# Mid Term Grades for R15



## ISWIZ (Nov 18, 2005)

As promised, a 6 month evaluation of how everyone feels about their R15. DTV will hopefully get better marks than the quarterly report done earlier. 

Here are the choices:

A - Above average, the best electronic purchase I’ve made. 
B – Besides an occasional hiccup, it does a great job.
C - Could be improved, has many minor difficulties. 
D – Does not impress me, still too many problems not being addressed.
E - Even a broken watch is it right twice a day, occasionally so is the R15.
F – Fails miserably to meet the potential, given the hype by the company.

Poll closes on 6/7/06


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## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

As a minimum, I can't see how it could get better than a "C" until the 1) "instant replay" button knocking you out of the program after it's finished recording, and 2) the 5 minute warning box bugs are fixed. Also the FR vs. repeat issue, but I rate that more minor becuase I can always delete those extra episodes.

I give it a "D" because it still has occasional lock-ups. IMHO, more than 2 - 3 a year is unacceptable.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Well, I'm going to give it a generous C, which is really a C minus. I think my overall opinion has gone down slightly since the previous poll (as opposed to getting better). 

In part because fixes, while they are coming on a somewhat regular basis, seem to be relatively minor at each version change, and don't seem to address the more serious issues. 

In part, because the overall stability is still very poor. You should not be afraid to do a search (find by) because you're afraid you'll lock the unit up. You should not be hesitant to add SL's because you're afraid you'll lock the unit up. You should not be afraid to store a lot of recorded material because you might have to do a "clear and delete/reformat" reset which will wipe it all out. 

In part, because it's behavior seems to change all on it's own. A series link for the tonight show worked fine for awhile, then stopped working fine with no user action involved (started recording repeats only and skipping first runs, just the backwards of what it should have done).

And, in part, because it continues to do such wonderful things as losing all audio and video for no apparent reason, requiring a reset to get it working.

Gee, I voted before I wrote this, otherwise I think I would have chosen a D plus rather than a C minus.

Carl


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## Sexxxychibabe (May 20, 2006)

I give it a C or C+....has problems, but has potential to be a really cool DVR.


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## cobaltblue (Feb 22, 2006)

I'll also give the R-15 a C+. I feel the inability to get the series link cleared up or at least improved hurts. The five minute window is something I thought they would have taken care of a few updates ago. At the same time the R-15 has come a long way since I started mine up in Dec. I can see the vast potential with each update that we receive.


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## voltage34 (Mar 18, 2006)

I give it D, The Caller ID still doesn't work, the 5 minuite change bugs the heck out of me,the sl still stinks


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## ApK (Mar 6, 2006)

I gave it a generous E. (For Effort?)
If I was still running the PREVIOUS software, it would have scored much higher, but this last update has rendered it virtually useless. We're back to watching most stuff on Tivo now.


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## ISWIZ (Nov 18, 2005)

To save you looking it up....The First Quarter Grades

A - Above average, the best, I wish I had invented it. 2 2.17% 
B - Better than most, a little hiccup here and there. 10 10.87% 
C - Could be improved, has some minor difficulties. 30 32.61% 
D - Did not impress me, too many problems. 26 28.26% 
E - Even if they gave it away, I’m not sure I’d take it. 1 1.09% 
F - Foolishly released way before it was ready, a complete disaster. 23 25.00% 

Total votes:92


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## Bobman (Jan 3, 2006)

Unless something strange is going on with this board, up top I see only a total of 86 votes, not 92, and the F grade has 10 users not 23 for a percentage of 11.63 not 25%.

Either someone edited the figures up top after your post or you have a typo somewhere.


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## ApK (Mar 6, 2006)

Bobman said:


> Unless something strange is going on with this board, up top I see only a total of 86 votes, not 92, and the F grade has 10 users not 23 for a percentage of 11.63 not 25%.
> 
> Either someone edited the figures up top after your post or you have a typo somewhere.


...or he's posting the FIRST QUARTER grades from a previous poll for comparsion with these MIDTERM grade, which is what he is doing. ;-)


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## Bobman (Jan 3, 2006)

Thanks, I was wondering????


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## ISWIZ (Nov 18, 2005)

2 More votes needed to equal the total from the last poll. 4 Days to go.


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## Rhoq (Apr 27, 2006)

Voted "C", but it's definitely a *C-* at best.


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## mikewolf13 (Jan 31, 2006)

I'd love to know who the 2 people that voted that the R15 is the best piece of electronic they have ever purchase.

More so, I'd like to know what their 2nd best was for comparison...Mr. microphone? 

I doubt, that even if the R15 worked perfectly, I'd consider it the best ever...I'd certainly wouldn't give it worse than a B, but best-ever?

If I am over re-acting due to limited categories/descriptions...please ignore.

Thank you and good day


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## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

mikewolf13 said:


> I'd love to know who the 2 people that voted that the R15 is the best piece of electronic they have ever purchase.
> 
> More so, I'd like to know what their 2nd best was for comparison...Mr. microphone?
> 
> ...


I think they were Amish!


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## wbmccarty (Apr 28, 2006)

mikewolf13 said:


> I'd love to know who the 2 people that voted that the R15 is the best piece of electronic they have ever purchase.


I presume that they're using the R15 as something other than a DVR--a surface for kneading bread, perhaps?


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## ISWIZ (Nov 18, 2005)

My take on that has always been, this is the first DVR they have ever used. From that standpoint I fully understand.

It's like the "first" car that was "yours" and not your parents. Dang that Corvair was a sweet machine


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## jonaswan2 (Oct 29, 2005)

ISWIZ said:


> My take on that has always been, this is the first DVR they have ever used. From that standpoint I fully understand.
> 
> It's like the "first" car that was "yours" and not your parents. Dang that Corvair was a sweet machine


That would work if DirecTV made the software DVR software, but they didn't. They used NDS's which has been out for a while.


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## GoBobbyGo (Apr 10, 2006)

F. Big time. Especially since my unit has died utterly, and since I reported it 92 days after my service was activated, they won't send me a new replacement. But the 5-minute warning problem, SL's inability to distinguish between first-run programs and repeats, its utter, inexplicable failure to record some shows, and the non-functioning of the short-advance and short-rewind buttons made this a not-ready-for-shipping product until at least the 108B version of the software.


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

I gave it a D. I was between C and D mostly due to the locking up and limits. If those where gone I would have given it a B.


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## TheTooleMan (Apr 9, 2006)

After the latest software update to the R15-300 (103F), my is completely FUBAR. I expect to get a replacement unit tomorrow, but who knows what terrors that will bring me.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

TheTooleMan said:


> After the latest software update to the R15-300 (103F), my is completely FUBAR. I expect to get a replacement unit tomorrow, but who knows what terrors that will bring me.


Did you ever try RESET ALL after the update?

Since you will probably get a new one tomorrow, it would be intresting to see if it corrects the problem...


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## pentium101 (Nov 19, 2005)

mikewolf13 said:


> I'd love to know who the 2 people that voted that the R15 is the best piece of electronic they have ever purchase.
> 
> More so, I'd like to know what their 2nd best was for comparison...Mr. microphone?


Mr. microphone. LMAO

I can still remember the cheesy segment of that commercial where the guy driving in his car says to the pretty girl walking down the sidewalk, "Hey good looking, I'll be back to pick you up later." :lol:

Damn, I must be getting old.


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## ISWIZ (Nov 18, 2005)

pentium101 said:


> Mr. microphone. LMAO
> 
> I can still remember the cheesy segment of that commercial where the guy driving in his car says to the pretty girl walking down the sidewalk, "Hey good looking, I'll be back to pick you up later." :lol:
> 
> Damn, I must be getting old.


Only if you call your remote "The Clapper".:hurah:


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## zortapa (Nov 16, 2005)

For the 1st quarter I gave it a B. 

Since then, 1) they broke (and neglected to fix) the autorecord functionality of the R15 and 2) I have had to reset it at least 10 times since the introduction of that (IMHO) stupid slip function with 10B8 vs. just 2 or 3 resets from 11/05 through 4/06! 

Thus, for the 2nd quarter I downgraded it to a C.


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## ApK (Mar 6, 2006)

Yes, This last release has sorely shaken my confidence in DTV.


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## SamRoza (Jun 1, 2006)

I wasn't around last grading session, but this time around I have to give it an F+. Products should not be beta-tested by an unwilling and unaware group of paying customers. The R15 is in beta as far as I'm concerned.

The R15 definitely shakes my confidence in D* _as a development company_. But, since D* isn't a software dev. co., I won't go ahead and cancel my service just yet. They are a satellite TV provider and if I'm ignoring the R15's problems, they still deliver content rather well-they just need to take up with TiVo again.

Sam


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## jonaswan2 (Oct 29, 2005)

SamRoza said:


> I wasn't around last grading session, but this time around I have to give it an F+. Products should not be beta-tested by an unwilling and unaware group of paying customers. The R15 is in beta as far as I'm concerned.
> 
> The R15 definitely shakes my confidence in D* _as a development company_. But, since D* isn't a software dev. co., I won't go ahead and cancel my service just yet. They are a satellite TV provider and if I'm ignoring the R15's problems, they still deliver content rather well-they just need to take up with TiVo again.
> 
> Sam


Yeah, that would be different if DirecTV made the DVR software, but they didn't so...


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## ad301 (Mar 30, 2004)

zortapa said:


> .....Since then, 1) they broke (and neglected to fix) the autorecord functionality of the R15.....


The autorecord functionality has been broken since the first day of release.


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## ApK (Mar 6, 2006)

jonaswan2 said:


> Yeah, that would be different if DirecTV made the DVR software, but they didn't so...


I don't think it makes one iota of difference.

DTV chose, offers, promotes, supports and charges money for this software on their product. I don't care if they build it, bought it or stole it, they are responsible for it.

ApK


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## jonaswan2 (Oct 29, 2005)

ApK said:


> I don't think it makes one iota of difference.
> 
> DTV chose, offers, promotes, supports and charges money for this software on their product. I don't care if they build it, bought it or stole it, they are responsible for it.
> 
> ApK


Other than the choose part (I'm almost certain Murdock heavily "suggested" them to move to the XTV platform) you make a lot of sence.


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

ApK said:


> I don't think it makes one iota of difference.
> 
> DTV chose, offers, promotes, supports and charges money for this software on their product. I don't care if they build it, bought it or stole it, they are responsible for it.
> 
> ApK


I completely agree with this statement. It doesn't matter WHO makes it as long as it's being fixed.


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## SamRoza (Jun 1, 2006)

My Apologies. I thought this was an in-house project that had hardware from NDS and software from their own developers.

I still say it makes no difference. I'm an unwilling beta tester in a bad software experiment. If they chose to use X software company's software platform and decided it was good enough to roll out, they are endorsing their product.

Sam


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

SamRoza said:


> My Apologies. I thought this was an in-house project that had hardware from NDS and software from their own developers.
> 
> I still say it makes no difference. I'm an unwilling beta tester in a bad software experiment. If they chose to use X software company's software platform and decided it was good enough to roll out, they are endorsing their product.
> 
> Sam


It's actually Third Party hardware, with a combination of software from NDS and code from DirecTV (or so some of us think/say). Yes it should be fixed and never should have shipped with the major glaring problem of SL's not working correctly. As stated doesn't matter who made it as long as it gets fixed.


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## morgantown (Nov 16, 2005)

Clint Lamor said:


> It's actually Third Party hardware, with a combination of software from NDS and code from DirecTV (or so some of us think/say). Yes it should be fixed and never should have shipped with the major glaring problem of SL's not working correctly. As stated doesn't matter who made it as long as it gets fixed.


Honestly, I still have my doubts that DTV really has gotten into the NDS/DVR side of coding at all other than odd DTV interface issues...go figure. But, I have not worked at DTV for a minute, so that is that. More importantly, I do agree with the sentiments of your statement on the whole.

Neither DTV or NDS ever produced any harware to my knowledge. Okay, way back when Hughes was more involved in the hardware side, but it has effectively been third party hardware all along.

The difference is the software, and what a difference it is. They paid TiVo peanuts and for the life of me I still can't figure out how this is good for DTV (corporate family or not). They pay NDS more (who is coding what is irrelevant on this point) and we get less.

Edit: Oh yea, and since my R15 has been inactive for so long I don't think it is "fair" for me to vote. Therefore, the poll does not reflect my opinion in the least.


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## zortapa (Nov 16, 2005)

ad301 said:


> The autorecord functionality has been broken since the first day of release.


Perhaps, but I can only speak of my experience. I set up three different autorecords in early December and then another in early Feburary to record all the Olympic programming. All four of these autorecords worked _perfectly_ for recording series and topics that were aired across different dates, times, and channels. On 2/22/06, several days after D* disabled the ability to select and record from the "Channels I get", my autorecords stopped working. More precisely, my R15 started to record programs from channels that I did NOT get. I now need to scan my TODO list every 2-3 days to make sure that programs are scheduled to record correctly.


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## ISWIZ (Nov 18, 2005)

With 20 more voters than 3 months ago it look likes about 10% increase in the 
A through C range with a like drop in the D through F group. 

Let the Spin begin!:icon_peac


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## SamRoza (Jun 1, 2006)

With more C and D votes than B or A votes, I wouldn't brag about this round of grading...


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## ad301 (Mar 30, 2004)

zortapa said:


> Perhaps, but I can only speak of my experience. I set up three different autorecords in early December and then another in early Feburary to record all the Olympic programming. All four of these autorecords worked _perfectly_ for recording series and topics that were aired across different dates, times, and channels. On 2/22/06, several days after D* disabled the ability to select and record from the "Channels I get", my autorecords stopped working. More precisely, my R15 started to record programs from channels that I did NOT get. I now need to scan my TODO list every 2-3 days to make sure that programs are scheduled to record correctly.


Well, your experience is interesting. It may or may not be related to some change D* made just prior to 2/22. (Why would it take several days?) Perhaps they actually did make it worse. But the fact remains that autorecording Finds have always been prone to record from channels you don't receive.


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## ad301 (Mar 30, 2004)

BTW, zortapa, we had this same discussion not too long ago, in this thread:
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=571331#post571331

I suggest that you respond to my last post there if you wish to delve into this any further, since we're a bit off topic here.


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