When my wife and I first got our TiVo—a Series 2 Toshiba with a built-in DVD player—we were nearly ecstatic. I selected this model because it was the only TiVo available that didn’t require a TiVo subscription. It had limits: most of the fancy TiVo features didn’t work and we could only schedule recordings for three days ahead. But it worked. For a while.
Within a few months it died. I opened it up and was surprised to find hand-installed jumper wires on the circuit board. It didn’t exactly inspire confidence, but I shipped it back to Toshiba and they repaired it. It’s been working ever since.
What I really want to do is transfer files from our various Macs to the TiVo. But since I’m not a TiVo subscriber, no can do. Bad TiVo, bad.
But then came hi-def and that was the tipping point. I’m in the process of replacing the TiVo with the following:
- Mac Mini with Snow Leopard Server
- Kanex Mini DisplayPort Adapter to HDMI 1080p Video w/Digital Audio
- Elgato EyeTV Hybrid with EyeTV 3 software (disclosure Mike Evangelist at Elgato provided this; many thanks Mike)
- Either Behringer Truth B2031A active monitors or B&W’s forthcoming MM-1 powered speakers
Yes, I know this is considerably more expensive than a TiVo with a subscription, but it’s capable of so much more. The Mac Mini will serve as an internal workgroup server and an external prototyping and staging server as well as a media server. There’s no longer any question of whether or not a given media type play; if it’ll play on one of our MacBook Pros, it’ll play on the Mini.
The Kanex adapter combines minijack digital audio output with Mini DisplayPort digital video output into a single HDMI input. It supports full HD 1080p video and full digital audio 5.1 with a true HDMI 1.3 chipset and it’s powered by the USB bus.
The speakers are going to be tricky. I’m especially partial to my Mission’s that were paired with my Denon M-10, but they’re staying in my office. Of everything I’ve heard, the Behringer Truth B2031As come closest to the Missions, but I want to at least hear the B&W MM-1s before making a final decision.
Because of my TiVo experience, I was only mildly surprised to learn that TiVo has only 2.7 million subscribers, down from a peak of about 4.4 million in 2006. Much more disturbing is TiVo’s chief executive running around telling everyone that TiVo isn’t a digital video recorder company but rather a “television behavioral company.” Never mind that 80% of the company’s revenues come from retail sales and subscription fees.
TiVo had a chance to become the ultimate set-top box. All it had to do was open its system. But it didn’t. Accordingly, an Apple Mac is the (current) ultimate set-top box. I’ll miss the TiVo interface, but Apple will continue to refine its FrontRow interface.
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