VCR IP incompatibility problems
22nd April 2003 by Simon
I was reading through a discussion on slashdot about building your own PVR and someone foolishly piped up saying, “what about good old VCR’s?”. There was obviously a number of rude comments, it is slashdot after all, and one hilarious one that highlights the strengths of PVR’s.
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I enjoyed that post too, and have to agree wholeheartedly that if you want TiVo-like functionality then the cheapest, slickest and most fully-featured solution is to just go and buy a TiVo.
I looked into “rolling my own” and it soon starts looking limited, clunky and expensive. Anyone who had used a TiVo is amazed at how easy it is to operate for a “techie gadget”.
The only minor problem is in the UK they’ve stopped selling them, so you’re left with buying new or second-hand off eBay.
[Disclaimer: I’m a total TiVo evangelist and could never go back]
I haven’t come across anyone who has lived with a TiVo that can imagine life without it - I know I couldn’t - it just becomes part of your life. Re-reading the piece I wrote back in August after I’d had it for a a couple of months, my views have changed slightly - the pause button is useful and I don’t archive anything to VHS anymore as I’ve got rid of the VHS machine - it just seemed too archaic. If anything, I’m more dependant on the TiVo.
After the initial panic in the advertising/commercial TV community following TiVo’s introduction, they now appear to be sitting back and laughingly saying “look at the sales figures - it’s a flop” and I’ve even seen a few articles recently that are starting to questions if PVR’s will affect TV advertising at all. These are clearly not people who have lived with a PVR, and frankly they’re deluding themselves.
I’m at planning stages of a media server which will sit in the cellar, and will hold/collect all of my media (audio, video, photo’s, backup of laptops, etc). Then later having another front-end/lounge-friendly computer that will work quietly and just play content. It’s taking a while because there’s lots of interesting developments in the area that make me go back to the drawing-board.