mythtv and digital tv

[Ben Scott]

On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 6:41 PM, Travis Roy <travis at scootz.net> wrote:
> You can get TiVo on yhe Motorola set top box.

  A friend of mine got that, and I spent a few minutes trying it out.
My cursory impresion: It appears to basically be the Motorola/Comcast
DVR box, with a TiVo "theme" or "skin" in the software.  It isn't the
familar TiVo hardware; the box looked just like all the other Moto
set-top boxes I've seen.  The software still had the craptacular
response time to remote control button presses.  I'm used to the
TiVo's practically instant response, and so that drives me absolutely
batty.

  It also lacked all but the most basic TiVo features.  I think it had
WishLists (standing keyword searches), but that's about it.  No
Multi-Room Viewing.  No Internet video/podcast downloads.  No
streaming Internet radio.  No home photo/music/video playback on the
TiVo.  No TiVoToGo.  No third-party extensions via TiVo Desktop
software.

  The high-def TiVo boxes are not cheap ($300 box + $400 lifetime
service = $700), but at least once you've bought it, it stays bought.
The rates won't go up.  After 3-4 years, that purchase cost will break
even with Comcast DVR rental.  Not great, but worth considering, I
think.

  The one thing the Comcast TiVo has which my Series 3 doesn't is
support for OnDemand.  IMNSHO, TiVo is better than OnDemand, so I
don't care.  :-)

  Full disclosure: I hate Comcast.

> I think it's worlds better than the Comcast DVR.

  Talk about damning with faint praise.  :)

-- Ben