# How much do you miss TIVO?



## rbro (Nov 24, 2006)

For those of you who have switched from a TIVO unit to the HR20, I'm wondering how much you miss the TIVO interface and features? I've ben skimming these forums and notice alot of "technical issues"and bugginess with the HR20, but if you were to put that aside and your HR20 was functioning as it should be, how much of an issue is it to no longer have TIVO? Enough to make you want to switch back?


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## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

miss tivo thread #998


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Like this is going to shock anyone....

I don't miss TiVo at all... seriously... My wife misses it a tad, as she liked the suggestions feature, but even then she only used it when there was flat out nothing on... and wanted something for background noise.


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## Strejcek (Sep 28, 2006)

I do not miss it at all either. I'm rather glad that I can access the menu in the HR20 without missing the station I'm watching, thanks to P.I.G. The TIVO interface is clunky and slow compared to the HR20; however the only thing I miss is TIVO's ability to jump back automatically when you FF through commercials. Other than that, I don't miss it at all and hate having it up in my bedroom. When more HR20s become available, I will be replacing my HR10.


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## Strejcek (Sep 28, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Like this is going to shock anyone....
> 
> I don't miss TiVo at all...


No big suprise there.


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## pwjoy (Nov 24, 2006)

I really miss the TIVO guide where you could see six hours of upcoming shows on an individual channel rather than two hours of shows on six channels. Otherwise, I am happy with the HR20.


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## Vinny (Sep 2, 2006)

rbro said:


> For those of you who have switched from a TIVO unit to the HR20, I'm wondering how much you miss the TIVO interface and features? I've ben skimming these forums and notice alot of "technical issues"and bugginess with the HR20, but if you were to put that aside and your HR20 was functioning as it should be, how much of an issue is it to no longer have TIVO? Enough to make you want to switch back?


I don't miss TIVO at all. The HR20 has many advantages over the TIVO unit. I think we all know what they are at this point. Best is the MPEG4 abilities; great DD sound quality and ease of use.

Since this latest upgrade, I've had zero issues and I'm hoping that the number of people who have had issues in the past are getting smaller and smaller.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

pwjoy said:


> I really miss the TIVO guide where you could see six hours of upcoming shows on an individual channel rather than two hours of shows on six channels. Otherwise, I am happy with the HR20.


While in the HR20 Guide. Highlight the channel, hit INFO.
It will show you all the shows on that channel in list format.

However, you can't channel up and down in that mode, like you could in TiVo Guide mode.


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## jkc120 (Sep 11, 2006)

Honestly, now that my unit has stabilized (no lockups or missed recordings since 0xEF), I don't miss it much at all. The HR20 is performing well now, and the HD content is excellent.

The only things I miss now is dual buffers and the auto-correction during fast forwarding. Other than that, the HR20 is doing its job. Of course, I'm still not something I trust 100% to record stuff and not lockup, given the problems I had prior to 0xEF. But it's getting better, and I'm starting to really like it.


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## Vinny (Sep 2, 2006)

pwjoy said:


> I really miss the TIVO guide where you could see six hours of upcoming shows on an individual channel rather than two hours of shows on six channels. Otherwise, I am happy with the HR20.


First off.....:welcome_s 

You can see up to 2 weeks of programming on an individual channel.

Hit guide 2x
Cursor over to the channel number.
Hi info button.

It takes about 20 seconds to load, but you can view all the upcoming programs on that channel.

This and many other tips can be found in the "Unofficial Guide". http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=67933


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

I don't miss it at all, I'm quite glad it's gone. Unfortunately I still have one Tivo in my house, but it'll be gone once DirecTV enables the ability to move shows between the new receivers.


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

I don't miss my TiVo at all because I didn't give it up. But, I have to say I use the HR20 now a lot more now than the HR10. My biggest use for the HR10 is on Sundays during the NFL Season because of dual buffers, a feature I hope is added to the HR20 after NFL-ST is moved to MPEG-4.

That's how it is for me, but for the person who is hardcore TiVo or not confident with their own DVR handling capabilities, it would be different. It's really only a question you can ask for yourself, "How important is TiVo to _me_?".

Be advised that if you do decide to follow TiVo _and_ go HD, it won't come cheaply. Plus, if you're going to switch to cable for the S3, Cable Card pricing and implementation varies for each location. I'd visit TCF and the Cable Card threads started for the provider in your area and see if anyone in your location has made the jump yet.


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## dwenn (Oct 26, 2006)

We still have 2 in the house so I can't say we miss it. My wife misses it a little. Mostly the guide thing as others have mentioned in the thread. The info trick takes too long for that quick look.
Also getting used to no two live tuners. Recording the other show is fine but still getting used to it.
We got one of the very first Tvo units so many years ago though so we are quite familiar with being ahead of the curve and going through software updates.


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## tfederov (Nov 18, 2005)

I'm still missing the dual buffer thing just a little but I can see us upgrading our other three HD TiVos when FTM comes out. I've said it on here before, running cable #3 to some of my locations is almost impossible unless Bob Vila came over to fix the walls behind me.


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## philconners (Nov 24, 2006)

I have always been a BIG Tivo guy, and made the switch (only because of HD) to the HR20 a week ago. From reading about all of the bugs I was kind of dreading it. But I have been very pleasantly surprised and don't really miss Tivo much at all. I love the dual tuners (I had a stand alone Series 2 Tivo hooked up to a DirecTV receiver, so I only had one tuner), and overall the performance of the unit is much better than Tivo. The HR20 is a little clunkier when it comes to responsiveness to rewind, FF, etc., and as good as the 30 second slip is, it still pales in comparison to Tivo's skip IMHO. I also miss Tivo's ability to play MP3's from my network, but I now use my XBOX 360 for that. I also have had to reset my HR20 3 times in a week, which is something that happened with Tivo maybe once every 3-4 months. But overall I don't miss Tivo much at all.


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## opelap (Nov 4, 2006)

My TIVO has always been banned to my son's playroom. My wife and I hated the slow interface and multiple button pushes to do anything. We stuck with our ultimate TV until the HR20 came out and I convinced her we should go HD. I also promised her that if this unit stunk we would go back to the UTV. Well this unit smells a little, but the installers somehow fried my UTV while moving it to the other room, or maybe there is some problems with the older recievers working with the AT9 dish. Either way, we are stuck with this unit so I hope it gets fixed soon.


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## deebeeeff (Oct 10, 2006)

I miss a few things, but I am finding every day things about the HR20 that make me like it a lot.
I really like the boops and beeps and wish HR20 had them (please don't bother me with "it won't work with DD"; I don't use DD 
But I think that if HR20 gets dual buffers and a few other minor things I will be quite happy.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

Ignorance is bliss for me...so I don't miss TIVO at all. 

Overall, I find the operation of the HR20 pretty intuitive...I've never had to use the manual or help screens. There are things that seem silly (like pressing Guide twice to get to the selected guide), and the "All Channels I Receive" not working, etc.

In general, I like my HR20 a lot and am glad I didn't have to convert from one O/S to another. 

I'm glad they are working on things and am jonesing on OTA at the present.


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## shaun-ohio (Aug 24, 2002)

i dont miss it either, i like the features of the hr20 able to schedule a new program or pull up the guide with the pnp window feature is very nice, , they havent never updated the software for hr10 still on 6.1 every tivo remote has a window button on it but it has never been activated even with the series 2 dual tuner i have, you never lose your programming you are watching and still able to do features with the hr20, with tivo you have to pause the program and schedule another program, it lacks alot of features that the hr20 has and i am very happy with the hr20


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## mtnagel (Sep 18, 2006)

I don't miss my SD Directivo because of the jump to HD. Now if I had an HR10-250, I might miss it, but I doubt it. I loved the Tivo interface when I had it, but now I really like the HR20 interface. If it was 100% reliable like my Directivo, then I definitely wouldn't miss it at all.


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## jkc120 (Sep 11, 2006)

philconners said:


> I also miss Tivo's ability to play MP3's from my network, but I now use my XBOX 360 for that.


Out of curiosity and this is way off topic, but how are you doing that? With a Media Center Edition PC, or just with Windows Media Player 11? I'd like to do the same, but I don't have a Microsoft PC to share with  PM me if you'd rather, so we don't drag this off topic. Thanks!


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

jkc120 said:


> Out of curiosity and this is way off topic, but how are you doing that? With a Media Center Edition PC, or just with Windows Media Player 11? I'd like to do the same, but I don't have a Microsoft PC to share with  PM me if you'd rather, so we don't drag this off topic. Thanks!


FYI... If you have a ViiV based PC... you will be able to use that feature in the comming months, directly on the HR20.


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## jkc120 (Sep 11, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> FYI... If you have a ViiV based PC... you will be able to use that feature in the comming months, directly on the HR20.


How about for those of us running Linux or FreeBSD?


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## opelap (Nov 4, 2006)

Don't count on it. The DRM Nazi's won't let anyone near their stuff anymore. ViiV is just like requiring Media Center Edition to stream video to the Xbox360. It is simply to control the content and make you buy more equipment.


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## rbro (Nov 24, 2006)

How about PQ? ANy difference in either HD or SD between the HR10 and HR 20?


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## uteotw (Sep 30, 2006)

I don't miss the features. I am used to the HR20's differences.

What I truly miss, however, is peoples' mouths matching up with the words I am hearing. This never, ever happened pre-HR20. What I also miss is NOT seeing a "Searching for Signal" message scanning across the bottom righthand corner for no apparent reason...


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## lehts (Sep 22, 2006)

I don't miss DTivo at all, except for the OTA. This box is so much faster for recording on the fly and setting up season passes.


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## cybrsurfer (Sep 17, 2006)

rbro said:


> For those of you who have switched from a TIVO unit to the HR20, I'm wondering how much you miss the TIVO interface and features? I've ben skimming these forums and notice alot of "technical issues"and bugginess with the HR20, but if you were to put that aside and your HR20 was functioning as it should be, how much of an issue is it to no longer have TIVO? Enough to make you want to switch back?


I feel once the HR20 is updated and OTA enabled, I'll be OKay with the end of Tivo next year for HD because of changing to MPEG4/Ka.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

rbro said:


> I'm wondering how much you miss the TIVO interface and *features*?


The interface, not so much. But features like it actually doing a manual recording like I ask, I miss that quite a bit.


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## skierbri10 (Sep 18, 2006)

I miss my TIVO for the fact I didn't have to worry about if it would record as planned or not. I am in deep water right now with my wife over ER last night.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

I don't miss my Tivo's at all. Of course I still have a couple SD DirecTivo's activated. But it annoys me when using one instead of the HR20. I like the interface of the HR20 that much better.


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## JonFo (Aug 19, 2006)

I do miss the overall usability of the TiVo. Basic DVR functions are jsut so natural with it that anything else is very clunky.
The fact that a TiVo does what it supposed to (record programs at the right time and not 'partial' or 'cancel' them) is a big bonus.

I still have 4 tivo's (including one HR10) to back up the unreliable HR20.

There is still not a single feature in the HR20 that would make my choose it over a TiVo, other than the fact it is the only HD receiver to give me HD locals.


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## cybrsurfer (Sep 17, 2006)

JonFo said:


> I do miss the overall usability of the TiVo. Basic DVR functions are jsut so natural with it that anything else is very clunky.
> The fact that a TiVo does what it supposed to (record programs at the right time and not 'partial' or 'cancel' them) is a big bonus.
> 
> I still have 4 tivo's (including one HR10) to back up the unreliable HR20.
> ...


Tivo had the same software issues with the rollout of Tivo in the beginning, they overcame the obstacles. I feel DirecTV is on a learning curve and will figure the mess out.


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## gr8reb8 (Aug 21, 2006)

cybrsurfer said:


> Tivo had the same software issues with the rollout of Tivo in the beginning, they overcame the obstacles. I feel DirecTV is on a learning curve and will figure the mess out.


I purchased my HR10 (DirectTivo) June of 2004 and it has been in use since. The only problems I had with this unit was that after about 60-90 days use, when watching HD content, the video would pause for a fraction of a second both when watching recorded or live content. A reboot would solve the issue (recorded content would then play fine) for the next 60-90 days. No missed recordings and no lockups. I have no issue with the new HR20 interface. My main gripe with the HR20, is paying $120+ per month for missed recordings and frustration when the box locks up.

Did you specifically have these issues with your HR10? Or are you repeating what you read somewhere else?


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Tivo? What's a Tivo? 

See...its been easy to forget that old box.... 



cybrsurfer said:


> Tivo had the same software issues with the rollout of Tivo in the beginning, they overcame the obstacles. I feel DirecTV is on a learning curve and will figure the mess out.


Yup! That's what I've been saying for some time.


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## jaywdetroit (Sep 21, 2006)

Like this is going to surprise anybody...  

I miss my TIVO!!

The HR20 is getting better. I love the new update - commercial skipping is much easier now. But last night I found myself longing for my suggestions. My TIVO "knew" me pretty well and I could always find something interesting to watch in my Suggestions. Now - I find myself channel surfing, then giving up and turning the TV off. (I guess that's a good thing).

And like I've said before, dual live buffers is sorely missed. If I had that and my Suggestions, I think I would prefer the HR20. (Shhh. don't tell anyone.) 

But as of today - I REALLY miss my TIVO.


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## dixoncider (Sep 10, 2006)

I would not miss my tivo if the HR20-700 was not locked up all the time. I am away and use slingbox to watch I have the h10 and HR20-700 hooked up to it and the hr20 is locked up right now and no way to reset with a sling. The tivo is WAY more stable. I can not remember it ever locking up in the years that I have had it. Stability is the issue!


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## Canis Lupus (Oct 16, 2006)

I find myself missing Tivo almost not at all. The only thing I've found annoying is when leaving a recorded program to go to live TV, upon returning to the list it doesn't highlight the program I was watching, so I have to scroll back to it.


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## adam1115 (Dec 16, 2003)

It's a bad comparison, the HR10 is not that good and is very old.

But just imagine if News Corp hadn't bought DirecTV, and we were talking about our Series3 Based MPEG4 DirecTiVo!


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## Mixer (Sep 28, 2006)

Once we have dual buffers (should this read - if we get Dual buffers?) I will not miss T* at all. Until then I miss it very much.

Yes I know about the psuedo Dual Buffers and it is fine - just not the same.



rbro said:


> For those of you who have switched from a TIVO unit to the HR20, I'm wondering how much you miss the TIVO interface and features? I've ben skimming these forums and notice alot of "technical issues"and bugginess with the HR20, but if you were to put that aside and your HR20 was functioning as it should be, how much of an issue is it to no longer have TIVO? Enough to make you want to switch back?


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## mnassour (Apr 23, 2002)

Not at all here.....mine is up and running and the HR20 is in the closet.

Yes, it's that bad.


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

mnassour said:


> Not at all here.....mine is up and running and the HR20 is in the closet.
> 
> Yes, it's that bad.


Your HR20 or HR10 Tivo is in the closet?


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## mnassour (Apr 23, 2002)

Yep...the HR20 is in the closet, deactivated. I'm lurking here hoping there will be a useable software download that will enable this thing to work. Until then, the HR10 soldiers on, never missing a recording, never causing a problem, just doing its job.

DirecTV dumping Tivo....what a joke.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

mnassour said:


> Yep...the HR20 is in the closet, deactivated. I'm lurking here hoping there will be a useable software download that will enable this thing to work. Until then, the HR10 soldiers on, never missing a recording, never causing a problem, just doing its job.
> 
> DirecTV dumping Tivo....what a joke.


Why don't you have both connected and running?
With many people with no or little problems and nearly weekly updates how are you going to know when an update will be good for your box?


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## jayvista (Oct 19, 2006)

Miss the Tivo? Certanly not. I love the "surprise" I get when the HR20 actually records what it is supposed to. It's like opening presents at Christmas with the HR20 ... my wife and I sit down and have no idea if it actually recorded the Series Links for our shows! And, if by chance it actually records the right show, we dont know if it stopped recording in the middle! Yeeha!

And who doesn't love HR20s user interface?!? It's fun to figure out the seemingly random button clicks and menu structures. It's kind of like a maze ... a game I guess.

Who could miss the DirecTivo? That unit was boring. It recorded every episode consistantly. It never had a hitch. It's menus were easy. My 8 year navigated it like a pro. BORING!

I LOVE having my wife and child tell me every day how bad the HR20 is. "But honey ... look at the HD picture", I say. Then I pull up the smack-up MPEG4 local HD channels that have smeers, pixelation, out of sync voices, and faulty RW/FF.

Actually, my wife and kid now watch TV in the other room (where we moved that bad old DirecTivo) .... now I have MORE TIME TO MYSELF in my family room with my trusty HR20.

Thanks DirecTV!!!!


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## Stevesdigi (Sep 19, 2006)

I miss my "beeps" and "boops" and of course the dual tuners with buffers!


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## eggre (Nov 12, 2006)

How can I miss Tivo? I have to use the thing almost every single day when the HR20 spontaneously reboots or just plain refuses to record my shows. If you asked me what the definitive HR20 feature is, I'd answer "a Tivo backup."


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## btmoore (Aug 28, 2006)

My 6 year old Sat-t60 is a work horse. @ 6 years old it should be considered geriatric from a technology perspective, but it has a faster guide and more useful guide for DVR activities and more importantly it actually records what I tell it to every time. Sure the age of the processor and the prior code releases it has pushed the processor limits and areas like getting to the play list is a bit slower than I like, and at times the UI is a little over simplified, but as long as it is more reliable than the hr20 and as long as the HR20 is missing dual active buffers, I miss the usability and reliability of the TiVo. It is a shame that D* could not work out a deal with TiVo to make a really great product. It feels like D* was more interested brand protection over customer satisfaction.


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## Blitz68 (Apr 19, 2006)

Don't miss it... Good ridence.


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## yensid (Aug 12, 2006)

I don't miss Tivo at all. I have never missed a recording. The box has just gotten faster and the HD is fantastic. I have two HR-20s and my wife thinks both have been solid. I miss the beeps, never used the suggestions, and don't miss the thumbs up/down messages at all. So far it has been a great solid box for our family.


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## thepoloman33 (Jun 20, 2006)

I'm surprised at how many folks don't miss their TiVos (even in the slightest degree). Guess I'm in the minority here.

How do you guys tolerate the FF/RW functionality of the HR20? You can't tell me that you don't miss TiVo when you are trying to get past a commercial using the HR20...let's be honest here...LOL


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## dixoncider (Sep 10, 2006)

HR20-700 still locked up and no way to rebot, POS Tivo running perfect as usual


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## Jace (Sep 6, 2006)

i watch less tv now that i have my hr20, it is just more difficult to use ... or i may just be busier, not sure which one.


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## mikeny (Aug 21, 2006)

thepoloman33 said:


> I'm surprised at how many folks don't miss their TiVos (even in the slightest degree). Guess I'm in the minority here.
> 
> How do you guys tolerate the FF/RW functionality of the HR20? You can't tell me that you don't miss TiVo when you are trying to get past a commercial using the HR20...let's be honest here...LOL


I was very frustrated by the HR20's 30 sec slip but it is VERY good now. It's just couple seconds slower than the HR10's skip but still cool.


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## adam1115 (Dec 16, 2003)

jayvista said:


> Miss the Tivo? Certanly not. I love the "surprise" I get when the HR20 actually records what it is supposed to. It's like opening presents at Christmas with the HR20 ... my wife and I sit down and have no idea if it actually recorded the Series Links for our shows! And, if by chance it actually records the right show, we dont know if it stopped recording in the middle! Yeeha!
> 
> And who doesn't love HR20s user interface?!? It's fun to figure out the seemingly random button clicks and menu structures. It's kind of like a maze ... a game I guess.
> 
> ...


:lol: Thanks that made my day...


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## jaywdetroit (Sep 21, 2006)

jayvista said:


> Miss the Tivo? Certanly not. I love the "surprise" I get when the HR20 actually records what it is supposed to. It's like opening presents at Christmas with the HR20 ... my wife and I sit down and have no idea if it actually recorded the Series Links for our shows! And, if by chance it actually records the right show, we dont know if it stopped recording in the middle! Yeeha!
> 
> And who doesn't love HR20s user interface?!? It's fun to figure out the seemingly random button clicks and menu structures. It's kind of like a maze ... a game I guess.
> 
> ...


If there were awards for best post, this one would surely get it. It is a thing of beauty. :lol:


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

thepoloman33 said:


> I'm surprised at how many folks don't miss their TiVos (even in the slightest degree). Guess I'm in the minority here.
> 
> How do you guys tolerate the FF/RW functionality of the HR20? You can't tell me that you don't miss TiVo when you are trying to get past a commercial using the HR20...let's be honest here...LOL


Not sure what you're talking about here. Nothing wrong with the FFW and RW on the HR20. FFW2 or 3 then hit replay a couple times and it's perfect.


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## sbayne (Aug 27, 2006)

The only thing I miss about my Tivo is dual live buffers.


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## Knon2000 (Nov 20, 2006)

I have tivo up on several receivers, and use them yet as recording backups for my h20's, but I honestly don't watch them now. I will admit the kids like the H10's better, but they are still young, and simply are used to the keystrokes needed to get to the programs they watch. If they were taught the h20's system instead, I would imagine it would be their choice to watch, since it is so much faster in the UI, now if they could get the channel change to be quick, we would have something to brag about.
Kevin


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## pgiralt (Oct 12, 2006)

bonscott87 said:


> Not sure what you're talking about here. Nothing wrong with the FFW and RW on the HR20. FFW2 or 3 then hit replay a couple times and it's perfect.


He's talking about the "hit replay a couple of times" part of it. On TiVo I got pretty good at timing the "play" so that it would automatically rewind back to the beginning of the program. The HR20 does not auto-rewind (because this is TiVo patent).

That being said, I'm really starting to like 30 second SLIP + skip back to exit. I think after a few more weeks I'll have the timing just about as good as TiVo's 3xFF + Play operation.


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## rsblaski (Jul 6, 2003)

I have had an hr10 since shortly after they were introduced and always loved it. When I got my first hr20, I wondered what in the world they were thinking when they designed the UI. After about two days of using it however, I began to see the logic of menu placements and options.
Now with two hr20s and no recording problems since the last s/w upgrade, I now only hope that the stability remains and that D* will follow through on the machine's potential for added features. Primarily I am looking forward to the day, if ever, when I will be able to schedule programs or access recordings on either machine, in other words, full network ability between two or more hr20s.
With e-sata partially enabled already, it would be nice to be able to connect an external terrabyte of storage to one hr20 and access it from any hr20 on the network.


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

Never had Tivo, but I can say that I've never had issues with my Ultimate TV. One thing I will miss is the PIP feature. I never figured out why D* didn't have this feature on the HR20. E* has them beat on that with their new side by side PIP feature coming out next month. I use mine all the time for sports.

I think D* should have given the consumer a choice of either their in house branded DVR or Tivo at an additional charge. I'm sure many of the die hard Tivo fans would have paid a dollar or two more extra a month for it.

So does anyone remember, did Tivo, Ultimate TV, and the NDS unit overseas have this many issues when it first came out? Do you think its just a matter of time before this thing will be rock solid and actually record the shows you ask it to? What do you guys think?

Sorry for the rant.

Thanks.


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## mnassour (Apr 23, 2002)

bonscott87 said:


> Why don't you have both connected and running?
> With many people with no or little problems and nearly weekly updates how are you going to know when an update will be good for your box?


Why don't I have them both running? Frankly, given the abominable MPEG4 video I'm getting, the missed recordings, the lockups, blah, blah, blah, the HR20 isn't worth $5.00 per month. I'm in this to watch TV, NOT to beta test for DirecTV. Life is too short to work for Rupert Murdoch without compensation.

And how will I know when an upgrade is good....easy. I just lurk here and will restart the silver beast when the crowd here says D* has finally gotten its act together.


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## thepoloman33 (Jun 20, 2006)

bonscott87 said:


> Not sure what you're talking about here. Nothing wrong with the FFW and RW on the HR20. FFW2 or 3 then hit replay a couple times and it's perfect.


Hi bonscott,

I almost always agree with your posts and consider you to be very knowledgeable...but....are you seriously telling me that you think there is "nothing wrong" with the FF/RW functionality on the HR20? There's no room for improvement?!?

Throw me a bone here and admit that TiVo does this better.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

mnassour said:


> And how will I know when an upgrade is good....easy. I just lurk here and will restart the silver beast when the crowd here says D* has finally gotten its act together.


Fair enough. But you might be waiting a while as a forum naturally brings posts of problems, not good things. One look at the Tivo forums and you'd think they haven't gotten their act together yet either, which we know isn't the case.

Just saying, you'll never know if you're waiting for confirmation here as there will always be posts about problems.


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## g4jedi (Aug 21, 2006)

My wife REALLY misses two main TiVo features... wish lists and dual buffers. Both which will likely never happen on the Hr20 sadly. D* can't even get the features it does do right, so I sure wont hold my breath on any NEw features...


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## Blitz68 (Apr 19, 2006)

thepoloman33 said:


> I'm surprised at how many folks don't miss their TiVos (even in the slightest degree). Guess I'm in the minority here.
> 
> How do you guys tolerate the FF/RW functionality of the HR20? You can't tell me that you don't miss TiVo when you are trying to get past a commercial using the HR20...let's be honest here...LOL


The HR20-700S is ALOT better at skipping commercials.


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## mnassour (Apr 23, 2002)

Blitz68 said:


> The HR20-700S is ALOT better at skipping commercials.


Uh....what?

When you say "better", you say you'd rather see the commercials scan by in 3-4 seconds, rather than instantly jump past as they do with the Tivo?





bonscott87 said:


> Fair enough. But you might be waiting a while as a forum naturally brings posts of problems, not good things.


Well, I'm more than familiar with the concept that only bad news is posted . However, you can tell a lot from the tone of the newsgroups as well. Over on TCF we see lots of individual problems. Here, well, the tone is that of the newsgroups that were devoted to the original Dishplayer.

Anybody remember THAT piece of....work? I certainly hope DirecTV's programmers are better than those with Microsoft who attempted to make THAT thing work.

:raspberry 
:new_cussi 
:uglyhamme 
:bang


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## RMSko (Aug 23, 2006)

Blitz68 said:


> The HR20-700S is ALOT better at skipping commercials.


I'm not sure how you can say this. IMO TiVo is much better at this due to the auto rewind feature, i.e., with TiVo, if you hit play after it has been fast forwarding, it will rewind a bit. I had the timing down so that I almost always was at the beginning of the show. Since this is a TiVo patent, you won't see it on the HR20, which is a disappointment. The 30 second skip has improved and would work great if all commercial breaks were the same amount of time, but unfortunately they aren't. Sometimes I have to hit skip 4 times, somethimes 5 and sometimes 6. It would be a lot better if the "back" button had options so that you could set it to go back 5, 10, 15 or 20 seconds, for example.

Some other things I miss are:


The Live Dual Buffers
The prompt to delete a show with about 5 minutes left in the recording
The jump to end and jump to tick (I know that you can hold the buttons to make this work, but those don't work with my Pronto)


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## Milominderbinder2 (Oct 8, 2006)

The TiVo to HR20 Survival Guide lists over 30 key advantages of the HR20. In addition it adresses many features that some thought were lost but are just different now.

If you are a true TiVo lover, you know who you are. Pay the $800 and get the TiVo3. There is nothing about the HR20 you will ever like. The TiVo gods will hunt you and your HR20. 

It is like a Chevy man ever liking a Ford. It ain't gonna happen.

For others once they use the HR20 Slip on the coming variable length commercials, they never want to go back to the old TiVo Skip.

Have you noticed that the ones who are missing TiVo the most are often the ones with the most HR20 problems?

Hmmmm...

I am too much of an engineer to believe in coincidence.

- Craig


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

thepoloman33 said:


> Hi bonscott,
> 
> I almost always agree with your posts and consider you to be very knowledgeable...but....are you seriously telling me that you think there is "nothing wrong" with the FF/RW functionality on the HR20? There's no room for improvement?!?
> 
> Throw me a bone here and admit that TiVo does this better.


Sorry, I don't have a problem with the FF/RW on the HR20. Nothing at all. I never used 30 sec skip on Tivo, hated it. So I also don't use the 30 sec "slip" on the HR20. Perhpas I should try it.

I used to like the jumpback feature on a Tivo (Tivo patent by the way, will never appear on an HR20) but it's annoyed me more then anything. But I only hit play "correctly" about 10 % of the time, the rest I'm hitting Play....not right...RW...play...crap not enough...RW...play...crap too much...FW...play...ok, good enough.
HR20 I simply hit replay once...maybe twice and I'm done. Can't be any simpler, at least for me and my wife. I find my self trying to hit replay on out Tivo's all the time and cursing that the HR20 method isn't there.

Never would I claim a feature can't be improved and I'm sure the HR20 trick play controls can certainly be improved. 2 updates ago they were greatly improved which made a lot of people happy.

But then you must understand. I like Tivo, I really do. Have had it since 2000 with my first 30 hour stand alone. But to me it feels "old and stale" and I've been ready for something new for a while. The HR20 is really a breath of fresh air interface wise, to me and my wife anyway. Obviously it needs to continue to record what I tell it and if it keeps doing that I'm happy with it's FW/RW controls amoung other things.


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## mtnagel (Sep 18, 2006)

Milominderbinder2 said:


> Have you noticed that the ones who are missing TiVo the most are often the ones with the most HR20 problems?


Are you sure it isn't the other way around? 

And no, the FF/skip on the HR20 is not as good as tivo, but I'm getting used to it. So much so that when I have to go back to the tivo, I've lost my timing of the pressing play now.

I think if all commercials were 30 seconds, I'd used the slip. But until then (obviously I know we will never go back to that), I've gotten used to using 3x FF and then 3-4 jump backs on SD stuff and 2x FF and 1-2 jump backs on HD stuff. I know I'm not getting through commercials as fast as with Tivo, but at least I don't have to watch them. I'd take 15-20 secs of FFing over 3 minutes of commercials any day.


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

Milominderbinder2 said:


> If you are a true TiVo lover, you know who you are. Pay the $800 and get the TiVo3. There is nothing about the HR20 you will ever like. The TiVo gods will hunt you and your HR20.


I can only agree with this statement.

Wishing & hoping D* will go back with TiVo won't do you much good. D* extended their relationship with TiVo, but there was no mention of developing new equipment for D*, only keeping existing equipment maintained. Even if D* were to go back to TiVo, do you think TiVo would find their existing ~$1/box arrangement sufficient? For a company that still doesn't have the money from its lawsuit with E*, my guess would be "no". I think you'd be looking at the original $10/mo. charge, if not more, with a larger share going to TiVo. You think D* would find that really all that worthwhile for the fairly insignificant # that would follow TiVo?

I'm finding that since I've tried other DVR options I can say TiVo is a bit overrated. The cartoonish interface grates on me after awhile, "Suggestions" was something I never had much use for, I personally prefer a more DIY approach which might not be right for some. I'm really hoping I get the opportunity to try out the Microsoft tuner card for D*. I want the DVR field to broaden, not retract. I don't want TiVo to be the only player.

But, if you're of the mind that TiVo's all there is, then if ever there was a time they needed your support, now is that time. If ~$700 is a price point you can live with for a S3, significantly less for the SD models (usually free with a service commitment, and yes, a service contract is now tied to the box along with a penalty for early cancellation), then jump right in.

Like Milominderbinder2 says, if you are a true TiVo lover, take an action rather than griping and get what you need/want. My only other suggestion would be to investigate the S3 and the shortcomings it has. You know how you come across shows that won't display on the HR20? Well, the same thing has happened to S3 owners, not because of a glitch, but because of copyright protection. I haven't had any unviewable recording since I got my replacement HR20. I'm happy where I am. And, yes, I prefer the slip to skip because I can see what's on the screen rather than jumping blind.


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## adam1115 (Dec 16, 2003)

Milominderbinder2 said:


> If you are a true TiVo lover, you know who you are. Pay the $800 and get the TiVo3. There is nothing about the HR20 you will ever like. The TiVo gods will hunt you and your HR20.





Milominderbinder2 said:


> Have you noticed that the ones who are missing TiVo the most are often the ones with the most HR20 problems?


My parents and one of my friends both recently switched from Dish to DirecTV based on my ongoing raves of DirecTV. Unfortunately they didn't consult with me and didn't know about the switch to the in-house DVR.

Neither of these guys have EVER used a TiVo. They both had Dish PVR's. They both HATE the R15. My parents can't find anything. (I agree, these DVR's are not intuitive, the remote layout is bad, and it just takes time to learn how to find everything.) My mom read the book 5 times, and still couldn't make series links work correctly. DirecTV technical support knew less about the DVR than she did (and she is NOT technical). But still, they told her every time to read the book. It was funny, she would say ok, on page x it says this, but that doesn't work. How do I do it??

The other friend says it's crap, noting that he has to push buttons multiple times to do things? (I didn't following, I think he's talking about the guide and switching channels.) And comments that they must've spent more time on the stupid blue light than making it work right.

Both of these users wish they had their DISH DVR back, which is sad. When I switched everyone I talked to who also switch RAVED at how great the DirecTV TiVo units were..

I never thought I'd see the day that I would be recommending people go back to cable...


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## MercurialIN (Jul 17, 2006)

This may not be PC to say but yes I do miss TiVo. I miss the dependability of being able to set it and forget until I wanted to watch a show. I resent having to "babysit" the TDL on both the HR 20 and more especially the R 15 to make sure a show stays on the TDL. Even then it's no guarantee it will actually go as far as being recorded. I miss dual live buffers. And I believe TiVo has the better search engine by far. 

I miss TiVo suggestions as one earlier poster mentioned TiVo knew my program preferences very well in less then a week after I started using the TiVo by the way, and it was very accurate in picking programs I'd want to watch. I miss the pleasant surprise of checking to see what TiVo had recorded for me each day, now I face the "surprise" of wondering IF the DVR's recorded what I set them up to record. Not the same thing at all.

I also miss the more polished user interface. The interface on the D* DVR's is so primitive and outdated it is unbelieveable. It's the same interface my first non DVR satellite receiver had, it was ugly then it is ugly now. Personal preference I know. To each his/her own.

Now I do like the picture in guide feature of the D* DVR's I think that's a great feature, I like being able to record the XM satellite channels at least on the R 15 and I even truly enjoy the interactive section (weather in particular, now if they'd only add some games, like Bejeweled and Solitaire I'd be really happy). 

I can see good in both DVR's TiVo and D*'s. I just wish D*'s DVR's were more reliable for the simple things, like recording shows. And if they had a way to add dual live buffers and a suggestions feature like TiVo suggestions. For me it would be almost the best of both worlds.


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## Marcia_Brady (Nov 25, 2005)

We still keep Tivo's in the house, so we don't miss them!

One of my favorite features on the HR20 is the "60 minute skip." It works perfectly most of the time (it's working pretty consistantly again with the latest download).

Why, just last night it skipped right over the new episode of _Desperate Housewives_.


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## Kenwood (Sep 13, 2006)

*I miss the Tivo's "AutoCorrection" during Fast Forwarding / Rewinding. *

I only use my HR20 for watching HD and record HD shows. Everything else I still watch on my Sony T-60 DirecTivo. I still have Season Passes for all HD shows that record on the HR20, because I still do not trust the HR20 yet.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Do I miss my tivos? No, I am still using them as my primary units at all locations. 

Will I? Perhaps. There are some features I like about both of them. But, today, cuz i had to setup lots of recordings, I'm very happy with the ability to set recording defaults on the HR20.

Cheers,
Tom


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## jayvista (Oct 19, 2006)

Blitz68 said:


> The HR20-700S is ALOT better at skipping commercials.


LOL! Yes, it is great at skipping commercials .... and the actual program you were attempting to record! The only thing the HR20 skips is the whole dam episode!


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## walkrman5 (Nov 25, 2006)

rbro said:


> For those of you who have switched from a TIVO unit to the HR20, I'm wondering how much you miss the TIVO interface and features? I've ben skimming these forums and notice alot of "technical issues"and bugginess with the HR20, but if you were to put that aside and your HR20 was functioning as it should be, how much of an issue is it to no longer have TIVO? Enough to make you want to switch back?


I used the HR20 & DVR for about 5 days...I had several lock ups...spent hours with direct TV support...and due to many lock ups...and because of the lack of Dual Buffers I switched back to my HR10...and I LOVE it. The DVR on the HR20 when it worked was certainly acceptable. I do like the "forgiving" feature of the Tivo better when fast forwarding/rewinding...but I the DVR was easy to adapt to.

So..I am back on my HR10 with Tivo until the HR20 is able to do the same as the HR10 with dual buffers...and the DVR actually works without freezing up constantly.


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## Blitz68 (Apr 19, 2006)

MercurialIN said:


> This may not be PC to say but yes I do miss TiVo. I miss the dependability of being able to set it and forget until I wanted to watch a show. I resent having to "babysit" the TDL on both the HR 20 and more especially the R 15 to make sure a show stays on the TDL. Even then it's no guarantee it will actually go as far as being recorded. I miss dual live buffers. And I believe TiVo has the better search engine by far.
> 
> I miss TiVo suggestions as one earlier poster mentioned TiVo knew my program preferences very well in less then a week after I started using the TiVo by the way, and it was very accurate in picking programs I'd want to watch. I miss the pleasant surprise of checking to see what TiVo had recorded for me each day, now I face the "surprise" of wondering IF the DVR's recorded what I set them up to record. Not the same thing at all.
> 
> ...


Be patient. They are not done with it yet.


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## thepoloman33 (Jun 20, 2006)

bonscott87 said:


> Sorry, I don't have a problem with the FF/RW on the HR20. Nothing at all. I never used 30 sec skip on Tivo, hated it. So I also don't use the 30 sec "slip" on the HR20. Perhpas I should try it.
> 
> I used to like the jumpback feature on a Tivo (Tivo patent by the way, will never appear on an HR20) but it's annoyed me more then anything. But I only hit play "correctly" about 10 % of the time, the rest I'm hitting Play....not right...RW...play...crap not enough...RW...play...crap too much...FW...play...ok, good enough.
> HR20 I simply hit replay once...maybe twice and I'm done. Can't be any simpler, at least for me and my wife. I find my self trying to hit replay on out Tivo's all the time and cursing that the HR20 method isn't there.
> ...


That makes perfect sense and I agree with you that TiVo is a little dated compared to other DVRs....and I'm not saying that I hate the HR20. It definately has a few advantages.

I was just surprised at how many folks can say that they don't miss TiVo *at all*. I honestly find that hard to believe.


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

thepoloman33 said:


> I was just surprised at how many folks can say that they don't miss TiVo *at all*. I honestly find that hard to believe.


Keep in mind that when the DirecTV with TiVo receivers went to market there was a competitor called UltimateTV developed by Microsoft and it had its fair share of fans. For those UTV users who went to HD with no UTV option, the HR10-250 might not have appealed to them. Not everyone is ga ga for TiVo.


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## HockeyKat (Jul 5, 2006)

Count me as one of the weirdos that doesn't miss her Tivo at ALL. I love how the HR20 (and R15) makes it much easier to record something when zooming through the guide. How it doesn't keep you in silence (and make you wait all night) when you're trying to set up a recording. Overall, everything is just generally faster and easier, IMO. Sure, we have the occasional issue come up, but nothing that has ever once made me say "Gee, I wish we had our Tivos active again!" When we got our HR20, we de-activated the last running Tivo in the house and haven't looked back yet.


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## Blitz68 (Apr 19, 2006)

HockeyKat said:


> Count me as one of the weirdos that doesn't miss her Tivo at ALL. I love how the HR20 (and R15) makes it much easier to record something when zooming through the guide. How it doesn't keep you in silence (and make you wait all night) when you're trying to set up a recording. Overall, everything is just generally faster and easier, IMO. Sure, we have the occasional issue come up, but nothing that has ever once made me say "Gee, I wish we had our Tivos active again!" When we got our HR20, we de-activated the last running Tivo in the house and haven't looked back yet.


AMEN Sister


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## mridan (Nov 15, 2006)

Don't miss Tivo, HR20 working fine


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## iacas (Nov 18, 2006)

I miss the dual buffers on my TiVo. I miss the ability to hit one button to turn on and off my TiVo and my stereo receiver. I miss the ability to easily see more shows both horizontally and vertically in the guide. I miss the ability to show channels I receive. I miss a few other little things hear and there.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

iacas said:


> I miss the ability to show channels I receive.


FYI.. The TiVo didn't do that automatically... you had to set that up.
Just like you can set it up in the HR20 (with your favorites).

The only difference is the TiVo would filter them out in a way, that you could not record on them (and TiVo wouldn't try)... Where as the HR20 is just a filter in the guide.


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## islesfan (Oct 18, 2006)

The only reason I missed TiVo was the reliability. After all, you set it up once, and it just recorded everything as told. No partial, missed, canceled, deleted... bugs. With that said, if the HR20 worked just as well as the TiVo, I would take the HR20, as it is faster, and in some ways more intuitive.


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## iacas (Nov 18, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> FYI.. The TiVo didn't do that automatically... you had to set that up.


No, you hit "Guide" then "Info" and then you can toggle between "All," "You Receive," and "Favorites." I just checked on the TiVo in my bedroom.



Earl Bonovich said:


> Just like you can set it up in the HR20 (with your favorites).


No, not nearly the same. It's automatic. All you do is select it. You can still remove stuff to create your "Favorites" in the TiVo (I have a DTiVo S2), but the "You Receive" is a pre-existing option/feature.


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## islesfan (Oct 18, 2006)

HockeyKat said:


> Count me as one of the weirdos that doesn't miss her Tivo at ALL. I love how the HR20 (and R15) makes it much easier to record something when zooming through the guide. How it doesn't keep you in silence (and make you wait all night) when you're trying to set up a recording. Overall, everything is just generally faster and easier, IMO. Sure, we have the occasional issue come up, but nothing that has ever once made me say "Gee, I wish we had our Tivos active again!" When we got our HR20, we de-activated the last running Tivo in the house and haven't looked back yet.


I have the HR20, but with all the functionality issues, I had to get D* to reconnect my TiVo to catch all the things the HR20 wouldn't record, like NHL Center Ice. Nevertheless, when I go back to TiVo to catch things the HR20 decided not to record, I am amazed at hos SLOW it is.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

On the DTivo... the "You Receive" list, you have to configure to actually tell the TiVo what you receive. The DTivo system does not auto-detect the channels you receive or don't receive.

I haven't used my DTivo in such a long time, I can't tell you the menu steps to get to where you configure the "Channels I Receive" list.


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## islesfan (Oct 18, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> FYI.. The TiVo didn't do that automatically... you had to set that up.
> Just like you can set it up in the HR20 (with your favorites).
> 
> The only difference is the TiVo would filter them out in a way, that you could not record on them (and TiVo wouldn't try)... Where as the HR20 is just a filter in the guide.


All this is true, but not a small issue. Without the ability to filter out channels you don't receive, the autorecord search function is useless.


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## islesfan (Oct 18, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> On the DTivo... the "You Receive" list, you have to configure to actually tell the TiVo what you receive. The DTivo system does not auto-detect the channels you receive or don't receive.
> 
> I haven't used my DTivo in such a long time, I can't tell you the menu steps to get to where you configure the "Channels I Receive" list.


Setup - Preferences - Channels


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Earl Bonovich said:


> On the DTivo... the "You Receive" list, you have to configure to actually tell the TiVo what you receive. The DTivo system does not auto-detect the channels you receive or don't receive.
> 
> I haven't used my DTivo in such a long time, I can't tell you the menu steps to get to where you configure the "Channels I Receive" list.


IIRC the menu item moved or changed names a bit from one release to another, but in 6.3a you have to hit "DIRECTV" then select: "Messages & Settings", "Settings", "Channels", lastly "Channel List". And then work your way thru the list. Hey! They put an info box at the top when you go thru the channel list. Thats new. 

Cheers,
Tom


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## iacas (Nov 18, 2006)

islesfan said:


> I have the HR20, but with all the functionality issues, I had to get D* to reconnect my TiVo to catch all the things the HR20 wouldn't record, like NHL Center Ice. Nevertheless, when I go back to TiVo to catch things the HR20 decided not to record, I am amazed at hos SLOW it is.


It is somewhat slow at some things, yet other things - like channel up/down in the guide - are faster because the TiVos don't have the animation and because they display more lines to begin with.


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## ChromaTick (Sep 2, 2006)

A little late to this thread, but I will say the only thing I miss about TiVo is the FF ability.

The HR20 keeps improving this aspect with each release, so I still have hope, but it's still not up to the efficiencey of my two tivos.


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## Monty23 (Sep 16, 2006)

I'm still using my HR10-250 TiVo as my main DVR. The thing I like the most with my TiVo is reliability. If I set it to record something it always will and I know I'll be able to reliably play it back. The HR20 is getting much better but still isn't trustworthy. I'm still using my HR20's in "test mode".


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## islesfan (Oct 18, 2006)

Monty23 said:


> I'm still using my HR10-250 TiVo as my main DVR. The thing I like the most with my TiVo is reliability. If I set it to record something it always will and I know I'll be able to reliably play it back. The HR20 is getting much better but still isn't trustworthy. I'm still using my HR20's in "test mode".


Aren't we all?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

islesfan said:


> Aren't we all?


Not all of us...

My HR10-250 has already become a "hand-me-down" to my brother.


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## Rob55 (Sep 14, 2006)

Still using the SD TiVo in the LR with the HR20 also available. At this point, I very much prefer my HR-20 over the TiVo. I will not miss my TiVo once I get a 2nd HR20.


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## suncom3 (Nov 4, 2006)

what do the dual buffers do ? in the hr10 that the hr20 do not?

I was hoping with the new technology in mpeg 4 that they would make better use of the multiple tuners and employ picture in picture and split screen functionality, I still cant believe cable has that over dbs


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## Dusty (Sep 21, 2006)

I just deactivated my HR10 two days ago. That is probably enough for an answer.

When I got my HR20, I wasn't ready to part way with my HR10. I am used to HR20 now. I can't say I miss Tivo very much. The only things I miss are CC during 1X FF and live dual buffers.


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## mtnagel (Sep 18, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Not all of us...
> 
> My HR10-250 has already become a "hand-me-down" to my brother.


Brave man. I'm not ready to deactivate my R10 just yet. Many times I don't even check to make sure it's recording everything the HR20 is because mine has been so reliable, but I still see too many posts about people suddenly having problems when they had none before (as mine actually did when it missed 3 recordings; though a reset fixed that for a couple weeks now).


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## richadam (Oct 28, 2006)

Really. Compared to nothing it is buggy, unreliable, and user hostile. Compared to Tivo it is even worse. Even my 9 year old has had it with the HR20. After its most recent recordis interruptis before the end of a movie, he said and I quuote "HD sucks, send it back and get a Tivo." He then retreated to my bedroom to watch the shows still being recorded reliably on our Tivo.

The unit locks up several times a week requiring a reset, frequently stops recording prior to the end of programs for no reason whatsoever, periodically pukes green garbage on the screen for 5 - 15 seconds at a time when attempting to decode a local HD transmission. 

These are just the top level failures of the unit. The interface is poorly designed and executed IMHO. Again, MAKE A SOUND to acknowledge a button press. That is a brain dead omission by the design team. Spoke to D* about this during a call about the unit prematurely ending a recording of an NFL game, and received the reply that the power LED blinks to acknowledge a button press. Unfortunately, I AM WATCHING THE TV SCREEN, not the power LED. 

In short, the HR20 fails to perform adequately in the most basic areas: reliably providing a signal to my TV, reliably recording the programming that has been scheduled, reliably operating without requiring a reset.

The Tivo unit never had these basic operational flaws. OK, I did have to cycle power on it maybe once a month on average. So it was not flawless, but it performs at a level which is orders of magnitude ahead of the HR20.

As a professional software developer, this unit should have never made through the QA process into the field. It is a Beta at best.

judgementally yours,
rda


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## gsand (Oct 11, 2006)

How much do I miss Tivo? Not much actually...


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## NCLou (Nov 14, 2003)

I miss the auto adjust out of fast forward. That's it. 

I would actually be very disappointed if for some reason I had to go back to Tivo.

Of course, I've had no real problems, so I'm sure I'd be singing a different tune if I was losing recordings.


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## jayvista (Oct 19, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> FYI.. The TiVo didn't do that automatically... you had to set that up.
> Just like you can set it up in the HR20 (with your favorites).
> 
> The only difference is the TiVo would filter them out in a way, that you could not record on them (and TiVo wouldn't try)... Where as the HR20 is just a filter in the guide.


Am I the only one that finds this horrible? I mean, DirecTV shows about 12,000 channels (slight exageration), only 100 of them I actually receive. When I record a wishlist, my HR20 happily records shows from one of the 11,900 channels I dont actually receive (nice recordings of a "you dont receive this channel").

And when I try to schedule a show to series record from say NBC, it shows me 7 NBC channels that I must choose the correct one (I only actually receive one of them of course). With luck I will choose the actual NBC that I will receive. Try explaining that to your wife. "Point to a show on a channel 8 (NBC) to record a Series Link, then when shown the list of 7 different NBC channels, make sure you choose the correct one".

One praise for the HR20 .... when navigating thru the on screen guide, it IS easier (than Tivo) to record a single show.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

jayvista said:


> Am I the only one that finds this horrible? I mean, DirecTV shows about 12,000 channels (slight exageration), only 100 of them I actually receive. When I record a wishlist, my HR20 happily records shows from one of the 11,900 channels I dont actually receive (nice recordings of a "you dont receive this channel").
> 
> And when I try to schedule a show to series record from say NBC, it shows me 7 NBC channels that I must choose the correct one (I only actually receive one of them of course). With luck I will choose the actual NBC that I will receive. Try explaining that to your wife. "Point to a show on a channel 8 (NBC) to record a Series Link, then when shown the list of 7 different NBC channels, make sure you choose the correct one".
> 
> One praise for the HR20 .... when navigating thru the on screen guide, it IS easier (than Tivo) to record a single show.


Soon D* will have 3200 channels in their guide data, many of which you'll never see as they are locals. But I sure hope it doesn't try to record Green Bay's CSI on my recorder here in UT.

Yes, I find the lack of filtering on the autorecords deplorable. Hopefully it is being worked on in parallel with making the boxes more stable.

Cheers,
Tom


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## CharlesSchwab (Sep 26, 2006)

In my opinion, the biggest mistake both of these companies made was to get divorced. D* TiVo combined was killer and could have and should have owned this market. Instead, there were a bunch of greedy suits, at both companies, that decided to break apart and do their own thing. Nobody wins -- not D*, not TiVo, not the stockholders and certainly not the end user.


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## Monty23 (Sep 16, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Not all of us...
> 
> My HR10-250 has already become a "hand-me-down" to my brother.


Hope you are on good terms with your brother case you need it back......


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## vlj9r (Nov 23, 2005)

I sure miss the TIVO'S ability to record first runs only. It's a hit or miss with the R15 & the HR20.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

vlj9r said:


> I sure miss the TIVO'S ability to record first runs only. It's a hit or miss with the R15 & the HR20.


It may be a problem on the R15 but it's not on the HR20. HR20 works just like my Tivo when it comes to first runs. Over 30 series links and not one single problem with first runs.


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## Steve Rhodes (Oct 4, 2006)

richadam said:


> Really. Compared to nothing it is buggy, unreliable, and user hostile. Compared to Tivo it is even worse. Even my 9 year old has had it with the HR20. After its most recent recordis interruptis before the end of a movie, he said and I quuote "HD sucks, send it back and get a Tivo." He then retreated to my bedroom to watch the shows still being recorded reliably on our Tivo.
> As a professional software developer, this unit should have never made through the QA process into the field. It is a Beta at best.


Amen!!

That's why I recently started an "HR20 is in beta testing" thread.


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

CharlesSchwab said:


> In my opinion, the biggest mistake both of these companies made was to get divorced. D* TiVo combined was killer and could have and should have owned this market. Instead, there were a bunch of greedy suits, at both companies, that decided to break apart and do their own thing. Nobody wins -- not D*, not TiVo, not the stockholders and certainly not the end user.


It could have been "DirecTiVo"


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## f_javierny (Nov 29, 2006)

rbro said:


> For those of you who have switched from a TIVO unit to the HR20, I'm wondering how much you miss the TIVO interface and features? I've ben skimming these forums and notice alot of "technical issues"and bugginess with the HR20, but if you were to put that aside and your HR20 was functioning as it should be, how much of an issue is it to no longer have TIVO? Enough to make you want to switch back?


I miss the toggle feature between two tuners the most.
Especially on Sundays!

Why don't they have PIP?


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## dixoncider (Sep 10, 2006)

I posted earlier in this thread that my hr20 was locked up while I was on vacation well I am home and it did not record anything for 9 days. POS


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## Steve Rhodes (Oct 4, 2006)

dixoncider said:


> I posted earlier in this thread that my hr20 was locked up while I was on vacation well I am home and it did not record anything for 9 days. POS


When you on vacation you can hire a pet setter, who will come by regularly to check on your pets and givem them any food or water they need.

Maybe some enterprising teenagers can start advertizing an *HR20 sitting service*, promising to checking several times a day that your unit has not locked up. If they find it locked, they could restart it, thus allowing you to record the programs you intended.

This is very valuable service. And woud be well worth the money.

(Maybe you could send the bill to D*?)


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## Superbone (Dec 1, 2006)

I'd just like to say I just discovered this site even though I've been an DTV subscriber for 14 years now and it's fantastic (the site, that is).

I'd also like to thank everyone for this thread as I'm in a position currently to stay with my HR10-250 or go to the HR20-700 and based on the feedback from this thread, I'm going to stick with the HR10 and I'll re-investigate later down the line once the recording reliability problems have been fixed.

The funny thing is I'm only here because I started having reliablity problems a couple weeks ago due to the 6.3a software "upgrade". I missed the last two Prison Breaks for example with 0:00 recording times.

After getting very frustrated after years of reliability, I called retention and demanded they send me a new box. Well, I wasn't sure what I was getting and received the HR20 today. However, since I started deleting shows and furiously watching my recorded shows in anticipation of doing a "clear and delete everything", it seems to be recording things properly.

So, based on the feedback in this thread, I will continue with my clear and delete plan and keep the HR10 and send back the HR20. Thanks for listening and writing.


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