Earlier this month when Netgear announced new ReadyNAS products ($900 – $1350) that incorporate TiVo functionality, I reached out to the companies for more info. And, without having seen the feature in action, it sounds pretty much like what we’d expect… Sort of a TiVo Desktop port allowing you to offload shows to the NAS for storage and to later retrieve them from a network folder found within the TiVo UI.
Netgear also informed me they’re the first TiVo-compatible DVR network storage solution to alleviate local capacity concerns, so I asked TiVo about HP’s earlier TiVo MediaSmart implementation (recently updated, thanks Alex). Apparently, HP’s solution ($550 – $700) is also legit but the company didn’t go through the evaluation process that would allow them to be labeled “TiVo Compatible.” Whatev?
Both Netgear and HP solutions are nice additions if you happen to be in the market for a NAS, but I’m not sure TiVo integration is compelling enough to sell the device on its own. Then again, as a digital cable subscriber treated like a content thief by Cox Communications, I can’t offload anything but recordings of local network programming (and one premium they missed). Making me a less than ideal candidate.
What I’d like to know is, if you have multiple Tivos on the same network LAN. Can one TiVo record to the NAS and the other TiVo play the content? Specifically, protected content like HBO shows and PPV.
I assume as long as the TiVos are on the same account with the same MAK, yes it should work exactly like that. UNLESS your cable provide blocks the offloading of HBO content. If you have digital cable, it’s possible a CCI Byte flag will be set to prevent that. Some cable providers only flag the premium channels. Unfortunately, mine hits all of basic cable too.
You’ve got to fight for your right to FIOS. Get up and move.
Seriously, what’s more important? Your current residence, or CCI Byte freedom? The good wire is available in all kinds of highly desirable places to live.
All y’all got your priorities all mixed up…
Actually, FiOS TV service is all around me and my neighborhood does have FiOS Internet. But because my community inked a deal with Cox, FiOS isn’t wasting resources coming in with television services (I assume). Fortunately, we’re house hunting and the neighborhoods we’ve targeted offer both FiOS TV and Cox. However, by the time we get settled into a new place, Cox’s multi-room solution should also be ready… I’m thinking it’ll be an interesting fall or winter in our household when it comes to TV services.
“However, by the time we get settled into a new place, Cox’s multi-room solution should also be ready… I’m thinking it’ll be an interesting fall or winter in our household when it comes to TV services.”
I understand you’re thinking lots about multi-room solutions these days, but I you’re missing the joy of TiVo + FIOS.
You better think about freedom.
The joy of being able to offload shows (in standard formats) is really nice. Of course, there is the obvious beauty of offloading something you’ve watched and think you might want to watch a year from now. And there is the beauty of NAS solutions like the above. But there are all the tinkering kinds of beauty as well. Edit a segment out of a show for fun. Do some kind of automated or manual comskip on shows. And a million other things you can dream up.
TiVo + FIOS = cable + computer heaven.
(Not to mention that having your own fibre to the home ends up giving you a more reliable wire than any coax solution, of course. But that’s a secondary issue to the free CCI byte tinkering heaven.)
Chucky, you’re right… If I had meaningful access to TiVoToGo once again, I would automate offloading and transcoding content for use beyond the home.
Also, TiVo seems to be visibly working on a true multi-room solution. So that’ll likely be in place around the same time they get the new UI up to a functional state – aka sometime between the next 6 and 24 months.
And, of course, once you get free from CCI byte hell, you can even jury-rig a decent multi-room setup with the current TiVo gear and software.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the TiVo is the worst DVR in the world except for all the others.
Okay, I know how TivoToGo works when I load the software on my PC. There’s that little icon in the tray that I double click. Then I wait an eternity for it to launch. Then I click on the transfer shows icon, then wait a while. Then since its on the wrong DVR, I wait, click again, wait. Etc. Then finally I pick the shows I want to transfer. Or set up a ‘season pass’ as needed. Then wait a really long time. Works well for me though since I usually do this well before I leave for a trip so the stuff is all transcoded and waiting for me in iTunes when I’m done.
But how do this work with a NAS device or an HP Media Smart server? Sure I understand how I can put my target folder on the NAS but I’d still be running the desktop software on my PC. If I could get rid of that Tivo Desktop software from my PC I would *love* it. Plus I wouldn’t have to leave my PC on.
So… how would I setup the transfer and re-encoding of a show for my iPod/iPhone if I was using an HP MediaSmart WHS machine with the Tivo service on it? Login via some web app and do all of this remotely? How would the iTunes integration work since iTunes is still running on my Desktop? Would I have to do that part manually? Etc.
Anyway, on the FiOS front… Dave if you’re still in Washington, DC I assume you’re not in one of the states that Verizon sold off FiOS to Frontier? I assume right about now a lot of those FiOS TV customers might be getting an add for Dish Network TV services…
What I want to know is can I put videos I’ve gotten from other sources – such as home movies, or downloaded videos onto the NAS and then play them on my TiVo. If so, is it for limited formats only or does the Ready NAS do transcoding.
I LOVE having pytivo, but I don’t love having to leave my PC on all the time. I also know that people have gotten pytivo to run on their NAses, but if there was a turnkey solution…
Glen,
UP WHS software has a Tivo pluton that acts as tivo desktop software for the server – allowing you to move shows without a PC.
Plug-in does not transcode…you will need PC still.
Since we are TWC everything is protected so I can move broadcast nets and PBS – everything else the folks at TWC feel I should not be able to watch in different rooms from the one I record in.
Never thought I would wish for Verizon to offer me some type of service…
“Never thought I would wish for Verizon to offer me some type of service…”
Both VZ and VZW are awful companies to deal with. But they both have the best network service, and thus feel free to have awful and dishonest customer service.
I’m both a VZ and VZW customer, I hate the company far more than I’ve ever hated a network provider, (and I’ve been through many network providers), but I won’t move away being a customer.
And on the wireline side, it’s really not just the (very important) CCI byte issue. FIOS simply provides a more reliable wire than anything I’ve ever seen from a coax provider. The bandwidth you get is precisely what’s advertised, and it stays that way 24/7.
Their customer service game on both VZ and VZW is to intentionally and systematically find ways of adding incorrect charges to their customers’ bills, betting that 85% of folks will never notice.
If you’re willing make the trade-off of closely monitoring your bills and hassling with customer service on a semi-regular basis in exchange for wireline bliss, then FIOS is the way to go. It’s a trade-off that works for me, annoying though it is.
“UP WHS software has a Tivo pluton that acts as tivo desktop software for the server – allowing you to move shows without a PC. Plug-in does not transcode…you will need PC still.”
Assuming that I’m following this correctly, the HP does solve Glenn’s problem in that he won’t have to leave his PC on all the time, which seemed to be his main complaint…
Transcode material at your leisure when you’re using the PC, put the material onto the HP, and then turn off the PC.
(Of course, having a low power / low noise Mac Mini or equivalent PC system on all the time sitting close to the TiVo and feeding a second HDMI signal into the TV is the way I roll. I’ve even got the Mac Mini acting as a Wifi-n adapter for the TiVo…)
Don’t feel bad. I have Time Warner and I can only transfer locals also. In my area it’s either Time Warner, Dish, or Direct TV.
I bought the last Netgear NAS (Stora) and with the amount of trouble i have had, the lack of support, and the plain and simple BS inherant in its feature list, I would be very weary of netgear doing what they say they do and backing it up with a true product.
its sad.
From poking around on a couple of blogs/forums it looks like HP basically does NOT solve my problems. You can log in via a web interface and transfer individual shows, but there is no way to schedule automatic transfers of series. Also, there is no transcoding to other formats. Similarly, there is no transcoding from other formats (DivX or Xvid or whatever) like what Tivo Desktop offers back to the Tivo. Without using other software anyway.