[bedge]

I feel I have to say something as all I've seen are glowing reviews of the r15, and I hate it.
I've had a tivo series 2 for a long time and just got an R15.
Here is a short list of the some of the things that I do not like about the it or that I miss from the series 2.

- Cannot use web to search from programming and add it to dvr todo list.
- When deleting a show from mneu, always goes to top of list instead of leaving selection bar where it was. This results in lots of scrolling when deleting things.
- Cannot correctly determine whether shows are 1st run or not. tivo could.
- Cannot tell whether many shows are part of a series or not.
- Cannot turn off PIP window while using menus. Very annoying.
- Menu is unresponsive for long periods, 30 sec or so.
- Does not have suggestion lists, thumbs up/down, or autorecording of generated suggestions.
- FF/Play/RW not as responsive as tivo. Commercial skip much more cumbersome.Does not back up with you go froom FF to play, so you have to back up manually. Also audio comes on seconds after play is hit.


In my opinion, the above list renders the R15 borderline unusable compared to a series 2 tivo.
There, I'm done venting. I'm sure others love it and I'll get flamed for being anti the new snazzy kid on the block, but this thing is just a royal PITA to use.

-Bruce

 

[coolbreeze]

Just return the R15, get the R10 (before they are all gone) and be done with it.

 

[ebonovic]

I feel I have to say something as all I've seen are glowing reviews of the r15, and I hate it.
I've had a tivo series 2 for a long time and just got an R15.
Here is a short list of the some of the things that I do not like about the it or that I miss from the series 2.

- Cannot use web to search from programming and add it to dvr todo list.
- When deleting a show from mneu, always goes to top of list instead of leaving selection bar where it was. This results in lots of scrolling when deleting things.
- Cannot correctly determine whether shows are 1st run or not. tivo could.
- Cannot tell whether many shows are part of a series or not.
- Cannot turn off PIP window while using menus. Very annoying.
- Menu is unresponsive for long periods, 30 sec or so.
- Does not have suggestion lists, thumbs up/down, or autorecording of generated suggestions.
- FF/Play/RW not as responsive as tivo. Commercial skip much more cumbersome.Does not back up with you go froom FF to play, so you have to back up manually. Also audio comes on seconds after play is hit.

In my opinion, the above list renders the R15 borderline unusable compared to a series 2 tivo.
There, I'm done venting. I'm sure others love it and I'll get flamed for being anti the new snazzy kid on the block, but this thing is just a royal PITA to use.

-Bruce

Hmm... not to pick on you, but the R15 discussion was moved off the TIVO board to the www.dbstalk.com

And I wouldn't say any of the reviews where "glowing', not even the one I did... since I tried just to list the facts as much as possible... BUT: To your points:

1) Web programming.... Last time I checked, you can't do that on a TiVo either.. unless it was hacked to do so.
2) TiVo does a MUCH better job in this category, but it does mess up too... The R15 has a shortcoming in this category. (Which IS a big deal, and one that I expect DirecTV to fix in the very near future)
3) Actually... it kinda does... if it gives you the option to setup a Series Link (auto record), then it is part of a series... Very same thing the TiVo does (aka, doesn't show a Season Pass option when it is not a series show)
4) Well... Okay... That feature doesn't work for you, but I would have to say that is in the top 10 complaints about TiVo (the lack of that PIP box)
5) And TiVo is quick? The R15s menu is significantly quicker then the TiVos
6) Copywrited and Patent features of the TiVo software... Until someone figures out another way to do it, or TiVo allows those features to be licensed, you will see either this feature omitted or in a very different fashion in just about every other DVR out their (your point is still valid though, just wanted to point out the fact that TiVo holds the patens for that)
7) Did you receive the software update last week? 109a ? That fixes a good chunk of the "slowness" in the response time of the remote. Still no auto-rollback as the TiVo has... but I would have to think that too is a patented item of the TiVo software.

Please head over to www.dbstalk.com or forums.directv.com for more discussion.

 

[nhaigh]

1) Web programming.... Last time I checked, you can't do that on a TiVo either.. unless it was hacked to do so.

I figured the OP had a real SA TiVo rather than a DirecTiVo and moved to the R15 in which case he would have been able to do things like this without hacking.

 

[ebonovic]

Ahh... that would make sense.... but he didn't list that you can record two things at once...

 

[bedge]

Well I feel much better now. I got a $99 credit from directtv for the r15 being such a piece of [email protected], combined with the rebate means I'm out $0 for the R15.
Got a new series 2 from Circuit city for $25 and it's beautiful, like getting an old friend back.
I thought that the 2 channel recording capability would be worth it to go to the R15, no way. I'm sticking to the tivo brand units. Having a couple of those with the home networking option is basically the same as 2 channel capability anyway, you just have to watch what you record where. That and _far_ more usable than the r15.

If I can save someone the pain of finding out the hard way that r15's are evil, then this post is worth it.

-Bruce

 

[bedge]

I figured the OP had a real SA TiVo rather than a DirecTiVo and moved to the R15 in which case he would have been able to do things like this without hacking.

The web programming worht with any series 2 that has a USB NIC, it even emails you with confirmation:

Hello,

We have received your request for a Season Pass to "24" on Channel 11
for Sun 1/15 at 8:00 PM.

Priority: Only record if nothing else conflicts
Quality: Use the default on the DVR

Keep Until: Space needed
Keep At Most: 5 episodes
Show Type: Repeats & first run
Start Recording: On Time
Stop Recording: On Time

The next time your "master bedroom" DVR connects to the TiVo service,
it will receive this request and send you another e-mail with the
results. You can always see the status of your requests by checking
your TiVo Messages and the To Do List or Recording History.

Best regards,

TiVo
-Bruce

 

[bedge]

Just return the R15, get the R10 (before they are all gone) and be done with it.

I found out that the R10 doesn't work with the USB NICs either. What's wrong with directtv? That is functionality that tivo's have had for a year now.

 

[tbeckner]

I found out that the R10 doesn't work with the USB NICs either. What's wrong with directtv? That is functionality that tivo's have had for a year now.

Actually the PRE-"R10" Series 2 DirecTiVos have all the TiVo capability except the TiVo based TiVo2Go, they just have to be manually hacked.

 

[ebonovic]

I found out that the R10 doesn't work with the USB NICs either. What's wrong with directtv? That is functionality that tivo's have had for a year now.

Oh and per the latest releases from DirecTV (at CES)..

That R15 that you returned... may soon use that USB NIC for functionality very soon with the launch of DirecTV 2 Go

 

[Billy66]

I found out that the R10 doesn't work with the USB NICs either. What's wrong with directtv? That is functionality that tivo's have had for a year now.

The R10 is a TiVo unit.

 

[rick31621]

Well I feel much better now. I got a $99 credit from directtv for the r15 being such a piece of [email protected], combined with the rebate means I'm out $0 for the R15.
Got a new series 2 from Circuit city for $25 and it's beautiful, like getting an old friend back.
I thought that the 2 channel recording capability would be worth it to go to the R15, no way. I'm sticking to the tivo brand units. Having a couple of those with the home networking option is basically the same as 2 channel capability anyway, you just have to watch what you record where. That and _far_ more usable than the r15.

If I can save someone the pain of finding out the hard way that r15's are evil, then this post is worth it.

-Bruce

Thanks for the info Bruce.
I too purchased the R15 and disconnected it after just 2 days and replaced it with another R10. . It is a POS!
Mine is sitting in the closet but I will try to get D* to buy it back as you did.

 

[bedge]

Oh and per the latest releases from DirecTV (at CES)..

That R15 that you returned... may soon use that USB NIC for functionality very soon with the launch of DirecTV 2 Go

I still have it, after all it's was free. If they ever fix the software so it doesn't make me want to bite myself I may try it again.