy a DVD player, Blue Ray is coming.
>
>Dont buy a car, they'll all be hybrids soon, getting twice the gas
>mileage.
>
>Dont buy a PC, they could have an IBM 10 core CPU soon, instead of a
>WInTel slug.

The difference that you continue to refuse to accept is that while
these all will continue to perform the tasks they were purchased to do,
the HDtivo will not. It won't record off satellite and without the
software changes, it won't work as a standalone OTA recorder either.

The question really is - how long until this happens, and will Directv
offer a suitable competent replacement. Let's bear in mind - $750
over 3 years is $20/month. That's a big chunk of the monthly bill, 25%
in my case. Nevermind the $500 lost on the first STB that lasted only
18 months before burning out.


--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com
 
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Direct TV has changed encryption schemes before and it is done over the
bird. Whose to say a change to another could not be done over "the air"
"Bill R" <SPAMFREE-brosen@iglou.com> wrote in message
news:420BBCD9.70808@iglou.com...
> Sean wrote:
>> On Tue, 08 Feb 2005 18:47:00 GMT, Jack Zwick <jzwick3@mindspring.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>When it first came out last year folks clammered to pay their $1000 for
>>>one. Some were even sold on eBay at premiums, now the situation is
>>>different.
>>>
>>>Both Circuit City and Best Buy stores have stacks of unsold units.
>>>
>>>Likely inside 2 months we'll start seeing price drops.
>>
>>
>> Maybe. I would imagine they'll get cheaper and cheaper as they get closer
>> and closer to the datre they'll be obsolete.
>>
>> Sean
>
>
> My bet is that most of the people that are buying them now have no idea
> that they will be obsolete in the not too distance future (because
> DirecTV's HD is going to MPEG4). I sure know that the sales people at
> places like Circuit City and Best Buy aren't telling people that are
> looking as buying one.
> --
> Bill R.
>
> Remove "SPAMFREE-" in e-mail address to reply by e-mail
>
 
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Jason O'Rourke wrote:
>
>"As long as they are up." There you have it.

Well, that's half of it anyway. The OTA will work as long as there are
OTA signals to pick up. If people stop broadcasting, you are right,
this box will stop working. Much like if cell towers get taken down,
cell phones will stop working.

> My dvd player will play my
> copy of Army of Darkness until it breaks.

The TiVo will play all the shows it has recorded until it breaks. It
will even keep recording stuff as long as someone is broadcasting,
either via OTA or via satellites which have *never* been taken down so
far and DirecTV has stated they have no plans to take them down.

> My car will take gasoline till it
> dies, and there's not different fuel in 3 years that will replace
unleaded.

There's already different fuel. You just don't use it. The current
HDTiVo box will do MPEG2 forever. It won't do MPEG4 just like your car
won't use various fuel alternatives. MPEG4 is NOT replacing MPEG2 - it
is being added *in addition* to it. Much like your car cannot use
compressed natural gas, but other cars can. The fact that it exists
doesn't make current gas or your car stop working. The addition of
MPEG4 doesn't make MPEG2 stop working.

> When Directv stops broadcasting in mpeg2, the HDtivo becomes a boat
anchor.

Lucky then DirecTV has said they have no plans of doing such a thing
because it would be a financial nightmare for them.

> I'd like to be optimistic, but will stick in the real world too. If
these
> mpeg4 HD "lite" channels prove even worse than the current 1200
resolution
> HD channels, cable will be waiting.

You should always investigate your options and pick what you think is
best. Just because most here think TiVo is the best doesn't mean you
will. If you want to use something else, I don't think anyone here
really cares. But it doesn't do you any good by trying to spread FUD.
 
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Jason O'Rourke (jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu) wrote in rec.video.satellite.dbs:
> The difference that you continue to refuse to accept is that while
> these all will continue to perform the tasks they were purchased to do,
> the HDtivo will not. It won't record off satellite and without the
> software changes, it won't work as a standalone OTA recorder either.

That's just so wrong it's almost silly.

The current channels available from DirecTV will remain where they are for
at least 2 years and likely more. The HD DirecTiVo will be able to record
these channels for as long as they are up.

Secondly, even if DirecTV changes the config of the current satellites so
that there are no channels that the HD DirecTiVo can record, as long as
there is guide data and no "un-auth" packet for the receiver, it will
record OTA just fine. Even without guide data, it will record OTA just
fine, although it won't have the great TiVo features.

> The question really is - how long until this happens, and will Directv
> offer a suitable competent replacement.

Based on the first leaked info, if you have a HD DirecTiVo, it will be
replaced with a new DirecTV "Home Media Center" with twice as much
capability in almost everything (twice the disk space, twice as many
satellite tuners, plus the ability to send recorded programming to "slave"
receivers). If the software has anything near TiVo recording capability,
it will be a very nice replacement.

--
Jeff Rife |
| "Resistance...is *futile*"
|
| -- Data, "Star Trek: First Contact"
 
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On Sat, 12 Feb 2005 10:35:28 -0800, Harold Horseradish wrote:
> Direct TV has changed encryption schemes before and it is done over the
> bird. Whose to say a change to another could not be done over "the air"

The MPEG decoding is done by a dedicated chip not software, so it
wouldn't be that easy to change (doing it in software would require a
much more powerful processor).
 
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newsREMOVE@THISmegazone.org (MegaZone) writes:
> they certainly will - either a new TiVo unit (both DTV and TiVo said
> that's in discussion), or they'll do a new unit using NDS or

I thought that DirecTV was going to let their contract with TiVo lapse
in 2007. Anyway, /. reports the rumor that Apple is considering
purchasing TiVo and that both of their stocks rose on said rumor.

--
Forte International, P.O. Box 1412, Ridgecrest, CA 93556-1412
Ronald Cole <ronald@forte-intl.com> Phone: (760) 499-9142
President, CEO Fax: (760) 499-9152
My GPG fingerprint: C3AF 4BE9 BEA6 F1C2 B084 4A88 8851 E6C8 69E3 B00B
 
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In article <m3650gqbn0.fsf@yakisoba.forte-intl.com>,
Ronald Cole <ronald@forte-intl.com> wrote:

> newsREMOVE@THISmegazone.org (MegaZone) writes:
> > they certainly will - either a new TiVo unit (both DTV and TiVo said
> > that's in discussion), or they'll do a new unit using NDS or
>
> I thought that DirecTV was going to let their contract with TiVo lapse
> in 2007. Anyway, /. reports the rumor that Apple is considering
> purchasing TiVo and that both of their stocks rose on said rumor.

and have since slipped back. In 2007 DirecTv may stop selling TiVo
units, likely too expensive to do anything but continue to support the 2
or 3 million DirecTiVo units (2 million now, 3 million + by 2007)
 

Sean

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On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 12:29:24 GMT, Jack Zwick <jzwick3@mindspring.com>
wrote:

>In article <m3650gqbn0.fsf@yakisoba.forte-intl.com>,
> Ronald Cole <ronald@forte-intl.com> wrote:
>
>> newsREMOVE@THISmegazone.org (MegaZone) writes:
>> > they certainly will - either a new TiVo unit (both DTV and TiVo said
>> > that's in discussion), or they'll do a new unit using NDS or
>>
>> I thought that DirecTV was going to let their contract with TiVo lapse
>> in 2007. Anyway, /. reports the rumor that Apple is considering
>> purchasing TiVo and that both of their stocks rose on said rumor.
>
>and have since slipped back. In 2007 DirecTv may stop selling TiVo
>units, likely too expensive to do anything but continue to support the 2
>or 3 million DirecTiVo units (2 million now, 3 million + by 2007)


Wow Jackie. Some stellar analysis there.

In *2007* DTV *may* stop selling Tivo units ...

What a dolt you are.

Directv will have a far superior "media Center" dvr of their own
available later this year. 2005. I'm sure after all the resources they
spent developing a new product of their own they'll still sell Tivos
for the next 2 years. Not.

Man, you Tivo rumpswabs have your heads in the sand.

Cable companies have beens swapping out cable dvr's at the drop of a
hat, despite what all the tivo rumpswabs in this NG have been saying.

Directv will be no different.

Sean
 
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In article <ga6921h2lv60hqi13l540l6oihpn96kqgc@4ax.com>, Sean <none>
wrote:

> On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 12:29:24 GMT, Jack Zwick <jzwick3@mindspring.com>
> wrote:
>
> >In article <m3650gqbn0.fsf@yakisoba.forte-intl.com>,
> > Ronald Cole <ronald@forte-intl.com> wrote:
> >
> >> newsREMOVE@THISmegazone.org (MegaZone) writes:
> >> > they certainly will - either a new TiVo unit (both DTV and TiVo said
> >> > that's in discussion), or they'll do a new unit using NDS or
> >>
> >> I thought that DirecTV was going to let their contract with TiVo lapse
> >> in 2007. Anyway, /. reports the rumor that Apple is considering
> >> purchasing TiVo and that both of their stocks rose on said rumor.
> >
> >and have since slipped back. In 2007 DirecTv may stop selling TiVo
> >units, likely too expensive to do anything but continue to support the 2
> >or 3 million DirecTiVo units (2 million now, 3 million + by 2007)
>
>
> Wow Jackie. Some stellar analysis there.
>
> In *2007* DTV *may* stop selling Tivo units ...
>
> What a dolt you are.
>
> Directv will have a far superior "media Center" dvr of their own
> available later this year. 2005.

Vaporware !
 
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In article <ga6921h2lv60hqi13l540l6oihpn96kqgc@4ax.com>, Sean <none>
wrote:

>
> Cable companies have beens swapping out cable dvr's at the drop of a
> hat, despite what all the tivo rumpswabs in this NG have been saying.

Of course they have many folks have been through 2,3 or 4 Scientific
Atalanta units and still dont have a properly functioning one.

TiVo was just awarded some more Patents, and Scientific Atlanta will
soon be broke.
 
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Jack Zwick wrote:

> TiVo was just awarded some more Patents, and Scientific Atlanta will
> soon be broke.

Scientific Atlanta will soon be broke? You sure are an ignorant moron.

[bill me, Tom]
 
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In article <4224C832.9C9CF1C3@home.com>, ric <nospam@home.com> wrote:

> Jack Zwick wrote:
>
> > TiVo was just awarded some more Patents, and Scientific Atlanta will
> > soon be broke.
>
> Scientific Atlanta will soon be broke? You sure are an ignorant moron.

Calling me names will not win a Patent-Infringement suit for Scientific
Atlanta.
 
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In article <ga6921h2lv60hqi13l540l6oihpn96kqgc@4ax.com>, Sean <none> wrote:
>Directv will have a far superior "media Center" dvr of their own
>available later this year. 2005. I'm sure after all the resources they
>spent developing a new product of their own they'll still sell Tivos
>for the next 2 years. Not.

We've heard that one before, more than once. Direct has yet to even
announce this media center DVR and you assume it will exist and actually
work before the year's end? It was 16 months between the CES demo of
the HDtivo and when it actually was available for use, and that was
just a minor enhancement of the existing dtivo.

Direct has the incentive to produce a replacement, but not necessarily
to produce a superior one.

--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com
 
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In article <d046rm$emh$1@agate.berkeley.edu>,
jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu (Jason O'Rourke) wrote:

> In article <ga6921h2lv60hqi13l540l6oihpn96kqgc@4ax.com>, Sean <none> wrote:
> >Directv will have a far superior "media Center" dvr of their own
> >available later this year. 2005. I'm sure after all the resources they
> >spent developing a new product of their own they'll still sell Tivos
> >for the next 2 years. Not.
>
> We've heard that one before, more than once. Direct has yet to even
> announce this media center DVR and you assume it will exist and actually
> work before the year's end? It was 16 months between the CES demo of
> the HDtivo and when it actually was available for use, and that was
> just a minor enhancement of the existing dtivo.
>
> Direct has the incentive to produce a replacement, but not necessarily
> to produce a superior one.

As always: "don't buy promises"
 

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On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 11:27:48 GMT, Jack Zwick <jzwick3@mindspring.com>
wrote:

>In article <d046rm$emh$1@agate.berkeley.edu>,
> jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu (Jason O'Rourke) wrote:
>
>> In article <ga6921h2lv60hqi13l540l6oihpn96kqgc@4ax.com>, Sean <none> wrote:
>> >Directv will have a far superior "media Center" dvr of their own
>> >available later this year. 2005. I'm sure after all the resources they
>> >spent developing a new product of their own they'll still sell Tivos
>> >for the next 2 years. Not.
>>
>> We've heard that one before, more than once. Direct has yet to even
>> announce this media center DVR and you assume it will exist and actually
>> work before the year's end? It was 16 months between the CES demo of
>> the HDtivo and when it actually was available for use, and that was
>> just a minor enhancement of the existing dtivo.
>>
>> Direct has the incentive to produce a replacement, but not necessarily
>> to produce a superior one.
>
>As always: "don't buy promises"

That's funny coming from someone who promised that Tivo will have a
Cable Card HD - Tivo out in January of next year.

Sean
 
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Sean - resident illogical Troll and TiVo hater.

PLONK
 
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In article <c3qb21d76jfm8dp6d79ort4jv4h5vppnpg@4ax.com>, Sean <none> wrote:
>>In article <ga6921h2lv60hqi13l540l6oihpn96kqgc@4ax.com>, Sean <none> wrote:
>>>Directv will have a far superior "media Center" dvr of their own
>>>available later this year. 2005. I'm sure after all the resources they
>That's the beauty of this. It doesn't have to be the geratest DVR ever
>produced. Just adequate at first and they'll stop selling Tivo's and
>replacing the old ones.

So you're no longer holding to your claims of "far superior?" Will
"later this year" go next?

No one has yet to match the HDtivo, and no one has yet even tried the
distributed media center that the rumors claim of this new wonder box.
I'm pretty sure I'll still be using the hdtivo into 2006. And I suspect
I'll hold off on the swap as long as I can manage.
--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com
 
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In article <d0c38m$2ifh$1@agate.berkeley.edu>,
jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu (Jason O'Rourke) wrote:

> In article <c3qb21d76jfm8dp6d79ort4jv4h5vppnpg@4ax.com>, Sean <none> wrote:
> >>In article <ga6921h2lv60hqi13l540l6oihpn96kqgc@4ax.com>, Sean <none> wrote:
> >>>Directv will have a far superior "media Center" dvr of their own
> >>>available later this year. 2005. I'm sure after all the resources they
> >That's the beauty of this. It doesn't have to be the geratest DVR ever
> >produced. Just adequate at first and they'll stop selling Tivo's and
> >replacing the old ones.
>
> So you're no longer holding to your claims of "far superior?" Will
> "later this year" go next?
>
> No one has yet to match the HDtivo, and no one has yet even tried the
> distributed media center that the rumors claim of this new wonder box.
> I'm pretty sure I'll still be using the hdtivo into 2006. And I suspect
> I'll hold off on the swap as long as I can manage.

DirecTv has said again and again, it will continue to sell TiVo units
through 2007.
 
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On 2-Mar-2005, Jack Zwick <jzwick3@mindspring.com> wrote:

> As always: "don't buy promises"

Yes. Look what is about to happen to Social Security under Bush.

Alan Greenspan indicated this week that it may not be possible to 'save
Social Security' without more or less bankrupting the economy.

Thus Bush and Greenspan have told us what the 'full faith and backing' of
the US Government means.

Technology companies, including DirecTV, may be even less likely to fulfill
promises.
 
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In article <I6rWd.28405$uc.13279@trnddc09>, L230j@verizon.net wrote:

>
> On 2-Mar-2005, Jack Zwick <jzwick3@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> > As always: "don't buy promises"
>
> Yes. Look what is about to happen to Social Security under Bush.
>
> Alan Greenspan indicated this week that it may not be possible to 'save
> Social Security' without more or less bankrupting the economy.
>
> Thus Bush and Greenspan have told us what the 'full faith and backing' of
> the US Government means.
>
> Technology companies, including DirecTV, may be even less likely to fulfill
> promises.

If the promises come from the Marketing Department, rather than the
Engineering Department, you have a problem.

Sort of like the difference between statements from the Congressional
Budget Office versus those from the Secretary of the Treasury.