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Tivo 3.0 'Firebolt' Hits the Wild
James Evans writes "Tivo is rolling out version 3.0 of their software, including Ethernet drivers as well as the ability to download program data directly from a cable broadcast without using the phone line."
My guess is it'll be awhile before everyone gets it since these things come
in waves.
Neither 1st or 2nd generation Tivo hardware include an ethernet port, yet the 3.0 update includes ethernet support...
Does this mean that Tivo will be supporting folks popping their 1st gen. boxes open to install an ethernet card/kit like the one www.9thtee.com has been selling? Likewise, will Tivo be publishing a list of supported USB ethernet adapaters for the 2nd. gen boxes?
Or, is this simply Tivo being nice to the hacker community to by partially integrating ethernet support into their offical product?
Check out Tivo's privacy policy on their website. Tivo is very upfront about what sorts of information they collect from your Tivo unit - and also give instructions on how you can disable this if you wish.
Tivo only collects aggregate data, meaning they can say 10 customers in an area (zip code) watched a TV show last night, but not WHICH 10.
the ability to download program data directly from a cable broadcast without using the phone line
So what exactly am I paying $9.95 a month for? I could understand the charge before because they had to pay for their 800 number, but now why should I pay for service when the box can do everything itself?
Chicago2600.net more than a lifestyle, its a survival trait.
Yea, tivo is moving over to the Series II platform. The new boxes are at some best buys right now, and I think all of them should have it within a week or so. You can also buy the series II tivos (the 40 hour at&t one, or the 60 hour one) from http://www.tivo.com
The TiVo broadcasts I have been seeing on local cable channels at 2 am
a screen full of vertical blanking interval data with TIVO broadcast in the center of the screen and a "please excuse us this is a Tivo broadcast" voice over with corney music running in the background.
Cool.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Is it encrypted?
The guide data probably isn't copyrightable. Phone directory data isn't copyrightable, nor are databases of facts. ("The standard of originality for copyright is low, but it exists." - U.S. Supreme Court)The formatted data may be copyrightable, but you probably want to get it out of TiVo's format into something more useful anyway.
- They offer just the hardware without requiring subscription (or huge up front fee) and the unit is mostly functional without it.
- It becomes a general purpose multimedia machine which I can do what ever the heck I want to with.
1 may eventually happen but 2 will not likely happen do to legal problems even though it should be perfectly legal. See more for my reasons at my home page.I have been interested in TiVo for a while now, but I have heard from several people that you have a life, or you have TiVo. Because it records things you might like to see, you spend most of your time trying to watch them. Is this the case for most TiVo owners, or only those with no TV willpower?
I have two DirectTivo units and one regular Tivo unit. I primarily use my cell phone for everything and work did pay for my home phone line. When I lost my job I didn't replace the phone line thinking I could just program the one TiVo and let the DirectTivos get their information from the DirectTV. When I got a new job or Tivo released an update I figured I would get another phone line.
This worked fine for the standard TiVo. I had to program it to record like a VCR by time, but it continued to record manually. The DirectTivos however after 30 days of not connecting to the TiVo service refused to record anything even though they had TV listings! I was/am very mad at this and ended up having to get a phone line. They wouldn't even record manually. How stupid. I love my Tivos, but this was uncalled for.
I plan on writing Tivo but I doubt they will listen.
My 9th tee controller works with 2.5. I'm running 2.5.1-01-1-000 and haven't had my tivo plugged into the phone jack for months. Plus, I can telnet to it and copy mpegs from it, so it's obviously working.
I agree with you.
I'd also like to add that its cost effective for me to spend $12/mo to let TiVo get the guide and take care of itself. Sure someone might say the data is free (from some easily obtainable resource which I have yet to see someone mention) and that you could write/download the software to handle it all. Of course, $12 equals about 15 minutes of my time. So I can either spend $12 or 2-4 hours a month dicking around with a computer sitting in my living room that lets me watch TV.
I'd rather just spend the $12 and know there is a 1-800 number I can call when something goes wrong.