Almost unknown

[vilakins]

The new Listener came today with an article about Sky bringing the TiVo to NZ. Ho hum, we've had them for over five years, which was how I watched B7 six nights a week at 6pm (and fell for it) when it was on in reruns: I'd record it then watch as soon as I got home while it was still recording.

Anyway, one of the photos shows a TV (with Manny from Black Books on the screen) and two stacked TiVos--and they're ours! It's a bit unnerving to see a pic of a tiny bit of our house in the Listener, but the photo was taken a couple of years ago when the NZ Herald did an article on the technology. It's been cropped right down so you can't see Greg being nerdy. :-P

Comments

[matildabj.livejournal.com]

Hee! How come you got yours photographed? Were you the first people to get on in NZ, or something?

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I think we have the only ones; we certainly did then. We imported two from the US in 2000 and two from the UK a couple of years ago and put huge HDs into them; we hardly watch anything but cricket live now. We tried to work out some way of getting electronic program listings from the TV channels but they blocked us, so our idea of setting up a service here failed. We have to program all our recordings in manually.

A reporter wanting to write about the tech somehow heard we had some and came round to interview us. Greg even ended up giving a talk to an education conference. I'm hoping that Sky will set up a program service we can use when they bring theirs in.

[matildabj.livejournal.com]

We have to program all our recordings in manually.

I always thought the beauty of TiVo is that you don't have to think about what you're recording. That's my main problem with TV - I don't want to watch when they broadcast, I want to watch in my own time. But I inevitably forget to set the video.

[matildabj.livejournal.com]

I forgot to mention how impressed I am at your innovativeness! (is that even a word?)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

:-) We had two of the first Mpegs from their UK factory too (Linux-based MP3 players for the car). They now make the very cool Rio Karma (iPod-like player) but the original car Mpegs are still right up there with the best and so solid they'll survive being run over by a truck (as one guy's did).

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

That would be wonderful. We were trying to get info from their web sites and do a hack job, but they kept changing the format so the sites were unusable. So yes, we program them like VCRs, but advantages are:

• Being able to set more than 8 shows to record
  
• recording off the radio too
  
• having huge HDs we put in so I have several S3 B7 eps on there
  
• instant access to any of the recorded stuff
  
• skipping over ads in about 3 seconds
  
• watching while a show's being recorded (we don't usually but the option's there and we do it with Lost because we can't wait)

[spacefall.livejournal.com]

FWIW, some NZ users of MythTV (http://www.wlug.org.nz/TitleSearch?s=mythtv&submit.x=0&submit.y=0) (free* linux-based TIVO-like system) list an online xml listings source. (http://ontv.orcon.net.nz/listings.xml) Don't know if this is a) of any use, or b) even appropriate for your area, but thought I'd mention it. If you can find any MythTV users nearby, they may be aware of random listings stuff.

* as in build your computer then download and install Linux and the MythTV software.

Good luck in your TIVOness. I'm hugely jealous of my mates' PVRs, and plan on building my own some time soon.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Greg tried it. The TV stations here won't release their guide data electronically so it's very patchy and unreliable. Programs get moved around a lot here so using the paper listings is actually easier and more trustworthy. Australia has TiVo officially but they have the same problem with their sources; they often end up keying in time from the paper or TV guides there too.

And go you! Greg's done a lot of hacking with the software in ours, and if he could have made it work, he would have. Hey, we got free Sky TV for years because he hacked their encryption system but I'm glad we're paying for it now. I'm not really Vila.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

The main problem is that TV channels outside the UK and US (and Europe?) don't have free guide listings. They regard them as part of their assets and guard the bastards jealously. Funny really, when you'd think they'd want people to watch...

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Yay, your TiVo is famous!

Which reminds me, I need to go and by a paper today and see if I'm famous, or if I've been bumped for wheelchair basketball again. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Ooh, yes. I really hope I can get to see the text of that!

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Doesn't seem to be in the paper or on the website today, though, so it looks like it must've got pushed back again. I'll ask my journo friend about it later. He doesn't have a lot of say over when the editor decides to run things. :)

Right. Off to watch Who. :)

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

Ha! How strange. I'm impressed by you innovativeness (that is a word, right?!)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Well, it should be if it isn't! :-)