No one likes advertisements. But the fact is that they are a part of our society and will continue to annoy. TiVo was previously a walled garden from ads, but they have slowly crept in over the last couple of years. Now, there are ads scattered throughout the system. But are they really that bad?
I asked my wife who uses our TiVo the majority of the time and she didn’t even know there where ads. I had to show her and eventually she remembered them, but they don’t annoy her at all. I believe TiVo has found a way to place ads in the system that net the company revenue, but doesn’t really bother the consumer.
Think of the Moxi HD as a hot, new Hollywood actress. She might have the look and desire to be the next big thing, but she just doesn’t have the goods to hang with the real starlets. That’s the Moxi HD DVR. It looks amazing, but the core functionality isn’t as good as other options and it fails to offer anything significant in comparison.
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UPDATE: Looks like this deal is a one-time-use link. If you’re an exisiting TiVo subscriber, check your e-mail to see if you got the same offer or ask someone you know who’s already a subscriber if they’ve got a code you can use. Sorry for the mix-up.
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I finally received and installed a Moxi HD DVR after some shipping issues with Fedex . I have to say though, I’m not that impressed two days in. The company screams on the official website that the Moxi is superior to TiVo in almost every way – seriously, it does – but besides the pretty eye-candy GUI, I wouldn’t call everything superior. The Moxi has some sweet extra features that TiVo doesn’t, but I feel like the core functionality of watching and recording television isn’t all that better.
Click through for more initial thoughts and unboxing pics.
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Digeo’s Moxi HD DVR, you know it as the other DVR that’s sort-of like TiVo, is getting a big software update that brings the sexy DVR up to speed with TiVo. Actually, these updates on paper make the Moxi box seem ahead of TiVo. Moxi’s calling card previously was a killer GUI and that hasn’t changed. Content on demand is being addressed this time around with PlayOn and DLNA support.
Remember BlockBuster? For you younglings who don’t, it was a poplar retail chain that rented “videos” and “DVDs” to people, in person. It’s still around, but no one really uses it anymore. Anyway, BlockBuster just inked a deal with TiVO, which also isn’t doing too well—it currently has its smallest subscriber base since 2005—to bring BlockBuster-branded streaming movies to TiVo. Movies will cost up to $4 to rent.
Roku is adding Amazon VOD to its $99 media streaming device. Currently the service is only in beta but if all goes well, we should see the library within the 2.0 firmware update. (ETA unknown) There still isn’t any word if the update will bring Amazon VOD in high-def though. The higher quality service was hinted by TiVo a few months ago but it still hasn’t shown up on that platform yet. Will Roku beat TiVo to the punch with Amazon VOD HD? Maybe.
VUDU sent along a minor update that adds a little YouTube goodness to the Netflix-streaming machine. Now, if a high definition version is available, the VUDU box will display that rather than the crappy SD version. You, the user, do not have to do anything extra; well, just update your movie streaming box. That’s all. You listening, TiVo. Where is your HD YouTube update? Eh?
TiVo just updated their search functionality so it’s all shiny and new. It’s basically a UI redesign with a bit more oomph. They’ve essentially appeased the HDTV crowd with album cover-type artwork and suggested content based on what you’re searching for. It also eliminates the nuisance of having to drill down through the menus to see what’s going on.
Digeo finally has made their next-gen HD DVR somewhat available. Amazon has a soft launch of the $799 box and as much as I dig the Moxi’s UI, I hope it has the right stuff to justify spending $200 more than a 1TB TiVo HD XL. True, you don’t have the monthly subscription with the Moxi box, but it’s half the storage for HD Desperate Housewives recordings. Eventually TiVo will get off its ass and produce a comparable user interface ’cause that’s the one thing Moxi has going for it. But if you have $799 to spare and want to own a DVR without the monthly fees, this Moxi might be for you.
The days of skipping advertisments completely with the help of a DVR might quickly disappear. TiVo is now injecting ads when owners simply pause TV. So far the ads haven’t been rolled out to the newer Series 3/HD models and seem to only be on Series 2 boxe,s but the time will probably come when everyone has them. Apparently, the monthly costs associated with TiVo weren’t profitable enough and now us paying subscribers are going to be bombarded with even more ads. Nice.
The TiVo Fall update that dropped yesterday had a little somethin-somthin hidden under the hood. Netflix is now up and ready; HD content included. So far I’m impressed. The interface is TiVo-familiar. High-def content queues up almost instantly verses the Xbox’s near-almost present lag. Picture quality is good- not great, but good.
Three things though, TiVo.
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TiVo Series 3 and HD owners woke up to the Fall update today. There are a few, slight UI changes that owners should greatly appreciate. Primarily, the main menu is better labeled with Video On Demand and Music, Photos & Showcases taking the place of Find Programs & Downloads, Music, Photos, Product, & More, and Showcases headings. Might seem like a minor bump but it definitely shows that TiVo is ready to fully embrace Internet video. Now, how about Amazon HD and Hulu? A totally revamped interface would be nice, too.
We feel for soldiers stationed abroad. It’s hard enough to watch Desperate Housewives without the Misses, but it also comes on at a weird time ’cause of the time difference. Allied Telesis Capital is helping our soldiers with a gigantic time-shifting device that will broadcast U.S. television programs at the right time on the right day kind of like a super TiVo.
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TiVo owners found a placeholder button indicating a high definition Amazon HD service early this morning. The button, however, simply took users to the standard Amazon Top Downloads area instead of to HD content. Now the entire TiVo download section is not available, rather showing the image above instead of displaying services like Amazon, Web Videos, Jaman, and Disney. Furthermore, TiVo has denied that the service is coming soon. So we can only assume that section was pulled to remove that HD button to prevent any more rumors. The hope is still alive though that maybe sometime soon, us TiVo owners will have HD On Demand.
Well, lookie here. TiVo has an button labeled, “Available in High Definition” underneath the Amazon Video On Demand section. While the button can be selected and pressed, it takes you to the main Amazon Video area where High Definition content is nowhere to be found – yet.
Strange? Not really. Netflix is streaming in HD and Amazon needs to compete. The only question now is, when will this button take TiVo users to high definition content? More as we get it.
I can’t watch TV without my TiVo, but the one thing I’m really lax about is actually programming the damn thing (Best Invention Ever: Season Pass).
In an effort to strip away all my excuses for not finding new shows and movies to watch, TiVo is introducing a mobile site at m.tivo.com (warning: link may not be live yet) that will let subscribers with Internet-connected DVRs schedule their TiVo’s remotely from their phones, just like they can today via their laptops. (The mobile site was created by Mobui).
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Yeah, um. Okay. In what seems like the ultimate American fatty wet dream, TiVo owners can now order Dominos pizza from the comfort of their coach. Apparently it’s to much for to ask a person to reach over and grab the cordless phone. All it takes is a few clicks on the remote to navigate to the widget and from there you can order up to $100 worth of Dominos food. Ultimate TV app or a few ticks off of the life clock?
Where isn’t Netflix anymore? It looks great on the 360, it’s ending up in set-top boxes and media players from multiple makers. Now, if you had the foresight to buy a Series 3, HD, or HD XL you can now stream all of Netflix’s 12,000 streaming titles.
The service will use the same interface used by the 360 and the Roku box. You select films on Netflix.com and then add them to your instant queue. The films stream immediately upon selection. You can enable your TiVo for Netflix downloads by visiting www.tivo.com/netflix.
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Another reason to go with a TiVo instead of a generic DVR: downloadable Disney and indie movies on demand.
The deals were actually announced earlier in the year, but starting today you’ll be able to download and rent movies from Jaman.com. They specialize in indie movies that people pretend to enjoy in order to come across as erudite and refined. Rentals there start at $1.99 per 24-hour viewing window.
Beginning next week you’ll also be able to download Disney movies (via CinemaNow), with prices there starting at $2.99.
Keep in mind that we’re only talking about standard definition here and that you’ll need a Series 2 or Series 3/HD TiVo to participate.
via Zatz Not Funny
