George B.
Member
Does anybody own the Replay TV 5000 series. If so, any pros and cons?
Thanks
Thanks
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Replay TV / TIVO
- Thread starter George B.
- Start date
R
Rich Gibson
Guest
Why did you mention TIVO in the title? I have two of them but am not sure if you're interested in that brand. Let me know.
They're fantastic! This is the killer device right now. The Wife and I use them constantly; you can "have your cake and eat it too!" ...almost.
Rich
They're fantastic! This is the killer device right now. The Wife and I use them constantly; you can "have your cake and eat it too!" ...almost.
Rich
Barry Margolius
Senior Member
I have a ReplayTV 4040. The 4000 series is almost the same as the 5000 series. I'm still learning, but I like it quite a bit.
Pros
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Instant replay of live TV
Can be programmed over the Internet
You can share recordings with friends with ReplayTV (very slow)
If you have multiple units on your home LAN, you can share shows.
Records show descriptions with show.
Can be programmed to catch all episodes of a show.
Cons
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Channel surfing is quite slow (maybe 5 seconds to change channels)
You must leave cable box turned on, always
-barry
Pros
------
Instant replay of live TV
Can be programmed over the Internet
You can share recordings with friends with ReplayTV (very slow)
If you have multiple units on your home LAN, you can share shows.
Records show descriptions with show.
Can be programmed to catch all episodes of a show.
Cons
-------
Channel surfing is quite slow (maybe 5 seconds to change channels)
You must leave cable box turned on, always
-barry
Dewdrop1
Leading Member
Barry,
You missed a big CON as far as I'm concerned. That is that there is a $10 monthly fee. I would really like to have a digital video recorder but absolutely refuse to pay a monthly fee. I want to use it like a VCR. I'm not interested in having it watching my viewing habits and recording programs it thinks I would like. I'll program it when I want a program recorded.
I know that TiVo offers a lifetime subscription to elliminate the $10 a month fee, but that doubles the price of the recorder and that is too expensive. Aslo, what happens to the extra money you paid if TiVo should go out of business? Also, would you still be able to use the DVR? Even if there was no monthly fee, I'd still refuse to hook my telephone line to it. So, when can I buy a DVR at a reasonable price, no monthly fee, and which I can use just like a VCR?
What do others think? Am I just cheap? I guess I'm tired of all these "deals" which have a monthly fee attached. After a while, these fees can add up to your entire salary. I want to pay one time (at a fair price) and not have to pay for the rest of my life.
Dewdrop
You missed a big CON as far as I'm concerned. That is that there is a $10 monthly fee. I would really like to have a digital video recorder but absolutely refuse to pay a monthly fee. I want to use it like a VCR. I'm not interested in having it watching my viewing habits and recording programs it thinks I would like. I'll program it when I want a program recorded.
I know that TiVo offers a lifetime subscription to elliminate the $10 a month fee, but that doubles the price of the recorder and that is too expensive. Aslo, what happens to the extra money you paid if TiVo should go out of business? Also, would you still be able to use the DVR? Even if there was no monthly fee, I'd still refuse to hook my telephone line to it. So, when can I buy a DVR at a reasonable price, no monthly fee, and which I can use just like a VCR?
What do others think? Am I just cheap? I guess I'm tired of all these "deals" which have a monthly fee attached. After a while, these fees can add up to your entire salary. I want to pay one time (at a fair price) and not have to pay for the rest of my life.
Dewdrop
Bryan Wall102121
Member
It's worth the "activation fee" whether you pay by the month or all at once.
I would recommend the ReplayTV over Tivo for several reasons :
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=4787bdc1e2fba281f253e888bb620839&forumid=27
I would recommend the ReplayTV over Tivo for several reasons :
- ReplayTV lets you download digital pictures across the network to the unit to view on your TV
- It doesn't try to watch your viewing habits and automatically record anything (Tivo does this)
- ReplayTV has Commercial Advance, which automatically skips commercials (Tivo doesn't)
- ReplayTV has a built-in Ethernet port, and shows can be downloaded to your PC and burned to DVD or VCD.
- ReplayTV has a web site where you can schedule shows while not at home
- You can share shows with other people over the internet (a la Napster)
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=4787bdc1e2fba281f253e888bb620839&forumid=27
R
Rich Gibson
Guest
All good points except you can disable the feature which watches what you view.
Rich
Rich
Dewdrop1
Leading Member
Bryan,
I hear you, but until I can buy a PVR (I guess they are "Personal Video Recorder" (PVR) and not "Digital Video Recorder" (DVR)) for $300 (US) or less and with no monthly fee, I'll stick with my old VCR. As I said, my income is limited and right now, to support digital cable TV and cable internet is about $93 a month. Another $10 will break the bank and I'll have to give up cable which means I'll have nothing to record anyhow. I think that eventually the price will come down and a competitor will offer a PVR without the need to connect it to the phone line or the internet.
Dewdrop
Barry Margolius
Senior Member
Yep, you're stuck with $10 a month or $250 lifetime subscription.
I just view it as adding $250 bucks to the cost of the unit. If you cannot justify spending $500 bucks for the hardware/lifetime subscription combe, then you shouldn't buy one, yet. The prices are falling.
ReplayTV claims that they do not monitor individual viewing habits, but I guess you have to "trust" them on that front.
However, the value of that subscription is pretty high. It allows your unit to download complete programming info, and thus you can specify what to record by show title, rather than time and channel. It also stores the name and description of the show with the recorded video, so you can intelligently choose what to watch. This is invaluable if you have lots of shows recorded. Imagine even a small set of shows, say, 5 one hour dramas and 5 half hour comedies, without any index to help you out. If like me you have 5 hourlong dramas and 25 episodes of "Soap", plus a few other half hour comedies, then you really need the intelligent index.
-barry
I just view it as adding $250 bucks to the cost of the unit. If you cannot justify spending $500 bucks for the hardware/lifetime subscription combe, then you shouldn't buy one, yet. The prices are falling.
ReplayTV claims that they do not monitor individual viewing habits, but I guess you have to "trust" them on that front.
However, the value of that subscription is pretty high. It allows your unit to download complete programming info, and thus you can specify what to record by show title, rather than time and channel. It also stores the name and description of the show with the recorded video, so you can intelligently choose what to watch. This is invaluable if you have lots of shows recorded. Imagine even a small set of shows, say, 5 one hour dramas and 5 half hour comedies, without any index to help you out. If like me you have 5 hourlong dramas and 25 episodes of "Soap", plus a few other half hour comedies, then you really need the intelligent index.
-barry
Mike Mu
Well-known member
Thought this review might help:
http://www.epinions.com/content_79565524612
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Sony F717, Olympus C5050, Minolta Dimage X, Canon S100, Contax
Mike Mu
Well-known member
A competitor already has!
http://www.epinions.com/content_78320275076
But I still think people should really consider the extras that a replay/Tivo provides. You could wait for the unit to hit $300 mark...shouldn't be more than 2 years from now...
--
Sony F717, Olympus C5050, Minolta Dimage X, Canon S100, Contax
Kris Kadela
Senior Member
Better get these units now before they get castrated by the recording industry and such.
Dewdrop1
Leading Member
Thanks, Mike. The RCA unit you refer to is $600. I can now get a Replay unit for $200 with $250 added for a lifetime activation fee. That's $450 and so is less than the RCA unit. While the RCA includes a DVD player, I already have a good one of those and, besides, DVD players are now under $100. So this RCA unit is wayyyyy too expensive. So I guess I'll just have to wait. Obviously, RCA is doing the same thing as TiVo and Replay by bundling the activation fee with the price of the unit. I really don't need the recorder to connect to anything. I have no interest in downloading progam information. Neither my wife nor I record a long series of a program. We use the VCR mainly to record something if there are 2 programs on at the same time, both of which we want to see. Also, if there is a good program on and we are going out. Otherwise, we don't even use the VCR. So you see why a Replay or TiVo with an on line connection would be overkill for us. The main reason I want one is to avoid the hassle of tapes. I can record the equivalent of around 7 or 8 tapes (on EP) and not have the hassle of rewinding and searching for a particular recording. With that as my main use of the recorder, having the on line connection is a waste of money.
Dewdrop
Ellery Potash
Senior Member
As an Electical Engineer who reads the trade publications, I have heard that TIVO is in trouble - not enough subscribers.
If the company folds, then the required on-line access to Broadcast Schedules may be discontinued (rendering the product almost useless, except for on-the-spot recording). Maybe just a rumor, but I wouldn't buy one, now.
--
Pixelated
If the company folds, then the required on-line access to Broadcast Schedules may be discontinued (rendering the product almost useless, except for on-the-spot recording). Maybe just a rumor, but I wouldn't buy one, now.
--
Pixelated
George B.
Member
My next question would be, how is the picture quality for watching a show, as opposed to recorded shows...
Can you upgrade the hard drive, like say, getting an 60 or an 80 GB hard drive and slap it into the unit....assuming I get a 5040...
Thanks for all the info..
Can you upgrade the hard drive, like say, getting an 60 or an 80 GB hard drive and slap it into the unit....assuming I get a 5040...
Thanks for all the info..
dmlove
Senior Member
As long as we're on this subject, two questions:
1. With my current VCR, the cable box has to remain set for the channel you want to tape. Therefore, without some additional device (which was available, but I never ordered it), you can't 1) tape one cable program while watching another, or 2) set the vcr in advance to tape on 2 different channels, since the cable box won't switch channels for you. Is either of these an issue with TIVO/Replay TV?
and
2. Is it possible to record more than one program at a time?
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Davia
C-700
pbase supporter
http://www.pbase.com/dmlove
1. With my current VCR, the cable box has to remain set for the channel you want to tape. Therefore, without some additional device (which was available, but I never ordered it), you can't 1) tape one cable program while watching another, or 2) set the vcr in advance to tape on 2 different channels, since the cable box won't switch channels for you. Is either of these an issue with TIVO/Replay TV?
and
2. Is it possible to record more than one program at a time?
--
Davia
C-700
pbase supporter
http://www.pbase.com/dmlove
KenEis
Senior Member
I'm considering Direct TV and am concerned that my Replay will not work with it. Any comments on that combination? Work arounds.
Ken Eis
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Ken Eis
Barry Margolius
Senior Member
I'll mention three points in favor of the subscription channel information:
1. It's a very convenient user paradigm, and I'm not sure you can understand exactly how convenient it is until you start using it.
2. If you have your equivalent of 7 or 8 tapes (on EP) filled with programs, you need a mechanism to know which program is which during playback.
3. Many users (not me) find that they completely abandon live TV, and only watch shows from their ReplayTV library. The show index allows them to pick and choose whatever show they are in the mood for.
-barry
Barry Margolius
Senior Member
My eyes are not great, but for watching a show, picture quality seems to be identical to broadcast quality. For recording, there are three qualities, Low, Medium, and High. Low is pretty bad, Medium is about like VHS. High is supposedly equal to SuperVHS.
The drives can be upgraded, but it is not easy or straightforward, and it violates the ReplayTV warranty. There are instructions available on the internet, and there are even people on eBay who will do the work for you.
-barry
The drives can be upgraded, but it is not easy or straightforward, and it violates the ReplayTV warranty. There are instructions available on the internet, and there are even people on eBay who will do the work for you.
-barry
Dewdrop1
Leading Member
I currently have a Pinnacle PCTV card in my desktop. I can record any program I wish to my PC. The resolution stinks, but it is convenient. I admit that I can't simply tell it to record a program by name and have it know exactly when the program begins and ends. However, I don't see why I should have to pay for that since my digital broadband cable already provides that information included with the cost of my cable. Do there is no need for an additional download. AT&T, my cable provider, offers the TiVo under the AT&T label, but they want the $10 a month fee. Why? They already provide all the data the recorder will need. So, I don't get anything extra for the $10.
My Pinnicale setup labels the recordings, so why can't the Replay or TiVo do it without the download for $10 a month?
I could do that with my Pinnicale system if I wanted to sit at my computer monitor to watch TV, which I don't. My digital cable system allows me to do that by using either a menu or guide. The guide is by channel and time of day. The menu breaks the choices down into movies, sports, etc. I can then set a "remind me" tag for the system to query me to switch to that channel when the program starts. Other than recording, what is different about the PVRs?
If you or others think that these features are worth $10 a month, that's great. It isn't worth that to me. Besides, I already have most of that, but just can't record digitally. To put things in perspective, I've been reading about the new satelite radios which offer an infinite (almost) number of stations, but for a subscription fee of $10 a month or more. There's no way I'd pay $10 a month to listen to radio no matter what programming was available. I guess I'm just a tightwad. However, it's like a cartoon I saw where a General was discussing military budgets. He said, "A billion here and a billion there, soon your talking real money." In my case, the analogy is at a much lower level.
Thanks for your thoughts. I guess I'll stop my input to this thread. While the discussion is interesting, it isn't precisely digital photography which is what this forum is about. I don't want to be accused of abusing the site.
Dewdrop
dmlove
Senior Member
Some Direct TV receivers have TiVo built in.
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Davia
C-700
pbase supporter
http://www.pbase.com/dmlove
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