[mkhalil]

I always felt TiVo really did a great job at identifying how important good UX and UI are for consumer products. Partially, the monopolies/cable companies knew/know they were able to get away with poor UI since consumers didn't really have a choice when it came to cable providers/cable boxes so it wasn't hard to beat them, but TiVo did actually do a good job.

I felt like they had consumer awareness at one point. Maybe if they went with there own premium streaming service, as oppose to only trying ad-based streaming services (like Pluto) OR continuing to try to make money charging people monthly for a subscription to use a device they first have to purchase.**

Instead they kept the old business model and went to more of a business-to-business service oriented offerings. Selling metadata, APIs, TV Guides, Car infotainment, all oddities IMO as most IPTV providers like to use turn key solutions.

I actually use the Tivo Stream 4K as my smart device. Works great, gives me 4K, can download Android TV apps, and is cheap $35.

Not a fan of ad-based TV (which is the Tivo+ thing, like Pluto, etc...), but I use it mostly for YouTube, Plex, etc.

--

*: My Plex server uses my HDHomerun for live tv; TiVo could have been both if it was more open. A TiVo competitor to Plex's Pass + Live TV service could of been there subscription revenue, and a TiVo competitor to HDHomeRun's devices could of replaced their DVR revenue. They could take the Tivo Edge, open it way up (as the HDHomeRun takes cable and give you actual m3u8's; this lets you decide where you view or record TV, and makes the device actually useful for commercial deployments as well (offices, restaurants, dorms, hotels, etc...). Pretty much: add features similar to Plex (i.e. combining my OTA/Cable recordings with my local media) + Plex's Live TV (Tivo already has the richest data and a sleeker guide) and combine the Tivo Edge CableCard and OTA in one device. This would appeal to many users, bring the hardware price down as it's one model, and provide them with both revenue streams like they are used to.

[afavour]

This is a total aside but you've reminded me: I couple of years ago I switched from cable TV to just using broadcast and bought a new HD Homerun tuner capable of receiving 4K OTA broadcasts.

Imagine my shock that these new broadcasts are DRMed. HDHomerun can't decode them. I don't blame them, I'm absolutely incensed that OTA broadcasts have been allowed to start using DRM.

[reaperducer]

I'm absolutely incensed that OTA broadcasts have been allowed to start using DRM.

We're back to the 1970's and early 80's when some OTA channels were allowed to charge subscriptions.

The difference this time is that the new decoders send information /back/ to the TV station, so you can be further tallied, tabulated, profiled, and collated.

Which is the precise reason I switched to OTA. What I watch is my business, not theirs.

[cylinder714]

Lon Seidman (lon.tv on YouTube) has been covering this closely, and the FCC is aware: https://youtu.be/0YmeEp_N6pY

[irjustin]

> Maybe if they went with there own premium streaming service

If you don't own the content, you get squeezed. Hulu, Spotify all of these guys get nickle-dimed into oblivion.

Netflix understood this deeply creating one of the biggest, successful pivots in startup-dom

[pverheggen]

That doesn’t apply to Hulu though. It’s been co-owned by various media giants since inception (currently Disney, previously Fox and NBC.)

It made sense back when it was launched but is basically redundant with Disney+ at this point. Still profitable though

[Hendrikto]

Normally, I would just ignore small typos, but since you made the exact same mistakes consistently, there is a chance you are actually unaware, and will benefit from pointing this out:

> if they went with there [should be “their”] own premium streaming service

> Plex's Pass + Live TV service could of [should be “could have”] been there [should be “their”] subscription revenue

> a TiVo competitor to HDHomeRun's devices could of [should be “could have”] replaced their DVR revenue

[mkhalil]

Thank you.

Honestly, the "could of" is more of a "sometimes I write how I sound" thing, but anything else, is more of a middle of the night brain mush.

I actually re-wrote that bottom part at least twice because I had a lot to say, but didn't know how to say it concisely. As I was writing it, I kept having less and less confidence that any readers would have prior knowledge about I was writing about (ex: Plex, HDHomeRun, TiVo Edge), so I kept defining or explaining things in parenthesis and re-ordering the sentences; so at one point I just had to say, good enough, click reply

I hate lengthy/wordy comments that coulda' () been just a couple of sentences, but I also love to explain things in a way that a wide range of people can comprehend, so it's a battle at times. (this reply is a good example...reply)

[jtmarl1n]

You may like this app, it can combine live tv with local files and DVR functionality with HDHR

https://getchannels.com/

[mkhalil]

Holy moly this thing has grown. I seen the Apple TV/Android app many many years ago and figured it was just another basic/forked IPTV/M3U viewer but looking at the website and "https://getchannels.com/releases/" -- what an app / features; can't imagine the codebase lol. Def. going to check out, thank you!

[brightball]

I held onto my TiVo for as long as I could until Spectrum forced me off.

I switched to AT&T Fiber but was keeping my Spectrum TV service just for my TiVo. When I called to turn off just Internet with Spectrum they terminated both. When I called to get them to turn my cable service back on they refused to reactivate my Cable Card that the TiVo uses. Since they were no longer required to support them, no new activations were allowed. I’m sure that played a huge part in this. Other providers like satellite or fiber TV had no obligation either.

Being able to pay $2.50 / month for a cable card and then use my TiVo with multiple minis around my house rather than paying per room to the cable company was great for years.

But YouTubeTV is excellent too. The only thing I miss is the ability to save recordings for as long as I want or record anything I want. There were some I kept for years and YT only lets you keep them for a few months.

[nobody9999]

>But YouTubeTV is excellent too. The only thing I miss is the ability to save recordings for as long as I want or record anything I want. There were some I kept for years and YT only lets you keep them for a few months.

cf yt=dlp[0]

[0] https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

Going to hijack a thread... is there any chance one could point a Plex server at a different backend (in the hosts file) and then emulate Plex's own functionality? So tired of the internet going down and not being able to log into my own shows.

[mapontosevenths]

Use Emby or Jellyfin instead. Neither require internet access and both do the part of Plex you actually want without the garbage.

Jellyfin is free, but I prefer Emby and bought the lifetime license on sale.

[Xiol]

I've used a local server and just DLNA for over a decade and that's been fine on almost every device I've used it on.

There's also Jellyfin if you're really into the whole Plex thing.

[mapontosevenths]

There's also Kodi if you use Android based devices and only need local playback. NFuse works similarly for Apple.

They just stream straight from the file share. No transcoding nonsense or server necessary.

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

DLNA doesn't do me much good... I need the parental restrictions and other such features.

[compsciphd]

you can just got to http://local_plex_server_ip:32400/

[heavyset_go]

Jellyfin + Wireguard/Tailscale

[danielheath]

Jellyfin?

[cyberax]

Uhhh... Plex works fine without Internet?

[dewey]

There’s maybe some way to make it work, but by default it’s not so easy. I once had an internet outage and had to play the files with VLC as I wasn’t able to log into Plex on my NAS.

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

You don't know much about it. When you connect to a Plex server, you have to log into their backend, or it doesn't even know how to connect. It also does all the accounts/permissions stuff. An internet outtage is, unfortunately, a Plex outtage.

[bcraven]

https://support.plex.tv/articles/200890058-authentication-fo...

In rare cases, you may decide that you wish to allow very specific access from the local network without authentication. You might do this if using a third-party Plex app, which doesn’t support authentication, for instance (though all modern official and third-party apps should already support authentication).

To make an exception, look in your Plex Media Server’s advanced network settings, under Settings > Server > Network > List of IP addresses and networks that are allowed without auth.

Here, you can specify LAN addresses as either a specific IP or a IP/netmask (to specify a range). Separate multiple values by a comma and be sure not to include any whitespace (e.g. spaces).

[bigstrat2003]

That isn't true. There's a setting in the server for networks which are allowed to access without authentication.

[cyberax]

I have never set up a remote connection. My phone and laptop have a VPN connection back to my home network, and Plex just works. My TV also uses a local connection.

I believe that the regular "external" connection requires a STUN server, so it will fail without Internet.