[Troy J]

for me, using the cable providers box would be less expensive, and the guide more accurate.

while i dislike the performance and user interface of the cable provider box, it wouldn't take much to push me to switch, especially when there are advantages to be gained, along with disadvantages to lose.

I 100% agree, I'm not a fan of my cable providers UI, but... I can start to get over it the more these things happen.

Maybe, just one big difference. If your cable provider box doesn't have theses commercials and TiVo/Rovi does. I say that's one big difference.

heh fair point! And yet one less reason to keep my TiVo going...

 

[kdmorse]

It's been fascinating to watch what a serious blow this has been to the WAF in many households.

I'm not happy. My friends are not happy. But we like our Tivo's. We'll live. (Although we may be researching alternatives, and may try some as experiments before we jump to the Edge).

My friend's wives are not happy, and the subject of "Why do we even use Tivo's instead of normal DVRs?" has become a common weekend discussion.

 

[Mikeguy]

My friend's wives are not happy, and the subject of "Why do we even use Tivo's instead of normal DVRs?" has become a common weekend discussion.

That's not good news for TiVo to hear.

 

[Troy J]

My friend's wives are not happy, and the subject of "Why do we even use Tivo's instead of normal DVRs?" has become a common weekend discussion.

What's worse, you no longer have a decent response.

 

[chrishicks]

I just can't wrap my head around the "bring on the ads, we welcome our new Tivo ad generating god!!" logic that some people have. If it was Comcast who did this stupid idea everyone would be grabbing their pitchforks but because it's Tivo it's fine and dandy. It makes no sense at all unless they're just trolling for amusement.

 

[Fofer]

What's worse, you no longer have a decent response.

Having used quite a few "normal DVRs" I can easily respond, there remains significant differences when it comes to overall UX.

The TiVo platform still enjoys important differences that relate to overall usability, reliability, expandability and control.

 

[krkaufman]

If it was Comcast who did this

... I'd use Advance or Skip to jump over the commercials.

 

[kdmorse]

I just can't wrap my head around the "bring on the ads, we welcome our new Tivo ad generating god!!" logic that some people have. If it was Comcast who did this stupid idea everyone would be grabbing their pitchforks but because it's Tivo it's fine and dandy. It makes no sense at all unless they're just trolling for amusement.

This thread is now 1287 posts long. Everyone who is going to rant, has ranted. Everyone who is going to grab pitchfork has grabbed a pitchfork, waved it around, and their arms are tired. Everyone who is going to consider alternatives, are now in other threads considering alternatives.

I mean, we could keep ranting in a circle. Every time someone says they don't dislike pre-roll ads - we could try to stab them with a pichfork through the internet, but at some point, why?

 

[krkaufman]

This thread is now 1287 posts long. Everyone who is going to rant, has ranted. Everyone who is going to grab pitchfork has grabbed a pitchfork, waved it around, and their arms are tired. Everyone who is going to consider alternatives, are now in other threads considering alternatives.

I mean, we could keep ranting in a circle. Every time someone says they don't dislike pre-roll ads - we could try to stab them with a pichfork through the internet, but at some point, why?

Because better here than in some other thread?

 

[kdmorse]

Having used quite a few "normal DVRs" I can easily respond, there remains significant differences when it comes to overall UX. The TiVo still enjoys important differences that relate to overall usability, reliability, and control.

Yah, it was fun watching that exact argument go south on them.

Since TE4 (and they've all switched to TE4 for various reasons) - the UX difference between the current X1 and the Tivo has shrunk more than a bit. Those who appreciated the UX of TE3, especially over a regular DVR - now kinda isn't thrilled with TE4, and figures screw it, they're all the same.

Reliability, well, they've all suffered a rash of Bolt hard disk failures. Now, they've never experienced a rash of Comcast DVR hard disk failures so they don't actually know that Comcast DVR's are usually worse, but they all have Bolt HD failures (which are no different than Unit Failures) fresh in their minds.

And further, the mention of reliability also unleashed a string of complaints of missed recordings (All guide data related), which spiked dramatically post Rovi conversion - complete with recent (and valid) complaints. All cases where their friends "Regular DVR"s had no problems recording their shows, but the fancy expensive Tivo blew it.

It's really, really has become a harder argument than it used to be.

 

[omelet1978]

Honestly, the combination of no Live Guide and now these pre-ads is a bitter pill to swallow for me and TE4.

I’m sticking with TE3 and honestly it’s still a clean and simple interface that I don’t mind using for a few more years. Also rumor has it the pre-ads aren’t going to be on this software version.

 

[krkaufman]

Also rumor has it the pre-ads aren't going to be on this software version.

More an official statement, if qualified, by a TiVo representative than rumor.

 

[Bigg]

I'm glad I kept TE3. It works fine, and I see no reason to give up the same basic interface I've used since I've had an S2.

 

[ufo4sale]

If this doesn't kill TiVo then NOTHING will!!!

 

[pldoolittle]

for me, using the cable providers box would be less expensive, and the guide more accurate.

while i dislike the performance and user interface of the cable provider box, it wouldn't take much to push me to switch, especially when there are advantages to be gained, along with disadvantages to lose.

This. The balance is tipping away from TiVo feature by feature.

Video apps like Netflix and hulu? Roku, firestick, et.al. have them.

Video on demand? Roku, et.al.

Capital expense? Other devices are cheaper, even when added together.

Recurring expense? A wash.

UI? TE 3 is superior, TE4 is a wash.

Global search? Tivo, by a hair. Very buggy.

At this point our only stickies are 1) we own it already and 2) familiarity.

 

[Lurker1]

At this point our only stickies are 1) we own it already and 2) familiarity.

This. All TiVo had to do was not motivate me to switch. And yet here we are.

 

[Fofer]

Honestly, the combination of no Live Guide and now these pre-ads is a bitter pill to swallow for me and TE4.

But TE4 users can opt out of these pre-ads, so really, it's just about no Live Guide.
Which is a fine reason if that's a priority to you. But it seems weird to list pre-ads as a deal-breaker when those pre-ads can be disabled.

The loss of integrated auto comskip along with CEC remote control would be too bitter of a pill to swallow, for me to downgrade back to TE3. I *vastly* prefer the TE4 interface. TE3 feels antiquated and embarrassing by comparison. And so it goes...

 

[aristoBrat]

It's been fascinating to watch what a serious blow this has been to the WAF in many households.

I think it would be far more fascinating to actually switch those households to another brand DVR for at least a month and then have them report back about "acceptability factor" impacts.

 

[HerronScott]

It's been fascinating to watch what a serious blow this has been to the WAF in many households.

I'm not happy. My friends are not happy. But we like our Tivo's. We'll live. (Although we may be researching alternatives, and may try some as experiments before we jump to the Edge).

My friend's wives are not happy, and the subject of "Why do we even use Tivo's instead of normal DVRs?" has become a common weekend discussion.

Have you called to opt out yet (same for your friend's)?

Scott

 

[Joe3]

But TE4 users can opt out of these pre-ads, so really, it's just about no Live Guide.
Which is a fine reason if that's a priority to you. But it seems weird to list pre-ads as a deal-breaker when those pre-ads can be disabled.

The loss of integrated auto comskip along with CEC remote control would be too bitter of a pill to swallow, for me to downgrade back to TE3. I *vastly* prefer the TE4 interface. TE3 feels antiquated and embarrassing by comparison. And so it goes...

Embarrassing?
Com'on~

And your forgetting transfers enabled TE3. Not so embarrassing when it allows you to off load to create more space on a perfectly good TiVo drive for the fall's new shows. It's also not embarrassing not to lose your recording when you have the freedom to off load all of your recordings to transfer them back when you upgrade to TE3 from TE4.

As it is often said, different strokes for different folks.