A DVR is only as good as...

What is the point of creating a brand new thread to state the obvious?

This has been beaten to death a thousand of times in hundreds of threads. We know.

 

Totally agree with the OP, didn't renew my Bolt subscription because of the guide mess and if my Roamios weren't lifetime I would let them expire also.

 

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Unfortunately, after making some initial fixes, it doesn't seem TiVo has been able to do anything about the quality. In fact, I see things TiVo/Rovi fixed early on reverting back to being wrong again. I think it is about time to accept the data is just going to continue to be terrible. The fact that TiVo isn't assuring customers they are working to improve the data pretty much tells us all we need to know about future quality.

Personally, I am switching to Directv or a streaming service next year most likely. I've been with TiVo since almost the beginning of the company but TV is moving in a different direction and TiVo can't even get the basic things correct like guide data.

 

For me, Roamio Basic in Los Angeles using an Antenna the transition has not been that bad. The guide is Not as good as it has been, but Everything I wanted recorded has been.

TiVo is saving me $60-85 per month compared to cabletv, feels good.

 

I still think TiVo should go ahead and support a "social media" guide data mechanism. People could "tweet" corrections to the RoVi data, others could "like" the corrections if they agree with them, and any TiVo user could optionally enable the augmented social media guide data and specify how many likes they need in order to trust the contributors. Contributors who correct the most RoVi data each month would be in line for prizes .

 

At the risk of being flamed for even broaching the subject, the switch to Rovi by Microsoft caused me a lot of heartache with my WMC PC initially. I started using a program called EPG123 that allows me to import guide data from Schedules Direct into WMC. Schedules Direct gets the guide data from Tribune Media/Zap2it so I get to enjoy the same quality guide data that Tivo users previously enjoyed. I won't rehash the pros and cons of WMC vs. Tivo because that's been done to death and I have no desire to reopen that wound. I pay an annual fee of $25 to Schedules Direct and I can use the data on every HTPC in my home. I get data for both FIOS and all local OTA channels integrated into the same guide.

 

TiVo doesn't even have a mechanism in place to push out guide updates in a timely manner (like for last minute updates). So, I don't see how a community managed guide would help in any way. Plus, TiVo is in the guide business now. They certainly can't use non-TiVo/Rovi guide data on their own products.

 

Sorry to be a downer, but the problem is Rovi bought Tivo, not the other way around. Rovi management has never had any interest in providing quality data. I have no reason to believe they'll start now. I hope I'm wrong, but including the WMC fiasco, they've already had more than a year to clean up their act, yet haven't done a damn thing. Our expectation that Tivo users would put more pressure on them hasn't panned out. Quality just isn't in their DNA. This half-baked database is the new normal I'm afraid.

 

I called in yesterday to ask for an ETA on all the OTT seasons that have been missing since the Rovi cutover. They wouldn't provide an ETA but acknowledged it's been escalated.

Hopefully they aren't just restoring the data integration, but they are also building a real-time integration (i.e. no more 3 day wait for a new OTT season to popup in 1P.)

 

The OTA data seems fairly accurate, but I think the really big problems are for those with cable TV service.

 

Could this be Rovi's/TiVo's way of "clearing the room"? People become disgusted and leave TiVo so that when Rovi does pull the plug on RETAIL TiVo's, it won't seem as bad or not really missed that much?

It's as if Rovi, now TiVo managemnt, does not have the long term (they know they are losing subscribers because of this) as its concern, just getting with little effort and cost on the EPG for the long term, but instead just keeps things afloat until that day comes when the bell tolls for TiVo reatail DVR's.

 

The MSO TiVo's use the same guide data don't they so this doesn't really make sense unless they want to lose the MSO customers as well.

Scott

 

I have 2 Roamios and a Premiere and have yet to have a missed recording or any other guide data issues after the move, the first week or so was rough, but in general no difference to me other than the quality of the synopsis having gone downhill, but it's not the end of the world in my experience.

 

I don't know if this is what you're talking about, but I'm not a fan of the description for a show or movie saying it's "based on the great [insert genre here] novel" or "a heartfelt comedy-drama" or similar. But in the grand scheme of (TiVo) things, it's really nothing. As long as the program data is correct and I know what's on when, I'm fine. Which has been the case for me since the switch (FiOS in NYC).

 

For many years I have recommended Tivo to family and friends, with some making the move. Sadly, today I can no longer recommend Tivo to even my enemies! The guide data is so messed up, I may, unfortunately, move on to something else myself. If they don't get this fixed, and soon, it likely will be the final nail in Tivo's coffin. This is unfortunate, since Tivo has been the premiere DVR (since I had to give up my ReplayTV) for a long time. Also, lifetime cost is now out of reach for most potential users. Why pay that much money for garbage guide data? This has got to be really bad for business. RIP Tivo. It's been a good ride.

 

What really cracks me up is that (TiVo) spent much $$ on discovery tech, and Rovi drop's the ball on the simple, basic, and obvious cost effective discovery tool, the synopsis!

It's like buying a Tesla, and finding the new owners of the company feel that wheels are optional, and who is going to notice or complain about the wheels. No big deal, and who will really make a fuss in this day and age if they don't work right. "Go figure"

I mean, bad as this new description is, it's worse when you barely can read half the synopsis to make sense of it before it cut's out at mid sentence, leaving the subscriber wondering what the program is about. I am surprised that channels with new programs aren't complaining!

 

Same here. I didn't even notice the descriptions went downhill, but I haven't been paying attention either.