Tivo vs. Windows XP Media Center 2005
Here’s the most obvious comparison that came to mind when thinking of Tivo and Windows XP Media Center 2005.
| Model | Features | Price After Rebate |
|---|---|---|
| HP Media Center 2005 PC | DVR, Music, Pictures and much more. | $974.99 |
| Tivo Series2 | DVR, Music and Pictures | $99.00 |
The Winner: Tivo
The cost difference is just too dramatic. Yes, Media Center does a lot more since it’s a full PC, but most people buying a DVR are doing so for the DVR features and anything else is just icing on the cake. The Tivo does have a subscription cost that comes with it, but it’s the cost of entry that’s important in sales of consumer electronics and $99 is a pretty healthy price to be at. A cheaper, more specialized box gives consumers the features they want at a price that’s within reach.
I actually owned an UltimateTV back when they first came out a few years ago. This was basically a Tivo clone that Microsoft offered with a few added features (keyboard, dual tuners, grid program display), and was a better Tivo than Tivo in my opinion. It wasn’t too long after it’s release though that the product was pulled from the market with Microsoft eventually placing it’s bet on a PC-based solution.
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[...] vs. Windows XP Media Center 2005 Filed under: General — tivogeek @ 8:43 am Obvious Diversion has posted an interesting article which talks about the main reason why you should [...]
I compared Tivo, MythTV, and MCE 2k5 and found that MCE offered the most features, best user interface, and had no subscription cost. The actual cost of a Tivo is nearly $400 after rebate to buy-out of the subscription cost… which is a more fair comparison to MCE and MythTV. If you already have the hardware, add a TV tuner and MCE package w/ remote for ~$220. I’d also like to note that I’m a dedicated Mac user and have been for years. I’ve used EyeTV from El Gato Systems and even a few ATI XClaim TV solutions in the past. I still won’t do any real “work” with Windows, but it makes a good media solution.
Replace TiVo with Media Center PC?
One of our family gifts this year (the other was a Saturn 2005 Relay) was a Media Center PC. We’ve moved the TiVO out of our family room and into the master bedroom. I felt a little melancholy unplugging the TiVo and moving it from its home for t…