h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As was observed in another thread, this article is very US-centric. TiVo has been available in the UK for some time now.

The hardware product is very similar, but is designed to work well with analogue broadcast signals as well as the various digital options (which the article implies isn't true in the US). In the UK, what's on channel 11 is fairly accurately determined by your postcode with little or no bleed-over from adjacent areas.

The software is a little behind. I've been away for a while, so they may have started, but I thought we were just about to beta test the v2.x software in the UK. This is the version which introduces such features as finding all other occurrences of a programme (regardless of channel) and allowing search by keyword. The v1.5.x software in the UK allows season passes on a single station and search by programme name, time, channel, etc.

I also think the article is slightly wrong about the four qualities. The lowest quality is slightly below LP VHS, but the effect on the signal is different because this is a digital medium: basically, you get some softening of the edges (as with VHS) and also some digital artefacts (especially on dark areas or night scenes). Depending on your viewpoint, "medium" or "high" are roughly equivalent to SP VHS. "Best" is digital broadcast-quality.

In the UK, all players are 14 hours at best and 40-45 hours on lowest, unless modified. Also, all are made by Thomson.

There's no doubt that TiVo is life-changing. You can fairly count on not having to watch anything "just because it's the only thing on" ever again. Also, even if you have always assiduously recorded your favourite programmes and have no problem using a video recorder, you will value the fact that all the programmes currently recorded are listed by name, date and time. No more "what have you done with last week's Rick Stein?"

My understanding of the "always watching something" question is that after 30 minutes of no remote activity, the TiVo assumes you may not be watching anymore. It then considers offering you items from the suggestions (although it may not, if there's nothing there). You can always override these if you're actually watching. I have only once ever been prompted about a suggestion while I was actually watching something else.

Re: the quality descriptions, remember that the US uses NTSC, which means that their quality expectations are lower than in the UK...

Since this article was posted, another TiVo relative has entered the UK market - the Freeview PVR. The technology is licenced from TiVo, but as the 8-day schedule is broadcast for free there's no ongoing licencing involved. I've had one of the first ones, a Humax 8000T, for well over a year now and I wouldn't be without it. The software is still a little klunky, but regular updates are patching the last few bugs, and I won't part with it until they release the twin tuner (9000T?) model later this year.

Are you sure the technology is licensed from TiVo? Humax have a relationship with TiVo in other markets but have explicitly ruled ouot releasing a TiVo in the UK. Looking through the manual, there are some similarities, but the software looks much more complex than the TiVo (TiVo's great strength is the quality and simplicity of the software) and they have taken some pains to avoid using TiVo terminology.

Yup, they pay TiVo a licence fee for each unit, mostly because TiVo have licenced the "concept" of pausing "live" TV. Ditto, Sky+ boxes pay TiVo a licence fee...

Do you know for certain that they actually pay?

Usually in these cases, there are so many counter claims that they all agree to "net off" the patents.

I read about the licencing deal on a website, but now I go to search for it I can't find it; quite the contrary in fact. I can find plenty of references to a Humax press release saying that, although they have licenced TiVo technology, they don't plan to use it in the UK.

I'll post back here if I find the original article... If I don't find it, apologies in advance for misleading you.