# DirecTV's TV Whole Home DVR Ad is bad



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

So I just heard their new TV Ad where they tell me I only need one DVR. OK maybe I only do need one DVR... nah that ain't going to fly, but..
"You can watch recordings anywhere".
Watch it in the living room, or watch it in the bedroom, OK sure, but..
Pause it in the bedroom and then watch it in the bathroom. Nope that ain't going to happen. :nono:

Someone had better have *stop play* on the remote viewing receiver before they try to resume it from another remote receiver.


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## opelap (Nov 4, 2006)

Also makes it sound like you can watch 15 shows on 15 different TVs with only one DVR.

Not going to happen with these boxes.


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

Yeah, it's definitely misleading....which means the marketing department thinks it's perfect. :lol:


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## -Draino- (May 19, 2008)

veryoldschool said:


> So I just heard their new TV Ad where they tell me I only need one DVR. OK maybe I only do need one DVR... nah that ain't going to fly,


Is that not true? 1 DVR and as long as the rest of my boxes are HD, I can watch recordings on any one of them???



> but..
> "You can watch recordings anywhere".
> Watch it in the living room, or watch it in the bedroom, OK sure, but..
> Pause it in the bedroom and then watch it in the bathroom. Nope that ain't going to happen. :nono:


Why not? If I had a HD box in the bathroom, I could watch recordings on my HD box in the bathroom.



> Someone had better have *stop play* on the remote viewing receiver before they try to resume it from another remote receiver.


Ok...so what? If I stop the movie, I can resume it from any HD box, can't I ??? Marketing is all about the "ifs, ands, ors...as long as you can justify it somehow, it flys!!!

I have yet to go to a car dealer and say "hey I just saw that chevy commercial and it said I could buy that Silverado for $22,349. That truck doesn't exist without the "ifs, ands, or ors!!!


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

-Draino- said:


> Is that not true? 1 DVR and as long as the rest of my boxes are HD, I can watch recordings on any one of them???
> 
> Why not? If I had a HD box in the bathroom, I could watch recordings on my HD box in the bathroom.
> 
> Ok...so what? If I stop the movie, I can resume it from any HD box, can't I ??? Marketing is all about the "ifs, ands, ors...as long as you can justify it somehow, it flys!!!


It is one thing to stretch the truth and most marketing does that. There used to be a time when the small print disclosed the conditions of their claims.
This ad simply crossed the line by blatantly misrepresenting how the feature works.
Watch a recoding remotely, pause it, and then try to play it from another remote receiver. See what happens. It flat out won't play.
"All they needed to say was": stop a recording in one room and resume it in another and it would be true.
They're trying to match the Uverse ad [which I don't know is true either] but lying as they try to.


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## azarby (Dec 15, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> It is one thing to stretch the truth and most marketing does that. There used to be a time when the small print disclosed the conditions of their claims.
> This ad simply crossed the line by blatantly misrepresenting how the feature works.
> Watch a recoding remotely, pause it, and then try to play it from another remote receiver. See what happens. It flat out won't play.
> "All they needed to say was": stop a recording in one room and resume it in another and it would be true.
> They're trying to match the Uverse ad [which I don't know is true either] but lying as they try to.


It's not the first time DTV (or DISH) has done this in their advertising and it probably won't be the last. They stretch the truth, get caught, pay the fine do the cease and desist order and then 3 months later do it all over again. Until they get slapped real hard, it will keep on happening.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> It is one thing to stretch the truth and most marketing does that. There used to be a time when the small print disclosed the conditions of their claims.
> This ad simply crossed the line by blatantly misrepresenting how the feature works.
> Watch a recoding remotely, pause it, and then try to play it from another remote receiver. See what happens. It flat out won't play.
> "All they needed to say was": stop a recording in one room and resume it in another and it would be true.
> They're trying to match the Uverse ad [which I don't know is true either] but lying as they try to.


I would recommend "clumsily incompetent" on the stop vs. pause thing. The second I saw it, I knew it was wrong. Very bad wording. I have no idea if they *intended* to use pause when they should have used stop. If they intended pause, knowing it didn't work, then that's lying. If some idiot just assumed that pause and stop would work the same way, then that's plain sloppy.

It's not good in either case, but one is a matter of character and the other is a matter of competence. I prefer to start out assuming character is not the issue, but hey...that's just me.


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## azarby (Dec 15, 2006)

hasan said:


> I would recommend "clumsily incompetent" on the stop vs. pause thing. The second I saw it, I knew it was wrong. Very bad wording. I have no idea if they *intended* to use pause when they should have used stop. If they intended pause, knowing it didn't work, then that's lying. If some idiot just assumed that pause and stop would work the same way, then that's plain sloppy.
> 
> It's not good in either case, but one is a matter of character and the other is a matter of competence. I prefer to start out assuming character is not the issue, but hey...that's just me.


My guess is the marketing person has no clue as to the difference between pause and stop.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

azarby said:


> My guess is the marketing person has no clue as to the difference between pause and stop.


That would be both my guess and my assumption, as well.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

hasan said:


> That would be both my guess and my assumption, as well.


Guess I'm pissed because I've told the marketing folks about this and they've stretched it even farther [from the truth] with this ad.


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## dwcolvin (Oct 4, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> Pause it in the bedroom and then watch it in the bathroom. Nope that ain't going to happen. :nono:


No, if it's a recording I don't need to watch it in the bathroom. Now, *NFLST* is a completely different matter. 

Perhaps the biggest lie of all is the implication they're actually capable of installing it correctly.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> Guess I'm pissed because I've told the marketing folks about this and they've stretched it even farther [from the truth] with this ad.


That is low budget, from the get go. I can't imagine what someone put on notice of this "misstatement" could be thinking...how would they expect to get away with such a glaring error, after it has been pointed out to them? (assuming someone actually had their ear, and not just emailed them, for example).

I'm dumbfounded.

So now we have three reactions:

1. Dumbfounded
2. Pissed
3. Perplexed

...what a wonder!


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

dwcolvin said:


> Perhaps the biggest lie of all is the implication they're actually capable of installing it correctly.


"You know", they have a fairly decent product that they screwed up from the initial roll out and continue to run it downhill in as many ways as it would seem possible.
Now there are rumors of running short of HD hardware.

It really makes one wonder if there is anything else they can screw up about this, or have they managed to screw up EVERYTHING by now. :nono:


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> "You know", they have a fairly decent product that they screwed up from the initial roll out and continue to run it downhill in as many ways as it would seem possible.
> Now there are rumors of running short of HD hardware.
> 
> It really makes one wonder if there is anything else they can screw up about this, or have they managed to screw up EVERYTHING by now. :nono:


If it weren't so frustrating for those affected, it would be funny. I can laugh, because my install was a piece of cake, after they delayed the start of the job for an hour and a half, because they forget to bring the back-plate to the new dish.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

hasan said:


> If it weren't so frustrating for those affected, it would be funny. I can laugh, because my install was a piece of cake, after they delayed the start of the job for an hour and a half, because they forget to bring the back-plate to the new dish.


I used to work for a Government contractor [cost plus type] that was the most experienced in repeating the task of "shooting themselves in the foot".
They were so good at it they could repeat it over and over "the same way". :eek2:
Sometimes I just am dumbfounded at how poorly things can be done, when it doesn't take much more than "an ounce of brains/forethought" to do a better job. :nono:


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## dwcolvin (Oct 4, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> "You know", they have a fairly decent product that they screwed up from the initial roll out and continue to run it downhill in as many ways as it would seem possible.
> Now there are rumors of running short of HD hardware.


_I'm_ frustrated because it _is_ a good product, and it isn't that [email protected]#$% difficult to install correctly. I really can't imagine how frustrating it must be to _you._

Running out of HD hardware could have a silver lining... no more 'refurbished' boat anchors.



veryoldschool said:


> It really makes one wonder if there is anything else they can screw up about this, or have they managed to screw up EVERYTHING by now. :nono:


Don't underestimate their ability to screw up even more.


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## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

well uverse claims I can record ALL my shows on one dvr.. not gonna work either


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

houskamp said:


> well uverse claims I can record ALL my shows on one dvr.. not gonna work either


So if you lie, then it's OK for me to lie too? After all "you did it first". :lol:


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## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> So if you lie, then it's OK for me to lie too? After all "you did it first". :lol:


 Seems to be the rule in ads nowdays..


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## azarby (Dec 15, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> "You know", they have a fairly decent product that they screwed up from the initial roll out and continue to run it downhill in as many ways as it would seem possible.
> Now there are rumors of running short of HD hardware.
> 
> It really makes one wonder if there is anything else they can screw up about this, or have they managed to screw up EVERYTHING by now. :nono:


Hopefully the new HR24s and H24s released this week will help alleviate the supply issue.


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## usnret (Jan 16, 2009)

Maybe the marketing folks don't have DECA/MRV so don't understand how it works. Just like spending lots of years in the Navy and having a brand new ensign "tell" me how my job works and how to handle the people that worked with me.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Yeah - this needs to get fixed.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

Lacking in common sense is how this kind of marketing seems to me!


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## azarby (Dec 15, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Yeah - this needs to get fixed.


The only way this will get fixed is with the threat of a law suit.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

azarby said:


> The only way this will get fixed is with the threat of a law suit.


Not necessarily...they may get enough e-mail, letters, and other feedback that drives them to re-think their description.

The whole world's problems are not solved by lawyers...in fact, most are created by them.


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## jpitlick (Apr 19, 2007)

Come on everyone. When has Thomas Hayden Church ever steered us wrong before?

Though, I do agree with everyone here. D* needs to clarify the feature in the ad. BTW, didn't FiOS have a simlar commercial a few years ago with an NBA pro? Does FiOS work that way or is it more like D*'s MRV implementation?

The only way to really pause it in the bedroom and unpause it in the bathroom would be to have both TVs connected to different outputs on the same DVR and have the remote set to RF.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

jpitlick said:


> Come on everyone. When has Thomas Hayden Church ever steered us wrong before?
> 
> Though, I do agree with everyone here. D* needs to clarify the feature in the ad. BTW, didn't FiOS have a simlar commercial a few years ago with an NBA pro? Does FiOS work that way or is it more like D*'s MRV implementation?
> 
> The only way to really pause it in the bedroom and unpause it in the bathroom would be to have both TVs connected to different outputs on the same DVR and have the remote set to RF.


I'd guess they're really trying to piggyback off the Uverse ad and the cowboy (?) asking "who puts a tele in the loo?".


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

veryoldschool said:


> I'd guess they're really trying to piggyback off the Uverse ad and the cowboy (?) asking "who puts a tele in the loo?".


:lol::lol::lol:


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## jpitlick (Apr 19, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> I'd guess they're really trying to piggyback off the Uverse ad and the cowboy (?) asking "who puts a tele in the loo?".


Uverse hasn't made it to my market yet, so I haven't seen the ad, but who wouldn't put a TV in the bathroom? One day, when money isn't so tight.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

veryoldschool said:


> . . .
> Someone had better have *stop play* on the remote viewing receiver before they try to resume it from another remote receiver.


They do say _pause_.

But their target audience must be small, for how many people in America have a TV in their bathroom?


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

jpitlick said:


> Uverse hasn't made it to my market yet, so I haven't seen the ad, *but who wouldn't put a TV in the bathroom*? One day, when money isn't so tight.


Most folks.

I've seen a grand total of 2 in people's homes - ever.

If someone wants a library...build it. :lol:

P.S. It's also not a mini-me media room.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

I know why they used _pause_ instead of _stop_.

It looked better in the video, and TV ads are all about images. This way, on screen they could show the picture paused and then the recording being picked up from that point in another room.

This is the message the advertising department wanted to deliver and they felt free to manipulate the script to get this point across visually.

What's especially stupid about this mistake is they could have said _stop_ and since the visual just showed _pause_, nobody would have noticed. All people remember is what they see, not what they hear.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

veryoldschool said:


> . . . .
> Sometimes I just am dumbfounded at how poorly things can be done, when it doesn't take much more than "an ounce of brains/forethought" to do a better job. :nono:


I'm no longer dumbfounded anymore by the lack of forethought. I consider this work ethic as part of the 'I want it now and to hell with the consequences' generation that now runs everything in America. Quick and sloppy is the new American standard because it brings in the most cash in the least amount of time.


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## gilg1 (May 13, 2008)

This may be off topic a little as it relates to the original post but if DTV really wanted to have a true Whole-Home-DVR solution, they need to only offer HD STB's and not any SD versions like the D12 or R16 as a standard install. ATT U-Verse's receivers are all HD and MRV compatible.

When I upgraded to MRV, I made it clear to the retention rep that I want every receiver connected like ATT's U-Verse. I was promised 2 R22's and if I bought an HR24 on my own, I would receive a $200 bill credit.

Prior to MRV I had 3 HD-DVR's (HR20-100, HR20-700, HR22-100), 1 R15, 1 D10
Post install 3 HD-DVR's (HR20-100, HR20-700, HR22-100), 1 R16, 1 H21

Called and complained, now I have

HR20-700 
HR20-100 
HR22-100 
HR24-500 
H21-100 
H24-100 

Sorry for the long post.


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## David MacLeod (Jan 29, 2008)

veryoldschool said:


> Guess I'm pissed because I've told the marketing folks about this and they've stretched it even farther [from the truth] with this ad.


yup. ignored .


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

^ Marketing folks are a world unto themselves. If the product doesn't match their ad copy, tough luck. Change the product.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

While I'm fairly sure this thread had nothing to do with this.
Today's ad seems to be much better.
It gives the impression you record from one room and can watch the recording in "several" rooms, but Thomas Hayden Church carefully says:
Record it in this room and watch it in this room, "or" this room, or this room.

We all know marketing & ads will always stretch reality, but I can't find an error with their latest ad.
"Much better ad".


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## xmetalx (Jun 3, 2009)

Maybe this is a little off topic... but WHY would anyone put a HD receiver in their BATHROOM?


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

xmetalx said:


> Maybe this is a little off topic... but WHY would anyone put a HD receiver in their BATHROOM?


Maybe they like to watch a movie after eating at Taco Bell.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

xmetalx said:


> Maybe this is a little off topic... but WHY would anyone put a HD receiver in their BATHROOM?


Only HD receivers can work with MRV. While I don't have a TV in mine, I've heard some do and while getting ready in the morning, watch TV to keep up with the day's news. Weather, traffic alerts, etc.
I think I've even seen a mirror with a screen within.
I'd guess there are other/more reasons.


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