TiVo and DirecTV make nice -- sort of

A new agreement between TiVo and DirecTV has the two companies on quasi-friendly terms, with TiVo promising three more years of service to DirecTV TiVos, and both companies promising not to mess each other over with patent rights. This comes on the tail of TiVo's suit against Echostar for patent infringement, so we can't help but thinking DirecTV decided to keep their TiVo enabled customers hooked up to monthly TiVo service, which was set to expire in about a year, in exchange for a bit of patent-related grace when it comes to their own DVRs. Can't you just feel the love?

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

[visitor @ Apr 12th 2006 3:15PM]

Nice for TiVo+DirectTV! All cable companys should just use the TiVo software with there setup box.

[Ben @ Apr 12th 2006 3:25PM]

Can we not get a simple update to the full series two functionality for our HD TiVo boxes??? Sheesh, I am seriously thinking of jumping ship with DirecTV just because they have no TiVo interface with their new generation of DVR's. I tried using one of their new DVR's and the interface is archaic compared to the simple TiVo interface! Why can't DirecTV just issue new TiVo boxes as an alternative for their DVRs (I guess the profits werent enough for them??)

[Brett @ Apr 12th 2006 3:29PM]

Good to hear, just got a HD DirecTV Tivo last week.

[Matt @ Apr 12th 2006 3:35PM]

If only this meant DirecTivo's would receive the latest HMO-enabled software... I think it's not to be.

[Mitch @ Apr 12th 2006 3:56PM]

I just bought a replacment DirecTivo unit. Yep, a no-longer-produced R10 model (upgraded to 130hrs) that hasn't had updates in a long time. Direct digital recording of 2 programs at once, while watching a 3rd, and a totally integrated program guide.

No DRM, no broadcast flag, no forced viewing of "fast forward ads". And no silly internet access. I have a laptop already, thank-you-very-much. TV is for TV, Tivo style.

Sometimes older is better.

It never occured to me that I might lose my beloved R10 DirectTivo...

[Kraig @ Apr 12th 2006 3:59PM]

I agree with the above comments! Now can we get the updates to your Tivos to have full Series 2 functionality. Before Series 3 is released! Please!!

[Kaz @ Apr 12th 2006 4:27PM]

They will never enable networking on the HD boxes -- although they could limit series 2 functionality to none HD recordings. I'd take even that. I just wish I didnt need a phone line for my HD Tivo.

[Armando @ Apr 12th 2006 4:36PM]

For those that have a DirecTV Tivo, there are some wonderful hacks that allow you to enable Home Media Option (HMO) and video extraction�which includes:
*�Digital Photo Viewer
*�Digital Music Player
*�Multi-Room Viewing
*�Video Extraction better than Tivo2Go
* TivoWebPlus for remote scheduling, FTP, Telnet

Copying�the MPEG file�from the DirecTivo to the PC is at 12 Mbps. A�1 hour show takes about 8-9 minutes to transfer via LAN.�DirecTV broadcasts at MPEG2�480 x 480 @ 29.97 fps, bit rate at about 2.2 mbps.�Files are about 1 GB for a 1 hour show.

Tivo 6.2 Hack for DirecTivo
http://www.weethet.nl/english/tivo_dtv2_os6hack.php
Video Extraction:
http://www.weethet.nl/english/tivo_extract_videos.php

[Tony @ Apr 12th 2006 4:41PM]

#7 - You don't need a phone line after initial setup. The only thing it does after that is initiate software upgrades, which, as many posters have noted, are few and far between on this unit as well as buy PPV stuff (but you can call or order that online if needed). All the guide data comes over the dish.

I haven't had my HD Tivo hooked up to a phone line for almost 18 months. You'll get one nag message a day, but otherwise it works fine.

[Will @ Apr 12th 2006 4:50PM]

If my HD DirecTiVo had the network functions and lost the record this "feature", I'd consider getting one for the other room but since it doesn't, neither company gets my additional business.

Taking away 30 second skip, alone, nearly killed the deal for the one I have. For some of us, it's THE main worthwhile feature and the best or only reason for getting a TiVo in the first place. That above all has made television bearable again, for me.

[J T @ Apr 12th 2006 4:54PM]

Wouldn't it be Echostar's "Suit" not "Suite" ?

[Alex @ Apr 12th 2006 5:16PM]

Since DirecTV is switching their HD signals from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4, doesn't this still render the HD DirecTivo's obsolete?

[bufbarnaby @ Apr 12th 2006 10:33PM]

DirecTV`s own DVR`s are horrible,having actually owned one.I went back to the DirecTivo and never have been happier. Tivo is the "gold standard".

[Bob @ Apr 12th 2006 11:42PM]

What happened to just adding folders??? How hard would that be? I thought that it was supposed to come for the HD TiVo in April of 2005??? Is there a hack out there for that?

[Ammon @ Apr 13th 2006 12:25AM]

They upgraded the DirecTivo's without HD in April of last year, but my HR10-250 (HD) still doesn't have the folders either. My older Tivo really runs fast and has the folders on it, but for HD, I have to wait. Soon I hope.

[GTgadget @ Apr 13th 2006 1:33AM]

As others have mentioned, I'm only interested if this means I'll finally get standard Tivo features for my HD Tivo such as network support and folders. I didn't know how crippled the DirecTivos were until after I dropped a nice sum on my HR10-250. It's almost criminal that they even still use the Tivo logo. Saying I was a bit upset is quite an understatement. The daily nag screen doesn't help.

"Taking away 30 second skip, alone, nearly killed the deal for the one I have."

...if not already aware, you can re-enable that feature. Oh, if that was also completely eliminated, I would be unbelievably furious. I still miss features from my ReplayTV, such as being able to enter how far you want to jump and key in and jump to any part of a recording, plus other interface niceties. I have to say that after switching from ReplayTV to Tivo and it's praised interface, I honestly think the Tivo interface is aweful in a lot of areas.

[GTgadget @ Apr 13th 2006 4:06AM]

Oh yeah, no screensaver on the HD (plasmas...helllllooooo!) Tivo either and the brief blackouts during playback are also amazingly annoying.

All I have to say is that DirecTV/Tivo better be fixing something because after being a long time DirecTV supporter/advocate, this Tivo fiasco is almost enough to turn me sour. The amount of compression artifacts in the HD streams isn't very pleasant either...high motion HD footage is not one of DirecTV's strong points.

[Kraig @ Apr 13th 2006 9:31AM]

#15: I agree. I switched over to the HD-Tivo from an UltimateTV and there are tons of things the UTV did better. Picture-in-picture is sorely missed, as is the onscreen caller ID. The interface was much faster, and more intuitive, while offering up more information. While I do like my Tivo, it's not as nice as the UTV was, although some of these complaints are due to D* not sending updates out.

[VT @ Apr 13th 2006 10:38AM]

Everyone with DirecTV will need to upgrade at some point. Once they get more mpeg-4 satalites out there and start dropping off the old mpeg-2 satalites you'll need to upgrade.

[Carlton Bale @ Apr 13th 2006 1:07PM]

Well, I guess I'll be sticking with DirecTV a little longer. But the fact that DirecTV has still not upgraded the HR10-250 HD TiVo to a newer version of software is rediculous. The SD TiVo's got the upgrade over a year ago but no joy for the HD version. And this is just an upgrade to software version 6.x to get folders and increase the speed, not to mention the fact that the Home Media/Tivo Desktop features are no where to be found on either version. Come on DirecTV, give us everything TiVo is capable of doing!

For those that want to use 30-second skip, while watching a prevously-recorded show, hit:
-Select
-Play
-Select
-3
-0 (that's zero)
-Select