In a message dated 03-10-14, mark lewis said to Holger Granholm:

Hi Mark,

 HG> And what is a TiVo unit. Please explain to enlighten me.

ml>TIVO is the original Digitial Video Recorder... it is what became of
ml>the original *nix with TV Tuner card and large HD with software that
ml>could record output from the TV Tuner to the HD for later viewing...
ml>TIVO was spun off as a $$$ venture which provided the box all
ml>configured and ready to go...

Thanks for the explanation and history lesson.

Here we call them VCR (Video Casette Recorder). Many systems have passed
by: Beta, Philips/Grundig 2000 and VHS are best known. The Beta system
was preferred by the TV companies as having the best quality but was
also the most expensive. Grundig/Philips used the same width of tape but
like our audio C-casettes could be recorded to two tracks by turning the
casette over and recording the other track. They also had (as VHS's) a
LP mode giving double recording time at slightly inferior quality.

The ones that outlasted all other systems were the VHS system casettes.
I do also know the american endless casettes that seamen brought home.

ml>the main additional desirable features offered were program listings
ml>like TV Guide(1) that carried and recognized a special encoded show
ml>numbering(2) so that one could tell the unit to record a show by its
ml>number and not worry about having to set the time for it to be
ml>recorded(3)...

That number is printed along for every program that is listed in the
weekly proram guide that is published weekly in our newspapers.

since the service has to pay for access to the
ml>program listings and the show numbers, it didn't make sense to just
ml>give that away to millions so it was part of the service sold at a
ml>subscription rate similar to satellite and cable...

No charge is asked for the show numbers here.

ml>another good thing with TIVO was that the recording service worked
ml>with inputs from off-air antenna, satellite and cable connections...
ml>one only needed to have the tuner unit that had the connections they
ml>desired to use... but, as with all things, that was then... this is
ml>now :/

The same thing is also here, whether you have analog channels, digital
or satellite tuners. The only trick is to connect tha SCART cables in
the correct order between the tuners, VCR and TV set.

Have a nice day,

Holger

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 þ MR/2 2.30 þ Smoke signals: The dawn of digital communications.