Timer Recording vs. Tivo

[grendyl]

I searched for FAQs on Dish Network website on this before posting - please don't flame me.

I have had Tivo and Moxi.

Exactly what does timer-based recording mean, how is it different than what Tivo does? Thank you so much. Is it reading through the TV guide and just typing in times of the show (like a VCR)?

 

[SimpleSimon]

No, it's better than that. While you CAN do it that way, most people just highlight their show in the guide and hit "Record". Options include things like Monday-Friday, everyday, and Weekly.

TiVo has "name-based" recording. This means you get to have 12,345,678 copies of the same episode of M*A*S*H automagically recorded to your hard disk.

No, not really, but it's certainly not the be-all-end-all that some think it is.

 

[grendyl]

Thanks

 

[Bizzach]

Well-put Simon!

 

[mrschwarz]

No, not really, but it's certainly not the be-all-end-all that some think it is.

Yes it is

 

[geobernd]

One reason E* didn't get me as a 100% customer (switching off D*) but rather for only one international channel is because of the lack of name based recording. I cannot imagine going back to the way recordings are setup on my 508 for all my TV watching. I spend maybe 5-10 minutes every 3 month updating my season passes. with the 508 I spend 5-10 minutes every week just setting up recordings for one channel (they don't have regular time slots for most shows...)....
So for me the 'seasons pass' is the golden goose of DVRs

 

[SimpleSimon]

For me, it really won't help much - I record and watch so much that I ften exceed the total number of available timers - and I'd be surprised if E* even begins to think about that factor - they never have before.

 

[ShadowEKU]

One reason E* didn't get me as a 100% customer (switching off D*) but rather for only one international channel is because of the lack of name based recording. I cannot imagine going back to the way recordings are setup on my 508 for all my TV watching. I spend maybe 5-10 minutes every 3 month updating my season passes. with the 508 I spend 5-10 minutes every week just setting up recordings for one channel (they don't have regular time slots for most shows...)....
So for me the 'seasons pass' is the golden goose of DVRs

Ive had Tivo and I have the Dish DVR's 90% of my shows are on regular blocks... all except USA. Just wait till tivo starts missing things like the simpsons after football games.. or when JAG on USA decides that day to change times with something else.

I dont think its the golden goose. its a little better than what we currently have but not by much.

 

[mrschwarz]

Actually, it's a lot better. All networks move shows around to some extent. Tivo, for the most part accomodates that.

Also, with a Tivo it's almost a sure thing that a program will get recorded. With a 522, not so much.

If the 522 did everything it's supposed to without a problem, it would be almost as good as a Tivo. It's not currently almost as good as a Tivo.

I trade the slight degradation of picture quality for the reliabilty of the Tivo (and mine is an obsolete series 1).

 

[Unthinkable]

Actually, it's a lot better. All networks move shows around to some extent.

Gross exaggeration.

 

[Randy_B]

. . .with a Tivo it's almost a sure thing that a program will get recorded.

Yeah? How's that season pass for Cold Case working?

 

[mrschwarz]

Yeah? How's that season pass for Cold Case working?

Sorry. I should have said it rarely misses a recording that's listed in the program guide.

 

[rad]

Ive had Tivo and I have the Dish DVR's 90% of my shows are on regular blocks... all except USA. Just wait till tivo starts missing things like the simpsons after football games.. or when JAG on USA decides that day to change times with something else.

I dont think its the golden goose. its a little better than what we currently have but not by much.

Oh, I didn't know that E* receivers automatically knew when a football game ran long and adjusted the timers for the Simpsons accordingly. Tivo can only do what the program guide tells it. If the network changes it due to something like a game going long Tivo or the time based settings on E*'s PVR's won't record it completly, it at all.

But Tivo will automaticlly know when NBC stars a show 1 minute early or has a special episode that goes an extra 5 or 10 minutes longer. E*'s won't.

 

[ShadowEKU]

Oh, I didn't know that E* receivers automatically knew when a football game ran long and adjusted the timers for the Simpsons accordingly. Tivo can only do what the program guide tells it. If the network changes it due to something like a game going long Tivo or the time based settings on E*'s PVR's won't record it completly, it at all.

But Tivo will automaticlly know when NBC stars a show 1 minute early or has a special episode that goes an extra 5 or 10 minutes longer. E*'s won't.

Ill admit my post was a bit sarcastic sorry. Anyway No E*'s receivers wont correct for overages either neither will tivo. I was just resonding that these things happen and timers get missed. such is life.

I agree that because Dish is soelly timer based it wont change things and the like.

Ill do ya one better and say that TiVo grabs the new shows only. I am a huge fan of Tivo... have one hooked to my 811. But when I got E* I wanted the clearest possible picture and didnt want to recompress something that was already compresses way too much

 

[atdsl]

All's I can say is I'm happy

Does Tivo integrate with the dish like the 721 does? Is Tivo now free or do you still have to pay upfront for the subscription? Oh, and how about their nice upgrades, like forcing the customer to now watch a 4 second still advertisment as they skip past a commercial...It's coming soon!
Sure there are things I would like to see added to the PVR, but for me, I want to be able to watch a show while one or two other shows are recording and I don't want those shows compressed again. When a Falcons game is scheduled I add 90 minutes to my recording and get the whole game when it goes long. Yes I spend a minute or so clicking on the program guide, but I actually enjoy it. Dish has been very good at continuing to add features to a unit that I bought 2 years ago without any extra fees. If you are a dish customer, I would highly recommend a 721. I've told the marketing people at Tivo before their product ever hit the market, to integrate with dish as a dual receiver. Did they listen? No, I scared them off to DirecTv instead.

 

[DishTechCB]

Things to Look Forward to

While the DVR's that dish currently offers are all on time-based recording, the new 942 is going to be name-based. All named-based recording requires is the right software and once the 942 is released (hopefully the end of janurary) and all the kink's worked out, there's no reason the other dvr's shouldn't have it