pvr
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Do You Skip Television Commercials Or Let Them Roll?
3:30AM Sarah Rae Trover | Nielsen has recently reported that 46 per cent of viewers aren’t skipping commercials in shows recorded on their personal video recorders (PVRs). That number seemed ridiculously high to us, so we’re asking you: Do you watch, skip, or run to the kitchen on commercials? More »
Communicate
10:00AM Angus Kidman | Foxtel is reportedly joining the online broadcasting brigade, allowing subscribers to catch up with some of its shows via a dedicated site. More »
Foxtel Planning Online Catchup TV Service
10:00AM Angus Kidman | Foxtel is reportedly joining the online broadcasting brigade, allowing subscribers to catch up with some of its shows via a dedicated site. More »
Organise
10:00AM Angus Kidman | Personal video recorders (PVRs) are a pretty commonplace sight these days, but are they influencing our viewing habits? A new Australian study offers a couple of hints. More »
What Aussies Are Cramming Onto Their PVRs
10:00AM Angus Kidman | Personal video recorders (PVRs) are a pretty commonplace sight these days, but are they influencing our viewing habits? A new Australian study offers a couple of hints. More »
Fix
12:39PM Angus Kidman | Recording one channel while watching another is one of the main advantages of a PVR like Foxtel’s iQ2, and iQ2 owners will shortly be able to double their pleasure. The ‘Four Tuners’ software update, which Foxtel will begin automatically rolling out to subscribers from this week, allows two different programs to be recorded while a third is being watched live. I’ve got to admit there aren’t many occasions when there are three things on that I want to watch, but it’s good to know that the update capabilities on the iQ2 are being exploited early in its life. Can you find a schedule clash that necessitates recording two stations at once? Share it in the comments.
[Foxtel]
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Foxtel To Patch iQ2 Boxes With Extra Tuner Capability
12:39PM Angus Kidman | Recording one channel while watching another is one of the main advantages of a PVR like Foxtel’s iQ2, and iQ2 owners will shortly be able to double their pleasure. The ‘Four Tuners’ software update, which Foxtel will begin automatically rolling out to subscribers from this week, allows two different programs to be recorded while a third is being watched live. I’ve got to admit there aren’t many occasions when there are three things on that I want to watch, but it’s good to know that the update capabilities on the iQ2 are being exploited early in its life. Can you find a schedule clash that necessitates recording two stations at once? Share it in the comments.
[Foxtel]
More »
Communicate
11:11AM Angus Kidman | The Aussie implementation of Tivo has only just gone on sale, but the developers of the PVR technology are already talking up forthcoming features. Nick Tabakoff at the Australian reports that Tivo should offer free viewing of YouTube clips from early next year, with earlier plans to charge for the feature now apparently dumped. We imagine it’ll only be a matter of time before someone comes up with a hack to allow saving YouTube downloads onto the Tivo. YouTube free on Seven’s Tivo [The Australian]
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Tivo promises free YouTube service
11:11AM Angus Kidman | The Aussie implementation of Tivo has only just gone on sale, but the developers of the PVR technology are already talking up forthcoming features. Nick Tabakoff at the Australian reports that Tivo should offer free viewing of YouTube clips from early next year, with earlier plans to charge for the feature now apparently dumped. We imagine it’ll only be a matter of time before someone comes up with a hack to allow saving YouTube downloads onto the Tivo. YouTube free on Seven’s Tivo [The Australian]
More »
Communicate
8:24AM Angus Kidman | With the recent launch of the Foxtel IQ2, the imminent (and much-delayed) appearance of Tivo in Australia next month, and Sony promising its own PlayTV personal video recorder (PVR) option before the year is out, there are more big-name PVR choices for Aussies than ever before. Getting your favourite TV programs automatically recorded for playback at a time that suits you is an obviously appealing concept, but despite the arrival of these new entrants, you still have two basic choices: a fairly pricey system that works well but is hard to customise, or a much cheaper and more flexible option that may not deliver on the simplicity and reliability front.
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Expensive simplicity: the PVR tradeoff
8:24AM Angus Kidman | With the recent launch of the Foxtel IQ2, the imminent (and much-delayed) appearance of Tivo in Australia next month, and Sony promising its own PlayTV personal video recorder (PVR) option before the year is out, there are more big-name PVR choices for Aussies than ever before. Getting your favourite TV programs automatically recorded for playback at a time that suits you is an obviously appealing concept, but despite the arrival of these new entrants, you still have two basic choices: a fairly pricey system that works well but is hard to customise, or a much cheaper and more flexible option that may not deliver on the simplicity and reliability front.
More »
Communicate
9:23AM Angus Kidman | Although Foxtel started installing HD-equipped iQ2 boxes in early June, the company has set June 22 as the official date for the launch of the Foxtel HD+ service. The occasion will be marked with an HD broadcast of the World Cup qualifier between Australia and China.According to Foxtel, more than 15,000 homes have already had the iQ2 box installed. We’d love to know how many wanted HD, and how many just wanted the iQ2 itself (320GB is a lot of shows). But what we’re really looking forward to is seeing how people tweak the iQ2 as it becomes more widespread.
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Foxtel sets June 22 for official HD launch
9:23AM Angus Kidman | Although Foxtel started installing HD-equipped iQ2 boxes in early June, the company has set June 22 as the official date for the launch of the Foxtel HD+ service. The occasion will be marked with an HD broadcast of the World Cup qualifier between Australia and China.According to Foxtel, more than 15,000 homes have already had the iQ2 box installed. We’d love to know how many wanted HD, and how many just wanted the iQ2 itself (320GB is a lot of shows). But what we’re really looking forward to is seeing how people tweak the iQ2 as it becomes more widespread.
More » TiVo and Sony PlayTV PVR launches set for later this year
12:47PM Sarah Stokely | If, like me, you’ve been waiting for a plug and play PVR then our pals at Gizmodo have a lot of interesting news to share. First up, Seven has confirmed that TiVo is definitely launching here, but not until August.(I was turned down for the TiVo beta – first beta I’ve ever been knocked back for! sob!)And if you’re PlayStation inclined, Sony have announced we’ll get its PVR addon for PS3, PlayTV sometime in the 4th quarter.I’ve never been a huge fan of pay TV, but I’ve been enjoying the Foxtel IQ lately.My question to you is, have you found a PC-based PVR that “just works”? I’ve heard good things about MythTV but never tried it. I’ve only used Microsoft’s Media Center to play music. Yes, I’m pretty much a noob. More » TiVo
9:00AM Sarah Stokely | Grr I hope the rumour that Seven may dump TiVo before it even reaches the market here is wrong. Nick over at Gizmodo pointed out an SMH report which said Seven may give up on importing the cult American PVR in favour of joining forces with the other free to air stations and their “Freeview” PVR which is being mooted to go up against Foxtel’s IQ. Let the consumers decide, please, not a consortium. :( More »Free to air EPGs start broadcasting
8:57AM Sarah Stokely | A story in yesterday’s Age has reported that free to air industry group Free TV has confirmed all networks will provide EPGs (electronic program guides) by January 1, but they are still trying to use legal action to stop PVR manufacturers from using ad-skipping.
The writeup in the Age says channels 9 and 10 and the ABC have already started broadcasting their EPGs, while 7 will come online by January 1. While it’s supposedly an “open” EPG the legal action being taken by Free TV is trying to restrict EPG access to the manufacturers who don’t use ad-skipping in their PVRs.
PVRs bought in the last 3 years should automatically start receiving the EPG broadcasts as the channels come online. So has anyone started using the EPG for new additions channels 9 and 10? I’d be interested to hear how it’s working out.
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