TiVo Finally Available At Retail In Canada

Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 by MegaZone

It has been over two years since TiVo began supporting Canadian users. However, TiVo has never had a retail presence in Canada. Canadian users have had to purchase TiVo from US retailers, or from online vendors such as The PVR Source or PVR Canada. So Canadian support has been somewhat under the radar, I’ve regularly seen Canadian bloggers lamenting TiVo’s lack of support in Canada, and they’re invariably surprised when I tell them that TiVo does work in Canada.

Well, that’s finally changing – TiVo is coming to retail outlets in Canada, just in time for the holidays.

The TiVo Series2 DT DVR will be available in early December at major Canadian retailers including Best Buy, The Brick, London Drug and Future Shop for just $199 CAD MSRP plus standard TiVo subscription fees. TiVo will not be available in Quebec immediately. For more information on TiVo in Canada visit www.TiVo.com/canada.

It is only the TiVo Series2DT – no TiVo Series3 or TiVo HD, as CableCARD is not supported in Canada. Though, as Canada does use ATSC for broadcast HDTV, TiVo could support the S3/HD for OTA HDTV and any clear QAM channels on digital cable. It would be nice if they would – today guide data support for that is incomplete. See the press release for more info.

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A solution for Switched Digital Video on TiVo is coming in 2Q2008

Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 by MegaZone

One of the big concerns surrounding the TiVo Series3 and TiVo HD has been Switched Digital Video (SDV). SDV is used by cable operators to increase the capacity of their systems. Instead of sending the signal for all channels over the cable at all times, SDV works more like VOD/PPV in that the signal is only transmitted when the specific channel is tuned. (Unlike VOD/PPV, the channel can be tuned by multiple households – if Home A tunes SDV channel 1, and later Home B tunes to the same channel, then Home B’s tuning device will simply tune into the same frequency that was assigned for Home A.) The problem with SDV is that it requires bidirectional communication for the tuning device to signal the head end which channel is being tuned. The issue is that unidirectional CableCARD products are, as the name implies, unidirectional and hence have been unable to access SDV channels at all. As more and more cable systems have been deploying SDV, this has been a growing concern for TiVo users.

There have been several rumors and reports of a solution being in the works. Well, now it is official – the NCTA and TiVo have announced a SDV solution for TiVo. As expected, the solution will be an external USB adapter which will allow any unidirectional CableCARD device with a USB port, and the right firmware, to work with SDV. Both the TiVo Series3 and the TiVo HD will support the adapter, it remains to be seen if any other vendors enable support on their devices.

The new external adapter will attach to TiVo Series 3 HD DVRs and TiVo HD DVRs to ensure the DVRs can directly access all digital channels including switched digital cable channels. The adapter will work on any Unidirectional Digital Cable Ready Product (UDCP) that has a USB connector and necessary firmware. The cable industry is working with TiVo to ensure that installation of CableCARDs and the adapter will be easy and seamless for the consumer.

The adapters will be available in the second quarter of 2008. This is great news for those who have cable operators who are implementing SDV. See the press release for more info.

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Thank you Steven

Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 by MegaZone

Steven, thank you for the TiVo Rewards Referral.

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Amazon Unbox Thanksgiving Movie Sale

Posted on Saturday, November 24, 2007 by MegaZone

Instead of the usually 99-cent sale, this week we have the Amazon Unbox Thanksgiving Movie Sale. Twenty four movies for rent at prices from $.99 to $2.99, and several are also available for purchase at a discount.

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Compound Your Giving By Using Affiliate Links

Posted on Friday, November 23, 2007 by MegaZone

As you’re probably aware, this is the biggest shopping season of the year – and today, Black Friday, is considered the biggest shopping day. A lot of you reading this will be shopping online this year, joining an increasing number of people who do so.

While you’re buying your gifts, you have the opportunity to compound your giving and to help support the websites and blogs you enjoy. Yes, I’m not ashamed to say I’d love it if you supported TiVoLovers.com, especially with the annual CES trip coming up in January (and my recent boiler fun), but I mean it in a broader sense. Many of the sites you visit probably have affiliate links to sites like Amazon, BestBuy.com, Buy.com, etc – as TiVoLovers.com does – and if you use those links to do your shopping then you’ll support that site without any additional cost to you. Affiliate programs vary, some offer a percentage of the sale to the site, others have a flat rate depending on what is sold. It may be pennies, but those pennies can add up. But you pay the same price you would’ve paid without using the affiliate link, and you help support the site – two birds with one stone, compounding your giving.

So, when you go online to make your purchases, start at a site you enjoy and use their links, especially the smaller sites that don’t have a corporate parent to back them. Personally I tend to throw my referrals to sites like TiVo Blog or one of the many web comics I enjoy. So, while I do appreciate the support, I’m really hoping that you’ll take the opportunity to support any site or blog by using their affiliate links. Hopefully year-round, but especially at this time of year when so many purchases will be made. Pick a site, or spread it around – you have an opportunity to help sites you enjoy, and best of all it doesn’t cost you anything. Every time I buy something online I make an effort to use some site’s affiliate link.

Happy Holidays, and thank you.

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