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HD DirecTiVo And Other CES Treats

Posted by timothy on from the more-will-roll-in dept.

Gadget Guy writes "The CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) has announced their CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Innovations 2004 winners. Within is a shot of the new Hughes HD DirecTiVo with some new LED's on the front including "Temp" for those sure to be occurring overheats. The surprise winners were the Motorola IM Free with no backlight along with it's "left un-justified" keyboard and the color SideKick who's black and white cousin was debuted at the 2003 CES show. Plus check out this Samsung DLP TV! Stealth bomber cool!"

36 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. 720p Versus 1080i by Naffer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Not meaning too get too offtopic, but I noticed that the order of formats in the picture goes [480i] [480p] [720p] [1080i]. Is that supposed to mean that 1080i is of higher picture quality then 720p? I assume that the number means lines of resolution, so 1080i would be higher res. Maybe it's just me, but wouldn't a 720 progressive image give you twice the effective framerate? 60 full frames per second versus 60 half frames per second?

    1. Re:720p Versus 1080i by flyboy974 · · Score: 4, Informative

      720p gives you 60 frames per second. 1080 gives you 60 frames per second, but, interlaced (30 half frames, interlaces together to make 60 total frames). You watch The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King at the theater. You sit in awe. 24 Frames Per Second. Now, you think that the LotR is smoooooth. But you say that 1080i isn't? Your mind sees approximately 22-30 frames per second. This is why a 1080i is indistiguishable, frame rate wise, from 720p. Very very very very few people can see the difference.

    2. Re:720p Versus 1080i by -noefordeg- · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "Your mind sees approximately 22-30 frames per second." - I hope you mean motion blured frames per second, since otherwise you can easily see the difference between 30fps and 60 fps and up to ~72fps.

    3. Re:720p Versus 1080i by ender's_shadow · · Score: 3, Informative

      again this untruth - people see much more than 30 fps. It's just that ~24 fps is sufficient to convey motion to the brain. You're just wrong about the diff b/t 1080and720 - the resolution is better (sharper), interlaced or not.

    4. Re:720p Versus 1080i by Osty · · Score: 5, Informative

      Your mind sees approximately 22-30 frames per second. This is why a 1080i is indistiguishable, frame rate wise, from 720p. Very very very very few people can see the difference.

      Bullshit. Modern science has not found the upper limit that the eye can distinguish. I found a nice link simply by searching Google, so you can do the research yourself about what information is out there.


      Given various different tricks (motion blur, mostly), your eyes only really need 18fps to determine motion, but even at higher frame rates you'll still be able to detect flicker and jerkiness. Next time you watch Return of the King, look for any long horizontal pans (caveat: I haven't seen the movie yet, so I don't know if there are any good examples in the movie). If the pan is fast enough, you're going to see flicker and jerkiness. This is also why you need a much higher frame rate for video games, because proper motion blur is computationally expensive and current hardware still can't handle it and everything else while maintaining a smooth rate (the other issue in trying for the highest possible frame rate is that games measure averages, so a 30fps average means that the rate will drop below 30fps. A locked 30fps, like many consoles games do, guarantees the game will not drop below 30fps at the cost of visual quality). Look out of the corner of your eye at your computer screen. If you're using a CRT, you're going to be able to see flicker even if you're running a higher refresh rate (some people can't detect it past 85Hz or so, but most people can). Work in an office with all flourescent lighting, and see how long it takes you to get a headache. You may not physically see the flicker, but your eyes do and the headache is caused by strain because of it.


      Between 480i and 480p, I can certainly tell a difference in refresh rate. Turn off progressive scan output on your DVD player, watch a scene, and turn it back on, or play with the progressive settings in the DVD player setup. If you can't tell a difference, you're a rare person, not the average. Just because you can't see the difference doesn't mean that other people can't either.

    5. Re:720p Versus 1080i by nvrrobx · · Score: 2, Informative

      You are correct, but only for viewing moving video. Still pictures or text, and you'll defintely see the difference. Now, I know a lot of people that can't tell the difference between a monitor at 60 hz vs a monitor at 100 hz. If you're one of those people, 1080i is just fine for you. I, for one, can very much tell the difference, and I'd rather avoid the eyestrain headaches that go along with interlacing. :)

      So, in summary, if you plan on viewing still images, or reading text (browsing the web, anyone?) - buy a TV that does 720p.

    6. Re:720p Versus 1080i by Squid · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Actually 24fps isn't all that smooth. I can think of a few shots in ALL the Lord of the Rings movies - usually vertical pans or other rapid tracking shots - that looked very choppy. Not a problem on DVD, but in the theater, the whole damn screen seems to flash, as essentially the whole frame changes 24 times a second.

      Fast-moving objects at 24fps don't always "move" fluidly across the cinema screen, all too often you get 24 flickery copies of the object, because your eyes are not quite tracking the motion, you're seeing the object blink out at one location and blink in at another. Now, in a rapid camera pan, especially a vertical one where you're trying to cover more "ground" with the narrow aspect of the frame, you get 24 flickery copies of the WHOLE FRAME stuttering up the screen. It looks unsteady or "blurry" to the eye, though every frame may be razor-sharp.

      We may only "see" at 22-30fps, but we are affected by problems well beyond that, whether it be fluorescent lights about to conk out, or monitors that "only" refesh at 75hz. For motion to appear smooth and comfortable we'd really have to get to the point of having 120fps video.

      --
      ~ radiographite: art by john shepard
    7. Re:720p Versus 1080i by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      So many bad assumptions.

      First. Everyone needs to read up on the kell factor to understand the impact that interlace video has on human perception of resolution.

      http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/kell.htm

      For those of you too lazy to read, it is generally accepted in the broadcast industry that interlace video (1080i, 480i) conveys about 70-75% of the total available vertical resolution (kell factor of .7). This means a 1080i image is about 810 lines of perceived vertical resolution.

      This is IF the compression system in use is not filtering the overall frequency response to some even lower value.

      All of the ATSC interlace modes run at 60 fields not 60 frames. (discounting drop frame modes) In interlace video there are only 30 frames of data which are spread out over 60 samples in time. Some people in the industry would argue that the kell factor for fast moving sports footage, especially panning footage such as car or bicycle races has a vertical resolution or kell factor of only .5. This means that the content of the video is moving so quickly that the next field of video samples do not line up at all with the previous ones and therefore add now new resolution content. For sports footage this means you are comparing 540 vertical lines (out of 1080i) to the REAL 720 samples at 60 Frame.

      Sony spent a LOT of money testing human perception and found out that the human eye cannot tell the difference between 1334 horizontal samples of resolution and 1920 samples when the viewer is seated at normal theater viewing distances. Of course its this same logic that says people can't hear anything above 20Khz. YMMV. The upshot of this is that the highest quality sampling available on compressed HD equipment is around 1440 horizontal pixels. Panasonic would argue that they have 1920 samples but their compression is so high that the effective frequency response on moving video is not nearly that.

      720P is far superior to 1080i for a number of reasons, all of which must be considered.

      1. Most televisions are not capable of true 1920 resolution. In fact, most broadcast monitor engineers would argue that none of them are. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between being 1920 ready or capable and having the electronics to drive a true, stable, jitter free 1920 image.

      720p solves this because it is a much easier resolution to drive on consumer displays and therefore there is less box induced artifacting (scaling, motion interpolation, etc).

      This means that if YOUR televisions native resolution is less than 1920 it will have to format convert the video down to whatever your native resolution is. Chances are that your televisions native display technology is progressive scan (DLP, LCOS, LCD, etc) so it will also be frame rate converting at the same time. Going from an interlace format to a progressive format is not a simple task. Cheap televisions (or STBs) will do simple field integration or bob/weave as it is known in the consumer world ('vertical/temporal mesh' to the industry). Better televisions will try to do motion adaptive de-interlacing. This is any set driven by Faroujda, Sage, Genesis electronics (all owned by Genesis). I suppose that there will be some sets that will attempt motion compensated de-interlacing but consider that the cheapest motion compensated stand alone box out there is about $100K and ask yourself if you are really getting what you are paying for. I digress. The point is that it is much easier for your television to convert 720p to 1080i than the other way around, or even better for it to just accept the 720p signal and display it natively.

      Toss in the fact that television stations are all broadcasting at different HD resolutions, your STB (set top box whether satellite or cable) has its own native processing capabilites (or necessities) and your television has its own limitations and you end up with some very ugly scenarios. The worst of which is a 720P->1080i->

    8. Re:720p Versus 1080i by Halo- · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There is one other important element in how "fast" the human eye sees: Where you are looking. The receptors in the certer of the eye respond much more slowly than the receptors on the edges; however, the center of the eye has much greater resolution. The reason for this is that you need detail for subjects you are actually looking at, and you need speed in your peripheral vision to see things sneaking up or being throw at you.

      I've played with this effect when configuring monitors before. Set the vertical refresh to something painfully slow, then try looking at it out of the corner of your eye. Ouch...

      So, I would suspect that on really large screens (ie movie theaters) the refresh rate is more critical than on smaller screens.

      Me? I own a plain old low-def 24" TV, so this is all moot for me. :)

    9. Re:720p Versus 1080i by Single+GNU+Theory · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So, I wonder what pets think of our modern video and audio systems?

      Pets probably think modern video and audio systems don't smell very interesting.

      --
      Little Debian: America's #1 Snack Distro!
    10. Re:720p Versus 1080i by xeaxes · · Score: 3, Insightful

      There was a report on the news about cats and tv. They were distinguishing why some cats watch and some cats do not watch.

      The answer? The cats that watch TV have slower brains then the cats that do not watch TV. They cannot distinguish that TV is not real.

      I'm guessing the same is true for dogs. Especially in regards to sound. It's interesting that some dogs can distinguish that hearing a doorbell or dog bark on TV is fake and some dogs cannot. So, higher quality audio and video probably means that in the end, more pets will watch and listen.

      --

      "BEHOLD, CORN!!" - Dr. Weird, ATHF

    11. Re:720p Versus 1080i by davegust · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The problem with your position on 1080i is that many of your 720p "advantages" are due to the limits of today's technology.

      - Today's sets can't show full 1920
      - Today's cameras can't shoot full 1920
      - Interlaced to progressive conversion is expensive
      - Digitizing progressive is easier

      While these statements are true today, in 5 years these problems will be be solved. They are technology limits.

      Approximating the recovery of interlaced fields is simply a technology problem, not a mathematical limit. We throw away these fields as a compression technique, to compliment the other techniques used in MPEG2. Recovering an approximation should be as accepted and accurate as the color-depth recovery that we employ with JPEG and MPEG decompression filtering.

      What won't change is that at the same bit-rate, the higher resolution interlaced fields have the potential to look sharper than the lower resolution progressive frames.

      Good motion compensated de-interlacing can make interlaced fields look smooth, and these systems will be cheap enough to include in every set in 5 to 10 years. As far as I know, no such solution exists to enhance the lack of resolution. (Yes, I know sharpness filters exists, but the results are poor, and they are not typically sought as a solution to video problems. Maybe these will get better too, but I doubt it.)

      I'm sure most people would agree that if we had been stuck with something like 320p vs. 480i for NTSC, that we would have been living with poorer quality images for the last two decades, once image processing had reached the limits of the format.

      Fortunately, ATSC wisely accomodates multiple formats.

      Dave

      P.S. Most of today's sets are not natively progressive scan, but are still built with tubes. I agree this is rapidly changing, but tubes still have the picture quality edge. I'm betting on nano-tube cathode displays as the best replacement for direct-view tubes.

  2. no so cool by frovingslosh · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Plus check out this Samsung DLP TV! Stealth bomber cool!"

    Wasn't one of the cool promises of a flat plasma TV that we could hang them on the wall with little wasted space? Not have to ballance them on top of a space wasting cousing of R2-D2? Who in the world wants this TV with it's queer makeover and awkward space wasting base?

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
    1. Re:no so cool by iainl · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The Samsung isn't a flat plasma TV though; its a DLP rear projection that, since the single DLP unit is much smaller than the multiple bulbs of a traditional CRT rear-pro, they've hollowed out the stand to the bare minimum for maximum cool looks.

      If you want flat plasma, then get flat plasma. I wouldn't hang one on my wall though, as not only do I need the stand space underneath it to house DVD, Laserdisc, Amplifier, Satellite decoder, VHS recorder, Minidisc player and multiple consoles, but the sheer weight of a 43" plasma screen means you need blooming great bolts in it to ensure it doesn't fall off.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    2. Re:no so cool by tgd · · Score: 2, Informative

      Um, thats not a plasma TV.

    3. Re:no so cool by Zathrus · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Wasn't one of the cool promises of a flat plasma TV that we could hang them on the wall with little wasted space?

      Sure, and you can still do that. You'll only pay roughly twice as much for a HD plasma screen as you will for a HD DLP. DLP may not be perfect, but I do think it's the best digital display technology out there right now. It's light (our 46" is only 80 lbs (36 kg); our 32" CRT TV is far heavier), they're not flat but they are narrow (ours is only 16" deep), they have no burn-in issues (plasma does), pretty good black levels (best of the digital bunch), great resolution (1280x720 currently), high contrast and brightness (you don't NEED to watch in a pitch black room), and good connectivity (DVI and VGA input!).

      Yeah, it's still much more expensive than a RPTV CRT HD set, but I think it's worth it. And, as I mentioned, it's considerably cheaper than plasma.

      As for the stand -- it's separate. Don't buy it if you don't like it. Mine is in a huge honking entertainment center, many people buy various stands for them -- with the weight you don't need to worry about whether or not the stand can hold the TV. And, after all, you need somewhere to put the receiver, DVD player, TiVo, etc.

  3. Re:HD Tivo! by pogopogo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Um, you can do a season pass for all channels. Just create a wishlist item for the title of the show and it will record it on every channel.

    So make a wishlist for "Sex and the City" or Seinfeld and it will record the episode from all the channels.

  4. Some of these are quite useful by SexyKellyOsbourne · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The Akosa PlugLan(TM) Network Jack -- imagine how much time, effort, and money stringing up CAT5 network cables could be saved if we simply just used these instead to use our existing electrical wires to transmit data.

    Motorola IMfree Personal Instant Messenger -- kick the middle school girls off of the computers, and give them these little keypads. $1500 machines being hogged for using AIM is ridiculous. Plus it's Linux-based.

    "Air Flo" Hand Cooling Controllers -- When playing Xbox for hours on end, your controllers will become slicker than a greased yoda, but these have air conditioning built in to prevent that. Now, if they could do this for mice, it would be great.

    Cool stuff. I look forward to it.

    1. Re:Some of these are quite useful by Inda · · Score: 2, Informative

      There was a picture of a mouse

      --
      This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
  5. Why include a link to a picture? by flyboy974 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I have a Sony DirecTivo unit that I've loved for many a years now. I love it more now that I am a beta user and got dual tuners before most of the public. (About two years of Beta's now)

    But, what is so special about the new Hughes DirecTivo? I checked the CES website and the link, and there is nothing about specs. Notta new, other than HDTV. Ooo.. A piture that the Sony Tivo still kicks ass over. I havn't looked into DirecTV's specs about their broadcast of HDTV, but, I'm guessing it's highly compressed, and if you were to freeze frame, you'll see the aweful MPEG compression more than the picture itself. How much more bandwidth can you get out of older comm. satelitte? HDTV has about 4x the number of pixels over normal broadcast. You can't support both without giving up something.

    About three months ago I added another 80GB drive to my Tivo. If it wasn't for the mother in law, I would still have 3 months worth of programming! (Either that, or it's the NHL Season package recording the Sharks Games...) Strangely, I've ran out of space due to the recent influx of some MTV over TiVo exlusive to DirecTV crap programming/previews.

    Oh well. I avoid live TV like the plague. I guess it's time to rebless my hda drive with something bigger.

    1. Re: Why include a link to a picture? by golemite · · Score: 5, Informative

      The new HD DirecTivo will have dual OTA tuners and dual Satellite tuners, meaning you can be recording up to 3 HD/SD programs while watching another one live. The HD is 250GB and will support all HD as well as SD output formats. The unit has recently entered Beta testing and hopefully will appear on store shelves soon. Check AVSForum for more info.

      DirecTV HDTV actually delivers quite a good image. Flipping between the same game on Sunday Ticket HD on DTV and CBS-HD OTA reveals some artifacts being introduced occassionally from further compression but still delivers a good image that will only get better as more satellites get in the sky. Other channels such as ESPN-HD (when they are actually showing HD) and Discovery HD look excellent compared to full bitrate OTA channels.

      --
      http://www.s4biturbo.com/
    2. Re:Why include a link to a picture? by Zathrus · · Score: 5, Informative

      About two years of Beta's now

      And if you're currently participating in a beta then you're breaking your NDA. For some reason, I doubt you're participating in the current beta though -- you'd have a clue then.

      But, what is so special about the new Hughes DirecTivo?[...]other than HDTV. Ooo.. A piture that the Sony Tivo still kicks ass over.

      First off, the make of the TiVo has absolutely zero impact on the PQ. They're all the same design and components.

      That said, the big thing is HD. Your Sony can't do HD. Nor can any other TiVo on the market. This one can. And it'll beat the pants off of your Sony when it comes to PQ because of it. Oh, and it has component and DVI output, which your Sony doesn't. It'll even look better with SD material.

      I havn't looked into DirecTV's specs about their broadcast of HDTV, but, I'm guessing it's highly compressed

      You're right. You haven't looked into it. DirecTV is now broadcasting all of its HD channels at full bitrate. They were previously doing some bit combing to reduce the bitrate to ~12 Mbps, but they have apparantly stopped that and now HD channels are broadcast at up to 21 Mbps.

      How much more bandwidth can you get out of older comm. satelitte? HDTV has about 4x the number of pixels over normal broadcast. You can't support both without giving up something.

      The bandwidth is static. They could allocate all of the bandwidth on a transponder to HD -- they'd just carry fewer channels on that transponder. The more HD channels they put on a bird the fewer SD channels they can broadcast (which basically affects how many locals they can broadcast; all the major channels are on the 101 bird anyway. HD is on the 110 and 119 birds). Oh, and they have a new bird going active in January. It'll have enough bandwidth to transmit every single channel they carry in HD. Including the locals. All of the m. It's unknown what they're going to use the new bird for yet, except that it will be HD related.

      Oh, other new things about the HD DirecTiVo? Four tuners. Two HD DirecTV and two ATSC. You'll only be able to record from two at a time, but you won't have to worry about whether the signal is coming in OTA or DBS.

  6. You'll be hearing more about the Lightglove by Bi()hazard · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There are some pretty cool products up there. But one really stands out as having revolutionary potential-the lightglove. This is clearly going to be the input device of choice in the future.

    Just think of the applications for a wireless device that's perfectly ergonomic, customizable, and works with all major OS'es and a huge variety of electronic devices. Check out the website faq here-this thing is a universal remote control for your tv, game console, garage door, even microwave. It even works underwater! Ideal for scuba divers, and you don't have to take it off in the shower, you can even use it to control the water temperature! I'm sure we've all heard about how people have "creative" uses for those detachable shower heads that can spray directly onto any part of your body, imagine how much fun you could have with a robotically controlled showerhead with hand signals used as inputs to vary speed, direction, and temperature. mmmm...why not use this thing to control more traditional sex toys too? Perfect for those long distance relationships.

    Light is sterile; nobody can spread germs by using the same computer, so this also has potential in medical applications. This will be ubiquitous in hospitals. It's also a perfect robotics control device. Everyone from surgeons to manufacturers to the military will be using this thing to work robot hands. And of course, no gamer can go without-the precision control, ergonomics, and more input (3d motion and 15 buttons beats any mouse) are ideal. You can use two of these to simulate a keyboard, which is good news for laptops-the keyboard is the fattest, space-wastingest part. Lightgloves will come with every tablet PC. They also mention they've been testing virtual reality applictaions-"Mobile computing with head mounted display and mini CPU" as a VR platform is in beta. And the technology to use hand signals as input will add whole new meanings to giving the finger :P

    Did I mention it comes in all kinds of cute colors? From the website: "Marvelous choices of light color (or invisible infra-red light) will be available in fashionable wrist bands and cases to enhance any style preference. It's not just for us geeks." Ooh I want..any of you guys want to buy one for me? ;)

    Once the technology is perfected we'll all be using them. They already have 52 hour capacity rechargeable lithium batteries, wireless i/o following irDa, 802.15.4, 802.11g, and two-way radio standards, as well as adaptability for all standard remote-controlled home appliances. Plus, they're testing a satellite link configuration using similar transmitter technology as that in satellite phones, so you'll be able to use this thing from anywhere on the planet! Of course, it's expensive, but the site claims they hope to have it below $300 by mid 2005... I'm wetting my pants in anticipation!

  7. Ah, Tivo, the most hackable of all VCR substitutes by Channard · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So hopefully someone will be able to modify TIVO in such a way it ignores the 'do not record' flag on HD programmes.

  8. Re:TYAN's K84 s-4880 - when and how much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    1) what on earth could you use such a monster for? you do know that adding cpus doesn't get you any more fps in games, don't you?

    These devices are used for measuring penis size. Ask any doctor or look at the relevant HMO forms-they want answers in MHz. There's even a few classified ads posted by women that specify "At least 6 GHz of equipment preferred."

    2) if you have so much money, why don't you settle for a normal computer and buy something adult instead: buy a car, clothes or redecorate your house. those will help you getting laid, too. in short, grow up.

    We've already covered getting laid. Clothes are for losers and poseurs, the new fashion is no fashion! And buying a 5th car would require expanding the garage, which would unbalance the house-just plain ugly.

  9. Taz I by Jesus+IS+the+Devil · · Score: 3, Informative

    The Taz I looks to be a better buy at $379 (60GBs) than the Archos AV380 (80GBs), which is selling for $899!

    Taz I:
    http://www.tightsystems.com/gift.htm

    Archose AV380:
    http://www.archos.com/products/prw_500570. html

    The only noticeable difference I see is that the Archose supports xVid while the Taz doesn't. However they both support Divx.

    I'm almost sold... Just wish the product was already available today.

    --

    eTrade SUCKS
  10. Wrong price (probably!) and not shipping! by magicianuk · · Score: 2, Informative

    The gift certificate linked to says
    "So . . . here's what we've come up with for you. For $379, you get the following:

    1. A very nice gift certificate worth $425 towards the purchase of a TAZ I. (We have not announced a suggested retail price for TAZ I yet.)"

    And on another page "TAZ I will be available in limited quantities in early 2004".

    So at the moment you can pay 379 dollars towards a product that isn't shipping yet and hasn't got a price announced yet.

    But if you go through the Tight Talk discussion they are suggesting more than 650 dollars, see http://www.tightsystems.com/bb/showthread.php?s=dd 71268a60568efdaa275d86f1e86c46&threadid=347 for example.

  11. The obvious questions... by ChangeOnInstall · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Will an HDTV DirecTivo function exactly as my current original-generation Tivo in terms of letting me watch any show I recorded, i.e., are these affected by the broadcast flag stuff? Will it provide component video outputs and an optical audio output such I can watch those programs on the HDTV I bought three years ago?

    If the answer is yes, I'll certainly buy one.

    --
    What has *science* done?!? -- Dr. Weird (ATHF)
  12. Re:"Stealth Bomber Cool"? by iainl · · Score: 2, Funny

    Its black. Spinal Tap levels of black, in fact.

    --
    "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
  13. Re:TiVo's dirty little secret by RichMeatyTaste · · Score: 4, Informative

    Dirty little secret eh? My Hughes dual tuner recording 2 shows and playing back another would like to talk to you. Stop spreading FUD. While overheats do happen, they are rare. I've had a series 1 I bought 3 months after initial launch, and a Hughes dual tuner, and they both have performed perfectly.

    --


    Ever feel like you are driving the getaway car?
  14. Completely OT. by juuri · · Score: 2, Interesting

    One of the reasons the dreamcast was able to hold its own in games against the PS2 was due to it being able to do motion blur in the chipset. This was used in a lot of games to great effect. Unfortunately it seems everyone else decided not to implement this so we are left with cold hard static images in things like driving and sports games.

    --
    --- I do not moderate.
  15. Re:TiVo's dirty little secret by The+Wicked+Priest · · Score: 2, Informative

    You might just need to rearrange the space where you keep your Tivo. I had mine in a mostly-closed cabinet under the TV -- there was a large hole in the back, mainly for wires, and small cracks along the edges of the front glass doors. In this situation, the Tivo gradually built up to 50C (as reported by the System Information menu), and stuttered.

    I tried leaving the front doors open, and that brought down the temperature considerably -- maybe 42C, though I don't clearly remember. That was enough to stabilize it. But it also let all the noise out, and the open doors were awkward.

    So finally I closed the doors, and instead pulled off the cardboard back of the cabinet. (The sides, top and bottom were (are) thick particle board; the back had little or no structural value.) To my surprise, the temperature went down even further, to around 37C, while the sound was muffled just about as well as with the cardboard on. Plus, I now had easier access to all the cables in the back. :-)

    --
    Share and Enjoy: 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
  16. Re:HD Tivo! by ThePixel · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually, it doesn't always work -- for instance, I get local chanels via DirecTiVo, but a season pass will only grab either the local channel shows, or the DirecTV shows. Never both. So If a show (such as Stargate SG-1 appears on SciFi and my local FOX affiliate) I have to have TWO season passes to grab all the shows, or setup a Title Wishlist (which I have done for Stargate) unfortunately a Title Wishlist doesn't always work -- for instance, I'd like to get all of the Friends episodes, but a Friends Title Wishlist would get me loads of other crap. Oh well. It's still drastically better than a VCR.

    --
    People see the world as they are, not as it is.
  17. DirecTivo's future by Scryber · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Like everyone else that has a DirecTivo, I am really looking forward to an HD DirecTivo.

    But, the recent approval of the sale of DirecTV to Rupert Murdoch and News Corp could portend some bad news for Tivo. Murdoch already owns a company that produces DVR units, and the industry speculation is that he will dump Tivo and replace it with his own DVR.

    This is the last thing I want to see, as I love the features of my Tivo and hate the idea of Tivo (the company) being squished by Murdoch's mega conglomerate. Stay tuned...

  18. Re:TiVo's dirty little secret by BrianRoach · · Score: 2, Informative


    Totally agree on the enclosure issue.

    I have 3 Tivos (1 original that's now 4 years old, and 2 series2) and have never had a problem with heat.

    If you sandwitch it in a cabinet in with a bunch of stuff, or (yes, people do this) put them on top of your receiver/amplifier ... well, they're going to overheat.

    But so will anything. Before installing a couple small fans into the cabinet where everything lives, my Toshiba pro-scan DVD would overheat and refuse to play because it didn't have enough room to "breathe" (the shelf above it is too close).

    - Brian Roach

  19. Re:TiVo's dirty little secret by OYAHHH · · Score: 2, Informative

    I do have a TIVO and it does not have an overheating problem.

    I took the cover off once to upgrade the hard-drives and it's basically a PC inside.

    It has a cooling fan which pulls air from the bottom and pushes air over the hard-drive(s). The fan is just a run-of-the-mill PC cooling fan. Easily disconnected (see adventure below) and replaced if necessary.

    If you block either the holes at the bottom or the holes on the side/top then you will probably get a heating issue.

    Two hard drives in a small box do tend to run fairly hot.

    And if you're a bozo like me and forget to hook back up your cooling fan the TIVO has internal circuitry that shuts it down if it gets too hot.

    That's what happened to mine. I got up the day after upgrading my drives to find my TIVO shutdown. Immediate thoughts went through my head of "Oh no! I've killed it!"

    Only to discover a screen on my display from the TIVO that said I had an overheating issue.

    Lastly, the TIVO has an on-screen diagnostic screen which will tell you your TIVO current temp.

    You can easily monitor it that way.

    --
    Caution: Contents under pressure