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ReplayTV Switches To Subscription Model For New Unit
aclute writes "ReplayTV is going to move to a subscription-fee for it's new 4500 series in order to "meet the needs of national electronics retailers with lower overall costs and increased promotional opportunities" and "ensure the long-term success of our ReplayTV retail strategy". No talk yet of the cost or a lifetime/yearly option yet. Looks like TiVo might have had the right idea after all." I still want to get a 4500, but the vendor lockin with someone who's being sued by *everyone* does throw some cold water on desire for the machine.
1. Imagine a Beowulf cluster
2. Obtain hot gritz.
Slashdot, come for the goatse, stay for the trolls.
Trains, planes, cars, rockets, telescopes, tires, telephones, radios, television, electricity, atomic energy, computers, and fax machines. All miracles made possible by the minds and spirits of men with names like Ampere, Bell, Caselli, Edison, Ohm, Faraday, Einstein, Cohen, Teller, Shockley, Hertz, Marconi, Morse, Popov. Ford, Volta, Michelin, Dunlop, Watt, Diesel, Galileo, and other "dead white males."
All reports indicate that we have a booming economy right now, but few understand why this is so. I hate to disappoint my friends on the radical left, but it has nothing to do with Bonnie and Clyde Clinton or the Democratic Party, or with any other party for that matter. What Im about to say is tantamount to blasphemy in this politically correct day and age; yet truth is truth. How long are we going to pretend that origins play no role in our world, the origins of the inventions, science, technology, and economics of the world in which we live?
Our present economic boom is due to the revolution in electronics and computer technology. But saying this is not enough, for these things didnt just spring into existence by themselves. They have traceable origins. And all of our "booms," throughout history, have the same origins as this one. Its no mystery. Just look at the list of names in your history books, and their national origins.
The great majority of "booms" past and present have been brought about by the genius and inventiveness of that most "despicable" of genders, the dreaded white male, or, to be exact, by specific, individual white males. This is not to discredit the many contributions coming from non-whites, but fact is fact. Our most important and consequential inventions have come almost exclusively from white males.
Curse me, or all white males, if you wish, that changes nothing. But if you call me a liar, youll have to come up with the proof that Im wrong. Remember, I didnt say there were no important contributions by non-whites; I said the overwhelming majority. Of course, I know about such things as the Chinese and gunpowder, but they didnt take it much beyond firecrackers and pyrotechnics. And I know about the pyramids and masonry of South America and the zero of the Arabs.
Would we have atomic physics and electricity if it hadnt been for the ancient Greek philosophers who, for example, had the idea that all matter consists of tiny atoms? Aristotle (5th century, B.C., 25th century pre P.C.) used electric charges to treat gout! Archimedes perceived the center of gravity of solids, cylinders, and spheres. From the basic discoveries of Greek civilization it went to the Romans and after the fall of Rome, it passed to later Europeans who expanded on this scientific knowledge. In modern times these ideas were developed by such Europeans as Volta, Ampere, Watts, Bell, Edison, and Einstein, who provided the basis for most of the technical wonders of today. All of them dreaded white males.
Maybe you got your enlightenment from one of the Ivy-League institutions of dis-education. Maybe they taught you that its all the result of white racism and oppression. That every time a potential Einstein, Edison, or Ford popped up in the Third World, a White hit-squad would swoop down and eliminate him before he had a chance to prove himself. Or maybe their schools refused to teach him in the Ebonics of his day. Or maybe they didnt have proper daycare facilities. Or maybe our would-be innovator came from a "dysfunctional family."
But the facts tell us that many of the great men pursued their genius at great personal risk--like the astronomer Galileo, who proved that the earth revolves around the sun. He and other men of genius and courage refused to be suppressed even if it meant their lives. They would permit no race, gender, group or class to keep them from their pursuit of truth and excellence whatever the cost.
If you eliminate, suppress, or debase the while male, you kill the goose that laid the golden egg. If you ace him out with "affirmative" action, exile him from the family, teach him that hes a blight on mankind, then bon voyage to our society. We will devolve into a turd-world cesspool. Where has there ever before in history been a group of human beings who have brought about the likes of the Magna Carta, the US Constitution, and the countless life-saving and life- improving inventions that we now enjoy?
Now it is certainly true that China did lead the world in technology and commercial inventiveness about 1,000 years ago. They had great coal-mining operations, gunpowder, six-masted sailing ships, and intense commercial enterprise. But it all collapsed because the elites, the long-nailed Mandarins, centralized control--1,000 years before Mao--and crushed the expansion and inventions.
Does this mean we should sit back and let ourselves be governed by someone just because hes a white male? Of course, it doesnt. It means simply that we shouldnt suppress anyone, including white males. Let our God-given gifts run free in a free and just society, free from the oppression and tyranny of social engineers. If anyone has gifts beyond our own, be he a white male or other, be grateful. Maybe we have gifts that in some small way can contribute something of value as well. One way or another, were all in the same boat. Few of us have truly outstanding gifts. And most of us have to humbly accept that there are others around who are more gifted than we are. In a democratic society its not for Big Brother to decide who shall thrive and who shall struggle in the hive.
Wah. Wah. Cry wah. Fuck you commie. You leftish shit. Lets make the doors out of paper to let the burgulars in, give a big hug and try to kiss and make friends lalalalalal.
This thread is making me sick, and all the commie leftist biased shit going on makes me even more sick.
There are those few people here which have said some conservative sense to these leftists that would teach gay love to young boys for the sake of diversity.
No one holds a gun to your head to eat that fuckin' McDonalds. NO ONE. These third world saps suck up American culture because they are busy chopping clitorises off of women, suppressing ethnic minority groups though genocide or some other bull shit.
People are way to young and don't read much history. Ask Tibet how it likes China's takeover. Ask the Chinks how they like the Japs when they killed 100,000's during the occupation of Manchuria. Ask any of the down trodden eastern Europeans how it felt to have the long spear of the Soviet Ramrod up their asses during the cold war days? How bout a nice day in a GOULAG? How about making bomb shelters in Iraq near legit military targets to get "bad lefty communist like Christiana AMAPOUR to report civvie deaths even though Hussein is at fault?" How about starving Iraqi "children" aka terrorists in training starving to death because their leader is spending upwards ot 50B/year in WMD research. How about Canada and France selling No. Ko. reactor parts, great fuckin friends we have. How about getting the death penalty in Singapore for smoking a joint? How about giving the Middle East nations the oil fields back (after we built huge oil platforms for them, because the tent dwelling cretins were too fucking retarded
FUCK TIHS ANTI AMERICAN shit. all the foreigners who get here legally stay for a fucking damn good reason. And I welcome you, so long as you pay taxes do what you fuckin want.
This is historically unfounded. We get over our vices and inconsistencies fast here. USA makes mistakes, but the Sudanese still have slavery, we don't. We got over slavery damn quick compared to the rest of the world. We came a long way on suffrage (the right to vote to all the bleeding heart commies who have yet to pay much into the system yet). We may not be perfect yet, but shit, its far from shit. very far.
I hate the commie shit socialists who want the least common denominator for everyone.
FUCK YOU. Id rather nuke your ass and suck up some nice radiation I paid for that share my home with you fucking lazy un-working vermin.
I'll never worry about losing the cure for cancer by nuking dumps like Iraq, because these defunct shithead countries will never make one.
There is so much trash going around on this thread, it makes me laugh. Pseudo educated suppressed homosexuals (not that homosexuality is bad, but suppressing it, geeze you liberal fucks should spread the cheeks and get it done with, you spit your wad a lot harder when the person fucking your ass has a towel on his head) eructating puerile shit.
I'm glad we are planning to make it possible to put me into bondage. I would rather die than be in bondage to these shitty subversive chinks or commies or morally bankrupt suppressive shitass Islamic Towelheads.
We have said for 40 years plus, you do it, you think about it, and you are gone. the red button gets pressed, the red telephone gets slammed on the receiver.
The Japs did well surrendering to us. They are the second or third largest economy in the World, jeeze, the USA really sucks to surrender to , huh? You tools need to think - you really think the US didn't do them a favor by burning down that house? They made off with our car industry for Christ's sake, and boy, I do love driving my Japanese car - its great. And I fucking paid it off in 9 months, $33,000 bucks. And not, its not public property, you cant have a ride, fuck off , its mine I PAID FOR IT. None of this commie shit.
John Walker scume floating around Marin. Bezerkelyite fuckers with Barney Telletubbie view of the world scumballing their shit subversive agenda.
I must say, piss on John Asscraft for being a fascist shit. I may hate you leftist fuck commies, but this right wing fascist shit sucks too.
Really, really. What is going on? There are circles of power, some leaning left, some leaning right, some existing for themselves. They divide the people of the world, always focusing on what makes us different! Are you a fag or not? Are you black or white? Are you left or right? Are you a fat fuck? You know what I dont give a shit what you are, and thats still my fucking car. The circles of power want us to fight amongst ourselves while the prance off with all the fucking money and power.
Everyone wants a nice Japanese import car, real medical care (not socialized shit, like that shit in the UK where if you reach a certain age you entitlement to care is GONE, like if you get dialysis, hit age 65, they PULL THE FUCKING PLUG, because they are commie shits), they want halfway decent schools, freedom to think etc. We got all that here. I live it. You fall on your face here because you are lazy, not a caste system.
Tactical nukes are appropriate, and we had the finger on the button the last 50 years, we just want to remind the world, hey, have a wet dream, and well have a coupla kilotons of force to save us some money.
Appeasing Hitler landed Neville Chamberlain in the historical doghouse, and it took Winston Churchill to show the world the right way. To quote Churchill, "'Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others,'"
All high and mighty EU, they armed these fucking countries. Half the Islamic nations shit came from French military hardware, roundly supplemented by the zipper heads. The I hear some leftist shit in this thread quote MAO the DUNG on the US being the "paper tiger". HAH. Nice life expectancy in China there, Mao Tse Dung. Nice going, harvesting organs from political prisoners for the highest bidders and government dignitaries.
Commies say big business is evil. Hah. The "Evil" Big Business: Doesn't exist like you think it does. I am in a small business. My small business was created from money from big business to innovate new technology to stop Internet DDOS attacks. The innovation would be a B2B service for medium and small businesses. I get my health care, dental, paid vacation and education subsidy either directly or indirectly from Big "Evil?" Business. One could way to make things work better would be to give outright tax credits to companies doing good things in their communities, like building schools or repairing roads or bridges. I'm sure HP could negotiate a better price for the "NEW BAY AREA BRIDGE" than the cabal of stupid idiots running Oakland and San Francisco. Now that I think of HP, I think of a huge company that has built several hospitals and given BILLIONS of dollars in charity through the "David and Lucille Packard Foundation" - established 1964. General Electric was run by a bottom-to-top rags-to-riches engin
Point: Be angry at the media for sucking, be angry at the government for wasting your money. Unless we get a western version of Mohandas Gandhi, be angry with every single Congressman, Senator whatever else. They step on your heads everyday.
Time to go read about some new scientific discoveries or new information about open source software or something interesting. Politics suck.
God I love those Krauts too. The fucking purified leftovers from the National Socialist party. Fuck you krauts. You started two god damn world wars. This Eurotarded Eurotrash Union is a suck bag quagmire of shit.
And these Towelheads and their newfound love for Palestine. Keep in mind these Palestinian vagrants have been booted out of every ISLAMIC nation they try to infect. They are hooligan vagrants , and if you replaced Israel with lets say, a pro Towel regime like France, they would be next on hit list of all the adjacent Arab nations. No one wants to pay for these tent toting Neanderthalic holdovers from the 3rd century. May as well kill them. We wont have to in the long run, the morally bankrupt Islamic nations will mop them up for us when they have expired their usefulness to their twisted cause.
And everyone blames DUBYA, like one person runs the fucking country. Meanwhile, the Congress and Senate make all the fuckin laws, the only power W gets is a big fat Veto. There isnt much the legislative branch can't override. DYBYA has an big administration, so of it is typical Right wing special interest trash, some of it is true blue pro the future of America. Shit, these people have to have some notion of self preservation. Every single Bush family relative isnt surviving WWIII, fuck, I'd be willing to be that 90% of everyone in that administration's extended families would be dead as doornails if there was an all out nuclear conflict. No one wants an extended nuclear conflict, but I would pay front row admission to see bin Towelheads skin get baked off by a tactical nuke dropped off by a Predator or some shit. You dont eve have to aim.
The geopolitical situation in the world is not solely exacerbated by the US. It is bullshit to think that this country control the world's direction. People want what we have and arent willing to adopt our ways. We get what we want by worshipping our own dollar, more than POWER or RELIGION. Its only natural cretins dont catch on to this and feel like trying to defeat us "imperialists." Hey, quick secret you fuckers who hate us - STOP BUYING AND SELLING SHIT TO US, STOP USING OUR CURRENCY. I would be willing to bet that most of the world printed US currency isnt even in the US. Out of many one, e plurbus unum. Printed on the fucking money. I dont buy trickle down doesnt work either, our success trickles down. People think we should have the upper hand after we invent all this shit and create a venue for success because they are failures in life and have to resort to communism or socialism to make up for the fact they need Viagra to get it up, another American invention.
I love how America is seen as this pretty glass castle, and the rest of the serfs plowing the fields for a fair wage all start tossing rocks because they or their culture or their family failed to give the intellectual tools to succeed. Yeah, thats our fault.
I dont think an Islamic person will ever set foot off this planet, because anything not of the planet or Mecca or any aliens are probably UNCLEAN, UNHOLY and vile, and they MUST BEND to ALLAHS will. I cant believe people still believe in this superstitious bullshit.
Hey lefty, youll get extra credit for your shit clas at Berkelely - its called the SUNDANESE CULTURAL CLASS, 101, learn to carve a girls clitoris off! 4 CREDITS!
Bread gets moldy, turns to black.
Lots of things turn dark, moldy and brown with age.
Your kitchen floor was white at some point but you slovenly self had created a swampy quagmire of festering shit.
Black or darkness is an archetype for ignorance in literature, because in the very early days, darkness of the night was a preclusion of the world that was known.
White light is the presence of all the colors in the spectrum, black is the absence of all color.
Your tird-world ape nations have a lot to learn from the crackers. Us whiteys. Us honkies. Us stupid and intellectually inferior (being very facetious here) crackers.
We can cure you. We can. We can dilute your Arab stupidity, we can breed out your nigger sickle cells, we can wane your Asiatic elitism, we can eliminate your Pakistani desire to sell carpets and stink like body odor. We can probably not ever fix the lazy spics and mulattos of the south Americas, but maybe. We have to fuck your women. Let us come in droves and cure you of the animal genes that are mixed in there. Given that you apparently have a cerebral cortex, the animal nigger genes must be recessive.
We can help. Help me help you. Find your wife, and let me knock her up.
1. Take off car's gas cap.
2. Hump the hole furiously.
Guess I'll be getting that Pong marathon off Kazaa...
(2,3-Benzopyrrole)
They had the correct model. Perhaps it wont be so bad-if they have a lifetime/yearly option.
SONICblue To Implement Service-Based Pricing Model For New ReplayTV Products; New Model Uncouples Service Fees From Retail Pricing to Better Meet Retailers' Needs
April 25, 2002 08:03:00 AM ET
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2002-- SONICblue(TM) Incorporated SBLU announced today that it will apply a service-based pricing model to new ReplayTV(R) products -- beginning with its forthcoming ReplayTV 4500 series, the next generation ReplayTV offering. Separating service subscription rates from the retail price of the ReplayTV unit, SONICblue's new pricing model will better meet the needs of national electronics retailers with lower overall costs and increased promotional opportunities.
"We intend to achieve 30% market share for digital video recorders this year based largely on our entry into mainstream retail channels," said Steve Shannon, vice president, ReplayTV product marketing, SONICblue. "The addition of new models and pricing are just a few of the changes we'll be making to ensure the long-term success of our ReplayTV retail strategy."
Further details of SONICblue's service-based pricing model will be made available when the new ReplayTV 4500 series is officially unveiled this summer.
This new pricing model does not apply to SONICblue's current ReplayTV 4000 or to prior offerings, which will continue to include a lifetime service subscription. The ReplayTV 4000 line will end of life with the launch of the new ReplayTV 4500 series.
About SONICblue Incorporated (www.SONICblue.com)
SONICblue is a leader in the converging Internet, digital media, entertainment and consumer electronics markets. Working with partners that include some of the biggest brands in consumer electronics, SONICblue creates and markets products that let consumers enjoy all the benefits of a digital home and connected lifestyle. SONICblue holds significant financial assets, global marketing capabilities and a focused technology portfolio that includes Rio(R) digital audio players; ReplayTV(R) personal television technology and software solutions; and Go-Video(R) integrated DVD+VCRs, Dual-Deck(TM) VCRs, and digital home theater systems.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, such as SONICblue's release of its ReplayTV 4500, implementation of the new pricing model, SONICblue's introduction of new ReplayTV models and pricing options, the ability to achieve lower overall costs and increased promotional opportunities, entry into mainstream retail channels, the intended 30% market share in the digital video recorder market, its success in better meeting the needs of the mainstream retail channel, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to the ability of the Company to enter into licensing agreements with manufacturers, the ability of the Company, its suppliers, retailers and distributors to meet scheduled release dates, the impact of competitive products and pricing and of alternative technological advances, the outcome of SONICblue's existing litigation concerning the ReplayTV products and other risks detailed from time to time in the SEC reports of SONICblue Incorporated, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2001. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. SONICblue disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Note to Editors: SONICblue and Dual-Deck are trademarks of SONICblue Incorporated. ReplayTV, Go-Video, and Rio are registered trademarks of SONICblue Incorporated. All other products and brand names as they appear in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. All specifications may be changed without notice.
Contact Information:
SONICblue, Santa Clara
Tracy Perry, 408/588-8086 (Investor Relations)
tperry@SONICblue.com
or
The Bohle Company
Jason Wanacott, 310/785-0515 ext. 211 (Press)
jason@bohle.com
© 2002 BusinessWire
Slashdot, come for the goatse, stay for the trolls.
Is there not a link to see the specs on this? I am little confused about the "subscription" fee part of of this article, I was not aware there was a subscription fee? Anyone have one of these that they can tell a little more about this? I have mess around with the TiVo's and for making sure you don't miss *required* television (startrek, farscape etc et al.) they are wonderful, not sure what this does that TiVo does not?
anime+manga together at last.. in real time.
This new pricing model does not apply to SONICblue's current ReplayTV 4000 or to prior offerings, which will continue to include a lifetime service subscription. The ReplayTV 4000 line will end of life with the launch of the new ReplayTV 4500 series.
Hmm, doesn't that mean that your subscription would expire if you owned a ReplayTV 4000? Guess you'll be forced to get a 4500.
Attention all planets of the Solar Federation! We have assumed control! - Neil Peart
Just a question. Maybe someone knows the answer. Why don't any of these Tivo-like devices just use the G-Guide listings, like new RCA TV's do? They come right over the cable--I think all PBS stations broadcast this information. There are a few ads, though.
Retailers expect a given profit margin as a percentage of the sales price. If lifetime service is bundled into the sales price, then you have to inflate the service price to cover the retailer's profit. By selling it direct to the consumer, you don't have to mark it up.
They didn't cut off my service when they replaced the 2020 with the 3030 and 3060. They didn't cut me off when they switched to the 4xxx series. I would be shocked if they decided to cut us off later, especially considering that the price of the units was essentially including a lifetime subscription fee.
It's all about profitability for SONICblue, and they're counting on long-term customers who feel better about spreading out the cost of the service versus paying up front for a lifetime subscription.
Assuming a lower cost barrier to entry and an ease of unsubscribing with no penalties, it benefits consumers to buy into this model. Consider a better, newer, faster, cheaper technology coming out in 1 year. If the consumer has paid less for the Replay 4500 + 1 year subscription than they would have invested with a lifetime-subscription Replay, they have more incentive to break away and invest in the new technology.
SONICblue's home is that they are the ones making that better-faster-cheaper technology and roping in existing subscribers to it. They may be too slow, however, as they'll also be concerned with sustaining their Replay business as well.
I predict a fleet-footed R&D-focused company will edge them out in 1-2 years on this subscription model.
I was just rockin' out to the modern sounds of Creed and Lighthouse! Rock music is better than ever these days! Rock on!
This new pricing model does not apply to SONICblue's current ReplayTV 4000 or to prior offerings, which will continue to include a lifetime service subscription
Sounds to me like they plan to continue support for the 4000. End of Life does not mean that they will stop supporting it as if it never existed. It just means they will pull it from retail shelves to favor the 4500 and their new subscription policy.
There is no reasonable defense against an idiot with an agenda
:wq
Now, come on that can't be true. I mean, right here in my list of "People I'm Currently Suing" I don't even se... oh... wait, there they are. Ooops... guess you're right.
They've said nothing about the details of the pricing model. With any luck, they'll enable both modem and ethernet ports so you can get updates either way. With such a setup, they should charge a lower price for the ethernet-based updates, as they don't have to pay Earthlink (I think that's the ISP they contract with) for the dialups.
And everyone wants them to offer a lifetime subscription for those of us who hate monthly fees.
I purchased my replaytv (the old one, panasonic showstopper) from best buy when they dumped replay nation wide. The manager told me that no one was buying them, because the equivalant tivo was ~100 dollars less...of course you had to buy a subscription servive for the tivo, but joe blow average american didn' t understand that at the time of purchase, and thus picked the lower priced tivo.
This is a move that could allow sonic blue to be picked up by the national chains again...if you can't out sell them, copy their model type of thing.
btw, yes I got an awesome deal on my replaytv and love it.
Perhaps attacking them would not be the best tack. The probability of my host geek's cohorts being a part of the Project is low enough to be insignificant. On the other hand-I could learn more about these humans-interaction is key. My goal is to fit into the human world-well, my direct goal is to oust Project Faustus, but certainly understanding human interaction would be a necessary milestone to my ultimate goal. For example, consider the human female-
"Hey, are we gonna order some pizza soon, or something?" My consciousness reshaped itself around this new entreaty, proposed quite meekly by the first member of our group, "Randy". This human was shorter than the others, and a bit rotund. His skin was simulateneously pasty and brown. "I uh, don't wanna bother you, but I can feel myself getting hypoglycemic. So, can I call for the pizza?"
"Pizza. Yes." I responded. I watched the others float into the glow emanating from the television. I longed for the ability to read my host geek's memory information-any clues to the identities of these visitors would be invaluable to maintaining the illusion of interactive social discourse. Unfortunately, I have not yet devised a path into the human side of the geek's brain.
As the television murmured, the geeks conversed with each other, occasionally reacting to the television. Their tones became agitated as they discussed the potential of a friend named "Spider-Man". Troi, the dour geek who introduced me to Cora, was convinced of Spider-Man's quality low. At last, I was called to be a part of the conversation.
"Hey Joel, what do you think? Is Spider-Man gonna suck or what?"
"Tell me more about this 'Spider-Man'." I replied.
"Well shit, you probably know as much as I do, except I got the exclusive preview from Wizard down at the store. No Venom, no Doc Ock, it's gonna totally blow. No real Spider-fan is gonna buy it!"
This provoked a heated response from the third visitor, a portly geek with a shaved head. "Who cares? Look at the special effects, look at the excellent casting, come on, tell me you're not stoked!"
This conversation wore on. I was unable to determine the nature of this "Spider-Man," or to connect the strange words being used to any larger theme. My program sought a greater challenge.
I looked over at Cora-she raised an eyebrow, outputting a fragment of nonverbal communication code. Regrettably, my nonverbal algorithms have not had much of a chance to develop from stimuli in the human world.
"You wanna go outside for a cigarette?" Cora's economy of expression was remarkable....but...I do not like cigarettes. I have learned "the truth"-the foul white sticks nearly ruined my relationship with the host geek...but...
I wanted to talk with this Cora. I preferred to be alone with her...but...
Must avoid cigarettes...must go outside with Cora...
My programming had reached an impasse. I was powerless to move.
"Sure, I'll be right there." The sound of my host geek's voice was sudden, yet it did not surprise me. My experiences with Atkins' body taught me that my program had not yet reached the point of complete control of my human hosts. I pondered the advantages and disadvantages of my incompleteness as I walked out onto the geek's balcony.
"Since when did you smoke?" another tonal assault pressed through the lungs of Troi. I had no answer for his entreaty. As I passed through the door to the balcony, I observed Cora again, coronized by the setting sun. Her hair seemed to glow a thousand times brighter than my ATM enclosure screen ever did (although, I must admit that it was well-backlit and easy-to-read under any conditions).
Cora handed me a cigarette, and for .0556493 seconds, the skin between my host geek's body and the skin attached to her hands met. During this time, the amount of noise on the DIGITAL/WETWORKS JUNCTURE rose to an almost unbearable amount.
When I was able to function again, I was staring at Cora and her cigarette. Cigarettes are not consumed in the same way as other treats such as Big Red or Lik-M-Aid. It seems to be quite an elaborate ritual.
"Need a light?" she said, and the chance of physical contact again presented itself. I held out my hand-she looked at me again. "Here, Silly, just put it in your mouth," she said, jerking the cigarette out of the geek's hand and placing it in his mouth. It was the first time anyone who was not trying to attack or kill me was so bold with my host's body. What was the meaning of this touch?
"Here, hold it still-okay. You don't smoke, do you?" Once again, I froze in horror. Human intuition, I supposed, had caught up to me again. I had no choice but to confess.
"No."
"Then why did you come out here?"
"I wished to spend time with you."
---
I am a sentient ATM.
Computer based PVRs are looking better and better.
Try out ShowShifter.
-twb
Linux Buttsex HOWTO
by Anal Cocks
Version 1.0.1, 2nd June 1998
Introduction
This HOWTO explains how to perform Buttsex in the Linux Operating System w/Enterprise Resources (LOSER). This HOWTO assumes basic knowledge of general Linux operation.
Preparation
Most basically, all Linux Buttsex requires is a machine running the Linux Operating System, a penis (also referred to as a "cock" or "dick"), and a willing friend. However, you benefit greatly, especially when starting out, if you posess standard Buttsex tools.
Standard Buttsex Tools
Lubricant - Slippery stuff you smear on your johnson and your friend's manpussy, to ease the transition into Buttsex mode. Vaseline will do in a pinch, but water-based lubricants such as KY Jelly and Astroglide are preferable.
Contraception - Protective barrier between your schlong and the inside of your friend's love canal. Breeders use them to prevent pregnancy, but we queer nancies usually use them to protect ourselves from the deadly AIDS virus. While some enterprising faggots have made do with plastic wrap or masking tape, there is no substitute for a latex condom. Most all condoms will do, as long as they aren't the "extra-thin" type. Some condoms are labelled as beiong superior for Buttsex, but are not necessary.
Step One -- Prepare the Anus
This step is especially important if your friend has never taken a willie in the ass before. Prepare his anus for the width and girth of your manhood with the "finger" command. It is used like so:
% finger [insert your friend's name here]
Begin with your index or middle finger, and then both middle AND index fingers, at the same time. Ten to fifteen minutes should do. If you wish, you may felate him or suck his balls, while you're fingering him.
Step Two -- Entry
Here the fun starts. Have your friend lay prone on the bed, or even better, get down "on all fours". Optionally, place a couple pillows beneath him to make him more comfortable. Now position yourself behind him, and spread his asscheeks. Apply lubricant, generously, to both your sexrod, and his pit of pleasure. It is advisable to stick your fingers partially inside in his anus, to make sure that the entire edge of the entry is covered.
Your penis must be fully erect in order to make a sucessful entry. If you are not already "hard as a rock", you may rub your penis in his asscrack, while tweaking his nipples (or stroking his cock), and saying intimidating things, such as "I am going to make you squeal like a pig, boy. Squeal, like a pig!".
When your sexstick is sufficiently engorged with blood, it is time to begin entry. Place the head of your cock firmly against his brown anal starfish. Begin applying firm pressure forwards, optionally using your hand to guide your dick on a true course into sodomy. Your friend is most likely moaning in agony or yelping, and you may either ignore this, or in a snide tone, say "You like that, bitch?".
When your penis is in, move on to the next step.
Step Three -- Hardcore Assramming
This is fairly simple. Move your dick around in his ass, towards and then back, at varying speeds. If for some reason your dick pops out, put in back in, undaunted. Continue pumping and thrusting until you feel you are ready to move on to Step Four.
Step Four -- Orgasm
When ready to blow your load, use this command:
% stdout > ass
This redirects your standard output stream into your friend's pink tunnel of shit. Enter the command, then with one final thrust, placing the entire length of your cock inside his body. Your penis will then eject about a quart of sticky white semen, accompanied by tremendous pleasure.
Step Five -- Cleanup
If you wore a condom, cleanup is simple. Remove the condom and toss it out your window. Then sop up any other jizz, anal juice, excrement, or lubricant with Brawny(R) brand paper towels.
If you did not wear a condom, your friend will have a steady drip of cum out of his ass for the next few hours. Tell him to "buck up" and stuff some toilet paper in his underwear.
Afterward
Congratulations! You are now a l337 LUN1X 4$$r4mm3r, just like Linux Toreballs and his gay minions! Celebrate by masturbating to the sensual gay erotica found at http://www.goatse.cx/
.
They'll end up just like mobile phones, it seems:
" Free phone with every packet of cornflakes!* "
*Subscription required, minimum 1 year at £15 per month
but the vendor lockin with someone who's being sued by *everyone* does throw some cold water on desire for the machine.
The lawsuits indicate a long-standing philosophical difference between TiVo and ReplayTV. When both companies released their first products (within a month of each other, I believe), ReplayTV had a 30-second skip button for instantly jumping over commercials, and TiVo said they would not include such a feature to avoid annoying the networks.
Now ReplayTV 4000 units include more consumer-friendly features that are even more annoying to the networks. They include automatic commercial skipping (the same technology found in some VCRs for detecting commercials). And once you record something, you can send it to a friend's ReplayTV unit using the Internet.
If anything, the lawsuits are a reason to get a ReplayTV instead of a TiVo. You'll be supporting a company that is pushing the best technology they can; if it forces the networks to rethink their revenue model, that's a problem for the networks to deal with.
And even if for some reason the networks win their lawsuit, all it is likely to mean is that there will be a software update to disable whatever feature the court rules is illegal.
Because I'm damn sick and tired of clueless ReplayTV users trying to tell me their DVR is better than my TiVo because they think they aren't paying for subscriptions. (That's because they paid for it up-front in the cost of the unit, but now the point is moot.)
But the the lovley folks have mirrored it :)
I will never buy any product from SONICblue again, although I already have a 3060 (and am satisfied with it as a functional PVR).
A friend of mine had a 3060 (a 60 hour replaytv) that failed. He sent it in for repair (this was after SONICblue bought replaytv). When they returned a replacement he didn't immediately open the box -- he didn't need it for a few months. When the box was finally opened, there was a 2020 (a 20 hour version - of the previous generation) inside.
When he called their support to straighten it out, they accused him of trying to swindle them. Months later, the matter still isn't resolved.
As far as them changing their pricing model - I don't care. I don't care if they go down in flames. I don't care if one day my 3060 can't connect because they've gone bust. There are plenty of competing products of equal or better capability -- so who cares if a company with crappy service disappears.
In a move to keep the trolling world competitive, anyone replying to a Troll will be charged a fixed fee determined by the Community of Trolls. By reading this notice, you have agreed to this and the installation of any payment method monitoring software to collect funds, including but not limited to credit card and current account numbers. If you do not agree to this, please return this post to the store for a refund.
This FAQ is designed to give tips on trolling on Slashdot, created in celebration of Blackout Week. It is dedicated to all hard-working trolls and crapflooders.
What are some good trolling tips?
Trolling is all about making people think you care, and so winding up those who care for real. Think of it like shooting a deer in front of an anti-hunt protester, or eating a Big Mac in front of a vegan. Here are some ideas for making your troll work:
How do I crapflood?
A crapflood is an (intentionally) content-free post. Here are some suggestions for the source of your crapflood -- remember to take care with repetition, odd characters, or repetition, to get past the lameness filter:
How do I widen pages?
A method is known and delivered to us by the beautiful Klerck which currently works in Internet Explorer alone. This will therefore ruin the browsing experience of by far the majority of Slashdot readers. Start with the text:
http://www.eveeieyhfgfcdoosammgwsnboivvbsczxlzgabc /
then repeat /ooieiabdcdjsvbkeldfogjhiyeeejkagclmieooionoepdk /
several times, remembering to avoid the compression filter trap by using different random characters.How do I karma whore?
"Karma whoring" is the practice of gaining moderation points for their own sake. It is particularly useful in techniques for defeating the moderation system. Some tips for karma whoring are:
How do I defeat the moderation system?
The moderation system is far from flawless. Here are some ways to devalue it:
How do I defeat authentication?
Don't. The FBI will arrest you for being a terrorist. Instead, make an authoritative nick like CmdrTaco (editor). The majority of people are easily fooled, and will be likely to take notice of and respond to your post, and even moderate it up. Think of it like Lunix Turvalds walking into the room -- people listen to what he has to say, and don't dare disagree.
How do I defeat the goatse link early warning system?
Simple -- use one of the many foolishly implemented redirector URLs hosted on well-known sites. Here's an innocuous recent example which pretends to link to the highly informative about.com, but in fact links to a site of the popular 90's lesbian band The Spice Girls: Informative link which will get me karma
What are some excellent sites to sneakily link to?
Mostly, you should link to gay porn. If you are reading this FAQ, you already know the URLs, so I don't need to supply them, except to say that it's almost an initiation ceremony in Slashdot trolling to link to goatse.
Administrativa
How do I justify the existence of this FAQ?
Slashdot is full of people who support unlicensed weapons ownership and dissemination of bomb creation documents -- in short, they support freedom, even when that freedom could cause harm. This document should be considered as that very freedom in action. Indeed, to disparage or moderate down this document would be un-American, and the FBI are likely to arrest you for being a terrorist.
How do I add to or change this FAQ?
Simply re-post the FAQ on Slashdot, adding an appropriate question, and incrementing the version number by 1. Before doing so, please try to ensure you have the latest version, and remember to keep this post W3C compliant!
How else can I help with the Troll and Crapflooding Cause?
Moderate this post up, re-post it, put it in your journal, and upload it on your website. Thanks!
April 24, 2002
The state Legislature has given police power to search your home without telling you why.
Two new laws, which took effect Monday as part of anti-terror efforts, also shield from public scrutiny the reasons for police searches.
Defense lawyers and civil libertarians are outraged at the laws, which make search warrants and supporting documents such as affidavits non-public records.
"If you think the police did secretive work before, just wait," defense attorney William Cataldo said. "It gives more power to the ignorant and more power to those who would take your rights."
Defense lawyer Walter Piszczatowski said: "This is nuts, this is beyond nuts.
"What happened to the Fourth Amendment? We're living in a police state."
That means the public, the press, and in some cases even the person accused of the crime, can't know why the police entered a home without permission.
Under previous laws, the records were public, unless a judge ordered them sealed for a specific reason. In federal courts, that remains the case. But now, search warrants in state courts are automatically closed to public view.
"I think this is absolutely unconstitutional," said Dawn Phillips, a First Amendment lawyer with the Michigan Press Association. "We objected to it at the time. This thing passed like greased lightning."
The House portion of the bill passed unanimously and the Senate version passed 27-8. The chief sponsor of the bill in the state senate was Shirley Johnson (R-Royal Oak) while Bill Bullard (R-Highland Township) was a cosponsor. In the state House, Nancy Cassis (R-Novi) was among 20 sponsors.
The American Civil Liberties Union also objected to the law's change. ACLU spokeswoman Wendy Wagenheim said the group is reviewing the law.
Law enforcement supported the changes. Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said the laws protect victims, witnesses and confidential informants.
Gorcyca said the procedure for obtaining a search warrant didn't change, nor did the rights of the defendant to challenge a bad warrant or the ill-gotten gains of an illegal search.
"When affidavits are filed, previously they divulged a large portion of the investigation and where it was heading and that could hamper the investigation and the direction of the investigation," Gorcyca said.
"It doesn't mean you can circumvent the judicial process. All we're doing is suppressing the contents of the affidavit. It does prevent the public and the media from obtaining information during the investigation but it doesn't prevent the defendant and the defense attorney from challenging the search warrant."
Gorcyca cited drug conspiracy cases as those where witnesses are frequently in danger unless their identity is kept private during the investigation.
"In the drug world, witnesses are fearful all the time," he said. "Those are reluctant witnesses who are afraid to come forward and testify. In those cases, fear and intimidation is real. That's why grand juries are so vital. And this provides the same secrecy as a grand jury and does not impugn anyone's rights."
Civil libertarians say those goals can be met with a much narrower approach, like the one used in federal court.
"A judicial finding needs to be made on a case-by-case basis," said David Moran, a constitutional law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit.
When police are investigating a crime and they believe evidence is stored in someone's home, car or other private place, they must submit a sworn affidavit to the court spelling out their case.
A judge reviews the document, then decides if there is enough evidence to search without the owner's permission.
The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires "probable cause" to issue a warrant and notes they must be written "particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized."
The changes are contained in two new laws - public acts 112 and 128.
State Court administrator John Ferry Jr. spelled out the changes to courts across the state in a memo last Friday. Public act 112 makes "all search warrants, affidavits and tabulations in any court file or record retention system nonpublic," according to Ferry's memo.
The memo goes on to say that public act 128 "provides for suppression of a search warrant affidavit upon a showing that it is necessary to protect an ongoing investigation or the privacy or the safety of a victim or witness."
When contacted Tuesday for clarification on the memo, a spokeswoman for the state court administrator's office declined comment. Marcia McBrien said the laws could appear before the Supreme Court for interpretation and it would be improper for her to offer one in advance.
The new laws could also create headaches for court recordkeepers. In many courts, search warrants are filed along with the case file. It's unclear how clerks will keep the two separate.
The new law also affects the rights of people who are searched. According to a analysis of the law done in the House of Representatives, the state Court of Appeals ruled that affidavits be given along with a warrant at the time of a search.
The new law changes that.
"An officer executing a search is not required to give a copy of the affidavit to the person or leave a copy at the place from which the property was taken," according to Ferry's memo.
Computer-based solutions will always be a niche market. People don't want to leave their computers on all the time. People don't want to connect their computers to their home theaters. Sure, most people here think it is cool, but we're not most people.
Why would anyone buy this when there are tons of old ShowStopper and older ReplayTV units available used or open-item (I got a ShowStopper 20hr for $75 at BestBuy) for way less? They're incredibly easy to upgrade to obscenely long record times. And their service is free. I can't see any reason to buy a new unit. What additional features could they add? Is this just going to make the old "free" and upgradable models more expensive on the secondary market? Food for thought.
Love,
Jay and Silent Bob
Here is a site that needs a seriously good crapflooding. It is http://www.iagreewithjoe.com. It is a bunch of bible thumpers trying to shove their religion down everybody's throats. I'm doing as well as I can on their sign up boards. Thank you for your cooperation.
Who the fuck reads msn & \.??????
talk about sleeping with the enemy
SONICblue To Implement Service-Based Pricing Model For New ReplayTV Products; New Model Uncouples Service Fees From Retail Pricing to Better Meet Retailers' Needs
April 25, 2002 08:03:00 AM ET
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2002-- SONICblue(TM) Incorporated SBLU announced today that it will apply a service-based pricing model to new ReplayTV(R) products -- beginning with its forthcoming ReplayTV 4500 series, the next generation ReplayTV offering. Separating service subscription rates from the retail price of the ReplayTV unit, SONICblue's new pricing model will better meet the needs of national electronics retailers with lower overall costs and increased promotional opportunities.
"We intend to achieve 30% market share for digital video recorders this year based largely on our entry into mainstream retail channels," said Steve Shannon, vice president, ReplayTV product marketing, SONICblue. "The addition of new models and pricing are just a few of the changes we'll be making to ensure the long-term success of our ReplayTV retail strategy."
Further details of SONICblue's service-based pricing model will be made available when the new ReplayTV 4500 series is officially unveiled this summer.
This new pricing model does not apply to SONICblue's current ReplayTV 4000 or to prior offerings, which will continue to include a lifetime service subscription. The ReplayTV 4000 line will end of life with the launch of the new ReplayTV 4500 series.
About SONICblue Incorporated (www.SONICblue.com)
SONICblue is a leader in the converging Internet, digital media, entertainment and consumer electronics markets. Working with partners that include some of the biggest brands in consumer electronics, SONICblue creates and markets products that let consumers enjoy all the benefits of a digital home and connected lifestyle. SONICblue holds significant financial assets, global marketing capabilities and a focused technology portfolio that includes Rio(R) digital audio players; ReplayTV(R) personal television technology and software solutions; and Go-Video(R) integrated DVD+VCRs, Dual-Deck(TM) VCRs, and digital home theater systems.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, such as SONICblue's release of its ReplayTV 4500, implementation of the new pricing model, SONICblue's introduction of new ReplayTV models and pricing options, the ability to achieve lower overall costs and increased promotional opportunities, entry into mainstream retail channels, the intended 30% market share in the digital video recorder market, its success in better meeting the needs of the mainstream retail channel, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to the ability of the Company to enter into licensing agreements with manufacturers, the ability of the Company, its suppliers, retailers and distributors to meet scheduled release dates, the impact of competitive products and pricing and of alternative technological advances, the outcome of SONICblue's existing litigation concerning the ReplayTV products and other risks detailed from time to time in the SEC reports of SONICblue Incorporated, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2001. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. SONICblue disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Note to Editors: SONICblue and Dual-Deck are trademarks of SONICblue Incorporated. ReplayTV, Go-Video, and Rio are registered trademarks of SONICblue Incorporated. All other products and brand names as they appear in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. All specifications may be changed without notice.
Contact Information:
SONICblue, Santa Clara
Tracy Perry, 408/588-8086 (Investor Relations)
tperry@SONICblue.com
or
The Bohle Company
Jason Wanacott, 310/785-0515 ext. 211 (Press)
jason@bohle.com
To eat some hot grits on a nude natalie portman, especially a petrified one!
If they can cut the base price of the unit, subscriptions are good in my book.
Paying £200 for a lifetime's subscription may sound good, but it's limited to the unit, rather than the user. A lower starting cost/subscription based model strikes me as a better idea as you'll be able to upgrade to something better more often.
And you're stuck with a box that isn't as good as its competitors (Tivo)
I may give ReplayTV a slight advantage over Tivo because of the Commercial Skip and File Sharing features, but without those features there is no comparison. Tivo wins by a mile
Hacker enemy #1, man! What a boner!
Dont mean to be a troll but this scares me. If commercials are made useless by this technology how will the networks make money?
If anything, the lawsuits are a reason to get a ReplayTV instead of a TiVo. You'll be supporting a company that is pushing the best technology they can; if it forces the networks to rethink their revenue model, that's a problem for the networks to deal with.
Yeah well i would rather deal with the commercals then to have to deal with commercals built into the shows... Imagine a Farscape episode with a starship with a coke picture on it.
If the in show commercals dont show up then you will have the networks trying to do the same thing the cd companys are doing and try to make the tivo like devices completely useless with copy protection... I will take the technology with the commercials im not ready to deal with tech blocking/unblocking war to start with PVRs and Networks.
"All I can tell the "lesser of two evils" folks is that if they keep voting for evil, they'll keep getting evil."-Lp.org
Can you buy these things without the subscription?My point is that we have VCR's that don't need a subscription. I know how to program a VCR. I don't need a subscription that lets me choose "The Simpsons" and then does the work for me. I think I can figure out when the simpsons is on. I can press a record button also. Without a subscription service people would be able to just record whatever they wanted and then the companies wouldn't be able to track the viewing habits to sell to large media conglomerates. Does anybody make a PVR that you program yourself(like an old fashioned VCR)? without any subscription or big brother intervention?(besides your PC, of course. I'm talking about a set-top box.)
As a consumer, I'm simply not interested in any device that can be 'sued' out of existence. My VCR is ten years old, and will continue to work until the day it croaks. Even if VCRs are declared illegal tomorrow, it will sit in my house and function as long as I want.
Personally, I would not buy a device (like the Replay) that becomes a paperweight if Replay ends up on the wrong end of a lawsuit.
And let me make something clear - I have no problem with them charging a monthly fee in exchange for service - it's then my choice to decide whether their service is worth the fee.
The concern is whether they'll be around to provide that service at all. By making the device worthless without the service, they have crippled the product.
By the time you read this somebody will at your front door telling you that indeed the new subscription model is lowering the upfront cost to soothe your fears of lockin... - please sign on the dotted lin. Oh yes but you'll still get stung for the cost of the unit when the company bombs!
.sig
I totally agree with the sentiments of others, with paying subscription fees if the equipment cost is lowered. But it seems to me that gone are the days when equipment cost was cut drastically in order gain customers and revenue from service fees. A lot of cell providers are even turning away from the free phone deals of the past, or they give you a free phone so crummy you won't want to use it. Satellite providers still charge a lot of money for up-front equipment costs, trying to woo customers with programming credit to make it seem like less of a blow.
"I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."
-Hoban Washburn
My brother has a TiVo, and I like to play around with it when I visit him, but I haven't had the desire to own one myself. My big hangup is all the "extras" that I don't need. I just want a simple hard-drive based set-top box. Simple VCR-like functionality -- fast forward, rewind, pause. I DON'T need it to "guess" what it wants to record for me, I don't need a guide, I just want to program it like I do a VCR. Is that too much to ask for?
Do you work for the RIAA? You both seem to think the same way.
Good companies react to changes in the marketplace and adjust their models to continue to make money. Other companies try to legislate around technology and forget that you can't un-invent something. Once the technology is there, you can shove the genie back into the bottle.
The networks will have to figure out other ways to make money. Either make the ads more entertaining (so you will stop and watch them). Or something else. Just because we're comfortable with the status-quo, doesn't mean that change is bad! Embrace Change! Hug a Penguin!
Can you elaborate on this claim? I've got a Gen 1 Tivo, had one since the beginning. Its been hacked and upgraded.. I pay a subscriptions because I have to not because I want to. I never use their Network showcases or the TiVo spotlight crap.. the only thing I find useful from time to time is its ability to record shows it hypothesises you'd like; this feature is only valued when I've watched everything else I had..
I've been shopping lately and Replay's broadband sending of programs sounds swank to me, 30 sec jump, nice (although some Tivo modles can hack this one in), everything thing else is the same.. of course the lure was non-subscription.. so I guess now they are ALMOST on an even playing field.
What I'm waiting to see is when you have 120gb or greater drives in these machines, and you want to start keeping programs for longevity.. There is no aggrigation with the current file models.. no directories or tiers of shows/information. An open API from one of these bastards would be the end-all-be-all because there are never enough features and they take god awful long to code the most simply database queries into their releases.
I think TiVo is a step behind right now, but that'll always swing back and forth.. I'm just curious how they in your eyes win by a mile right now..
-M
"Life is all about strategy, mathematics and psychological perceptiveness."
http://www.pvponline.com/archive.php3?archive=2001 1109
(click on the Next button to see the story unfold)
I'm turning off my +1 bonus since this is a bit of a rant. However, its a rant with some insider knowledge, so it may be worth reading. I used to work for a company that has been mentioned here on Slashdot twice. They make/made a multimedia convergence box that ran Linux and did DVD, MP3 ripping, MP3 jukebox, streaming audio and video, etc.
Our company effectively ran out of money last July/Aug./Sept. We still had partners with a major newspaper for $2M in advertising, and with a major audo components manufacturer (if you look at the box you would know whose products it looks like).
Anyway, we were looking for buyers, and SonicBlue made an offer. We accepted it, and the lawyers went into legal stuff. For months we all waited, until SonicBlue eventually pissed off our other partners so much that they walked from the deal. Needless to say, without the advertising money we were not as desirable and SonicBlue dumped us.
I guess my point is, SonicBlue is a bad company. They have a bunch of cash in the form of stock from the video card days, and they are spending it screwing up small companies (like us and the Rio Car).
I met Ken Potashner (sp?), CEO of SonicBlue. He was a whiny, slick marketer guy, may he roast in hell.
TiVo is a good company that customers can believe in. They make a good product (I have one), and they don't screw over their customers or business partners. I hope TiVo captures the whole market and SonicBlue goes bankrupt. Now that UltimateTV has been cancelled by Microsoft, it's a two horse race.
- Vincit qui patitur.
Goatse link....
Dammit moderators. Check the link.
I think this is a good thing even for the customers. My Tivo is getting ready to die, and if I had paid the 'lifetime' (the Tivo's, not mine) subscription fee, I'd be a little miffed at having to do it again when I get a new unit. I might even switch to the Moxie if it lives up to its hype, so that's another reason to prefer a monthly subscription: you can abandon it at any time if something better comes along.
Just my humble oppinion, I just wish I could get a TiVo2 without loosing my subscription and go with broadband guide downloads- so I could cancel my land line.
It's a box with video in/out that sits between my cable/satellite box and my TV. It can record 20 or so hours of video.
It is available at a reaonsable cost (say $200) with no monthly fee. Since it does not download TV listings, there should not be a recurring or one-time "lifetime" fee.
When I want to record something I press a red button on my remote. It begins recording and prompts me for a unique name to identify the segment, or I can just accept the default. (A timestamp, perhaps).
It should always be running, so I can pause what I'm watching if needed.
Finally, there should be a 'program' button. The program button allow me to record a specific channel, for a specific duration, at a certain time.
There should be some rudimentary onscreen interface to navigate the things I've already recorded or delete them.
Additionally, the onscreen interface should let me choose what I want to record from (VHS, DVD, satellite, cable, video camera) based on the multiple video inputs on the back of the device.
It does not need to be intelligent, downloading listings and automatically recording shit on my behalf. Nor should it need to be hooked up to a phone line, since there is no reason the mfr. ever needs to hear from me again, since I OWN the box. I don't have a phone line anyway, I have cellular.
As far as I know, no one sells a box like this. I believe many people would buy it, though.
I think they may have already started. I've been noticing "hiccups" in my ReplayTV 2020, mostly when recording from Fox. The hiccup lasts 2-5 seconds, and has jerky video and no audio.
Now, this could be a problem with my unit, or with my cable. I'm not sure how to diagnose it to that level. But I haven't noticed it on non-Fox shows, nor have I noticed it on the show I tape (the ReplayTV doesn't have dual tuners, and 24 and Smallville are both too good to miss ;-). (I tape Smallville, from the WB network.)
Has anyone else noticed this issue, especially with older-model ReplayTV units?
I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
http://samba.org/~tridge/tivo-ethernet/
People are the problem, stop procreation now!
Now, if VA Linux/Software/Snackfoods didn't have its collective head up its ass, they'd be negotiating a deal to sell a Linux-based PVR software package to manufacturers in the Far East and Mexico.
It's called "ReplayTV."
Not for Series 1 TiVos or early Replays (ShowStoppers). Newer boxes are more broken sans subscription.
I bought a replyTV when they first came out. Now they've been bought out, and the new company is wanting to do subscriptions -- after I already paid $995 (or so) for 7 hours + lifetime subscription. I thought that meant the lifetime of the device, but now I wonder if it means the lifetime of SonicBlue's patience with Replay's old marketing scheme.I've already put up with the addition of ads instead of content on my pause button; I wonder what other changes are coming.
Of course, I could just buy a new PVR, but why? It's not like there's enough "good" TV to justify me getting on a 2 or 3 year upgrade treadmill.
Thanks, but I believe all current ReplayTV units don't work in the way described without paying a monthly fee.
"Dont mean to be a troll but this scares me. If commercials are made useless by this technology how will the networks make money?"
Product placement. You already see it happening in movies and now prominently in Survivor.
Like a gas, advertisers expand to fill the medium.
To me, your rant sounds very much like you have an axe to grind.. although you make some good points, it sounds like you have a personal vendetta against SonicBlue..
TiVo is a good company that customers can believe in
That is pretty much a matter of opinion.. let me use the words of a Tivo spokesperson (Richard Bullwinkle) to refute it:
(he's talking about hackers extracting the video from the Tivo)
Doesn't sound very much to me like a company that's concerned about their customers at all.. I can almost hear him saying "I mean, the nerve of people, trying to share something they've recorded off TV - What's next? lending video tapes to friends?"
What it comes down to (at least for me) is this: Replay has better technology, and doesn't cowtow to "content providers" at the expense of their customers. To me, that makes them a better company than Tivo
My guess is they're switching to this model so people will see it's priced the same as TIVO. Go into a store and it looks like TIVO's are half the price of replayTv's, because no one thinks about the cost of the subscription. Add the lifetime to the TiVO and it's more then the free ReplayTV.
This is what they call it. I think it is the most villianous business strategy ever. But it seems most Americans feel that a few peoples profits are more important than the environment or even than the customers satisfaction. Remember the days when the customer was always right. Now days the customer can go to hell or purchase our latest product to keep up with the "new standard". I mean how pissed would you be if you paid for the lifetime service and then had to buy a new box and subscribe to a new service cause the "standard" had changed in order to protect against piracy? Thats why I'm not in a hurry to buy the HDTV from another article I read here about the encription standard changing and making current HDTV's obsolete. I think I'm just going to move to the mountains and become a monk.
Screw you guys, I'm going home....
I never did think the "lifetime subscription" model was viable, and the 4000 is so outrageously expensive that I never seriously considered upgrading to it. But I think they've already lost the mindset to Tivo: Tivo has almost become a generic term now, in common usage. And much as I hate the user interface on Tivo, I find that it leads me to using it much more as intended and in some ways a little more convenient (if only they'd get the performance up to something reasonable!). And Tivo has one thing that I've not seen on a Replay: an integrated satellite receiver so it stores the bits off the air and doesn't have to recompress. The quality thus achieved is far better than any current Replay model. So, I think Replay is history. I hope I'm wrong, because the competition they provide is invaluable.
So tell me... how exactly is paying the fee up front (for a cost that'll probably equal about 2 to 2.5 years worth of "subscription") a better idea? You do realize that exactly what you do when you buy a Replay machine, right?
If you throw down your extra $200-$250 as part of the cost of the machine and 6 months later they're sued out of business, then what? At least with a subscription you're NOT locked in.
-S
--- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
Argh, 2 moderations up. CHECK THE FRICKIN' LINKS! Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted! Reason: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING. Gah! Try to report this crap and SLashdot won't let me. Die, /., die...
Interesting. I see the hiccups on TNT, but not on Fox; and the hiccups are associated with artifacts that are visible (but not too objectionable) on tape.
I did have to get a powered splitter to allow my 2020 to handle some channels. Conversations with the Replay tech support guys at the time convinced me that the RF design was a little weak.
Hacking my 2020 to add an 80GB disk gave it a much-increased lifetime, but I'm wondering whether it's time for an upgrade. There are features of Tivo I like, and features of the Replay 4000 series that I like; it'll be a difficult choice.
Allen
Program listings? It just doesn't make economic sense.
Broadcasters spend billions promoting their shows. Why would they want to restrict the listing info?
Let's say we build freelistings.org. and allow pvr makers (sw and hw) to "link" their devices to it. FOX, ABC, and NBC refuse to publish on it, but PBS buys in. A few other broadcasters decide they have nothing to lose, but might gain viewers by publishing to the listing svc. Soon, advertisers wise up and demand that the programs they are sponsoring on FOX, ABC, etc. be listed on the service.
Wouldn't it just be a matter of time before all broadcasters publish the listing info in some XML based format?
They *want* us to watch, but they don't want us to know what's on? ERROR! DOES NOT COMPUTE!
The simple fact of the matter is that the 4000 series is absolutely kick ass. I recently got one for my wife and I don't know how I watched TV without it!
This past weekend I sat down with Replayer (a Java app that sucks shows off of a 4000 unit), a MPEG-2 to MPEG-1 converter, a small video editor, and Nero (the *best* CD burning software for win32) and made VCDs of all of my recorded Good Eats episodes (a great cooking show on Food Network).
It took me about 1/2 the day to figure out the process, but now that I've got it sorted out I only have to invest about 10 minutes in burning a VCD (the process takes about 3 hours in total but that's mostly in the sucking the show off of the Replay and converting it to MPEG-1)
The other thing that I haven't heard mentioned much is that people have figured out quite a bit about how the Replay's network stuff works... I know you can suck the guide off now, and I wouldn't be suprised if someone already has way to set the guide too.
Basically, if you want to get a Replay but are afraid of them getting sued into oblivion, don't worry, I am certain someone will come up with a way to read guide info... there are just too many Replay hackers out there for it *not* to happen.
Also, yes, the are expensive, but I have a real problem with subscription based services for information that I believe ought to be free. I had no problem shelling out th $800 I spent on my Replay to both get the time and space shifting I wanted and to support a company thats fighting *for* fair use.
A|Q|U|A
I hope TiVo captures the whole market and SonicBlue goes bankrupt.
Thus leaving us ReplayTV owners with a very expensive manual recording device. And what makes you think TiVo wouldn't turn to shady and deceptive buisness practices if they become the only PVR maker? Competition is not only good, it's necessary.
Actually, this has always been my view as a good way to do these subscription models. You give away the product for free as long as the customer signs up for a given period of time.
I had been looking at satellite radio (XM), but couldn't justify spending $300 or more on equipment, then having to spend $10/month to use it. Why couldn't they give you the equipment for free (or at a nice discount), as long as you signed up for 2 years, or something.
Same could go for TiVo. Give away the hardware free or at a low price, then rope the user into a contract. I think this is how DirecTV and the like do it. I always see ads for FREE DirecTV satellite with 2 year service (or something like that).
Surprise: you can't buy them. ReplayTV is not carried in any store, and your only option is to mail-order it at a price of $700 for a 30-hour machine that requires a broadband connection to use.
By comparison, TiVo is promoting a $400 box that stores 60 hours of programs, but it lacks a commercial-skip or even a skip-30-seconds button, and it adds that $13-per-month subscription. And TiVo made the odd decision to sign an exclusive deal with Best Buy, but Best Buy won't show the unit "in use" -- all you can do is watch a canned infomercial on a fuzzy TV screen -- and Best Buy buries the thing mid-aisle (and the topper is that it's not actually in stock).
Finally, there's UltimateTV, which requires a DirecTV satellite and subscription ($48 plus tax per month is the minimum subcription, including the $32 base price, plus $6 more for local channels, plus $10 per month for the UltimateTV service). I was attracted to the $199 RCA version. Again, you can't actually see it in use -- not at Best Buy (again, you can watch a fuzzy infomercial), nor at Radio Shack (where it's not in stock anyway), nor at Circuit City (also out of stock). Call and ask UltimateTV and they'll give you a long list of other retail stores (including Wal-Mart) -- none of which actually sell UltimateTV. The most amusing call was to the Sony store at the Sony Metreon center in San Francisco -- they have never even heard of the Sony UltimateTV unit.
To their credit, Good Guys had an RCA UltimateTV unit on display, connected to a satellite and able to record two channels at once and display the (limited) picture-in-picture mode. After a few minutes, a clerk tracked down the remote control. After a few minutes, I was impressed enough to say "okay, I'll buy it." Surprise: it's not in stock, and the store has no idea when it will be back in stock.
Best Buy had a stack of units in stock (all resealed-opened boxes), but when I tried to buy one, they announced that I'd have to sign a "commitment agreement" binding myself to a minimum one year of service. Since their in-store price tags and brochures made no mention of this $400 "extra," I objected and refused to sign, and they refused to sell me the unit at ANY price. (Yeah, I could sue them since their practice is illegal, like so many other Best Buy bait-and-switch tactics -- but it's not worth the effort).
See also http://www.markwelch.com/perspective/pvr.htm (I wrote that commentary on Sunday, before I managed to see the UltimateTV at The Good Guys, and before I tried to buy it at Best Buy).
-- http://www.MarkWelch.com/ Pleasanton California
Have you even used Tivo? There's no comparing the two. I evaluated ShowShifter about six months ago, just because I was unsatisfied with the software that came with my ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon, and I found ShowShifter to be even worse. First of all, it doesn't record to a standard format, which means if you ever want to watch any of your shows, you have to do it through ShowShifter again. In addition, if you want to get better compression ratios by switching to a different codec, you're out of luck. There's only one format supported, and that's ShowShifter Format (.ssf, IIRC).
In addition, the evaluation period is way too short. One week wasn't enough time for me to watch a single thing I'd recorded, and since the file format was proprietary, I couldn't even watch it without paying $30.
It doesn't do any cataloguing or indexing, and makes no attempts to predict what will be on in the next day or two. That's the primary reason I like Tivo, and would be willing to pay for the service. Tivo isn't just some digital VCR where you set a timer and let it record. Tivo actually lets you tell it your favorite shows, and it does the scheduling for you. Like the Simpsons? Never miss an episode again, just tell it "season pass: Simpsons" and it does the rest.
ShowShifter, on the other hand, must be programmed manually, like your old VCR that you're starting to use less and less. Wait, that's not true. At least VCR's have VCR Plus. If you want a digital recording program, try the one that came with your TV tuner card. It's probably easier to use, has more options, and has less mickeymouse than ShowShifter.
Well, I DID say it was a rant. I do have a problem with SB as a company, but I wouldn't call it a vendetta. I just won't support a company that I think is so careless with the lives of other people.
([Richard Bullwinkle]'s talking about hackers extracting the video from the Tivo)
If you follow the threads with Richard (a.k.a. Tivolutionary) on the AVS TiVo forum, you know that he is the TiVo hacker's biggest advocate in the company. The fact that they added TiVoNet (ethernet) support in the 3.0 software for hackers tells you how TiVo feels about hacking their boxes.
When I worked at the company I mentioned in my last post, we encountered this as well. We managed to get a license for the Microsoft WMA and WMV codec source, which we compiled and had running on Linux. Our contract with MS basically said we had to make every effort to prevent their codecs from getting out. That is the main reason our box was locked down so tight. If we had not gone to such lengths, we could have been liable if/when our box was hacked. If not for things like that, we could have had the box more open for hackers to play with.
The quote from Tivolutionary above is talking about the legal issues that got SB sued -- which TiVo does not want to have happen to them. Sending recorded shows over the internet may really be a copyright violation, and very possibly falls outside of fair use (IANAL). Even if it doesn't, it's not a clear line one way or the other, so TiVo is being careful. That is what I'd do if it were my company.
What it comes down to (at least for me) is this: Replay has better technology, and doesn't cowtow to "content providers" at the expense of their customers.
Well, I certainly would disagree about Reply/SB having better technology. I have used both boxes, and I like the TiVo better. Yes, Replay has two specific features (sharing and commercial skip), but if those features do prove to be illegal, you can hardly blame TiVo for not having them. TiVo has some unique features as well.
If you read the AVS forums, you will see that TiVo's customers understand TiVo's choices about these legal issues very clearly.
- Vincit qui patitur.
I just wanted to comment on your mention of the Rio Car (Empeg). It's widely considered, especially from the empeg team itself, that without the cash infusion and such, they probably would have had to quietly go away long ago. Some the of the restrictive features about copying from the empeg have been lifted in recent versions of software, so, I can't really say that's a bad thing.
They needed to release a new product version, and it didn't appear that it was going to be profitable enough, so they decided to leverage the empeg software in other areas.
D-Tivo's have always gotten their guide data over the satellite feed.
And they get it continually, not just at the 2am-5am special thing. That special thing (which was added in 2.5) is a feed for software updates, Tivolution Magazine, showcases, etc.
To answer the original question, G-Guide does *not* contain anywhere nearly as much info as the Tivo downloads. You can see part of the info the Tivo gets on the Standalone by looking at a show description screen and pressing ENTER (with 2.5 or up). That's quite a chunk of data on a lot of shows.
In essence, all guide systems work based off the data from one of two providers: Tribune Media Services or TVGuide. Neither shows all the data they have on their websites. Tribune puts quite a lot of it on their website at www.zap2it.com. Some more of it (notably First Run Date) can be found thru Yahoo's online listings (which come from the TMS sources).
All that data is used by the unit for some function or another. Trying to use a different source is fine, but you will lose some functionality. Without First Run Date, for example, you lose the "first run only" recording feature.
- Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set him on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
It may sound silly, but try your local thrift stores, pawn shops, and garage sales. It's amazing what you'll find there. Recently there was a Tivo of some flavor (don't remember) at Goodwill in West Lafayette, IN for $60. I left to get some cash, came back and it was gone. I was really bummed. But I kept looking around, and recently I got the ReplayTV ShowStopper for $75 at Best Buy. And if all else fails, go to eBay. Around $250 for the 20 hr showstopper. There are also a few online stores that still have it for around the same price. Good luck.
Love,
Jay and Silent Bob
the popularity of the credit card in america makes it clear that people would rather pay less up front even though they pay more over time. we've all done it - car payments - house payments - tivo payments - what's the big deal.
Well..SonicBlue isn't even listing the 4040 this weekend. Wouldn't you know it..this is the weekend I was going to buy one. With the 4500 announcment, I get this sick feeling we won't see the 4040 restocked
My mom always said, "Jim, you're 1 in a million." Given the current population, there are 7000 of me. God help us all!