Back to Tivo, Love It!! Two Gripes though

[xboard07]

I just went back to Tivo after years of using the awful DVR my cable company provides. I picked up a Tivo HD and had my cable cards installed yesterday without an issue. It was the first time the installer did a cable card install.

I have it on a wired ethernet connection and playing mp3's and xvid files using Tivo Desktop+ is working great. I was concerned about the video conversion speed but it is working flawlessly. I am glad I went wired.

My two major gripes are the following:

1) When watching a recorded program I can't browse the 'Guide' at the same time. This is nice if you are watching something but want to see what is on at the same time without having to go to 'Live TV' to do it.

2) When looking at your 'Now Playing' list you can't scroll down to a program and hit 'Info' to find out what it's about. You have to hit 'Select' to look at the description, then go back to the list if it isn't the episode you want.

These are two things I could do with my cable DVR and could also do with my Dish Network Vip622. Maybe I am in the minority but I think these are two major flaws with the Tivo that would make it a little more flexible.

Is there any kind of work around or can these features be turned on? IS there any talk of these being turned on in the future?

[classicsat]

1: Is just the way TiVo is. I doubt TiVo cares to change that.

2: There used to be a backdoor code to get an info screen, in the NPL, but not anymore. You need to select it to get info.

[TaterTot24]

2) When looking at your 'Now Playing' list you can't scroll down to a program and hit 'Info' to find out what it's about. You have to hit 'Select' to look at the description, then go back to the list if it isn't the episode you want.


The only "work-around" that I can think of is while you are in the Now Playing list, go ahead and press Select on a show. Then once the Episode description/info screen is there, then use the Channel Up/Down to scroll through the rest of the shows in the Now Playing list.

That way you can scroll through each of the shows and see each description without having to press Select each time...

[Pinster56]

I just went back to Tivo after years of using the awful DVR my cable company provides. I picked up a Tivo HD and had my cable cards installed yesterday without an issue. It was the first time the installer did a cable card install.
I am also about to switch back to TiVo after using the Comcast DVR since we started using a HDTV last winter. Did you have to explain to the cable company when you set up the appoinment that you wanted the cable card install for TiVo? Did they set up one card or two? Also did you have to have the TiVo up and running before they arrived, or did they do it themselves? I am afraid they won't know what to do.

[hockeyinsd]

1) When watching a recorded program I can't browse the 'Guide' at the same time. This is nice if you are watching something but want to see what is on at the same time without having to go to 'Live TV' to do it.
I have a 622 and a tivo so I feel your pain on this one, but for a different reason. I almost never look at the guide while watching something I've recorded. The only time I ever do is when I'm watching a hockey game that has already started and I'm watching it time shifted. I often like to look ahead to see what other games are on (I have the center ice package). The thing that kills me with tivo is that for some reason if you are watching something that is currently recording, but accessed by going to the NPL, then started the program from the beginning, hit the guide button, it drops you to live tv and brings up the guide. Now, if instead you rewind from live tv (with the tv off or something so you don't see the score) and hit guide, it will pull up the guide. It only happens once or twice a season, only because I have the dish 622 dvr and it can access the guide while playing a recording.

[xboard07]

The only "work-around" that I can think of is while you are in the Now Playing list, go ahead and press Select on a show. Then once the Episode description/info screen is there, then use the Channel Up/Down to scroll through the rest of the shows in the Now Playing list.

That way you can scroll through each of the shows and see each description without having to press Select each time...


Thanks! That is a great tip I was not aware of. I didn't think to try that. That's better than nothing. :up:

[xboard07]

I am also about to switch back to TiVo after using the Comcast DVR since we started using a HDTV last winter. Did you have to explain to the cable company when you set up the appoinment that you wanted the cable card install for TiVo? Did they set up one card or two? Also did you have to have the TiVo up and running before they arrived, or did they do it themselves? I am afraid they won't know what to do.

Yes, I had to tell Cox that I needed two cards. Cox (at least in my area) does not yet have multi stream cards so I needed two. I had the Tivo up and running and activated a couple days before the installer came. I had the latest software downloaded as well. It was his first cable card install. I printed out the instructions from the Tivo website and followed them along with him. All he did was stick them in and call in some #'s. Luckily it went smoothly. Good luck with yours! :)

[xboard07]

I have a 622 and a tivo so I feel your pain on this one, but for a different reason. I almost never look at the guide while watching something I've recorded. The only time I ever do is when I'm watching a hockey game that has already started and I'm watching it time shifted. I often like to look ahead to see what other games are on (I have the center ice package). The thing that kills me with tivo is that for some reason if you are watching something that is currently recording, but accessed by going to the NPL, then started the program from the beginning, hit the guide button, it drops you to live tv and brings up the guide. Now, if instead you rewind from live tv (with the tv off or something so you don't see the score) and hit guide, it will pull up the guide. It only happens once or twice a season, only because I have the dish 622 dvr and it can access the guide while playing a recording.

The 622 is a great unit! That's interesting what you pointed out about the Tivo.

I guess everything has it's shortcomings. What I gained by going back to Tivo (mp3 streaming and being able to play about 400 gigs of recorded TV shows in xvid format from my PC) will eventually outweigh what I feel are some pretty stupid workings of Tivo. I just need to get use to it again. :D

[astrohip]

The only "work-around" that I can think of is while you are in the Now Playing list, go ahead and press Select on a show. Then once the Episode description/info screen is there, then use the Channel Up/Down to scroll through the rest of the shows in the Now Playing list.

That way you can scroll through each of the shows and see each description without having to press Select each time...
I think that only works if you are in a Folder, looking a show. If the show is on its own, not in a folder, there is no Up/Down scroll ability.

[xboard07]

I think that only works if you are in a Folder, looking a show. If the show is on its own, not in a folder, there is no Up/Down scroll ability.

You are correct. I just tried it. It only works when in a folder.

[wmcbrine]

I think that only works if you are in a Folder, looking a show. If the show is on its own, not in a folder, there is no Up/Down scroll ability....unless you toggle folders off (press '2').

[mattack]

2) When looking at your 'Now Playing' list you can't scroll down to a program and hit 'Info' to find out what it's about. You have to hit 'Select' to look at the description, then go back to the list if it isn't the episode you want.

While this is the same number of remote presses (and I'm ignoring the channel up/down issue others mentioned), it may be more logical to you.

Pretty much everywhere (maybe it is everywhere) it wants you to press select, you can just press right on the direction pad.

So basically, you can go into the folder or specific episode with right, and back out with left.
That kind of thing makes everything more consistent/speedy.