So let's address your concerns, as a non-subscriber and someone who has never owned a Tivo box, right??
> 1. You still have a subscription fee (not a concern for some / major >concern for others) Gosh...you mean you have to actually PAY for a service? Cable is free after all. So is internet access and phone service too for that matter.
I know there are free options out there (Myth etc) but Tivo doesn't exactly hide the fact from users that in order to use their product you need to buy the service. As a bonus, I found in the past that the updated schedules Tivo gets are more often even more correct than the program guide on my digital cable receiver.
> 2. You still have Tivo the company in the mix, which in the past has: > * Erased user-recorded content I had Tivo service for 4 years and never once had a problem with this. Maybe there have been a few fluke situations where this happens, but every deletion I ever saw on my box followed the rules I set up when recording the program (Delete after X days, when I run out of space, options like that)
> * Recorded programs that Tivo wanted you to see, without >asking your permission (which in addition to being very annoying, also >used your precious disk space) There's a simple little option to turn off the suggestions, even my parents could figure out how to turn this feature off on their own. And for what it's worth, the software is designed such that any suggested programs are the first programs deleted when disk space starts to become an issue. So unless having empty drive space sitting there unused makes you feel better this isn't really a problem. If it is, then turn off suggestions. > * Limited the duration you have for watching recorded content I can't really argue with this other than mentioning that the only shows I'm aware of this actually coming up on after the initial bugs are PPV shows and other content that if you REALLY want to keep it, you could find another way to record. See the other threads about stripping the DRM off of the.tivo format files for MPEG transfer. > * Not guaranteed any of Tivos features - They can remove them >as they see fit (conversely, they can also add features, but who's going >to complain about that?) Again, not going to argue with you about the loss of features, but I don't really recall anything like that having happened. And like you said, you certainly don't complain when they give you bonus features you never thought you'd see like file transfer and network connectivity. > * Made very questionable deals about subscriber privacy >(selling demographical information, regional data, etc) Every user of Tivo agrees to have non-identifiable information shared when they sign up for the service. There's no privacy issue here as it's specifically mentioned that there is no tie between the information shared and the specific machine it comes from. Put your tinfoil hat back on. > 3. And this Tivo box, as with all other Tivo models, is still limited >in what it can do, NOT in terms of hardware and potential, but in what >Tivo will let you do with the hardware you're purchasing. I'm sorry, but if you compare Tivo to any other commercial DVR out there, it's the most hacker friendly unit out there. While they may shake their fingers and warn that you will void your warranty, it's not like they're Microsoft barring you from XBox Live as soon as they see a modified system connecting to their network.
All this from someone who dumped their Tivo for the Comcast DVR because I wanted HD recording. If/when the series 3 hits the shelves I may just be one of the first in line to get my quality service back.
Actually, it's already too late for this. I can't find the link to the article about this, but the movie rights have already been sold.
The book however is quite good. I read the entire thing on Sunday while flying back from Chicago (a 4 hour flight). Even if you can put 2 and 2 together to figure out the "big secret" it's still an entertaining read.
Can you imagine how much people are going to hate them when they show back up on campus? I mean the look of fear on their faces when they were put on camera was priceless. "Hi kids, these are your peers and they're working for us to stop you from trading music, please don't hurt them" (now get a nice clear shot of all of their faces)
um, actually until recently Limwire was the only one of the three to be based on gnutella. the kaaza and morpheus both were based on their own systems.
I know what makes them more attractive to the people playing WC3 right now, the fact that they let you play illegal copies.
Darn you Blizzard, I mean you only had all your beta testers agree to play it on your networks and not give out their CDs to be copied. How dare you expect people to follow through with their agreements.
Actually, didn't bungee have a game called Pathways Into Darkness or something that pre-dated marathon by a couple of years. I remember playing this game back on my mac and going nuts because i only had mono audio and the game completely needed stereo.
damn that was an old system...i wonder where it's sitting right now
Well, I used to live in chicago. Up until a week or so when I finally graduated and moved back home for a bit and I can say that at least this gimmick covered all possible markets. I was at a smaller engineering school on the south side (right in the middle of the housing projects across from Comisky Park) and they even managed to hit our sidewalks. Personally I laughed my ass off when I saw it.
I may not agree with the methods used here (like the lack of permission) but I do find the idea behind it all to be really funny.
They never claimed that it was fox. They simply stated that after Toystory 2 did so well in the theater, fox cut back it's staff. In other words: Fox exec's saw the writing on the wall that 3D animation was what is selling in the theater and they couldn't compete with it. Not to knock 2D or anything, because I'm a huge fan of classical animation, just not the crap that fox put out.
So, if the other half go out and buy the CDs they find on Napster used, are they still "sticking it to the man?" Just think, maybe napster should start charging $7.99 a month or something and claim that they're simply selling "used digital music" They could be doing the same thing that used CD stores are right now and the RIAA doesn't do a thing about it.
While they're at it though, do you think that we could get them to kill the Microsoft web site? Before Napster, I was able to pull MP3's off the shared folders at school...
The whole brand specific options do get old after a little while. I know that we've heard on more than one occasion that we can't get food we actually like on campus because "we have a contract with their competitor." Do they really think that we care who their manager owns stock in and therefor has us in a contract with? All we want is our Lucky Charms so that when the food is crap we can at least have cereal that we like. This from a company who's motto is: "We want students to eat here because they want to, not because they have to."
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So let's address your concerns, as a non-subscriber and someone who has never owned a Tivo box, right??
.tivo format files for MPEG transfer.
> 1. You still have a subscription fee (not a concern for some / major >concern for others)
Gosh...you mean you have to actually PAY for a service? Cable is free after all. So is internet access and phone service too for that matter.
I know there are free options out there (Myth etc) but Tivo doesn't exactly hide the fact from users that in order to use their product you need to buy the service. As a bonus, I found in the past that the updated schedules Tivo gets are more often even more correct than the program guide on my digital cable receiver.
> 2. You still have Tivo the company in the mix, which in the past has:
> * Erased user-recorded content
I had Tivo service for 4 years and never once had a problem with this. Maybe there have been a few fluke situations where this happens, but every deletion I ever saw on my box followed the rules I set up when recording the program (Delete after X days, when I run out of space, options like that)
> * Recorded programs that Tivo wanted you to see, without >asking your permission (which in addition to being very annoying, also >used your precious disk space)
There's a simple little option to turn off the suggestions, even my parents could figure out how to turn this feature off on their own. And for what it's worth, the software is designed such that any suggested programs are the first programs deleted when disk space starts to become an issue. So unless having empty drive space sitting there unused makes you feel better this isn't really a problem. If it is, then turn off suggestions.
> * Limited the duration you have for watching recorded content
I can't really argue with this other than mentioning that the only shows I'm aware of this actually coming up on after the initial bugs are PPV shows and other content that if you REALLY want to keep it, you could find another way to record. See the other threads about stripping the DRM off of the
> * Not guaranteed any of Tivos features - They can remove them >as they see fit (conversely, they can also add features, but who's going >to complain about that?)
Again, not going to argue with you about the loss of features, but I don't really recall anything like that having happened. And like you said, you certainly don't complain when they give you bonus features you never thought you'd see like file transfer and network connectivity.
> * Made very questionable deals about subscriber privacy >(selling demographical information, regional data, etc)
Every user of Tivo agrees to have non-identifiable information shared when they sign up for the service. There's no privacy issue here as it's specifically mentioned that there is no tie between the information shared and the specific machine it comes from. Put your tinfoil hat back on.
> 3. And this Tivo box, as with all other Tivo models, is still limited >in what it can do, NOT in terms of hardware and potential, but in what >Tivo will let you do with the hardware you're purchasing.
I'm sorry, but if you compare Tivo to any other commercial DVR out there, it's the most hacker friendly unit out there. While they may shake their fingers and warn that you will void your warranty, it's not like they're Microsoft barring you from XBox Live as soon as they see a modified system connecting to their network.
All this from someone who dumped their Tivo for the Comcast DVR because I wanted HD recording. If/when the series 3 hits the shelves I may just be one of the first in line to get my quality service back.
Actually, it's already too late for this. I can't find the link to the article about this, but the movie rights have already been sold.
The book however is quite good. I read the entire thing on Sunday while flying back from Chicago (a 4 hour flight). Even if you can put 2 and 2 together to figure out the "big secret" it's still an entertaining read.
This begs me to ask the question:
Do veggies really "love animals" or do they just really hate plants?
Can you imagine how much people are going to hate them when they show back up on campus? I mean the look of fear on their faces when they were put on camera was priceless. "Hi kids, these are your peers and they're working for us to stop you from trading music, please don't hurt them" (now get a nice clear shot of all of their faces)
um, actually until recently Limwire was the only one of the three to be based on gnutella. the kaaza and morpheus both were based on their own systems.
I know what makes them more attractive to the people playing WC3 right now, the fact that they let you play illegal copies.
Darn you Blizzard, I mean you only had all your beta testers agree to play it on your networks and not give out their CDs to be copied. How dare you expect people to follow through with their agreements.
Depending on how this goes, does anyone else see the potential for this:
WOZ-->iWalk (and know where I'm going)?
Maybe it's just me
Ever go to vegas? Hotels are all of the above and more in many cases. It's called good business.
Geeks trying to sound like lawyers, or lawyers trying to sound like geeks?
Actually, didn't bungee have a game called Pathways Into Darkness or something that pre-dated marathon by a couple of years. I remember playing this game back on my mac and going nuts because i only had mono audio and the game completely needed stereo.
damn that was an old system...i wonder where it's sitting right now
Well, I used to live in chicago. Up until a week or so when I finally graduated and moved back home for a bit and I can say that at least this gimmick covered all possible markets. I was at a smaller engineering school on the south side (right in the middle of the housing projects across from Comisky Park) and they even managed to hit our sidewalks. Personally I laughed my ass off when I saw it.
I may not agree with the methods used here (like the lack of permission) but I do find the idea behind it all to be really funny.
They never claimed that it was fox. They simply stated that after Toystory 2 did so well in the theater, fox cut back it's staff. In other words: Fox exec's saw the writing on the wall that 3D animation was what is selling in the theater and they couldn't compete with it. Not to knock 2D or anything, because I'm a huge fan of classical animation, just not the crap that fox put out.
So, if the other half go out and buy the CDs they find on Napster used, are they still "sticking it to the man?"
Just think, maybe napster should start charging $7.99 a month or something and claim that they're simply selling "used digital music" They could be doing the same thing that used CD stores are right now and the RIAA doesn't do a thing about it.
While they're at it though, do you think that we could get them to kill the Microsoft web site? Before Napster, I was able to pull MP3's off the shared folders at school...
The whole brand specific options do get old after a little while. I know that we've heard on more than one occasion that we can't get food we actually like on campus because "we have a contract with their competitor." Do they really think that we care who their manager owns stock in and therefor has us in a contract with? All we want is our Lucky Charms so that when the food is crap we can at least have cereal that we like. This from a company who's motto is: "We want students to eat here because they want to, not because they have to."