Quote:

Now the new Murdoch controlled DirecTV is putting out press releases touting their upcoming "TiVo like" (their words) DVR being produced by another Murdoch owned company. It's based on a product available in England (BSky or something like that. I'm too lazy to look it up).



Sounds like you are talking about Sky+, for which "TiVo like" is the best description.

Sky+ doesn't have any of the advanced features of TiVo. It is much more like a video recorder with a programme guide. You choose the shows you want to record.

The only "advanced" features it has are series links, which allows you to record all the shows in a series (season) and it knows when shows are running late. Both these features are dependant on the broadcaster of the particular channel sending the right data.

The reason Sky+ is becoming reasonably sucessful in the UK and TiVo is dead is because Murdock has control of the hardware platform that satellite TV in the UK uses. So no one else can make a PVR that can directly receive Sky services without Sky's involvement.

I really wish that Sky and TiVo had teamed up. Sky+ is good, but it is too dumbed down for my tastes (though I do own one).
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