I want my DVD-TV
You see? When I speak, they listen. Just last week I was telling Viola that I won’t get a TiVo until they come out with one that has a DVD burner built into it. Most of the shows we record just get taped over after we watch them, but every now and then there’s something I want to keep. And the one thing about TiVo that always bugged me was that you had to keep saved programs in the box, on the built-in hard drive. There was no way to get them out for archiving. So, eventually, your hard drive would fill up with saved shows, and there’d be no room for new ones. And without having the TiVo networked to the computer (something else that would be just peachy), you’d either have to start taping over your saved shows, or buy a second TiVo. So why not build a TiVo that can record your shows onto DVD? That way you can build a library of shows, all easy to get at on DVD, and keep your TiVo’s hard drive free and clear. My idea was genius and groundbreaking, and I made sure to voice it in a public place so Big Brother would pick up on it.
Well, someone at Pioneer overheard me talking and fast-tracked the project. Now they have a TiVo that can record your shows onto DVD. Wicked. Now I have just one more request. Dish Network has satellite receivers with TiVo built into them now. Great idea, especially since we’ve been thinking of switching to satellite for a while now. (What kind of cable company doesn’t carry Comedy Central? Charter cable of Gardnerville, that’s who!) So if they can build a two-in-one box with TiVo and DVD over here, and if they can built a two-in-one box with Dish and TiVo over there, where’s the three-in-one box?
If someone can do that—satellite, TiVo and DVD in one unit—then they’ll start to see my wallet opening.
Filed under The Computer Vet Weblog
As long as it's powered by Windows CE.Net…
Actually, Tivo+DVD = PC with All-in-Wonder and DVD burner. I can burn Video CDs with my PC, and it has all the recording features of a Tivo. I don't think the Dish Network ever came out with their PC decoder card, though, like they had planned. You'll just have to make do with an IR transmitter and a bit of programming…
Yeah, except TiVo has a much nicer interface than any PC TV recording software I've seen. And I don't have to have a PC (as such) sitting in my living room. And I just plug it in and use it, just like a DVD player or VCR, instead of having to screw around, install software, keep OSes updated, etc.
There's certainly cost savings and geeky fun to be had in cobbling together a PVR on a computer rather than buying one at the store. But when I'm adding something to my stereo stack, I want something that just works. I get enough of futzing with computers at work. When I sit down to watch TV, I don't want to have to think about a computer in any way, shape or form. The TiVo successfully abstracts all of the technology away to the degree that I've had it for three years and haven't had to do a thing besides plug it in the day I got it and use it mindlessly. That's worth a few extra bucks to me.