UltimateTV Service

[billfx]

What is UltimateTV Service? I see in the protection plan there is a difference in charges, $5.99 vs $7.99..

[ebockelman]

What is UltimateTV Service? I see in the protection plan there is a difference in charges, $5.99 vs $7.99..

It's an old SD-only DVR service that was provided on a Microsoft platform.

You can get a little more info from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_TV#UltimateTV).

[klramp]

What is UltimateTV Service? I see in the protection plan there is a difference in charges, $5.99 vs $7.99..

I believe the $5.99 is for all SD equipment. They add $2.00 ($7.99) if you have any HD equipment.

[40-Dan]

I feel OLD.

[blucas95]

What is UltimateTV Service? I see in the protection plan there is a difference in charges, $5.99 vs $7.99..

Only the BEST DVR that I've ever had... :D

Seriously though, the HR20 is getting close, but the UltimateTV box still had some features I wish the HR20 would incorporate. :)

[Stuart Sweet]

True. I wish I could get dual-tuner PIP. I never had an UltimateTV but having seen it, it seemed cool.

[dkraft]

Only the BEST DVR that I've ever had... :D

Seriously though, the HR20 is getting close, but the UltimateTV box still had some features I wish the HR20 would incorporate. :)

+1

[Thunder7]

Only the BEST DVR that I've ever had... :D

Seriously though, the HR20 is getting close, but the UltimateTV box still had some features I wish the HR20 would incorporate. :)

Agreed. I had to give mine up this past January after many years of great service. Still an outstand device, just too bad it died off.

[LarryFlowers]

When my Ultimate TV unit died... I held a funeral and a wake...:nono2:

[Redlinetire]

OK, you people are starting to creep me out.... :lol:

[Guttboy]

I still have an Ultimate TV still in the box! I used it for a year and a half and then ended up moving and going with the dreaded cable!!!!! Its just taking up space now.

[Cage]

haven't heard that in a while

[thumperr]

a great DVR. Still got 3 of them. 1 in active use, 1 partial use, and another disabled.

I wish the HR20 also had the feature to delete your history.

[leeberwhite]

Only the BEST DVR that I've ever had... :D

Seriously though, the HR20 is getting close, but the UltimateTV box still had some features I wish the HR20 would incorporate. :)

+1

I especially miss the PIP.

[theratpatrol]

Yup, after 6 years of great service, I too finally retired my UTV for the HR20 in August.

I too held a wake and played taps for mine. :grin: J/K

[Keeska]

True. I wish I could get dual-tuner PIP. I never had an UltimateTV but having seen it, it seemed cool.It *is* cool. I have 3 in active use. They have many features the HR20 could learn from. If DirecTV ever decides to give me local channels in HD I *may* retire one or two of them. But so far no-one has built a DVR even close in terms of features.

[Brent04]

Microsoft still has the UltimateTV website running at http://www.ultimatetv.com/ you can view a demo of the system and they even have info on the Summer 2007 upgrade they sent out.

[perkolater]

+1

I especially miss the PIP.


+1

[bgartz]

I miss my UTV. Still one of the best DVRs in my views. It was the only dual-tuner DVR at the time of its initial release, and cried a little when it finally died. Even when I went HD, it still served the bedroom well.

[UTVLamented]

+1

+2. I still have mine connected as my HR20 backup for critical recordings as well as SD overflow space. I wish D* would take a hard look at UTV's search feature, it is the best of any DVR.

[ThomasM]

I remember when Ultimate TV came out. The box was like $399 and there were no "deals" like today. As soon as I saw the price, I was immediately turned off.

And if I recall correctly, it was an UGLY thing. But apparently, it did work....

[Fuzzybear]

My wife was always much happier with the ultimate tv receiver. That was the best one we ever had with the best features.

[CCarncross]

I remember when Ultimate TV came out. The box was like $399 and there were no "deals" like today. As soon as I saw the price, I was immediately turned off.

And if I recall correctly, it was an UGLY thing. But apparently, it did work....

This and the higher monthly service fee are probably the biggest reasons it is no longer around. Bill learned that most are not willing to pay anything extra for higher quality stuff anymore. A sad but mostly true trend here in the US....

[kaysersoze]

I find it funny that Microsoft has this reputation for stifling innovation, yet they came up with a dvr 5-6 years ago that in the opinion of many is better than anything we have today. When I swiched to TIVO I had a hard time not smashing it with a sledge hammer. The upside is the hr20 interface is a lot closer to that of the utv, I just wish they would add the pip.

I wonder why microsoft has never released a software only version for htpc's ala replaytv.

[Brent04]

I wonder why microsoft has never released a software only version for htpc's ala replaytv.

They did Windows XP Media Center Edition or Winodws Vista Home Premium or Ultimate. Just not a stand alone application.

[kaysersoze]

They did Windows XP Media Center Edition or Winodws Vista Home Premium or Ultimate. Just not a stand alone application.

These are not even close.

[ajiuO]

I had 2 UTV's one sony and one RCA. I replaced the RCA with a tivo that i hated. Then the power supply in the sony pooped out so i took the power supply out of the RCA and swaped it with the one in the sony (yes they are the same). I could not stand the Tivo after utv so i got an R15-500.... not quite as good as UTV but i liked it much beter then tivo, So when it came to to get HDTV I replaced my sony with an HR20-100. the sony still works and the rca i can fix..... but i dotn want to pay the UTV fee on top of the Directv DVR fee.


still loved the UTV though.... RIP