TiVo vs V+

In a couple of comments on a previous post Sibod and Streaky7 have pulled together an interesting TiVo vs. V+ comparison that I'm giving its own post as not all of this blog's readers go beyond the home page. Let me know what you think.
Sibod] Sure, Tivo is sluggish, yes, it has bugs, and yes, the Pin and lack fo Red Button on some channels is frustrating - however:

1. Being able to set folders for shows and set it to keep only the last x number of watched shows is a godsend. Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam, Bob the builder, Baby Jake and other kids shows would take over my Tivo for the rest of my life if I didnt have about 5-10 episodes of each rather than everything!  Tivo 1, V+ 0
2. The search function is significantly more pwoerful than the V+ - it is faster, and searches all content, and gives you options on how to get it. Missed the first episode of Torchwood? Fine - if it's not int he on demand, you can set a wish list item for it - just by searching for Torchwood, selecting the season and episode you want, read the episode guide and check if its wone you've not seen yet. Tivo will then wait for that show and record it when it's on, or pull from the on demand database and provide you with a link to it. Excellent! This has saved my bacon more than once. TiVo 2, V+ 0
3. Suggestions. Yes, a lot of it is rubbish, but there's been stuff in there I would have otherwise missed. Movies, new episodes of shows I've not yet told Tivo I liked (big bang theory being one!) and the like. Tivo 3, V+ 0
4. Undelete. In a bid mad episode of deleting I've once or twice deleted a new unwatched episode of something - and regretted it. Unlike V+, I can go to the recently deleted list and recover it and watch it. Tivo 4, V+ 0
5. Discovery bar. Again, it's shown up stuff I would have missed. The new series of Torchwood showed up in there because I recorded Doctor Who - so I was able to set recordings for it. Tivo 5, V+ 0
6. Speed. TIvo's biggest problem is that it can be sluggish, especially compared to the V+ - but it's not dramatic and it is more often than not faster. Searching TV on demand is significantly faster for example. Tivo 5, V+1
7. Interface.Tivo has a far nicer, better laid out interface. V+ by contrast is just a bunch of text on a black background. There's no rich UI to draw you in, the menus are just hierarchical and not contextual like the TIvo. Having said that, it is consistent and things are reasonably logical. Tivo 6, V+1
8. Rewind and conflicts.Simply put the V+ stank at clashes. It gave you the chance to resolve them yourself, but if you missed the banner it was a case of losing the show you wanted recorded and putting up with it. TIvo intelligently reschedules if it misses the show for whatever reason.Tivo 7, V+ 1
9. Remote record. Simply put I love being able to set recordings over the internet or from my phone. Cant do that with V+, so that's an instant win.Tivo 8, v+1
10. Reliability. By far the biggest issue I have with the Tivo is that if your internet connection is down, then yoru Tivo loses significant media - such as the discovery bar, TV Guide updates and programme info - and it errors and throws you out of certain options. A pain in the backside. V+ was far simpler than that and thus didn't suffer network outages.Tivo 8, V+ 2

 [and Streaky7 adds]

1. Messages Whether it be to confirm a remote recording or for VM to send you a message like this morning's one about BBC iPlayer now on On Demand. Tivo 9, V+ 2
2. Apps & Games Not for everyone I suppose but it is another feature over V+ Tivo 10, V+ 2
3. Recording Hiccups. Nice little feature to see why a programme wasnt recorded. I have only looked at this a couple of times but it gave me great insight in to how TiVo works and helped me work better with it. Tivo 11, V+ 2
4. Manage My Series Links. V+, as Sibod pointed out, is a set up once and go. If it records great, if it doesnt...damn! Tivo is better than this. And this feature works with you on getting a better performance out of your machine. Re-prioritise your links and wishlists so your favs are at the top. They should always then record and others, if there are clashes, will then be reset for another recording day. BEWARE THOUGH, THE MORE LINKS YOU HAVE THE LONGER THE RED DONUT WILL SIT THERE WHILST IT IS UPDATING YOUR PLANNED PROGRAMME LIST - I HAVE NEARLY 100 LINKS/WISHLISTS, IT TAKES ABOUT 5MINS FOR MINE TO UPDATE SO PICK YOUR MOMENT TO DO THIS Tivo 12, V+ 2
5. Remote Buttons & Shortcuts. Whether it channel up/down, fast forward/rewind skipping features, thumbs up/down, easy delete, removing the mini screen in the menu section, these are all little tricks you cant do with a V+ remote. Tivo 13, V+ 2
6. Choice of Hard Drive. Whether it be 500gb or 1tb, with Tivo you have significantly more space plus a choice of how much extra space you need. Tivo 14, V+ 2
7. Tuners. Tivo has 3. Plus with Tivo you can actually record 3 things at once whilst you watch a recorded programme or I believe something from On Demand. And you can toggle through the tuners to catch up with things - good for sports! Tivo 15, V+ 2

I don't necessarily agree with everything said here, but it's a pretty impressive list. Doesn't mention some of the simpler things (e.g. how silent the TiVo is) or go into any detail on some of the negatives of TiVo (SD picture quality on some TVs) but thanks for the contribution chaps - nice work.