# DBSTalk First Look: High Definition User Interface



## Stuart Sweet

DBSTalk is proud to present our first look at the upcoming user interface for all HD receivers and DVRs:










This one's the real deal. Rendering speed is up to 300% faster than the old UI... it makes an HR21 feel like an HR24! All text is rendered at full resolution for every graphics mode from 480i to 1080p!

HDGUI First Look

Please note that some DBSTalk.com testers and staff members may have received free equipment from DIRECTV or its partners for the purpose of evaluation and testing.


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## Stuart Sweet

To answer your first question, I don't know when it will come to your home.


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## Mike Bertelson

Nice work putting it together Stuart...once again. 

Mike


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## Drucifer

I'm intrigue by this image. . . . .









_AutoTune_ for the HR's?​


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## sigma1914

Drucifer said:


> I'm intrigue by this image. . . . .
> ...
> 
> _AutoTune_ for the HR's?[/CENTER]


Why do you assume it's a HR?


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## Stuart Sweet

Drucifer said:


> I'm intrigue by this image. . . . .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _AutoTune_ for the HR's?​


Drucifer, that is a receiver, not a DVR. There is no auto tune for DVRs in the new UI.


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## MysteryMan

Very nice. Definitely one of the upcoming features satelliteracer hinted about awhile back.


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## nj1313

Stuart Sweet said:


> Drucifer, that is a receiver, not a DVR. There is no auto tune for DVRs in the new UI.


if it's not a dvr, then how do you explain the "recordings" tab also?

i'm probably just missing something...


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## Mike Bertelson

nj1313 said:


> if it's not a dvr, then how do you explain the "recordings" tab also?
> 
> i'm probably just missing something...


Because the Recordings menu contains an option to the Play List for an MRV connected receiver.

Mike


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## HoTat2

Stuart Sweet said:


> To answer your first question, I don't know when it will come to your home.


Does this mean its ready for release, quite slow and staggered I imagine, into the stream as an NR?


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## nj1313

Mike Bertelson said:


> Because the Recordings menu contains an option to the Play List for an MRV connected receiver.
> 
> Mike


got it...i knew i was missing something...


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## Stuart Sweet

HoTat2 said:


> Does this mean its ready for release, quite slow and staggered I imagine, into the stream as an NR?


I'm sorry, I didn't hear your question


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## Laxguy

Nice! Good job on the report, and thank you!

Note. Was very hard to scroll in Chrome (onna Mac), but I always d/l PDFs that are bigger than a couple of pages.


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## hdtvfan0001

Nice work as always on the First Look presentation Stuart.


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## billsharpe

Nice presentation, but I notice HD guide still only shows 1 1/2 hours of programming.

Dish has 3 hours; FiOS TV has 2 1/2 hours. Still some catching up to do...

...and "coming soon" means ???


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## hdtvfan0001

billsharpe said:


> Nice presentation, but I notice HD guide still only shows 1 1/2 hours of programming.
> 
> Dish has 3 hours; FiOS TV has 2 1/2 hours. *Still some catching up to do*...
> 
> ...and "coming soon" means ???


"Catching up" is in the eyes of the beholder...not everyone wants an overabundance of screen content. It appears the key value of the new UI is to remain uncluttered and easy to read the content - which is not the case on some other service provider screens.

Navigating to more timeframes is easy and fast.

I suspect you won't see it change signficantly.


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## Stuart Sweet

The amount of data on the screen has been discussed at length here and at DIRECTV. it seems to boil down to, if you have a 37" tv or smaller, or have worse eyesight, then you want less. If you are younger, have better eyesight and/or a large tv, you want more. 

So it doesn't change.


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## TBoneit

Questions that came to mind is if the HD GUI is faster are:

Are the Trick plays faster
How did they do it? 
Did they change from say C++ to Assembler for the parts that were killing performance?
Why won't they give options for various guide displays? Is memory that tight?


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## TheRatPatrol

Stuart Sweet said:


> The amount of data on the screen has been discussed at length here and at DIRECTV. it seems to boil down to, if you have a 37" tv or smaller, or have worse eyesight, then you want less. If you are younger, have better eyesight and/or a large tv, you want more.
> 
> So it doesn't change.


I see you closed the other thread. Is this a discussion thread too? Thanks


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## Drew2k

This is DIRECTV's port of the standard interface to HD, with much of the functionality unchanged but obviously a tremendous amount of work done in restyling the interface, giving it an elegant modern look. 

There is a notable exception in functionality in that the main menu was completely redesigned. I honestly love the new main menu, and think it's a very intuitive way for new users to features of the receiver that were previously buried in sub-menus.

My hope, though, is that this is just the first step in a series of changes to the interface. First, the port from standard to HD. Next, how about introducing new functionality such as GUIDE "options" that allow the user to select the number of rows visible, or the number of hours visible? This would allow those old and young, with large and small TVs, to set the GUIDE's appearance to what suits their needs...

PS Great job on the first look DBSTalk!


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## Drew2k

BT dubs...

DIRECTV has a page up here about the new interface:

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/technology/hd_guide


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## Scott Kocourek

Great job on the First Look Stuart!

We appreciate the amount of time and effort it takes to put something like this together.


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## davring

Nice work guys, thanks.


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## Go Beavs

Thanks for putting this together Stuart. Great way to show off the new HDGUI to everyone here at DBSTalk!


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## cypherx

Nice work! 

So is this headed to NR? Can we talk about it now? :grin:


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## Alebob911

Great First Look Stuart! Thanks for providing awesome First Looks!


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## hdthebest

will the new hdgui have channel logos?


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## SPACEMAKER

"hdthebest" said:


> will the new hdgui have channel logos?


No logos on the guide but logos are elsewhere.


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## FussyBob

From what I read on the D* site, that with a mix of HD and SD receivers, only the HD DVRs will have the new HDGUI and that the old SD DVRs will have the "same" GUI. Is this correct? What do they mean by "same"?

What about the R22(with HD), which I have two of these, will they have the new or old GUI?


Now I see that all the mention of "speed" increase is regarding the navigating of the new GUI, will the changing of channels speed also increase or will that stay the same?




Bob P.


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## JACKIEGAGA

Great job first lookers


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## Athlon646464

Great job on the first look!

:goodjob:


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## Xsabresx

Drew2k said:


> BT dubs...
> 
> DIRECTV has a page up here about the new interface:
> 
> http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/technology/hd_guide


What sucks is that ad makes it look like it could be any day now and we know how staggered NR rollouts are.


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## Xsabresx

Scott Kocourek said:


> Great job on the First Look Stuart!
> 
> We appreciate the amount of time and effort it takes to put something like this together.


I'll definitely echo that sentiment.

on a related note, First Looks are always fun to go back and read when you are bored. Interesting to see what each piece of equipment had as a feature at the time that was enhanced later on (3X FF only on the HR20 and 4X added to the software later, for example)


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## Drucifer

cypherx said:


> Nice work!
> 
> So is this headed to NR? Can we talk about it now? :grin:


Not just yet, so no from CE'rs


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## Athlon646464

Xsabresx said:


> What sucks is that ad makes it look like it could be any day now and we know how staggered NR rollouts are.


There is no doubt that this roll out will be one of the longest ever!

:eek2:


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## deardeva

Why does everyone seem to think Dtv would ever let the customer customize any. of the information? It's a guide to let you know what's on... not a user interface. Just an informational page. This will be so much nicer than the old guide. Ideas and suggestions are fine, but let's keep the guide left to show information. Too many people can barely get their tv on the right input or resolutions. We all are for improvements, but one step at a time, so everyone can catch up with changes.


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## mikejos

Great job on this.

***I want 886 channels too!


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## Drew2k

deardeva said:


> Why does everyone seem to think Dtv would ever let the customer customize any. of the information?


The interface currently allows for users selecting whether or not to show recording tips; what screen the GUIDE button displays first; whether or not to display scrolling effects; how quickly the info banner disappears; whether or not to display caller ID messages; what channels to place into the Quick Tune grid; what channels to place in favorite lists; what names to give the favorite lists; what names to give the receivers; whether or not to enable MRV and remote playlist visibility and deletion ...

So ... why is an option to control the number of lines on a GUIDE or the number of hours on the GUIDE out of the questions?

If you like the current appearance, the OPTION is yours to keep it. That's what is great about options... the choice is yours.


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## dettxw

Looks great. I like it!


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## cypherx

"Drew2k" said:


> The interface currently allows for users selecting whether or not to show recording tips; what screen the GUIDE button displays first; whether or not to display scrolling effects; how quickly the info banner disappears; whether or not to display caller ID messages; what channels to place into the Quick Tune grid; what channels to place in favorite lists; what names to give the favorite lists; what names to give the receivers; whether or not to enable MRV and remote playlist visibility and deletion ...
> 
> So ... why is an option to control the number of lines on a GUIDE or the number of hours on the GUIDE out of the questions?
> 
> If you like the current appearance, the OPTION is yours to keep it. That's what is great about options... the choice is yours.


Yeah I know Comcast (and other iGuide cable ops) let's you choose a few things:
1. Guide color scheme
2. Double line or single line guide (single gets more channels at once)
3. Two or three channels on the mini guide

However for the last 10 years, I-guide is relatively unchanged in looks.


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## Laxguy

Drew2k said:


> This is DIRECTV's port of the standard interface to HD, with much of the functionality unchanged but obviously a tremendous amount of work done in restyling the interface, giving it an elegant modern look.


Given it's much faster than the older GUI, I'd say it's way more than a port!

But a nice job all around, indeed.


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## rrdirectsr

FussyBob said:


> From what I read on the D* site, that with a mix of HD and SD receivers, only the HD DVRs will have the new HDGUI and that the old SD DVRs will have the "same" GUI. Is this correct? What do they mean by "same"?
> 
> What about the R22(with HD), which I have two of these, will they have the new or old GUI?
> 
> Now I see that all the mention of "speed" increase is regarding the navigating of the new GUI, will the changing of channels speed also increase or will that stay the same?
> 
> Bob P.


It will also be for the R22s.


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## Drew2k

Laxguy said:


> Given it's much faster than the older GUI, I'd say it's way more than a port!
> 
> But a nice job all around, indeed.


Very true; I wouldn't want to slight the DIRECTV engineers on the under-the-hood improvements. Their work is not immediately apparent if you only look at the visible changes, but when you start scrolling horizontally or vertically in the guide you notice how much faster it is.


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## gully_foyle

So, they've banned ads from the guide display? 'Cause I don't see any.


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## Boobie1998

Looking forward to new guide. Hope is sooner than later. Maybe even this month, we still got 2 weeks in October.


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## veryoldschool

gully_foyle said:


> So, they've banned ads from the guide display? 'Cause I don't see any.


"Nope", same old, same old


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## Nighthawk68

Nice job on the First Look Stuart, really nice. Now I can't wait to get it to show up on my boxes.


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## Stuart Sweet

Thanks but I have to give credit to the guys who did the screencaps.


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## NR4P

Thanks for another great First Look. I learned something today.


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## Groundhog45

A very nice first look. Thanks to Stuart and the team. :biggthump


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## EVAC41

Will this be updated for all HD recievers and DVR's? Even the older model ones?


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## dpeters11

All HD boxes except the H20. The HR20 will have it.


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## wmb

cypherx said:


> Yeah I know Comcast (and other iGuide cable ops) let's you choose a few things:
> 1. Guide color scheme
> 2. Double line or single line guide (single gets more channels at once)
> 3. Two or three channels on the mini guide
> 
> However for the last 10 years, I-guide is relatively unchanged in looks.


That would definitely be a nice set of options. That blue "glow" effect will get stale after a while. Just being able to choose a different color would be nice, although I could even go for themes... sports teams, holidays, favorite show, etc.

I also don't see why the guide can not be customized. Users should be capable of deciding how many channels and how much time their TV can display and their eyes can read. Least common denominator is never a good reason for a design choice like this.

All things considered though, speed improvements will be a welcome change.


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## Athlon646464

There have already been many suggestions for changes/options expressed here, and most of them are very good, IMHO.

I'm for implementing most, if not all of them - if - and it's a big IF - 

Any of these changes/options will not slow my boxes down!

The new HDGUI is extremely fast. 

I'm sure D* will continue to add new features going forward, just as they always have. I just don't want to see new stuff added at the expense of speed.

For me, the speed boost overrides all else. When D* decides to make changes/add options I hope they do it slowly and allow testing to confirm that there is no impact on speed.


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## rta53

You can't get pay tv a la carte so why expect the guide to be any different.


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## cartrivision

Stuart Sweet said:


> The amount of data on the screen has been discussed at length here and at DIRECTV. it seems to boil down to, if you have a 37" tv or smaller, or have worse eyesight, then you want less. If you are younger, have better eyesight and/or a large tv, you want more.
> 
> So it doesn't change.


Because of course it would be foolish to give the individual user the option to display more or less. More brain dead "same-old-same-old" that we've come to expect from the DIRECTV GUI design team.


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## Spoonie

About freaking time!!!! Welcome to 2005 D* 

This comes as good news. After being a D* customer for 10+ years I was about to dump them because I got tired of the SD interfaces. The Vip 922 Dish Network system has got my attention. I still might do it. 

Maybe it's me but D* is slow when it comes to things that are aesthetic. SD only menus on an HD box in 2011? Pathetic!!! The SD menus makes the D* receivers about as exciting as a kitchen appliance. Last year I was all excited about the H24 until I saw that it had the same played-out, SD interface that they’ve had now for the last 5+ years. After owning the H24 for a year now still nothing excites me about it. The H24 is a lifeless, Generic HD-DVR. Come to think of it I’m gonna dump D* anyway.


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## joannel

Will this appear in our setup screen as a software update...and if so, what is the update number?


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## Athlon646464

joannel said:


> Will this appear in our setup screen as a software update...and if so, what is the update number?


No, when it is 'your turn' to get it, it will be pushed to you. There is nothing for you to do.

My guess is that when the roll out starts, it will take 6 weeks or more for everyone to have it pushed to them.


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## ndole

Spoonie said:


> About freaking time!!!! Welcome to 2005 D*
> 
> This comes as good news. After being a D* customer for 10+ years I was about to dump them because I got tired of the SD interfaces. The Vip 922 Dish Network system has got my attention. I still might do it.
> 
> Maybe it's me but D* is slow when it comes to things that are aesthetic. SD only menus on an HD box in 2011? Pathetic!!! The SD menus makes the D* receivers about as exciting as a kitchen appliance. Last year I was all excited about the H24 until I saw that it had the same played-out, SD interface that they've had now for the last 5+ years. After owning the H24 for a year now still nothing excites me about it. The H24 is a lifeless, Generic HD-DVR. Come to think of it I'm gonna dump D* anyway.


The H24 is not an HDDVR


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## Athlon646464

Spoonie said:


> About freaking time!!!! Welcome to 2005 D*
> 
> This comes as good news. After being a D* customer for 10+ years I was about to dump them because I got tired of the SD interfaces. The Vip 922 Dish Network system has got my attention. I still might do it.
> 
> Maybe it's me but D* is slow when it comes to things that are aesthetic. SD only menus on an HD box in 2011? Pathetic!!! The SD menus makes the D* receivers about as exciting as a kitchen appliance. Last year I was all excited about the H24 until I saw that it had the same played-out, SD interface that they've had now for the last 5+ years. After owning the H24 for a year now still nothing excites me about it. The H24 is a lifeless, Generic HD-DVR. Come to think of it I'm gonna dump D* anyway.


:lol:

My dad used to tell me that sometimes beauty is only skin deep.........


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## Mike Bertelson

joannel said:


> Will this appear in our setup screen as a software update...and if so, what is the update number?


As usual, the firmware will be pushed to our receivers as a national release. We don't know what the schedule is yet but it will automatically be pushed to the receivers.

Mike


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## rta53

"ndole" said:


> The H24 is not an HDDVR


I guess when you're venting, little details like this don't really matter anyway.


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## Laxguy

joannel said:


> Will this appear in our setup screen as a software update...and if so, what is the update number?


Unknown as of now, but it will come softly in the middle of the night, and your sign will be that the receiver is on in the morning. You'll be able to check the number and time of installation in the Menu->Setup.


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## Laxguy

rta53 said:


> I guess when you're venting, little details like this don't really matter anyway.


And, really, truly, it's hard to believe so much passion can be generated by a bloody Guide! Especially when there are a number of alternatives, such as iPad and Browser pages.


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## TheRatPatrol

Lets remember, this is just the first version of the new HDGUI, it could change again in the future.


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## Drucifer

Laxguy said:


> And, really, truly, it's hard to believe so much passion can be generated by a bloody Guide! Especially when there are a number of alternatives, such as iPad and Browser pages.


And disappointment is going to grow because the _we want everything now_ segment are not going to be very satisfied with the first edition of the HDGUI that is basically a simple conversion. They want a complete redesign of the guide that would take advantages of everything that hi-def can achieve.

They don't understand that a complete redesign would cause total confusion among most customers.


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## Athlon646464

TheRatPatrol said:


> Lets remember, this is just the first version of the new HDGUI, it could change again in the future.


+1

My guess is that they focused only on changing the look without adding any new features of consequence. Their goal (other than that) was speed.

Speed has been the number one complaint here. The speed of the new firmware mitigates many of the complaints we're accustomed to seeing.

After this HDGUI Ver 1.0 is officially released to all, there is no doubt in my mind they will begin to add features, some of which are being asked for here.

I hope they don't lose their focus on the speed of the firmware while doing so.


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## acm025

Will the new HD guide bring any performance improvements on the older DVRs (HR20/21)? Or is it only the newer boxes that you'll see the faster scrolling, etc?


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## Athlon646464

acm025 said:


> Will the new HD guide bring any performance improvements on the older DVRs (HR20/21)? Or is it only the newer boxes that you'll see the faster scrolling, etc?


You will see a speed improvement on all of your boxes.


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## mreposter

Athlon646464 said:


> My guess is that they focused only on changing the look without adding any new features of consequence. Their goal (other than that) was speed.
> ...
> After this HDGUI Ver 1.0 is officially released to all, there is no doubt in my mind they will begin to add features, some of which are being asked for here.so.


I agree with the wisdom of focusing on optimizing the new code base for speed and performance and bringing the interface up to a more modern design. However, I'm a bit disappointed that in moving from a 4x3 SD resolution guide to a 16x9 one they didn't make any effort to take advantage of the 1/3 wider display.


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## dpeters11

"acm025" said:


> Will the new HD guide bring any performance improvements on the older DVRs (HR20/21)? Or is it only the newer boxes that you'll see the faster scrolling, etc?


I won't say that it will make an HR21 as fast as an HR24 with the same firmware, but a major speed increase for sure.


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## Groundhog45

Athlon646464 said:


> :lol:
> 
> My dad used to tell me that sometimes beauty is only skin deep.........


Yes exactly. The UI is just a way to get to the programming you want to watch. It's great that it looks good, better than it used to, but having it faster and with the info or screen I want easy to locate is more important. After all, it's just TV. :lol:


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## jagrim

Great job on the First Look Stuart.

Had to use Safari to view the document as I was getting an Access Denied when using the iPad app.


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## dennisj00

The new GUI looks interesting, but honestly, I spend so little time in the GUI that it really doesn't matter to me.

All my DVRs are fast enough, in fact, what they really do for me, record and playback programs at the appropriate speed, they are fast enough. Anything else is a bonus.

What I really need is remote ToDo, and Freespace. With that and the iPad app, I can do what I need.


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## makaiguy

Did I just miss it? Nobody's commented on the "View slideshow while listening to your favorite *XM Radio* channel" mention on the Mediashare screen?


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## billsharpe

Stuart Sweet said:


> The amount of data on the screen has been discussed at length here and at DIRECTV. it seems to boil down to, if you have a 37" tv or smaller, or have worse eyesight, then you want less. If you are younger, have better eyesight and/or a large tv, you want more.
> 
> So it doesn't change.


Well, I'm 81, my family room HD TV is 40 inches, and I really like the FiOS 2 1/2 hour guide. We were also vacationing at a condo with Dish TV and their 3 hour guide looked just fine on a 46-inch set.

The FiOS guide even looks good on my 32-inch HD, although I do sit a bit closer to the screen when watching that set.


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## Drucifer

Stuart Sweet said:


> The amount of data on the screen has been discussed at length here and at DIRECTV. it seems to boil down to, if you have a 37" tv or smaller, or have worse eyesight, then you want less. If you are younger, have better eyesight and/or a large tv, you want more.
> 
> So it doesn't change.


Or it's damn good reason for having some preset options.


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## Dan B

Thanks for the preview; it looks like a nice improvement. 

I would also have preferred to see an increase in the amount of time displayed on the guide from the current 90 minutes to 2.5 or 3 hours.


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## BenJF3

SPACEMAKER said:


> No logos on the guide but logos are elsewhere.


FAIL
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What a 2011-2012 Grid Guide Should look like:










or better still:


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## Athlon646464

uh oh


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## ATARI

BenJF3,

I really like that top one with the blue background. What is that from?


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## hdtvfan0001

People will always vary in their tastes...

But of course...Blue is so last millenium...


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## BenJF3

ATARI said:


> BenJF3,
> 
> I really like that top one with the blue background. What is that from?


Windows Media Center 7 - my gripe with that is no current channel window.

My point is that any current generation GUI Guide should have logos in it. It makes browsing so much easier. Instead of crunch alphas or 4 digit channel numbers, you just see the channel you want by logo. The new D* Guide is a step up from the tired old one, but the lack of icon/logos hinders it in my opinion.


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## ATARI

BenJF3 said:


> Windows Media Center 7 - my gripe with that is no current channel window.
> 
> My point is that any current generation GUI Guide should have logos in it. It makes browsing so much easier. Instead of crunch alphas or 4 digit channel numbers, you just see the channel you want by logo. The new D* Guide is a step up from the tired old one, but the lack of icon/logos hinders it in my opinion.


I agree, channel logos would be nice. Perhaps that is something they can put in the HD guide 1.1.

My biggest gripe about the new guide is the black shading on the bottom of the screen when you REW/FF. It totally obscures sports scores and news scrawls.


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## sigma1914

BenJF3 said:


> Windows Media Center 7 - my gripe with that is no current channel window.
> ...


FAIL. No picture in guide. FAIL.


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## Spoonie

Laxguy said:


> And, really, truly, it's hard to believe so much passion can be generated by a bloody Guide! Especially when there are a number of alternatives, such as iPad and Browser pages.


So you're suggesting that I buy an IPad or look at a Computer for my guide info? LOL!!! That alone should tell you that the receiver's "Bloody Guide" is lacking. What's wrong with asking or complaining about it?

Some people would rather spend $400 or whatever on an Ipad to get a decent guide. I would rather that the receiver itself contains a decent guide. Sorry for slamming D* for releasing crap but it is what it is.

And I'm not ready to have an iPad be a part of my Large-Screen TV viewing experience. Won't happen (Mainly because I would never buy an apple product). I also wouldn't want to watch TV with a iPad or a laptop on my lap. I'm watching TV, not computing. The reciever should be able to provide everything I need from a guide standpoint. D*s' current crappy SD guide doesn't even come close. They should be shot for having receivers with such crappy menus in this day and age.


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## Spoonie

ndole said:


> The H24 is not an HDDVR


HR24 happy


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## Spoonie

Hey guys, here’s an idea. Let’s go back to the non-interactive scrolling guides from the 1980’s. You know the guides where you had to wait for the channel that you're interested in to scroll through. I mean it’s only a guide for Christ-sakes. Right?


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## The Fuzz 53

makaiguy said:


> Did I just miss it? Nobody's commented on the "View slideshow while listening to your favorite *XM Radio* channel" mention on the Mediashare screen?


I noticed that as well. Does that mean Sirius-XM through the internet or are we getting the Sirius/XM music channels back?


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## RunnerFL

BenJF3 said:


> My point is that any current generation GUI Guide should have logos in it.


I, and many others here, disagree. Adding logos is just cluttering it up. There were never logos in the guide before and there don't need to be any now.



BenJF3 said:


> It makes browsing so much easier.


How? You already have the channel number and call sign, why do you need a picture that gives you the same information next to it? That would be like having to have the word "CAR" painted on your car.


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## Laxguy

Spoonie said:


> So you're suggesting that I buy an IPad or look at a Computer for my guide info?


No.


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## Laxguy

RunnerFL said:


> I, and many others here, disagree. Adding logos is just cluttering it up. There were never logos in the guide before and there don't need to be any now.
> 
> How? You already have the channel number and call sign, why do you need a picture that gives you the same information next to it? That would be like having to have the word "CAR" painted on your car.


Heh. Maybe not* quite* that obvious, but I agree with RFL.

What'd be cool is if there were little plaques (panels, whatever) for *each time slot [show, movie, game]* in the guide that'd show up in the upper right corner!? It could happen!


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## Spoonie

Laxguy said:


> No.


So what were you saying then? Why did you bring up the iPad?


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## RunnerFL

Spoonie said:


> Why did you bring up the iPad?


He said so in his post "there are a number of alternatives". He was providing you with alternatives.


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## dennisj00

I agree with Runner, the logos are often useless unless I know what channel range I'm in. For example in the 'good' guide screens in Post #80 above, many are useless without the channel # or Call sign, the NBC peacock/HD, abc/HD are unreadable or provide no channel info on the computer screen. 

Imagine what it would look like normal viewing distance.

Also, in the case of OTA and sub-channels, the same logo would be totally useless.

I did have the pleasure of the TVGuide scrolling guide a few weekends ago on a comcrap system. I'll take the DirecTV current guide any day!


----------



## Spoonie

RunnerFL said:


> He said so in his post "there are a number of alternatives". He was providing you with alternatives.


So he's assuming that everyone owns an iPad? If not, then wouldn't I have to purchase one?


----------



## sb999

Why do these first looks always come in the form of a PDF?? I just want to read the damn thing. I don't want to have to download it then read it with the clunky PDF reader interface! Grrrrrrrrr.


----------



## sigma1914

Spoonie said:


> So he's assuming that everyone owns an iPad? If not, then wouldn't I have to purchase one?


 No, he's not assuming that. All he did was provide an alternative.


----------



## dpeters11

sb999 said:


> Why do these first looks always come in the form of a PDF?? I just want to read the damn thing. I don't want to have to download it then read it with the clunky PDF reader interface! Grrrrrrrrr.


It just opened up in a tab in my browser, but Chrome has PDF reading builtin. Sounds like you need to ditch Acrobat Reader and upgrade to something better.


----------



## spartanstew

I'd like to see channel logos in the guide, but really just for the locals.

I realize they're redundant for many channels, but when I pull up the first page of my guide, I get the following:

4 KDFW
5 KXAS
8 WFAA
11 KTVT
13 KERA
21 KTXA


I have no idea which of those is NBC, ABC, CBS, etc.


----------



## Athlon646464

sb999 said:


> Why do these first looks always come in the form of a PDF?? I just want to read the damn thing. I don't want to have to download it then read it with the clunky PDF reader interface! Grrrrrrrrr.


I use Firefox and Foxit Reader.

It's free: http://www.foxitsoftware.com/Secure_PDF_Reader/

It's like you are opening up a new web page, and much faster than Adobe. I actually deleted Adobe......


----------



## Laxguy

sb999 said:


> Why do these first looks always come in the form of a PDF?? I just want to read the damn thing. I don't want to have to download it then read it with the clunky PDF reader interface! Grrrrrrrrr.


PDFs have lots of reasons for being. I always prefer to read ones which are more than a page from my desktop. Then it's there to Save or Trash it.

You may need a better reader. What are you using now?


----------



## Spoonie

sigma1914 said:


> No, he's not assuming that. All he did was provide an alternative.


An alternative in which I have to purchase? Crappy alternative imo.


----------



## Stuart Sweet

You don't have to purchase it, you could choose to purchase it, just as many of us have chosen to purchase universal remotes, A/V receivers, speaker systems, and many other things to enhance our TV-watching experience.


----------



## Spoonie

Stuart Sweet said:


> You don't have to purchase it, you could choose to purchase it, just as many of us have chosen to purchase universal remotes, A/V receivers, speaker systems, and many other things to enhance our TV-watching experience.


I've purchased those things as well. But getting an $500.00+ Ipad because the reciever's guide sucks? Seems a little crazy. That's like purchasing a Doppler 3000 because you dont like the weather channel.


----------



## Stuart Sweet

And I know at least one person on this forum who has done so.


----------



## Drucifer

BenJF3 said:


>


Like the Jump button in the Dish Guide (TV Guide)


----------



## Athlon646464

Stuart Sweet said:


> And I know at least one person on this forum who has done so.


Another example - my remote costs more than an HR24 (at least the initial charge). I have someone on this board to thank for the initial idea to buy it, too.

I think we should think of this initial version of the HDGUI as version 1.0.

There is no doubt in my mind they will add options and features down the road. There was no reason to over do it for this initial release. Their call center is going to get slammed as it is.


----------



## RunnerFL

Spoonie said:


> So he's assuming that everyone owns an iPad? If not, then wouldn't I have to purchase one?


No... You seem to be missing the point. He was providing ALTERNATIVES... He wasn't saying you had to go buy a single thing or assuming you already owned one.


----------



## RunnerFL

Spoonie said:


> I've purchased those things as well. But getting an $500.00+ Ipad because the reciever's guide sucks? Seems a little crazy. That's like purchasing a Doppler 3000 because you dont like the weather channel.


Weren't you going to Dish?


----------



## Spoonie

RunnerFL said:


> Weren't you going to Dish?


Still making up my mind. Is that OK with you? Or do I need to decide right now?


----------



## Spoonie

RunnerFL said:


> No... You seem to be missing the point. He was providing ALTERNATIVES... He wasn't saying you had to go buy a single thing or assuming you already owned one.


And I intern stated that the ALTERNATIVES aren't viable because it would require that I purchase something that I don't want, like, or need... In order for me to take advantage of those ALTERNATIVES, I would have to purchase something. If D* had a proper guide in the first place we wouldn't even be having this discussion.


----------



## Stuart Sweet

OK, once again, we've reached that point where a personal conversation is dominating a thread. Please take it private... and let's get back to talking about the HDUI.


----------



## west99999

Has anyone noticed on DTV's website the commercial they have about the HD GUI shows the on-demand channels in the 700 range?


----------



## Halsey

I dont know if anyone has mentioned this before, but I did here the update may roll out around Nov. 1.


----------



## TBoneit

BenJF3 said:


> Windows Media Center 7 - my gripe with that is no current channel window.
> 
> My point is that any current generation GUI Guide should have logos in it. It makes browsing so much easier. Instead of crunch alphas or 4 digit channel numbers, you just see the channel you want by logo. The new D* Guide is a step up from the tired old one, but the lack of icon/logos hinders it in my opinion.


Is the other guide from a VIP 922, I like the look.


----------



## dorfd1

west99999 said:


> Has anyone noticed on DTV's website the commercial they have about the HD GUI shows the on-demand channels in the 700 range?


I noticed it.


----------



## Stuart Sweet

Yeah....

The stuff in the commercial is clearly mocked up. There are a lot of little things that aren't right.


----------



## dpeters11

"Halsey" said:


> I dont know if anyone has mentioned this before, but I did here the update may roll out around Nov. 1.


I saw that on Engadget, we'll see if that's the date, usually someone on here is one of the early ones, and something tells me this download will be obvious.


----------



## ironfoot995

So, Stuart, I notice in Post #1 that it shows KWTV and KOCO locals, both of which are located in Oklahoma City. Does this mean that we in the middle of the country will be first?

John, Sad Sooner


----------



## RunnerFL

ironfoot995 said:


> So, Stuart, I notice in Post #1 that it shows KWTV and KOCO locals, both of which are located in Oklahoma City. Does this mean that we in the middle of the country will be first?
> 
> John, Sad Sooner


Nothing in any pictures indicate who will be first. There really has never been any rhyme or reason to their rollouts. They usually start in California near them but after that it could show up anywhere.


----------



## cypherx

A lot of stuff in the video is doctored up. It doesn't actually have all those iPad like animation effects. The scrolling is fast and smooth, but not AS smooth as in the video.

That's all marketing though. Verizon did the same thing adding modern wow factor to their IMG 1.9 guide with lots of extra animations, fades and non-existent smooth scrolling effects.

Having used both Fios IMG 1.9 (though very briefly), I have to say the Fios guide looks cool on a stationary screen, but scrolling around things just "appear" moved with no apparent direction. Without the slide / scrolling effects like in the new DirecTV GUI, the new Fios guide is needless to say... confusing. Makes me wonder wait... do you push the up arrow to go to higher channels or lower channels? DirecTV's "feel" is much better, though don't expect all of those CGI miracles in the marketing video.


----------



## elbodude

sb999 said:


> Why do these first looks always come in the form of a PDF?? I just want to read the damn thing. I don't want to have to download it then read it with the clunky PDF reader interface! Grrrrrrrrr.


Use this...

http://www.google.com/chrome

It opens PDF's in the browser.


----------



## Martinrrrr

So, the H20 will not be getting the new guide. That really sux. I've had one these since 2006 or so. The original one died about three or four months ago. The tech came out and replaced it with another H20. So I guess I am stuck with a slow old antique.


----------



## dpeters11

"Martinrrrr" said:


> So, the H20 will not be getting the new guide. That really sux. I've had one these since 2006 or so. The original one died about three or four months ago. The tech came out and replaced it with another H20. So I guess I am stuck with a slow old antique.


I think the H20 is pretty much dead. When I found there would be no way to get it MRV compatible (USB networking etc), I was pretty upset, but ended up calling DirecTV and getting a deal on a second DVR.

It's just not possible hardware wise. It's not an HR20 without a hard drive, there are much bigger differences.


----------



## dettxw

ironfoot995 said:


> So, Stuart, I notice in Post #1 that it shows KWTV and KOCO locals, both of which are located in Oklahoma City. Does this mean that we in the middle of the country will be first?
> 
> John, Sad Sooner


All that means is that the person who made the screen caps is located there. The national rollout will likely look the same but be an updated version UTH.


----------



## The Fuzz 53

I guess nobaody else cares about exactly what the part about listening to XM radio is all about.


----------



## matt

dettxw said:


> All that means is that the person who made the screen caps is located there. The national rollout will likely look the same but be an updated version UTH.


Yeah, whoever that was. :lol:


----------



## RunnerFL

The Fuzz 53 said:


> I guess nobaody else cares about exactly what the part about listening to XM radio is all about.


Considering DirecTV no longer carries XM/Sirius I'd consider it a misprint or a mistake.


----------



## barryb

I'm always impressed with the time you put into DBSTalk's _First Looks_ Stuart, and this is no exception.


----------



## Stuart Sweet

Barryb, you deserve a lot of the credit yourself for coming through when I needed you!


----------



## JMII

If this updates doesn't speed up my HD-DVRs I think my wife is going to file for divorce. I could care less if the display looked my old Commodore 64, the biggest problem is how S L O W the current boxes are. With that said... coping the UI from DirecTV iPad app was a great idea, because so far that is the BEST thing DirecTV has launched in years.


----------



## rulescontent

Alot of SIZZLE and NO STEAK

No matter how fancy and useful the interface is, If DirecTV keeps up the no variety in channels and no real VOD choices the interface is useless.

This is for all providers - Dish - Cable - FIOS - etc

Todays providers have too much focus on very little content in their channels and VOD that is 20 years old or newer and virtually nothing for people who want channels and VOD content beyond 20 years old.

Untill you have every option/ show ever made as an option for VOD (providers need to add them so Directv can have them available to customers) or on channels (many exist that DirecTV REFUSES to carry despite the many people who have requested them (they only listen to the people on this board and this boards scope is limited in what it wants / does not represent the majority)

IF you feel I am only onw who feels this way view this link and a bit what I copies below.

highdefdigest com/news/show/Firmware_Upgrades/DIRECTV/DirecTVs_New_UI_Previewed_on_Site_-_No_Release_Date_Yet/7914

Perhaps most importantly, everything moves faster. Significantly faster, according to the people who are currently in the beta test for the new interface. After all, as pretty as the interface is, it's not what you've turned on the TV to see.


----------



## Stuart Sweet

ironfoot995 said:


> So, Stuart, I notice in Post #1 that it shows KWTV and KOCO locals, both of which are located in Oklahoma City. Does this mean that we in the middle of the country will be first?
> 
> John, Sad Sooner


Actually those screencaps were done by one of our dedicated Cutting Edgers and I appreciate his help. It doesn't indicate when the rollout will start.


----------



## Athlon646464

rulescontent said:


> Alot of SIZZLE and NO STEAK
> 
> No matter how fancy and useful the interface is, If DirecTV keeps up the no variety in channels and no real VOD choices the interface is useless.
> 
> This is for all providers - Dish - Cable - FIOS - etc
> 
> Todays providers have too much focus on very little content in their channels and VOD that is 20 years old or newer and virtually nothing for people who want channels and VOD content beyond 20 years old.
> 
> Untill you have every option/ show ever made as an option for VOD (providers need to add them so Directv can have them available to customers) or on channels (many exist that DirecTV REFUSES to carry despite the many people who have requested them (they only listen to the people on this board and this boards scope is limited in what it wants / does not represent the majority)
> 
> IF you feel I am only onw who feels this way view this link and a bit what I copies below.
> 
> highdefdigest com/news/show/Firmware_Upgrades/DIRECTV/DirecTVs_New_UI_Previewed_on_Site_-_No_Release_Date_Yet/7914
> 
> Perhaps most importantly, everything moves faster. Significantly faster, according to the people who are currently in the beta test for the new interface. After all, as pretty as the interface is, it's not what you've turned on the TV to see.


Welcome to DBSTalk!

:welcome_s

However, this discussion isn't about that, this one is: http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=125

This is about the HDGUI.


----------



## dpeters11

No provider will ever have everything in VOD. It's just not realistic. Even with the limits on VOD, and the holes in channels (I won't say they have no variety, they are varied), the new GUI is far from useless.


----------



## rulescontent

Athlon646464 said:


> Welcome to DBSTalk!
> 
> :welcome_s
> 
> However, this discussion isn't about that, this one is: dbstalk com/forumdisplay.php?f=125
> 
> This is about the HDGUI.


Yes this is relevant to the HD Interface because no matter how spify any providers User Interface is when they lack content, it does not matter how nice the interface is.


----------



## rulescontent

dpeters11 said:


> No provider will ever have everything in VOD. It's just not realistic. Even with the limits on VOD, and the holes in channels (I won't say they have no variety, they are varied), the new GUI is far from useless.


Then VOD is a failure because IF you ant streaming you best have everything ever made otherwise Discs are the way to go.


----------



## Stuart Sweet

Your point is certainly taken. 

That being said, I would appreciate if this thread focussed on the UI itself. Feel free to start a thread about On Demand if you would like.


----------



## inkahauts

barryb said:


> I'm always impressed with the time you put into DBSTalk's _First Looks_ Stuart, and this is no exception.


From what I saw on the video your first look is more accurate than their promotional stuff! Nice work guys!


----------



## inkahauts

BenJF3 said:


> FAIL
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> What a 2011-2012 Grid Guide Should look like:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> or better still:


There is no need to have the channel name and number as well as a logo in the actual guide. It'd just be a waste of space, and give it a more cluttered look. People complain about banners in the guide now, but you add that many logos its going to be ten times more distracting than all the banner sin the guide we have now, though I don't see very many ever.


----------



## bobcamp1

inkahauts said:


> There is no need to have the channel name and number as well as a logo in the actual guide. It'd just be a waste of space, and give it a more cluttered look. People complain about banners in the guide now, but you add that many logos its going to be ten times more distracting than all the banner sin the guide we have now, though I don't see very many ever.


Logos are nice for people who need reading glasses but don't wear them when watching TV, because the logos are much easier to identify than the channel text. But not every channel has a logo, so you need to keep the text too.

What makes the channel banners distracting is the bright colors they use. The logos are more subdued and aren't as distracting.

As you can see, there is plenty of space. Even with the new D* interface, there is a lot of blank wasted space. It's always a balance between functionality and clutter, but the Dish interface shows you can have live TV, info. text, a guide that goes for 3 hours, 7 channels, logos, channel name, and channel number.

I wouldn't want to put more in the Dish interface, it's already borderline cluttered. But it's not over-cluttered.


----------



## dettxw

inkahauts said:


> From what I saw on the video your first look is more accurate than their promotional stuff! Nice work guys!


For a small fee Stuart will provide the keyword to unlock the guide features to make it look & act just like the DirecTV videos.


----------



## Stuart Sweet

:lol:


----------



## sigma1914

bobcamp1 said:


> Logos are nice for people who need reading glasses but don't wear them when watching TV, because the logos are much easier to identify than the channel text.
> 
> ...


If they can't read the text, then why are they perusing the guide? What's the logo going to do? Tell them, "Hey, you're on TNT...too bad you can't read the show title and info, but you see our logo!"


----------



## bobcamp1

Stuart, nice job with the first look. 

I did have a question with the graph on the bottom of page 3. Is the HR24 running the old code or the new code? 

Also, who has a 66-page playlist? Someone has a lot of catching up to do.


----------



## Athlon646464

Only speculation on my part, but because there _is_ room for logos, we may see them in a future update......


----------



## bobcamp1

sigma1914 said:


> If they can't read the text, then why are they perusing the guide? What's the logo going to do? Tell them, "Hey, you're on TNT...too bad you can't read the show title and info, but you see our logo!"


Yes, they're using it for exactly that purpose. They're using the guide because using the channel up/down button while watching live TV takes 5-20 seconds per channel change on D*. That takes forever. Even pressing the channel number buttons is a daunting task with older HR models. So everyone uses the guide to change channels. They already know what's on and when it's on, most people know when their favorite shows air and the channel but not the channel number. So they don't need to read the entire guide, they just use it to navigate.

Don't look at me, I have 20/17 vision. I'm just telling you how my parents use their TWC box (heredity says that'll be me in 20 years :eek2: ).


----------



## dettxw

Trivia Question - 

Who can name the actor shown in the PIG on the My DirecTV Landing screen, page 4 of the First Look?

Extra credit for role (character) and show.


----------



## Scott Kocourek

bobcamp1 said:


> Stuart, nice job with the first look.
> 
> I did have a question with the graph on the bottom of page 3. Is the HR24 running the old code or the new code?
> 
> Also, who has a 66-page playlist? Someone has a lot of catching up to do.


The only receiver on the running the HUGUI at the time was the HR21-700.

66 page playlist, 4 dvr's with all of the folders open. I rarely run out of things to watch and only watch the Packers games live. Everything else I watch from the list.


----------



## TheRatPatrol

"dettxw" said:


> Trivia Question -
> 
> Who can name the actor shown in the PIG on the My DirecTV Landing screen, page 4 of the First Look?
> 
> Extra credit for role (character) and show.


To me it looks like Michael Pare from the Philadelphia Experiment.

But I'm really not sure.


----------



## dettxw

Michael Pare it is!
Partial credit.
Philadelphia Experiment it is not (I forgot that he was in that movie).


----------



## bobcamp1

Scott Kocourek said:


> The only receiver on the running the HUGUI at the time was the HR21-700.
> 
> 66 page playlist, 4 dvr's with all of the folders open. I rarely run out of things to watch and only watch the Packers games live. Everything else I watch from the list.


Thanks! I bet you don't run out of things to watch!

So the HR24 with the old code is 1.5 to 2 times faster than an HR21 with the new code, but the new code is roughly 1.5 to 2 times faster than the old code. That's scrolling only. (Maybe the remote response is a lot faster with the new code, but that's tough to test.)


----------



## Mike Bertelson

Eddie and the Cruisers 2.


----------



## TheRatPatrol

dettxw said:


> Michael Pare it is!
> Partial credit.
> Philadelphia Experiment it is not (I forgot that he was in that movie).


Well was it Rampage or Direct Contact?


----------



## chepag24

Looks like the national roll out starts in December.


----------



## dettxw

Mike Bertelson said:


> Eddie and the Cruisers 2.





TheRatPatrol said:


> Well was it Rampage or Direct Contact?


It was _Eddie and the Cruisers_ the original (9/27 HDNM).

Thanks for playing, collect your prizes from Stuart.


----------



## dpeters11

"chepag24" said:


> Looks like the national roll out starts in December.


So we've heard October from the CEO a while back (not happening seems like), November and December. Any for January? Personally I'm hoping early November for the beginning of the rollout.


----------



## RobertE

> Early November 2011 - Customer Beta trial begins in Las Vegas
> Throughout December 2011 and January 2012 - national rollout of new HDUI


Subject to change of course.


----------



## dpeters11

RobertE said:


> Subject to change of course.


Will at least me a nice Christmas gift for those that get it in December, or a nice start to 2012 for the rest.


----------



## EricRobins

<flame suit on>

Am I the only one whose response is "BFD"??? Actually, I hope my 4 IRD's are NEVER updated (which I know will not happen). I do not see how all this additional processing can result in even comparable performance. If the HDGUI causes even a slight reduction in performance, whats the point?

Shouldn't we be concerned with programming and functionality above all else?

Can it be said that the current GUI is "broken"? Why do we care that the menus are in HD? Why does this matter at all?

What a waste of programmers' time.....

</flame suit off>


----------



## Athlon646464

EricRobins said:


> <flame suit on>
> 
> Am I the only one whose response is "BFD"??? Actually, I hope my 4 IRD's are NEVER updated (which I know will not happen). I do not see how all this additional processing can result in even comparable performance. If the HDGUI causes even a slight reduction in performance, whats the point?
> 
> Shouldn't we be concerned with programming and functionality above all else?
> 
> Can it be said that the current GUI is "broken"? Why do we care that the menus are in HD? Why does this matter at all?
> 
> What a waste of programmers' time.....
> 
> </flame suit off>


If all you care about is performance, you will be very pleased.


----------



## rrdirectsr

Very true. I have not experienced any issue with the new version I have on one of my HR24. It actually performs faster on guide surf and recording lists.


----------



## dpeters11

EricRobins said:


> <flame suit on>
> 
> Am I the only one whose response is "BFD"??? Actually, I hope my 4 IRD's are NEVER updated (which I know will not happen). I do not see how all this additional processing can result in even comparable performance. If the HDGUI causes even a slight reduction in performance, whats the point?
> 
> Shouldn't we be concerned with programming and functionality above all else?
> 
> Can it be said that the current GUI is "broken"? Why do we care that the menus are in HD? Why does this matter at all?
> 
> What a waste of programmers' time.....
> 
> </flame suit off>


A couple of things. Programming (assuming you mean channels being added, HD added, contracts renewed), this team has nothing to do with, so what they do has no bearing on that. It's also possible that this team of programmers is different from other teams. We know this isn't the only thing that was being worked on, the iPad app just got some fairly major functionality added to it today. They were working on this at the same time Nomad was being worked on, and the HR34 (I'm assuming this has been being worked on well before Mike White's comments in June.)

What you're seeing is only the top level. We have really no idea how much optimization occurred underneath that caused an increase in speed.

And you're right. You can't choose to not get an update. Only way to have an actual HD box and not get it is to go completely with H20s. But I wouldn't pass judgement on the update until you actually see it first hand and your box has a day or so to settle down.


----------



## bjamin82

Looking forward to the new guide, one thing I would have like to have seen is the ability to manage series links or setup recordings on other HR's


----------



## Stuart Sweet

Patience, bjamin82. Good things are coming. Not "soon" but they are coming.


----------



## bjamin82

Stuart Sweet said:


> Patience, bjamin82. Good things are coming. Not "soon" but they are coming.


I will take the hint.

Thanks!


----------



## Richierich

It was Michael Pare from Eddie and the Cruisers. 

Edit: I meant Eddie and the Cruisers not II.


----------



## RunnerFL

EricRobins said:


> <flame suit on>
> 
> Am I the only one whose response is "BFD"??? Actually, I hope my 4 IRD's are NEVER updated (which I know will not happen). I do not see how all this additional processing can result in even comparable performance. If the HDGUI causes even a slight reduction in performance, whats the point?
> 
> Shouldn't we be concerned with programming and functionality above all else?
> 
> Can it be said that the current GUI is "broken"? Why do we care that the menus are in HD? Why does this matter at all?
> 
> What a waste of programmers' time.....
> 
> </flame suit off>


There's no reduction in performance with the HDGUI, there's an increase.


----------



## dettxw

richierich said:


> It was Michael Pare from Eddie and the Cruisers 2.


Close, but it was the original _Eddie and the Cruisers_.
(Assuming that you didn't look at the answers posted yesterday  )

Well if you want to play, how about naming the actor shown in the PIG on Welcome to DirecTV MediaShare on page 14 of the First Look?
Extra credit for role and movie/show. 
(My GF got it right away)


----------



## Richierich

I just got back from Kauai, Hawaii and we went to the National Tropical Botanical Gardens and several scenes were filmed there including the Final Swashbuckling Scene. Pretty Cool to have actually been right there and taken pictures of ourselves there and then to watch the film "Pirate of the Carribbean, On Stranger Tides" on the flight back because we were in First Class Seats and they get movies early to show in First Class which I didn't know about previously.

They also film at night because of complexities with 3D Lighting which I was not aware of. Very Interesing.

I will be there for the next filming of the next Pirates of the Carribbean because I am making a substantial contribution to the National Tropical Botanical Gardens Organization.

Great Job, Stuart and fellow CEers (Lamelefty and HDTVFAN0001 among others who partook in the CE Test)!!!


----------



## DATDUDE76DTV

Stuart Sweet said:


> To answer your first question, I don't know when it will come to your home.


NOVEMBER 1st 2011 is the roll out date for the new DTV HD MENU!!!!


----------



## Stuart Sweet

You know, that may be true. It also may be false. One thing is for sure, not everyone will have it on that date.


----------



## Drucifer

DATDUDE76DTV said:


> NOVEMBER 1st 2011 is the roll out date for the new DTV HD MENU!!!!


With it expecting to be a SLOW roll-out. Will the software version be same during the whole roll-out or will DirecTV still be fine-tuning it during the long roll-out?


----------



## YMark

TBoneit said:


> Did they change from say C++ to Assembler for the parts that were killing performance?


Assembler? Who still uses assembler? I'm sure it's java based.


----------



## dpeters11

YMark said:


> Assembler? Who still uses assembler? I'm sure it's java based.


Steve Gibson at Gibson Research. He's probably one of the last.


----------



## dennisj00

YMark said:


> Assembler? Who still uses assembler? I'm sure it's java based.


First of all, I HOPE it's not Java based.

With the bloated compliers now in use, any time (CPU) or memory consuming routine can improved by many factors of 10 by doing it in assembler.

While it's been a while since I've done any assembler, I keep a copy of QuickBasic (circa 199x?) for Windows things that I can't do in Powershell, DOS batch files, or Auto-IT. You'd be amazed what a 175KBYTE program can do in Windows with no DLLs.


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## Casey21

So, I've got a HR-21 and a HR-20. It sounds like when this is rolled out it will not work on my HR-20. If that is the case, how do I get this DVR updated to a HR-21? Would DTV do that for free?


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## sigma1914

Casey21 said:


> So, I've got a HR-21 and a HR-20. It sounds like when this is rolled out it will not work on my HR-20. If that is the case, how do I get this DVR updated to a HR-21? Would DTV do that for free?


You don't need an upgrade...the HR20 is compatible.


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## Drucifer

Casey21 said:


> So, I've got a HR21 and a HR20. It sounds like when this is rolled out *it will not work on my HR20*. If that is the case, how do I get this DVR updated to a HR-21? Would DTV do that for free?


Wrong. It will work on the the HR20. It will not work on H20.


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## dpeters11

"Casey21" said:


> So, I've got a HR-21 and a HR-20. It sounds like when this is rolled out it will not work on my HR-20. If that is the case, how do I get this DVR updated to a HR-21? Would DTV do that for free?


It's the H20 that won't get it, very different animal in more ways than hard drive.


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## Casey21

Oh that's great news. I just looked at it again and I do see that I read it incorrectly. Saw H20 and was thinking HR20. Thanks guys! Looking forward to when it comes out. Some added speed would sure be awesome.


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## dpeters11

ejhuzy said:


> This makes me think that the DVR can handle the commands just fine, it's the IR processing that's slow. Anybody else thinking this too?


There are some extra codes that the DirecTV remotes send with each keypress. Those can be disabled, and has sped things up a bit for some.


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## ejhuzy

dpeters11 said:


> There are some extra codes that the DirecTV remotes send with each keypress. Those can be disabled, and has sped things up a bit for some.


I've seen that "trick" and use it on my receivers. It does seem to help. However, for one of my DVRs I use a Harmony One remote and that remote seems slow or misses button presses. Maybe I need to configure the H1 differently.


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## paulk2

Will the new UI have the ability to schedule a recording from one DVR to another? 

I love MRV, but when the DVR I'm viewing is already scheduled for two shows, I would love to schedule it on another DVR (through the already-booked DVR's interface). Apparently this is only available on non-DVR's.

Paul


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## Athlon646464

paulk2 said:


> Will the new UI have the ability to schedule a recording from one DVR to another?
> 
> I love MRV, but when the DVR I'm viewing is already scheduled for two shows, I would love to schedule it on another DVR (through the already-booked DVR's interface). Apparently this is only available on non-DVR's.
> 
> Paul


That feature is not in this first release. Most functions and options are unchanged. What has changed is the look and feel.

My guess is they went for speed with this first release, and will add options we don't have now in the future as long as they do not slow our boxes down.


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## sigma1914

paulk2 said:


> Will the new UI have the ability to schedule a recording from one DVR to another?
> 
> I love MRV, but when the DVR I'm viewing is already scheduled for two shows, I would love to schedule it on another DVR (through the already-booked DVR's interface). Apparently this is only available on non-DVR's.
> 
> Paul


Unfortunately, no.


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## Athlon646464

I'm not a moderator here, but I believe that some of the discussion here in the last few posts have broken the agreement you should have read in the CE section.

This sort of feedback should be confined to that area of this board. 

Also - D* will not see it here. 

Comments and suggestions, if posted in the correct area of this board, will be seen by D* and may actually contribute to the success at launch.

EDIT: It looks like a moderator has deleted the posts I was referring to.


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## jmbeam

What model number is considered the best HD DVR that Directv currently has?

What will be the new model # that will surpass this?


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## spartanstew

HR24
HR34


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## jmbeam

Whats the difference between the two and I presume the 34 is the better one?

Is there a way to use a Directv HD dvr without the B Band converters hooked up in line with the coaxial cable?


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## dpeters11

Though there are likely some that would say the HR20 is the best with builtin OTA.


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## RunnerFL

jmbeam said:


> Is there a way to use a Directv HD dvr without the B Band converters hooked up in line with the coaxial cable?


Yes, convert to a SWiM setup.


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## jmbeam

How to convert to swim?


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## coyle

I need some help, please.

I got the app, but it said no HD DVR was found. I do have an HD DVR, so is it simply a matter of running ethernet cable to my router? My DVR is fairly new (not sure what model), but should it have wireless internet on board?

I'd much appreciate any advice on what I should do next.


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## miggo

I wouldn't trade my trusty old HR20 with OTA for anything. I am looking forward to the performance increase with this giude though!


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## Jodean

Stuart Sweet said:


> The amount of data on the screen has been discussed at length here and at DIRECTV. it seems to boil down to, if you have a 37" tv or smaller, or have worse eyesight, then you want less. If you are younger, have better eyesight and/or a large tv, you want more.
> 
> So it doesn't change.


thats an easy one.... let the user decide how many hours, dish has had that for a long time......


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## jmbeam

HOW TO CONVERT TO SWiM?


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## sigma1914

jmbeam said:


> HOW TO CONVERT TO SWiM?


Try it yourself by starting research here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=134597

or call DirecTV.


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## waylonrobert

I may have missed this...but any idea when this is expected to release? I remember hearing back at CES that October was the goal...given that October is nearly over, when will this update launch?


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## Bilbrey

First, Thanks Stuart Sweet for the first look.

I've been a DirecTV subscriber for a while now, because DirecTV was better choice than my cable alternative.

I've not been participating on this board for quite a while (too busy with other things), but I got an email bringing my attention to this thread. So I read the first look and was pleasantly surprised to find out a new GUI was coming.

I have both an iPad and an iPhone, and was pleasantly surprised with the update to the DirecTV app. I thought the UI there was well done, easy to use, and gave me more options and control over my TV viewing. I like that I can control my receivers remotely, view what is currently on my receivers (great for checking on what the kids are watching - the best form of parental supervision), and I've even noted that with the iPad app, you can watch an additional stream of content when the two tuners are recording. I can only hope my experience with the new DirecTV GUI will be a similarly great experience, and I hope even better integrated with the apps.

Folks in the thread have noted that the goal is to watch our TV content, and that the GUI just helps facilitate that. I agree. The less time I spend in the GUI the better. And I hope that DirecTV has put as much thought into the usability of the GUI as the look and feel. The actual use and navigation of the GUI is what I will be interested in. For example, will it be easy to turn on and off the Closed Captions (so I can see what some actor mumbled). Currently, it is rather easy to do that, so I hope they don't bury functionality in a prettier interface.

I can patiently wait for the update and look forward to an improved TV experience. Better performance is always appreciated, and a nicer GUI will be a pleasant update to my aging HR21's. But usability will be my key concern, so I hope that the new GUI has a well thought out menu structure and easy to navigate process.

I've been happy with my DirecTV experience (And I migrated from a TiVo cable experience), and I welcome the new GUI and hope there are not too many 'kinks' to iron out with the new revision.

Many thanks to DirecTV on the new GUI.


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## spartanstew

jmbeam said:


> Whats the difference between the two and I presume the 34 is the better one?


HR24
HR34


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## Poleposition

Sorry if this is a dumb question but how will this now deliver a 1080p resolution if the cabling is still coax? Is it just the graphics on the menu thats 1080p? If so, i get it. 

Thx


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## Stuart Sweet

Not sure what you mean. If you're connected via component (3RCA) you will not get 1080p content. The menus will render at a maximum resolution of 1080i.


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## Poleposition

Why all the promo for 1080p?


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## dpeters11

As far as I know, the only 1080P content is some of the PPV. They are marked as such in the guide. Keep in mind though, not all 1080P sets are compatible, they must be able to do 1080P/24. All normal HD channels are either 1080i or 720P.


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## dpeters11

waylonrobert said:


> I may have missed this...but any idea when this is expected to release? I remember hearing back at CES that October was the goal...given that October is nearly over, when will this update launch?


It could start in November, but I'd expect the rollout to be fairly slow, maybe over 2-3 months.


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## Poleposition

Thx and sorry for my brainfart. I figured it out. 1080p is delivered the same way a 1080p movie is delivered. It's downloaded and then sent to the TV via the HDMI. I kept thinking about the coax from the dish to the receiver and thats where i had a (disconnect) pun intended. The obvious limits of coax is what was throwing me off.


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## RunnerFL

jmbeam said:


> HOW TO CONVERT TO SWiM?


You could start by using the search feature on the forum instead of just yelling at us.


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## usnret

Maybe not on point, but will/should I change my HDMI cables from the regular ones to the "new" 3.1 for 1080p


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## noisuf0

The new guide is incredible. It's a totally new experience for DTV in general. They still need to fix a few things but other than a couple little silly things not working that I could careless about, it's phenomenal. It's so much easier to use everything because it is sooo quick!


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## m4p

Thanks to all who put this together, it looks great. Unfortunately it looks like those of us with HR20 series and TV's that are only 1080p60 won't be able to have all these features, which is pretty disappointing.


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## Rasterburn

the hd user interface should start tomorrow november 1 2011, also the HR20 should be able to be upgraded, just call.


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## Go Beavs

"m4p" said:


> Thanks to all who put this together, it looks great. Unfortunately it looks like those of us with HR20 series and TV's that are only 1080p60 won't be able to have all these features, which is pretty disappointing.


The only thing you won't get with your setup is 1080p resolution. Everything else will work just fine. Remember, 1080i is HD also.


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## hilmar2k

Rasterburn said:


> the hd user interface should start tomorrow november 1 2011, *also the HR20 should be able to be upgraded*, just call.


Why?


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## Rasterburn

well i got a 3d tv and the hr20s dont work on 3d tvs i called dtv and they replaced for free with no new agreement


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## RunnerFL

Rasterburn said:


> well i got a 3d tv and the hr20s dont work on 3d tvs i called dtv and they replaced for free with no new agreement


They'll replace it for 3D yes, but they won't have to replace it for the HD UI. The HR20 is getting the HD UI.


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## Opie

The caveat on the updated GUI webpage reads: "Available on all HD DVR and HD Receivers, model H21 and later. HD Receiver model H20 excluded."

So y'all are saying that H20 is excluded but the HR20 is included?


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## Richierich

Rasterburn said:


> the hd user interface should start tomorrow november 1 2011, also the HR20 should be able to be upgraded, just call.


That is when the NR Software Release will start being Rolled Out on November 1, 2011 but it may take 2, 3 or 4 weeks for the complete National Rollout to be completed!!!


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## noisuf0

Does nobody how to manually force the update upon your unit...? or am i special select few...


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## hilmar2k

Rasterburn said:


> well i got a 3d tv and the hr20s dont work on 3d tvs i called dtv and they replaced for free with no new agreement


But then you risk getting an HR21/2/3 whcih is more like a downgrade to an HR20....unless you need 3D. Otherwise, I would recommend staying with an HR20 (unless you can be guaranteed an HR24).


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## Rasterburn

ok now i understand what you meant about your last post that the updates might not be on same day for every customer but might take a couple weeks


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## hilmar2k

Opie said:


> The caveat on the updated GUI webpage reads: "Available on all HD DVR and HD Receivers, model H21 and later. HD Receiver model H20 excluded."
> 
> So y'all are saying that H20 is excluded but the HR20 is included?


Yes.


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## dpeters11

Opie said:


> The caveat on the updated GUI webpage reads: "Available on all HD DVR and HD Receivers, model H21 and later. HD Receiver model H20 excluded."
> 
> So y'all are saying that H20 is excluded but the HR20 is included?


Exactly.


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## dpeters11

noisuf0 said:


> Does nobody how to manually force the update upon your unit...? or am i special select few...


You can try to force an update all day long, but it won't really help to get the release much faster in the rollout. They authorize it on a rolling basis so that not too many units get it all at once. If your area hasn't been added in the rollout, you can't force it either.


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## noisuf0

So I take it you guys don't know how to do this then. It's easy. Am I allowed to post how to get it here?

p.s: It's because you don't do it all day during the day... there is a time frame involved.


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## hilmar2k

noisuf0 said:


> So I take it you guys don't know how to do this then. It's easy. Am I allowed to post how to get it here?


To force whatever software is in the stream to download to your receiver, just restart, and when the receiver turns back on (lights come back on on the front of the receiver) type 02468 on the remote.

But that's not goiong to do you any good until the rollout gets to you.


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## thomasr1950

I went to menu as stated on Directv, my menu is the same. How do i get the new menu?


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## spartanstew

thomasr1950 said:


> I went to menu as stated on Directv, my menu is the same. How do i get the new menu?


See Post #2


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## Scott Kocourek

thomasr1950 said:


> I went to menu as stated on Directv, my menu is the same. How do i get the new menu?


PM sent.


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## djzack67

I look forward to this.


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## kjgarrison

djzack67 said:


> I look forward to this.


Sig outdated? AMC HD I have.


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## AllenE

"Opie" said:


> The caveat on the updated GUI webpage reads: "Available on all HD DVR and HD Receivers, model H21 and later. HD Receiver model H20 excluded."
> 
> So y'all are saying that H20 is excluded but the HR20 is included?


Yes.


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## gatorblair

noisuf0 said:


> So I take it you guys don't know how to do this then. It's easy. Am I allowed to post how to get it here?
> 
> p.s: It's because you don't do it all day during the day... there is a time frame involved.


Well......


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## djzack67

So are we hoping for rollout to start today


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## MysteryMan

djzack67 said:


> So are we hoping for rollout to start today


There are quite a few changes in the active columns on the DirecTV Firmware Watcher site. Perhaps a prelude for the roll out.


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## tenpins

Festivus day! Guide looks good, time for coffee and will look indepth later. Will know more later when my GF turns TV on. All good

Like the White on Black colors for the guide, additional information highlighted in blue, not yellow. Okay, I can work with that. The 1 1/2 hour time frame is good, scrolling to the right is quick to look further ahead in time. _To all those who put their time and efforts into making the guide better, Thank you._ I know that not everyone will be happy, some will say it should be this or that. Time to catch a bus. Party on!


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## Stuart Sweet

I'm going to close this thread since it seems that the rollout has begun.


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