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Tivo or sky + or whatever?!!?

  • 06-02-2004 1:46pm
    #1
    chabsey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,346 ✭✭✭


    I'm interested in a system I've seen on Tv but have no idea about.

    Basically it was a system whereby, with the touch of a button, you could call up a channel guide (kind of like what the TV channel guide at the back of the Irish times)
    You then scrolled through it, highlighted the program you wanted and pressed a button, it would then record that program to an internal HDD and possibly did the following:

    * Skipped all Ads
    * Would record the program even if the channel in question changed the time it was shown at.
    * Could let you watch the start of the program before it had finished recording.


    Now this all sounds like a PVR to me but my question is this:

    I'm not interested in getting Sky cause I've no interest in 85 different sports/crap channels that I won't watch. I'm quite happy with the number of channels I have at the moment.
    So, is it possible to get a machine that has the above features (most important being the channel guide and AD skipping) using just a normal cable setup.

    I have broadband so that would probably be needed for the channel guide. Am mainly concerned with not wanting to sign up to sky or anything else, just want the plain vanilla selection of channels.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    Tenshot
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 648 ✭✭✭Tenshot


    TiVo and Sky+ are the two main commercially available PVRs available on this side of the pond; they both offer the capabilities you mention. (Skipping ads is done by fast-forward, but it works MUCH better than with a VCR.)

    Sky+ obviously requires a Sky subscription, which leaves you with Tivo. Unfortunately, Tivo doesn't have a VHF tuner so it won't work properly with NTL analogue channels. If you have a roof aerial, you should be able to get it working with the UK channels by pretending that you live in the region served by the UK transmitter (e.g. Wales, or if you're close to the border, Northern Ireland). I have a friend in Dundalk using a Tivo with terrestial channels with good results: he gets RTE 1 & 2, BBC1 & 2, UTV, Channel 4. TV3 and TG4 are not included in the channel guide however.

    If you're in Dublin, best bet is to get NTL digital; the Tivo can be adapted to work with NTL's Dublin service without too much trouble. It uses the SCART input, and sends infra-red signals to the NTL set-top box to change channels. The same approach also works with NTL's digital MMDS service -- I have a sister in Wicklow on MMDS happily using a Tivo since Christmas.

    Best (only?) place to buy them is on eBay UK; current price is around Stg200 + postage. You'll probably need to buy a Tivo UK subscription as well, which is about 15 euros per month. Also, you need use of a UK address to register the subscription at, since the Tivo service is not officially available in the south of Ireland.

    It sounds expensive, but trust me, it's well worth it. Every single person I know who has it (five, so far) has said it's completely changed the way they watch TV, and they wouldn't give it up without a big fight.


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