Does the UI enhancements make you want to upgrade?

HoOn · 03-19-2010, 03:36 PM

I bought my TiVo HD XL just 3 months ago and love it but sometimes there are things that I missed on my Cables DVR. Like the ability to watch TV in the background while doing some searches or just playing around with the DVR. The cable DVR has been doing that for many years now and I was disappointed that my HD XL didn't have it... until now.

When Premier was announced I loved the fact that you can now watch TV in the background while doing some TiVo searching. I'm seriously thinking of selling my TiVo HD XL with Lifetime so that I could get the Premier and opt for the $200 Lifetime deal.

Does anyone feel the same way I do?

- JOhn

innocentfreak · 03-19-2010, 03:54 PM

Some may since TiVo added it. Personally for me it will be the first thing I turn off. I don't watch live tv so having a screen showing what is currently being recorded only spoils the show for later viewing.

It all boils down to how you use a TiVo/DVR imho. I have pretty much always used TiVo so I count on it to always record so I never used it for live tv. Most people I know who started with cable DVRs use it the opposite way where they record little and mainly use it to control live tv. Some of this is obviously personal preference but I also think this has to do with how unreliable early cable DVRs were. As a result they miss things like the picture in guide.

mathwhiz · 03-19-2010, 03:57 PM

I have no desire to upgrade for the UI enhancements. Most of the new features I would never use and to me the new UI is just more clutter on the screen. I do want an HD interface, but I wanted more information on the screen displayed, not the same amount or less with a lot of clutter around it. I could imagine myself turning it off if I ever get a newer TiVo.

aaronwt · 03-19-2010, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HoOn

I bought my TiVo HD XL just 3 months ago and love it but sometimes there are things that I missed on my Cables DVR. Like the ability to watch TV in the background while doing some searches or just playing around with the DVR. The cable DVR has been doing that for many years now and I was disappointed that my HD XL didn't have it... until now.

When Premier was announced I loved the fact that you can now watch TV in the background while doing some TiVo searching. I'm seriously thinking of selling my TiVo HD XL with Lifetime so that I could get the Premier and opt for the $200 Lifetime deal.

Does anyone feel the same way I do?

- JOhn

Yes. I plan on replacing my current six lifetime units with six Premieres with lifetime

innocentfreak · 03-19-2010, 04:42 PM

Are you doing it primarily for the new UI or for the faster hardware and MRV? The new UI interests me but I guess since I am not on a HD set yet since I am waiting for the new Panasonic Plasmas this summer it isn't a motivating factor.

TrueTurbo · 03-19-2010, 04:55 PM

The new HD UI is the primary reason I'm upgrading from my TiVo HD to a Premiere XL. I also like the updated hardware but the UI is what sold it for me.

Dreamin · 03-19-2010, 06:51 PM

Yes, primary reason I upgraded: HD UI.

HoOn · 03-19-2010, 07:28 PM

I guess it really depends on your needs.

IO'll have to check out how much it's worth selling my HD XL + lifetime and see if it's not that bad to upgrade.

monkeydust · 03-19-2010, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathwhiz

I have no desire to upgrade for the UI enhancements. Most of the new features I would never use and to me the new UI is just more clutter on the screen. I do want an HD interface, but I wanted more information on the screen displayed, not the same amount or less with a lot of clutter around it. I could imagine myself turning it off if I ever get a newer TiVo.

This.

I was hoping HD Tivo UI would mean smaller text and much more on screen to minimize scrolling. I don't want all that crap on there. I just want more facts and less fluff.

TrueTurbo · 03-19-2010, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeydust

This.

I was hoping HD Tivo UI would mean smaller text and much more on screen to minimize scrolling. I don't want all that crap on there. I just want more facts and less fluff.

And that's what you get with the HD UI. There IS a lot more info on each screen. The new UI displays on 1 screen what the classic UI displayed on multiple screens.

monkeydust · 03-20-2010, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueTurbo

And that's what you get with the HD UI. There IS a lot more info on each screen. The new UI displays on 1 screen what the classic UI displayed on multiple screens.

I've only seen pictures of the new UI. Where's the classic UI viewed on the Premiere? I can't find any screen captures.

aaronwt · 03-20-2010, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innocentfreak

Are you doing it primarily for the new UI or for the faster hardware and MRV? The new UI interests me but I guess since I am not on a HD set yet since I am waiting for the new Panasonic Plasmas this summer it isn't a motivating factor.

I doing it mainly because TiVo is giving current owners a great deal. I get a discount on the Lifetime of new units, can keep or sell my old units, and can also get a 3 year warranty. So the net cost is minimal to get a new box. Otherwise I'm perfectly happy with my S3 and TiVoHD units and I would only be buying one or possibly two of the new units without the discounts for existing customers.

bkdtv · 03-20-2010, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeydust

I've only seen pictures of the new UI. Where's the classic UI viewed on the Premiere? I can't find any screen captures.

You switch between the new UI and Classic under Messages & Settings -> Restart or Reset system -> Choose HD or Classic menus.

The classic UI looks and functions like the current interface, albeit with additional options and usability enhancements noted in the FAQ.

monkeydust · 03-20-2010, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkdtv

You switch between the new UI and Classic under Messages & Settings -> Restart or Reset system -> Choose HD or Classic menus.

The classic UI looks and functions like the current interface, albeit with additional options and usability enhancements noted in the FAQ.

I looked in the FAQ and didn't see anything for usability enhancements for the classic UI. All I really care about is a smaller, sharper font so I can see more on the screen at once. I have a 70" TV and the current font is unnecessarily large.

slude · 03-20-2010, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueTurbo

And that's what you get with the HD UI. There IS a lot more info on each screen.

In the screenshots I've seen posted, it appears that there is a lot more ancillary info on each screen (e.g. promotional graphic for the series, links to other stuff the actors, director, etc. are involved in and so forth) but it didn't appear that the screens show any more of the core info per-screen. E.g. the screen for what used to be Now Playing did not appear to show more shows per-screen or show more characters within each show's title. In short, it looked like TiVo took the existing non-HD screens and just wrapped new content around them. If you wanted IMDB on your TV, that's great; if you wanted a UI that used the space of HD to reduce navigation requirements then you seem to be SOL.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueTurbo

The new UI displays on 1 screen what the classic UI displayed on multiple screens.

Can you identify an example of this (preferably with links to the published screen shots)?

gweempose · 03-20-2010, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slude

Can you identify an example of this (preferably with links to the published screen shots)?

Unfortunately, I don't have a link at the moment, but there was definitely a video demo I saw where they specifically illustrate how the new HDUI is designed to show more information at once.

classicsat · 03-20-2010, 11:09 AM

Really no. TiVo (at least my Series 2) has reached the point it is just a utility device for me, just recording TV and providing it for viewing anytime. Being I have only satellite and analog broadcast, a Series 3/4 is of no benefit to me.

Not to say I am not intrigued and would not get a Series 4 otherwise.

Lenonn · 03-20-2010, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HoOn

I bought my TiVo HD XL just 3 months ago and love it but sometimes there are things that I missed on my Cables DVR. Like the ability to watch TV in the background while doing some searches or just playing around with the DVR. The cable DVR has been doing that for many years now and I was disappointed that my HD XL didn't have it... until now.

When Premier was announced I loved the fact that you can now watch TV in the background while doing some TiVo searching. I'm seriously thinking of selling my TiVo HD XL with Lifetime so that I could get the Premier and opt for the $200 Lifetime deal.

Does anyone feel the same way I do?

- JOhn

Do the enhancements make me want to upgrade? Yes.

Will I upgrade? No. Two TiVo HD's, a Series 3 and a Series 2 are enough. There's not enough of a difference between the old models and the new one to justify this.

nrc · 03-20-2010, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slude

In the screenshots I've seen posted, it appears that there is a lot more ancillary info on each screen (e.g. promotional graphic for the series, links to other stuff the actors, director, etc. are involved in and so forth) but it didn't appear that the screens show any more of the core info per-screen. E.g. the screen for what used to be Now Playing did not appear to show more shows per-screen or show more characters within each show's title. In short, it looked like TiVo took the existing non-HD screens and just wrapped new content around them. If you wanted IMDB on your TV, that's great; if you wanted a UI that used the space of HD to reduce navigation requirements then you seem to be SOL.

Can you identify an example of this (preferably with links to the published screen shots)?

Here are some examples from betanews.com screen shots.

Here's the new TiVo Central. Notice that in this example, when you've chosen "Find TV, etc..." you now have the option to navigate to the next menu to the right instead of having to go to a new screen.

Here's an example from "My Shows". Some of the information about the program is now available on screen instead of having to select the show. There's also quite a bit more room there for show titles, at least to my eye.

Here's a link to a demo by TiVoPony on the betanews site where you can see some of this in action.
http://www.betanews.com/article/Excl...ace/1267653389

drewba · 03-20-2010, 10:16 PM

I'm just not a fan of how busy the home page is. I'm glad that the 'picture in list/guide' can be turned off, but I really wish that whole top banner could be turned off. I'd much rather have the extra real estate to display more shows in My Shows.

The integration of Netflix, upcoming shows and Amazon VOD is nice though.

riekl · 03-21-2010, 08:04 PM

Until they refresh the guide with something that isn't from 1999 I'll pass ..

innocentfreak · 03-21-2010, 08:10 PM

so you are just waiting for screen shots of the new guide then to make your decisipon? Since it has yet to be shown yet, I am guessing that is what you mean. Any pictures of the guide you have seen are from the original UI because it wasn't finished when they showed it as they said in the video.

riekl · 03-21-2010, 08:11 PM

innocent -- No, they haven't even started to work on the guide. The new UI that is coming in April will still have the old crappy guide from 1999

gweempose · 03-21-2010, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riekl

The new UI that is coming in April will still have the old crappy guide from 1999

I'm hoping, at least at some point, that TiVo will offer way more customization when it comes to the guide. Even the StarSight guide in my TV from the mid 90s allowed you to change the channel order.

innocentfreak · 03-21-2010, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riekl

innocent -- No, they haven't even started to work on the guide. The new UI that is coming in April will still have the old crappy guide from 1999

And you know they haven't started on it how?

DCIFRTHS · 03-22-2010, 02:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drewba

I'm just not a fan of how busy the home page is. I'm glad that the 'picture in list/guide' can be turned off, but I really wish that whole top banner could be turned off. I'd much rather have the extra real estate to display more shows in My Shows.

Agreed. Way too busy. Additionally, the horizontal advertisement bar consumes 25% of the screen...

ZeoTiVo · 03-22-2010, 09:39 AM

Moxi has won emmys for their UI

atmuscarella · 03-22-2010, 09:52 AM

I pretty much record shows and watch them with my DVRs and that's about it. So I find the UI to be next to irrelevant for the way I use a DVR. The TiVo HD is very responsive and I don't see any increase in speed mattering much - the Series 2 TiVos are a little slower loading the IU but after that respond plenty fast enough. I did want to upgrade the Series 2 I use for OTA but ended up ordering a refurbished Series 3 instead of buying a new Tivo Premiere. If they had a TiVo with a Blu-ray player in it I would have been very interested in that.

Thanks,

LoneWolf15 · 03-22-2010, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeoTiVo

Moxi has won emmys for their UI

If off-topic posting could have an award, I'd nominate you.

Tivo has won an Emmy as well.

aaronwt · 03-22-2010, 09:56 AM

What were the EMMYs for?