Don't knock the alternatives.....

[mrtickle]

The other thing is that the TiVo on-screen user interface*, feel of the remote control, and trick-play functions (eg skip-back 8 seconds button, 60x speed FF/RW that let you land exactly where you want to land) combine to make a really nice overall experience. The source of the recording is only one part of it - if you're playing it back* on a TiVo, it's so much better! Also, catch-up services normally make you watch adverts and somehow manage to make doing so an even worse experience than live TV.

(* SD resolution is an acknowledged negative. Decent TVs with good scalers mitigate this somewhat though)

[socrates]

I think you're missing the point. If the pvr fails to record something you've requested that is indeed a failure. Actually this happened to me more in the last year with TiVo than in the previous ten - not the TiVo's fault but due to lock ups in the freeview box. This does not happen with the Humax.

Maybe you are thinking of the TiVo suggestions? I gave up on that after the first year of use. I know it works well for some people but I found it rarely recorded anything of interest and filled the box with crap, though never of course at the cost of anything I chose. The same is true of the Freeview "recommend" feature.

I don't want to polarise the issue - the TiVo was great and some features are still unmatched. A new twin tuner Freeview TiVo with built in networking, catch up TV, Netflix, YouTube, HD and a moderately refreshed UI would get me back. But I don't see that coming.

MrTickle - yes the TiVo remote is great and was one of the hardest things to get used to changing ( after 11 years it would be ). Don't even notice now. As for adverts on catch up yes, 4OD is appalling in this ( and every other ) respect. I don't use it - after all I have two tuners to play with!

[bri_tal]

I think you're missing the point. If the pvr fails to record something you've requested that is indeed a failure. Actually this happened to me more in the last year with TiVo than in the previous ten - not the TiVo's fault but due to lock ups in the freeview box. This does not happen with the Humax.

I'm glad someone's happy with a Humax box - I have a Humax Freesat HD set-top box, which regularly freezes when checking for automatic software updates and, despite several email requests, they don't even bother to reply, even though this is an inherent fault with said box. !

[socrates]

Yes, I have heard that Humax support is not great but have you tried calling Thomson lately? Both benefit from enthusiastic hackers who plug gaps in the standard software.
I understand the custom firmware for the Foxsat is more limited than for the Freeview HDR but have you tried the Humax forum for help? ( sorry - I do realise this is a TiVo forum ).

[excoriated]

I think you're missing the point. If the pvr fails to record something you've requested that is indeed a failure.

no I'm talking about Wishlists. I don't think many non-Tivo PVRs have these and where they are they are poorly implemented. Usually you just get Season Passes and that's it. I make about 1 manual recording a month - everything else is found automatically through Wishlists and Season Passes. I've seen some of the ridiculous claims made by PVR manufacturers, "Never miss an episode of your favourite programme", followed closely by "If you miss a programme then you can get it with catch-up". Can you not see the oxymoron?

My point is I don't have to "request" programmes, but they are still there recorded and waiting.

I don't request them, I don't miss them, I don't need catch-up.

Maybe you are thinking of the TiVo suggestions? I gave up on that after the first year of use.

Yes me too. Too much dross got recorded to make that worthwhile. (YMMV)

I'm not blinkered the Tivo's faults, I'm just countering any suggestion that 'more modern' PVRs have made Tivo S1 obsolete (I know you're not saying that Socrates ). A modern' PVR with 2 tuners should be able to record more than you'd ever be able to watch and not fail to record any programme you want (without you having to manually set it). But then they wouldn't be able to sell people catch-up services would they?

The whole thing about the 'P' in PVR is that it learns your tastes and likes and does it for you. If you're having to set recordings manually then it is just a "VR"! As a PVR it fails.

[socrates]

You're correct that the Humax does not have a wishlist equivalent as standard, and I agree that is an oversight. However it is one that has been overcome within the package of customised firmware which is very easy to install. This stores much the same search criteria as the TiVo wishlist and automatically records and/or sends an email reminder when a matching programme appears in the epg. The season pass equivalent is standard. In my experience so far both work well, and can also be managed remotely from a browser or iPhone app. So like you most of my recording is automated - exceptions tend to be one off programmes that sound interesting despite not fitting any criteria I think to include in a wishlist.

Excoriated - I'm puzzled by your comment about the P in PVR relating to learning capability if like me you gave up on Suggestions. Unless I've forgotten something wasn't it just the Suggestions function that was supposed to learn based on your thumbs up or down scoring?

[mrtickle]

You're correct that the Humax does not have a wishlist equivalent as standard, and I agree that is an oversight. However it is one that has been overcome within the package of customised firmware which is very easy to install. This stores much the same search criteria as the TiVo wishlist and automatically records and/or sends an email reminder when a matching programme appears in the epg.

This is very encouraging, if it properly implements Actor and Director wishlist-equivalents. Very few of my WLs are keywords or genres; they are mostly Actors and Directors.