[AutoJames]

i installed a new DirectTivo for my sister in law last night. They got a new one from Best Buy and though it still had a TiVO symbol on the box, there was nothing TiVO about it.

Am i over reacting to the interface? Do I just think it's horrible because I am so used to the TiVO interface of the previous versions? Or is it truly as horrific as I think?

Things that were a single button push away with the old system are buried 2 or 3 levels deep in little menus. Things that were 2 button pushes away in TiVO are buried even deeper and require the use of unlabeled color buttons to get to.

And if possible the menu navigation is even slower than on the Series2 devices.

Can this really be the device that they have been working on for so long? If so then their IT department needs a house cleaning, or perhaps they just need to hire some interface designers away from TiVO

My visceral reaction to the thing is so intense at this moment that when I have to give up my Series2 at some time in the future, unless they have fixed this garbage I'm going to either go with Cable or go with a separate TiVO even with the increased cost...

DTV laid an egg with this new device as far as I'm concerned...

 

[stevel]

It seems unlikely that there was a TiVo logo on the box. Are you sure?

 

[Gunnyman]

My R15 was in a white and blue box no Tivo logo anywhere.

 

[srs5694]

It seems unlikely that there was a TiVo logo on the box. Are you sure?

Compare the box to the box's contents. It's conceivable that somebody bought two devices, returned one to the store in the other's box, and that the store then resold the thing without checking its contents too closely. If so, the device should definitely be returned to the store for replacement with a new (unopened) DirecTiVo.

 

[Rax]

R15s don't have TiVo logos on them.

 

[AutoJames]

well, she said there was a TiVO on the box, but they were looking at several different ones and so the one they finally got probably wasn't that then.

But that doesn't change the fact that it's a poor substitute at best.

Am I missing some wonderfulness about this new box?

 

[Steve1212]

well, she said there was a TiVO on the box, but they were looking at several different ones and so the one they finally got probably wasn't that then.

But that doesn't change the fact that it's a poor substitute at best.

Am I missing some wonderfulness about this new box?

Nope the R15 sucks badly. It is a cheap knock-off. Directv needs to rethink releasing the HR20-250 and stop making the R15 and sign back up with TiVo.

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

You take that back! The R15 is the greatest thing since sliced DVRs! I'm so glad D* dropped the cartoonish TiVo and went with an Adult DVR!

Sorry, I was just channeling my inner cmtar.

 

[Gunnyman]

:up:
Very funny, now i have to clean off my LCD screen.

 

[ebonovic]

Should I chime in?

Nah... I stay out of this one.

As for any other "TiVo" powered products... not going to happen.

 

[tomo_kun]

The R15 is not that bad people. It records all of my progams nicely, i actually like the non auto correcting fastforward/rewind, and i deffinaitly prefer the guide over the TiVo guide (I prefer to have the small box instead of having the guide infront).

 

[tbeckner]

You take that back! The R15 is the greatest thing since sliced DVRs! I'm so glad D* dropped the cartoonish TiVo and went with an Adult DVR!

Sorry, I was just channeling my inner cmtar.

I really bet that any previous long term user of a TiVo would NOT make that strong of a statement. Any new GUI interface that isn't almost 7 years old (98SE compared to Vista) would have to improve. Especially since the development and GUI tools would have improved greatly, as an example Visual Basic 6.0 and Visual Basic 2005.

But even more importantly, it is what happens inside the DVR that makes it the useful tool. If I had a DVR that (as reported by R15 users as a problem, see other forum) would not record some Season Passes for no apparent reason, after a few of months of fighting that problem that DVR would be toast (either sent back, sold, or used for parts), no matter how nice the GUI was, and I would not buy another DVR that used that same software. If I remember from the NDS forums, that specific problem has been reported for years with their software and the problem has never been resolved. Let us all hope for the sake of the R15 users that NDS finally fixes this long term problem. I did notice in a quote from a NDS/DirecTV spokesperson that "They had not identified that problem, yet? or a statement somewhat like that.

One last thought, a sliced DVR wouldn't work really well.

Additional Edit:

I have no real first hand experience with the R15, but it is very unlikely that I will ever have first hand experience with that box, for many reasons far too numerous to cover in this post.

 

[austin61]

My R15 was in a white and blue box no Tivo logo anywhere.

Gunny, You have an R15? When's the zipper for that coming out?

 

[Gunnyman]

Gunny, You have an R15? When's the zipper for that coming out?

10th of Neveruary.

 

[Billy Bob Boy]

You take that back! The R15 is the greatest thing since sliced DVRs! I'm so glad D* dropped the cartoonish TiVo and went with an Adult DVR!

Sorry, I was just channeling my inner cmtar.

He should be by soon. Heaven forbib you say anything bad about D*!! Is he ruperts son? Does his mother work there? Perhaps his uncle? He does not work there! He has no stock! His Girlfriend or her boyfriend perhaps? The Cmtar D* love affair mystery. Fess up! Why you luv dem so much and why cant anyone say anything bad.

Wait I got it. Cmtar's real name is John Direc Teevee (therefore every bad thing said is a direc insult) Actually his or her name is D* (the artist formally known as Directeevee!)

Sorry Cmtar jus some Humor

 

[Billy Bob Boy]

I really bet that any previous long term user of a TiVo would NOT make that strong of a statement. Any new GUI interface that isn't almost 7 years old (98SE compared to Vista) would have to improve. Especially since the development and GUI tools would have improved greatly, as an example Visual Basic 6.0 and Visual Basic 2005.

But even more importantly, it is what happens inside the DVR that makes it the useful tool. If I had a DVR that (as reported by R15 users as a problem, see other forum) would not record some Season Passes for no apparent reason, after a few of months of fighting that problem that DVR would be toast (either sent back, sold, or used for parts), no matter how nice the GUI was, and I would not buy another DVR that used that same software. If I remember from the NDS forums, that specific problem has been reported for years with their software and the problem has never been resolved. Let us all hope for the sake of the R15 users that NDS finally fixes this long term problem. I did notice in a quote from a NDS/DirecTV spokesperson that "They had not identified that problem, yet? or a statement somewhat like that.

One last thought, a sliced DVR wouldn't work really well.

Additional Edit:

I have no real first hand experience with the R15, but it is very unlikely that I will ever have first hand experience with that box, for many reasons far too numerous to cover in this post.

Yikes!! Never heard of sarcasm have we! check out the last line of spacemans post and put 2 and 2 together

 

[Billy Bob Boy]

Should I chime in?

Nah... I stay out of this one.

As for any other "TiVo" powered products... not going to happen.

I hope not I was looking forward to the tivo Coffe maker, The tivo powered litterbox( It skips past the Poop), The The 2006 Tivo Barretta hardtop coupe( It skips pastt the cops) and the Tivo Coffin(It skips past everything )

 

[austin61]

10th of Neveruary.

I guess I'll wait until then to pick one up.
What are your thoughts on the R15?

 

[Gunnyman]

It ain't a Tivo...
It's a great sat receiver that happens to be a DVR.
A Dtivo is a great DVR that happens to be a sat receiver.

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

Interesting comparison there.