It's lucky that Steve and I are both such geeks and tivo lovers ... because we both had the same idea this year for our Christmas present. We gave each other the Humax Tivo DVD-R. And we LOVE it.
It's got all the normal cool Tivo features -- plus with like 2 clicks you can burn any tv show or movie to DVD. It's all built in. You pop the DVD into any computer or TV -- and it even LOOKS like the tivo screen. Kinda nifty! And of course it eliminated the standalone DVD player from our entertainment unit -- which also means one less remote. You view regular DVD's from within the Tivo interface ... it's just another section for DVD's.
And .. now that we finally have cable, you just hook the tivo up to a wireless network adapter and wala. No more phone line needed. Now the tivo's can see each other on the network ... and all is wonderful. We can watch stuff on the bedroom tivo from the living room tivo;
And now TIVO has finally released Tivo-To-Go ... so we can dump old movies and tv series off onto our computer's hard drive to save space (although now that we have the tivo DVD burner ... that isn't as big of an issue on the humax as it is for the series2 tivo in the bedroom).
I wonder how the copyright issues work with all this? I mean ... we can literally burn anything we can record on our tivo onto DVD. I love it! :cloud9:
I am so happy for you two, that is just the best news EVER!
And I rave not for purely selfish reasons (though I have them now- wheee), but just because it is the kind of gift a geek should have!
There's the issue - copyright. There are some great articles being written on BoingBoing by Cory Doctorow on this topic:
article 1, article 2, article 3, article 4
Essentially, TiVo / Microsoft Media Center PC / TimeWarner PVR customers, etc. are enjoying some freedoms with their PVRs. Currently, you can record things with your TiVo and burn them to DVD. But when HBO comes along and tells TiVo they'll sue them unless they keep their customers from copying Six Feet Under, TiVo can release a software patch that checks a DRM flag in all recorded Six Feet Under shows and refuses to burn them to DVD for you. Essentially, the TiVo you buy today is only functional as long as the good will of the entertainment industry lasts. At any time, they can force TiVo to take away features that you had when you originally bought it.
This is an incredibly important concept, and is completely new. Years ago, when you bought a VCR, if someone said to you that in 12 months, you might not be able to record certain channels, would you have been okay with that? Or what if that tape player you bought back in the 8th grade could record anything except your favorite radio station?
As these sets with DVD burners become more and more popular, the entertainment industry is going to clamp down on them more. I wouldn't be surprised in this upcoming TV season if you find a show that won't let you burn it to DVD.
The sad thing is, this isn't on the radar of most consumers. They have no idea that these kinds of fair use rights they once had are eroding right before their eyes.
Woohoo! We bought the Toshiba DVD-R with TiVo as our big christmas present this year. I am in love with TiVo ever since we got it and every time I use it, I find something else that I can do that makes me love it even more.
We haven't burned anything to DVD yet, but Oh how I love the remote issue. One simple remote to control everything. It's great.
I'm stopping by to say hi since it's de-lurker day... so hi and Happy New Year!