Comparision to "My Sky"

[Lurker]

There are a couple of differentiations between MySky and Tivo route

MySky with 2 tuners has access to 2 Sky channels at the same time - something you cannot acheive with multiple Tivo unless you get 2 Sky subs (1 + extra) as the sky decoders can only access 1 channel at a time. Best yo can hope for with a pasle of Tivo is record 1 digital, 1 terestrial at the same time

Tivos will eventually die and unless series 2 hacking goes a lot further all our lovely Tivo will have to be replaced by Windows MCE or some Linux system such as Freevo etc - in either case I think the guide data would need reworking for anything but Tivo

(I hope) MySky prices will drop - in the UK is now costs no more to get Sky+ installed (and after 12 months you own it) than a standard decoder. Of course you do have a 10 pound per month charge with Sky+ but that is waived if you take movie/sports packages

Unless you have Sky the NZtivo setup is not easy to do and fraught with peril as we really have not cracked setup for aerial as they have in Oz and if you are going to pay for Sky anyway probably easier not to import and set up a Tivo - just get Pie-in-the-Sky.

Free to air digital is coming and you will get a raft (well some) PVR designed to be D-FTA friendly and probably transfer to PC or DVD. Legend in Australia has (according to them) done really well with their PVR on Oz but it is lacking in finesse (or even guide data) and transfers to PC over USB 1.1 (urgh).

My biggest gripe about MySky is not having a built in way to archive recording except for the old convert to analogue through a SCART output and record on VHS - I would be much happier if it had a network interface or DVD-R but i suppose they have rights managements pressures.

Chris

[DavidClarke]

Having seen a mySky box in operation and THEN making the call to build a Tivo... Madness? We no actually, quite sane.

The two channel feature is huge, however consider that Sky repeats everything of their own content a couple of times, so a conflict between two sky channels is easily resolved.

The problem comes when we want to include FTA channels into the mix. But the quality of the re-encoded Sky signal and a large format tv, quite frankly sucks, a decent ariel and FTA for 2/3 is an ideal setup, the quality difference is significant.

I am under 90 and so don't find myself watching TV1 too often, so its out of the mix.

Once I have finished installing air con in my house (why is this a rare thing in a country this damp in winter and sticky in summer?) I will be into the second unit for the bedroom with FTA tuner onboard, content sharing and a seperate set of season passes. Job done. Can watch content from either in either room, high quality for TV2/3 and all the Tivo fruit.

Sure I am spending twice as much, but then again I am officially a geek and if it doesn't involve a torx driver and a couple of cable ties, I am not interested anyway