by Aidan » Wed Jun 19, 2013 3:07 pm
Got myself one of those Sony set top boxes...everything is now working again...it's amazing how over a decade later UK TiVo Series 1 are still going and people still like them. Just shows how good they were (or how bad everybody else is) and we know a good thing when we see it. I think the only thing that let them down was the high price us Brits had to pay. It didn't suffer from any issues in the US. In 2000/1 £500 it came in at +£200 lifetime subscription. The price fell like a brick though and I bought mine for £300+£200 but once it dropped to £100 for the box I thought something was up, and yep..it then vanished...for good. No idea about Virgin Media since, like many, we can't get it here. It's a shame TiVo never made it on to the PC which is where I moved to. Windows Media Centre seems to be the best I've seen, although XP is better than Vista and 7 and 8 doesn't include it....optional extra now, like XP was. If the TiVo software ended up available for the PC (Windows, I know it's linux) which of course has the advantage of broadband I'd switch to it. They can't make any money though that way, sooooooo...I won't hold my breath.
P.S. The Goodmans has the advantage of working with an old TV that doesn't have a scart socket. Old stuff lasts...or it was built better or the parts were primitive and overly big so lasted. The sony requires a scart connection although going through TiVo and no doubt an old VCR you can still use a scartless TV. They don't seem to mention that issue when it comes to digi-boxes. Clearly people don't expect things to last 10 years anymore, especially not 15 or even 20.
Somebody release TiVo for PC and it will make it big...i think. Providing it looks and works the same. If it aint broke, don't fix it...something many companies ignore. eBay and Facebook being exceptions, although Facebook can't resist introducing timeline nobody liked. Can always go elsewhere I guess...if only...