Michael Antonoff

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Michael Antonoff | Sep 27, 2018 | 3 comments

Members of the cord-cutter's club are glad to save $100 or more each month by weaning themselves off cable TV or not signing up at all. Still, some cutters suffer remorse. They miss the convenience of a set-top DVR with its sleek onscreen guides, search facility, ability to amass recordings of their favorite series and navigational shortcuts. Suddenly, they're looking at apps across devices to fill the gaps.

Media Server Reviews

TiVo Bolt Unified Entertainment System Review

Michael Antonoff | May 26, 2016 | 1 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $300 (500 GB), $400 (1 TB)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
One-touch leapfrogging of any size commercial block
Four tuners
Can play shows 30 percent faster
Mobile device transfer
Integrated search functions
4K UHD compatible
Minus
On-demand cable may not be available
No component video output
No clock on front panel

THE VERDICT
TiVo Bolt is an indispensable tool for TV-obsessed viewers who hate commercials and value the ease of managing all their cable, online, and local-network-stored entertainment from one smartly designed receiver/recorder.

With 412 scripted TV series originating on broadcast, cable, and online channels last year, viewers face the twin challenges of finding shows that appeal to them and having enough waking hours to watch them. TiVo’s new flagship digital video recorder, Bolt, purports to help solve both problems. An admitted TV addict, I bolted for a Bolt to see if it could rekindle the excitement I felt when TiVo debuted in 1999.

Media Server Reviews Other Source Component Reviews

TiVo Bolt Vox DVR and Streamer Review

Michael Antonoff | Mar 01, 2018 | 6 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $200-$500 plus service plan

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Voice-assisted search and channel changes
Skip button for vaulting commercials
QuickView feature
Minus
Voice control adds little to program navigation
New Experience interface is sometimes cluttered and confusing

THE VERDICT
Finding cable, streamed, and recorded content through the voice remote is much faster and more fun than using an onscreen keyboard. But the joined-at-the-hip New Experience interface may frustrate TiVo veterans until they get the hang of it.

With folks chatting up their smart speakers and smart TVs, TiVo owners may have felt like they were living in the silent era of cinema. Being behind the tech ball was especially galling for the TiVo community, which, not unlike the Apple fanbase, is willing to pay more for superior technology. In late 2017, TiVo, a name synonymous with the DVR, finally responded with a new remote and interface that recognize the value of voice recognition—especially when a viewer is searching for something to watch from among innumerable over-the-air, cable, streaming, and recorded-program options.

Other Tech

TiVo Coming to Comcast DVRs

Michael Antonoff | Jan 10, 2007 | 0 comments

Other Tech

TiVo HD DVR

Michael Antonoff | Oct 03, 2007 | 0 comments

Now that cable operators are required to separate access and security from the tuner(s) in new set-top boxes, you have the opportunity to buy a digital video recorder that's potentially more stylish and capable than the one you might be leasing.

Other Tech

TiVo Series 2 DVR

Michael Antonoff | Jul 14, 2003 | 0 comments

Photos by Tony Cordoza

Other Tech

TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder

Michael Antonoff | Nov 04, 2006 | 0 comments

Other Tech

Tivoli Audio NetWorks stereo Internet/FM radio

Michael Antonoff | Mar 15, 2009 | 0 comments

Other Tech

To Give and To Get

Michael Antonoff | Nov 25, 2001 | 0 comments

It's the week before Christmas. You've taken a good look at your extended family, gotten all of the naughty and nice stuff out of the way, and finally arrived at a list of who's deserving of a little holiday cheer. But you're drawing a big blank when it comes to little Susie, big brother Ned, and jolly Uncle Phil.

Apptitude

TouchTunes Redefines the Jukebox

Michael Antonoff | Jun 15, 2016 | 8 comments

Now that we never need to dismount from the barstool to drop quarters in the jukebox, it just seems wrong to call TouchTunes a mobile app. Pushing through a crowd to reach an illuminated cabinet required actual mobility, also called walking. But that was then. Today no one with a smartphone is budging. In the battle of the bulge, beer wins, waistline loses.

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Michael Antonoff

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