VUDU vs Satellite

[NA9D]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

What advantage does an HD cable box have when run into an SD ReplayTV? I really am curious, since I've got a ReplayTV driving a 55" Sony and the Vudu looks so much better even with SD movies that I'm starting to think about building an HD PVR again... Of course, as soon as I buy the parts Vudu will probably start offering TV show rentals in HD.

-John

The HD cable box has no big advantage over an SD cable box! I run the S-Video out into the Replay. But it does give you the HD channels. There are some HD only channels that you don't get with an SD cable box. Plus, I can record the HD channels in letterboxed 4:3. Then if I want to watch that show on the 16:9 HD set, I can choose the correct zoom level which basically takes the letterboxed 4:3 and gives me 16:9. It's not as good a quality as HD for sure, but given the convenience of several Replay things like Commercial Advance, it's hard to walk away from that...

Most of the main shows I watch like CSI and so forth get recorded on my TV's built in HD-DVR. But I also record the same shows on my Replay from the same HD channel. I can then share that show via Poopli, watch it from another Replay elsewhere in my house, or download the show and convert it to watch on my iPod if I am traveling.

[aaronwt]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

No TiVo which is the main reason I left DirecTV. I came to direcTV in early 2002 strictly for HD, then discovered the DirecTV TiVo(which of course was SD then) and when the HD DirecTiVo came out in 2004 got three of those boxes. But in 2006 when they announced they were going in a differenct direction, I knew my DirecTv days were numbered. So I went to comast in 2006 for HD and got severl of the Series 3 TiVos and finally dropped DirecTv in May 2007. Then I went to FIOS in Sep2007 and dropped Comcast in Nov2007.
the only way I would go back to DirecTV would be if they had a TiVo for their new content or temporarily if they had an HD only solution so I could see the HD channels FIOS doesn't currently have.

I thought about it and decided I perhaps shouldn't be so glib, because I doubt it's getting my point across.

So let me try this.

I read all the VUDU posts as they're posted. As they pertain to the wish list of VUDU features, here is a list (from memory) of what Directv already offers in comparision:

* They have over 200 channels of cable tv programming

* They have Windows Media compliant media sharing over the intranet for sharing video, music, and photos.

* They have almost 100 channels offering HD content with DD5.1

* They have VOD capability (depending on your definition of it) for hundreds of tv content titles and movies.

* They have VOD and PPV capability for high quality HD movie content. Admittedly anemic at this point, but it's there, available by either satellite or broadband.

* You can order, pay, and watch content via broadband (with a valid customer account).

* They offer Tivo like DVR boxes in HD.

* They offer both subscription based as well as pay per view content.

* They even beat you in the hardware arena. They will give you a box for free and install it for free too.

* You can connect terabyte ESATA disk drives to their box via their USB port.

* You can record content on their DVR and take it on the road to watch without being connected.

* The only thing I can think of that they don't do is offer content for purchase. But I belive that's coming.

* Oh.. and another thing it can't do (yet), is throw Pina Colada's to you in the Beta Pool.

I'm sure I have'nt included all the pertinent bullet points, but hopefully you get the point. They are a player in this space. To ignore them and write them off, would in my opinion be a huge mistake.

To me, with over 15 million current subscribers, they ARE the sleeping giant. And they don't even make computers for living either, so providing content for profit IS there business.

Sure like RonV has said before, they are slow and cumbersome. But that's because they are so large which inherently makes them that way.

I'm definitely not a Directv fanboy, I love VUDU (and HypnoToad too ). But I'm just trying to point out what to me is the obvious that no one wants to recognize (so please don't shoot the messenger). People like pretending that Obama doesn't rhyme with Bin Laden and his middle name isn't Hussein, but it's something that still should be discussed (on a different forum of course).

So I stand by my previous post, BEWARE Vudu.....

They exist AND they have a plan!!

Regards from Grumpy Old Member

[HeadHodge]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

Then I went to FIOS in Sep2007 and dropped Comcast in Nov2007.

FIOS sounds interesting. So I went to their web site and did their address check. It sounds very promising, but unfortunately it's not currently available at any of my 3 addresses.

I'm not sure if FIOS Internet is required for FIOS TV, but if everyone could get FIOS Internet, it sure would make a lot more bandwidth available at home for VUDU content. Then VUDU could bump up their bitrates for me.

[MaxH]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

FIOS sounds interesting. So I went to their web site and did their address check. It sounds very promising, but unfortunately it's not currently available at any of my 3 addresses.

I'm not sure if FIOS Internet is required for FIOS TV, but if everyone could get FIOS Internet, it sure would make a lot more bandwidth available at home for VUDU content. Then VUDU could bump up their bitrates for me.

It's over the same fiber, if that's what you mean. I don't know if you can get just the TV without the Internet service if you have fiber service already; the CATV coax needs to go through their router for some reason, but that doesn't mean you have to use it, AFAIK. However, if they have no way of disallowing Internet access through it, or if they just don't want to bother, then Internet service could be required for them to sell you FIOS TV service.

[HeadHodge]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

It's over the same fiber, if that's what you mean. I don't know if you can get just the TV without the Internet service if you have fiber service already; the CATV coax needs to go through their router for some reason, but that doesn't mean you have to use it, AFAIK. However, if they have no way of disallowing Internet access through it, or if they just don't want to bother, then Internet service could be required for them to sell you FIOS TV service.

I read your reply about 10 times trying to understand.

I think you're saying that because Verison is a phone service (I think part of the Sprint fibre backbone??) that it's not necessarily a requirement to get their TV content from them over broadband. If so does that mean you don't need any broadband service at all, but instead need some sort of box (like some sort of DSL type modem) to get the content?

Also it sounds like you're saying there are other fibre broadband providers besides FIOS. Is that true?

I think I might be getting confused because the terms FIOS Internet and FIOS TV seems to imply that one is needed to get the other.

But now that you've got me thinking, I don't believe you have to have RoadRunners Cable Modem service to use their RoadRunner VOIP service. I think you can use their VOIP with any broadband provider.

I know this is off topic from my original thread, but someone I know is getting sick of me ranting about satellite. So I thought I would give him the day off!

[NA9D]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

AFAIK, FiosTV is TCP/IP based. Therefore, you would have to have FiOS internet service to get FiOS TV. But you don't have to get the TV service to get the internet.

[aaronwt]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

Just like Comcast, with FIOS you can get any of one, two, or all three services. I can have just TV if I want and nothing else. But they give you discounts by bundling so it makes more sense to get everything from one provider. I have four servcies from Verizon. Since I also have cellular service they give me an extra $10 a month off my cell phone bill.
For TV, the router is only used for VOD and guide data. And that is only with a FIOS box. If you have an HDTiVo you can't view VOD or FIOS guide data so it doesn't use the router.
i use my own router, a Dlink DGL4300 instead of the FIOS router.(although I do have a FIOS router conected to a port on my network for their HD STB for their HD VOD which is almost non existent right now. I probably be returning the HD STB soon to save $10 a month)
And the fiber uses three wavelengths,
1310nm for upstream data
1490nm for downstream data
1550nm for RF (non IPTV) video with 870 MHz of bandwidth

[HeadHodge]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

I can have just TV if I want and nothing else.

Thanks for the reply.

But just to clarify my understanding, are you saying that FIOS TV doesn't require you to have any sort of internet or broadband service to use it?

The reason I ask, is that I'm on Mission Beach, just a stone throw away from downtown San Diego, and I can't figure out why I can't get FIOS TV here.

So my only guess is that there must be some sort of physical comm infrastructure missing here that is required.

If FIOS TV was simply over broadband then I would think I should be able to get it with my Roadrunner Cable Modem broadband service.

[NA9D]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

FiOS is only provided in areas that Verizon serves with basically local phone service.

[MaxH]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

AFAIK, FiosTV is TCP/IP based. Therefore, you would have to have FiOS internet service to get FiOS TV. But you don't have to get the TV service to get the internet.

While that may be technically correct, my point before is that it should be trivial to block internet access from anything but the cable boxen, so they probably COULD offer TV without Internet, if they thought it made business sense to do so. I don't think it would, but business/marketing is not my thing.

[aaronwt]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

Yes, you can get just TV and no internet or INternet and no TV. The only problem with phone service is once they put you on fiber they disconnect the copper. Although that isn't a problem if you get phone service from Comcast which is also an option for me. I know in some areas like Maryland they are supposed to start cutting the copper lines even for people that don't have any FIOS services. My girlfriend is one of them and received a notice about it. She has DSL for $15 a month. And once they go to fiber you can't get DSL. So we don't know what they will offer her once tehy switch her to fiber. Personally I hope they do it real soon. Then I might be able to convince her to get the triple play deal if they offer her a deal where it isn't much more expensive. She already pays around $60 a month for phone service plus $15 for DSL and I think $15 for Netzero. That takes it very close to their $99 bundle. And currently she only receives TV from OTA. I just replaced her two TiVos(which took me 5 years to convince her to get)with two TiVo HD boxes so she isready for the HD content from FIOS. At the very least if she got the triple play she would have 5mbs download speeds so I could take my VUDU over to her place and watch shows in realtime. With DSL it's only a 768kbs connection so I would have to download a title prior to going over there if we wanted to watch something.

[redwein]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

Here is a link that hints about the possibility of Tivo and DirecTV working together again in the future:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...ugust.html?rel

Now that would level the playing field for me with Comcast. If they came out with a DirecTivo with series 3 capability then I would consider them over Comcast if they had better programming and I could get the PPV and VOD through that box. That's the one thing that Comcast has that you lose when you use the Tivo series 3.

[HeadHodge]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

Here is a link that hints about the possibility of Tivo and DirecTV working together again in the future:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...ugust.html?rel

Now that would level the playing field for me with Comcast. If they came out with a DirecTivo with series 3 capability then I would consider them over Comcast if they had better programming and I could get the PPV and VOD through that box. That's the one thing that Comcast has that you lose when you use the Tivo series 3.

Thanks for pointing that out.

I thought I read something about it once, but since I'm not a TIVO guy, I didn't pay alot of attention to it.

Regards

[NA9D]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

The problem though with the DirecTV Tivo was that it was not a full 100% functioning Tivo. You couldn't do some of the network stuff, etc.

[jleavens]

Re: VUDU vs Satellite

I don't see it happening directly at all - DirecTV has invested a ton into their own DVRs, and despite a rocky start they've mostly got their act together now.

However, DirecTV has been yapping about building receivers that can go directly into computers. So maybe if they're making progress on that front, they might build a receiver that could be plugged into a TiVo.

The DirecTiVo units were always dogs - the first models just sucked completely and were unuseably slow. The others always were feature crippled. So there's not exactly a grand history to resume. Yes, there are people who would prefer the TiVo to the DirecTV DVRs (notably missing dual live buffers). But the average user lives on just fine.