Take it away

Ralph presents plenty of good reasons why I shouldn't get myself in a twist about the mega-storage capacity of the new Tivos, and he's right -- there's no logical reason why I should worry about it. But the Tivo is symptomatic of larger issues.

In our consumer-centric society we gather more and more moss as we roll through life, stuffing our garages, sheds, attics, and rented storage buildings full of stuff that we had to get, don't use now, but can't bear to get rid of. Now, even digital storage devices have to get bigger to hold all of our crap. And, make no mistake, once we've got the space, we'll fill it up.

When I need a new Tivo, I won't get a choice -- it'll have loads of storage whether I like it or not. But spare a moment, Ralph, for someone who wants to take the exit ramp off of the consumer super-highway, who strives to simplify and reduce their footprint, living for the moment rather than tied down with his possessions. It's not that I don't want good things, it's just that having too much dilutes the quality of the experience of that good thing, whatever it is.

I'm not perfect -- one look in my garage will tell you that -- put I keep trying. I'm reminded of this quote from the French author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery: "A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."

Taming the TiVo® tirade

Ken -- who knew increased storage capacity stirred such deep passions? While it may challenge the fundamental premise of blogging, I have to tell you -- neither you nor I are the measure of all things.

Ken outlines a very sensible approach to using a DVR, and it goes to the heart of the system's appropriate use. TiVo recorders and other DVRs are designed primarily as temporary rather than archival storage units. All that being said, with the viewing habits in my house I think we can come up with ways to fill an 80-hour hard drive.

First off, there's the programs that I want to watch, and those that my wife wants. She's continually frustrated that the quilting shows she's interested in come on while she's working. Save those, and you're adding 2 hours a week. We both like "ER," but not the time slot. Add an hour (for the weeks its new). I'm interested in the silent films TCM runs. They're two hours a pop, but they're not run all the time, so figure an average of an hour a week. I could go on listing programs, but in the interest of brevity, lets just say that all told, we would probably record about 10-12 hours a week.

Now I'll be the first to give props to Ken. In his daily workout he not only burns off unwanted fat, but blows through his digital avoirdupois at the same time. Record, watch, delete. Do that on a daily basis and sure, you don't need a lot of space.

Weighing in at about twice Ken's body mass I could certainly benefit from his regimen, but my schedule's a little different. Both my wife and I have narrow windows of time to watch TV -- and sometimes those windows disappear. I don't watch in the morning -- that's when I do paperwork for DCD Records. My wife's required to be on call several nights a week, which limits her viewing time even further.

There have been times when we have not watched TV for a solid week. Plus there are some things I don't want to watch right away. D.W. Griffith's "Intolerance?" I'll save that for a snow day. There's two hours of storage that won't be freed up for months. I'll delete it when I'm done of course, but in the meantime there it sits.

Large storage capacity gives me the flexibility to hold that film for an ideal viewing time without having to forgo daily or weekly programs we want to record.

Iron Man Ken may keep his digital storage lean and mean, but Stay Puffed Ralph prefers a roomier fit.

- Ralph

80 hours?

Nice summation of the Tivo service, Ralph. But I can't come up with an answer to a question that really bugs me:

Who needs 80 hours of TV storage?

From my point of view, it's insane. Think about it this way -- the real strength of a DVR is its ability to let you "time shift." In other words, watch a show at a different time. For example, I don't usually stay up past 11:00 -- I'm an old fogey, and I'm tired from my triathlon training (see my other blog). Tivo is ideal for letting me watch "The Daily Show" while I'm riding my exercise bike at 5:30 AM. Watch the show, delete it, move on.

I've got a first-generation Tivo, the Sony SVR-2000. At the best picture quality, I can record 13 hours of programming. Occasionally I may not get to something I've recorded, and a show gets deleted. Big deal. If I couldn't get to it before, I won't get to it later -- I've got a life to lead.

So if you're anxiously waiting for your 80 hour Tivo so you can record every episode of "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" from now until the sun quits shining, wake up and get a life. And if you really need to keep all of those shows, get a DVD recorder, or buy the series when it comes out on DVD (they all do). Better yet, get a Netflix subscription and watch something besides TV.

Losers.

The Gift of TiVo®

Now that we've laid out the ground rules, let's go shopping. I just got another flyer from a big box store in the mail (it won't be the last), and featured on the front page is the new TiVo 80-hour box.

TiVo virtually created the demand for digital video recorders, and despite other entries into the field, remains the best service. TiVo customers tend to be loyal and fanatical — and not because of hype, but because of the smooth functionality and integrated options of the system.

All this makes it a logical choice for that loved one who's really into TV. Be careful, though. I'd call this a contextural gift. The TiVo DVR is not a stand-alone device. Like a VCR, your gift recipient has to connect it to your incoming video source (cable or satellite TV), and then connect it to their TV. That's not a big deal — those are pretty straightforward connections. But are the cables to make those connections included? If not, they won't be able to use this on Christmas Day.

The TiVo system requires access to a phone line. The box makes daily calls (usually in the very early AM) back to TiVo to receive schedule and software updates. Two more questions: is the recipient's audio/video system near a phone jack? And if so, do they have the splitter and phone cord to make the connection?

Also, remember that TiVo is a subscription service. Without activation, the TiVo DVR is nothing more than a cool-looking paperweight. Again, not a big deal to get a subscription, but its a requirement for operation.

So this is a contextural gift because of the following:
Requires simple installation
Some location requirements
Potentially requires additional cables
Requires subscription

And running down Ken's rules
#1) If they ask for it, get it. If they don't, don't.
#2) Tivo is a well-known brand. Accept no substitutes
#2) This is in the $200 range, so definitely affordable. Remember to factor in the subscription.

TiVo Two and a Top 25

Subject 1 - TiVo revisited
While individual viewing patterns may vary, it seems the recent TiVo study was right on the nose. Ken and I checked out TiVo's site, and checked their listing of the most-recorded shows. It's right in line with the survey. Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, CSI, House — the top eight are network programs. In fact, there are 17 network programs in this list of 25; about 68%. I guess there's something on after all.

Subject 2 - Top 25 composers
Speaking of lists, Tim Page submitted his list of the top 25 composers of the 20th century we should be listening to. I have no gripes with most of the list — I don't think much of Stockhausen, but that's OK. Stockhausen's elevated opinion of his own genius more than makes up for it.

Part of Page's intent was to suggest composers and works currently underrepresented in the concert halls that orchestras should expose their audiences to. Hearing the same tunes over and over from a tightly controlled playlist is driving listeners away from radio, and I think its doing the same to concertgoers. But in place of Stockhausen, I'd suggest another composer who would better appeal both to newcomers and bluehairs.

Bohuslav Martinu's music can sound slightly exotic at times, but never strays far from a tonal vocabulary. This Czech composer's output is varied and vast, with symphonies, concertos and plenty of shorter orchestral works as well.
Some might argue that there's not a lot of variety from piece to piece, and that's certainly true. However, a single work inserted into an evening's program could seem like a breath of fresh air surrounded by the same-old same-old.

In keeping with the spirit of the article, I'd recommend the Supraphon recording of his fifth and sixth symphonies. Vaclav Neumann and the Czech Philharmonic really "get" the music of their countryman and imbue the music with an added depth.
-Ralph

Tivo and me

I have to admit I was a bit surprised by the results of the survey in the Washington Post that Ralph cited. I had a romantic vision of TiVo owners as rebels, fighting against the tyranny of time and network prime-time pap, tailoring our eclectic viewing tastes to personalize our TVs.

Wrong.

Turns out that TiVo (and DVRs in general) have become so mainstream that user viewing habits pretty much reflect the general public. Well, I'll just have to look for the next wave I suppose. TiVo has had a significant effect on me. I watch less TV, and make frequent use of wishlists to find specific programs that interest me. Sometimes I stumble upon excellent shows purely by accident that way. It's how I found Globe Trekker — a stimulating look at travel destinations, some out-of-the-way, some not. With so many channels available (and so little on), TiVo busts through the clutter and turns the jumble of my 50+ cable channels into my own personal narrowcast.

Ken

P.S. — You've got to admire Ralph's widely eclectic tastes in music. I'll let you sneak a peak at my favorites later on.