When it comes to D*/Tivo, I'm nothing but an enjoyer of it. I've never really cared about "how" it does what it does, just that it does it! Given the latest kick in the junk by D* (I'm refering to D* going to MPEG-4 for new HD content ultimately ending up with all of their programming migrating to MPEG-4, which is old news to most of you but new to me) I am trying to educate myself in the differences between the 2. What exactly makes a receiver MPEG-2/4 compliant? Is it hardware, like a chip or software instructions telling a chip what to interpret? If it's a hardware chip is that chip specifically made for a given format? If it's software will changing the instructions make the chip interpret another format? Does any of this make sense? Example: My HR10-250 interprets MPEG-2 language. Can it be made to interpret MPEG-4? Can D* convert existing units? Without going into all the reasons why that will never happen I just want to know if it's possible and what would you think the cost per unit would be to do it?
Does D*'s plan NOT to offer a D*/Tivo in MPEG-4 have anything to do with Tivo being a Linux OS? Did Tivo use Linux because they welcomed what the hacking community would provide in mods? What kind of OS does D*'s in house DVR's use?
I pick up little things from various sources but I don't have a very broad understanding of the technology. I am hoping that spending some time here will help me to learn, as I have a very big decision to make. My loyalty to D* is on the ropes and I'm wondering if I will be able to live with the decision I may ultimately have to make. It's really sad when a company turns its focus away from the customer & onto the stockholder.
If there is any kind of info that I didn't ask about but should know about, feel free to enlighten me. I appreciate your comments positive or otherwise.
Thank you
John
Does D*'s plan NOT to offer a D*/Tivo in MPEG-4 have anything to do with Tivo being a Linux OS? Did Tivo use Linux because they welcomed what the hacking community would provide in mods? What kind of OS does D*'s in house DVR's use?
I pick up little things from various sources but I don't have a very broad understanding of the technology. I am hoping that spending some time here will help me to learn, as I have a very big decision to make. My loyalty to D* is on the ropes and I'm wondering if I will be able to live with the decision I may ultimately have to make. It's really sad when a company turns its focus away from the customer & onto the stockholder.
If there is any kind of info that I didn't ask about but should know about, feel free to enlighten me. I appreciate your comments positive or otherwise.
Thank you
John
