Big TiVo news for Tuesday

Thanks to a leaked embargo, you read about TiVo's Tuesday announcements include downloading internet video, sending your own video to other TiVo boxes (friends only, I would assume), and the downloading of CBS shows. There's no mention of mac support, so I assume there won't be any when they launch new versions of the TiVo desktop app.

The first feature sounds like a nice transcoder add-on for the desktop software, which is useful and cool if you just want to show people some funny and/or interesting video without everyone having to crowd around your computer monitor. The second feature is the most interesting: being able to send video to other TiVo boxes (which sounds a lot like ReplayTV's feature from eons ago). I'm sure there will be limits on what you can send and who you can send it to, but it'd be really cool if someone setup a sharing community so if you forgot to tape something, another TiVo user could send the episode to you. [via ZatzNotFunny]

Comments

[pvr confidential]

The video sharing doesn't sound like the ReplayTV feature which allowed users to send recorded TV shows from one ReplayTV unit to another.

TiVo have partnered with One True Media to allow "home" movies (not TV shows) that are posted on the One True Media site to be automatically pulled down onto TiVo units of friends and family.

I would imagine that One True Media and TiVo would be careful to prevent users from posting copies of TV shows on their site...?

[Matt Haughey]

Aw, that sucks to hear. It sounds like it will be very tightly controlled.

[Jeff]

TiVo Arrogance. They do not appreciate their customers and we have stopped appreciating them.

We are two time TiVo customers that purchased a Series 1 in 2000 with lifetime service and again purchased a Series 2 in 2005 with lifetime service. The Series 2 box died in 13 months. TiVo said “Sorry but you’re out of warranty. We will send you a replacement for $150. If you want it faster, give us a $300 deposit and we will ship sooner and refund the deposit when we receive your broken unit.” My wife protested and they did us a favor by only charging $80 to replace the box that was a year old and should not have broken. The “advanced ship” was not sent a week after the initial call – why? We called back, they “had no idea why but they are very sorry”. The new box showed up 14 days after the initial call. Four days after installing the new unit, the hard drive died – you have got to be kidding….

I called this time. Same song and dance only we were in luck this time - since it was within the 30-day warranty we only had to put down the $300 to have then send an advance ship to replace the new, um, broken, um, DOA box. I protested strongly. Told them they are not treating their customers well. Told them we were loyal customers, upset at how we’ve already been treated and that it would be reasonable to expect them to take care of this DOA replacement ASAP. They said sorry but there was nothing they could do. Pay for an advance ship or send the box back and they would then send out after they received it. By the way, this was a “supervisor” who was offering up all of this help. I asked to speak with a manager but he informed me there was no one else to speak with – nice.

I seriously question the level of talent this company has in the ranks of management. They are short sighted and totally missing the big picture. Positive service experiences are what will keep a company healthy and prospering. They don’t get it. How about asking for a credit card as collateral instead of charging their customers for the privilege of responsive service? They can put a $300 credit hold on the card to get their security without looking like small minded money grubbers that you should feel good about because they are doing you a favor. Then again, they wouldn’t get the interest float on the bank account if they did that, would they? How about going above and beyond the normal (crappy) protocol after you’ve just delivered a lemon to a customer who has already expressed dissatisfaction with your company? Arrogance!

TiVo has been struggling for a long time and I’ve been a cheerleader, singing their praises to anyone that would listen. Talented engineers, morons in every other department. My view of them has changed 180 degrees. My wife and I are done with them. We’ll use the boxes as long as they shall live since we have already forked out the dollars for lifetime service and a repair of a box that should not have broken. We will NEVER again purchase anything from TiVo and will be more than eager to share our experiences with any that will listen.