[Mikeguy]

Personally, I don't find the TE3 UI ugly at all, and only antiquated in looks, perhaps, as Windows 7 is. I also have heard people say before that it doesn't use big screen real estate well, but it seems to use the full real estate for me, and well. I do like the sleekness of the TE4, but I'm just not willing to lose the Live Guide, show transferability, and Suggestions for the sleekness* (fortunately, SkipMode is close enough to AutoSkip for me, and my a/v components have their own CEC capability).

* Change that, TiVo, and I'm in.

 

[spiderpumpkin]

But it's still very ugly and antiquated looking, it's use of big screen real estate is cringeworthy, and it's lack of new features (like CEC and auto comskip) make it a non-starter for me.

The majority of recordings are not processed for skip and some that should be get missed.

 

[spiderpumpkin]

You don't really have to flip through the menus, just use the voice feature. It's almost flawless taking you to settings and features.

Sounds horrid. I'd hate to sit there saying words into the remote while watching tv with others. A silent button push or two is far less intrusive than constantly talking to a remote.

 

[Bigg]

But it's still very ugly and antiquated looking.

I suppose aesthetics is subjective, but that's an extremely harsh assessment of TE3, and I would vehemently disagree. I don't find it to waste space on my 65" Samsung UHDTV, I find it offers just what I need and doesn't clutter the screen up with useless crap.

 

[Fofer]

The majority of recordings are not processed for skip and some that should be get missed.

The majority of YOUR recordings, maybe. Not mine.

 

[spiderpumpkin]

The majority of YOUR recordings, maybe. Not mine.

BOOM

 

[Joe3]

But it's still very ugly and antiquated looking, it's use of big screen real estate is cringeworthy, and its lack of new features (like CEC and auto comskip) make it a non-starter for me.

Some of us don't want to date it.

 

[NashGuy]

I have all the TiVo sounds turned off, and why would you need an "Exit" button? Live TV is the sort of default that the thing is spitting out 24/7. What are you even exiting TO? It doesn't even make any sense in the paradigm of a DVR. I've only been using TiVo since 2004, and I can't figure out why the hell you would have an "Exit" button on a DVR? There's Back, TiVo, Live TV, but why Exit?

Because sometimes when you're playing a recording, or you're watching live TV but you're behind the timeline, you go into the TiVo menu system for some reason. And then you want to exit out of that back to what you were watching. Pressing Live TV will dump you out of a recording into, uh, live TV. And if you were already watching live TV but were behind the timeline, doesn't it jump you up to present time?

Again, TiVo has finally relented and followed suit with virtually every other DVR in existence by putting an Exit button on their Android TV/IPTV remotes. "Live TV" and "Exit" are not the same thing, as evidenced by the fact that lots of DVR remotes have both buttons.

Now, I'm not saying that there aren't improvements they could make, like, oh, user profiles, or better HD/SD recording options on OnePass, or a plethora of other things, but what I AM saying is that no other DVR has come close to the UI/UX of a TiVo, and very, very few consumer electronics devices are 100% user intuitive like a TiVo. TE3 is fundamentally the same UI that they've been using since 1999, but they fixed many of the weird or illogical quirks that it's had over the years, and today's TE3 is a very mature, refined interface for a DVR.

Which is why TiVo, after a lot of market research, decided to dump TE3 and go with a heavily revamped TE4. Got it.

 

[Fofer]

Some of us don't want to date it.

Yes, but all of us look at it, and spend money on TVs (often with big screens with higher and higher resolutions) in order to navigate, find and start content from it.

 

[snerd]

Some of us don't want to date it.

So just a one-night stand?

 

[aaronwt]

I suppose aesthetics is subjective, but that's an extremely harsh assessment of TE3, and I would vehemently disagree. I don't find it to waste space on my 65" Samsung UHDTV, I find it offers just what I need and doesn't clutter the screen up with useless crap.

I spent over an hour this week messing with TE3, on my last lifetime Premiere that I dusted off. Ooof!! I could not stand messing with that UI. It is just terrible in functionality and aesthetics when compared to TE4. Just about everything I messed with is better or much easier to do in TE4.

 

[Mikeguy]

I spent over an hour this week messing with TE3, on my last lifetime Premiere that I dusted off. Ooof!! I could not stand messing with that UI. It is just terrible in functionality and aesthetics when compared to TE4. Just about everything I messed with is better or much easier to do in TE4.

Like Suggestions, the Live Guide, and transfers. *

* I apologize, I couldn't resist.

 

[Fofer]

I happily sacrifice those features which I don’t use or care about, for a UI and UX that doesn’t look like it’s stuck in 1999.

 

[Mikeguy]

As I use those functions, it's function over form (which I indeed find fine enough--far from 199, lol). But certainly, if there's no use for the functions, no need to stay with them and the UI.

 

[Fofer]

Yeah, I use CEC and auto-comskip every day, every time I watch anything, so I know what you mean

 

[krkaufman]

So is there something happening with ads on TiVos?

 

[Fofer]

Yeah, pre-rolls on TE4 for now, that you can opt-out of by calling when they appear on your box.

 

[Bigg]

Because sometimes when you're playing a recording, or you're watching live TV but you're behind the timeline, you go into the TiVo menu system for some reason. And then you want to exit out of that back to what you were watching. Pressing Live TV will dump you out of a recording into, uh, live TV. And if you were already watching live TV but were behind the timeline, doesn't it jump you up to present time?

Yeah, Live TV sends you back to live. If I want to go back to something that's on live, I record it, so that I can go back to the recording. I have the live window on TiVo Central turned off, I just find it annoying on OTA, so I don't have something to Zoom in and out of. It was OK on cable, as I'd put CNN or MSNBC or something up there that was just sort of background.

Again, TiVo has finally relented and followed suit with virtually every other DVR in existence by putting an Exit button on their Android TV/IPTV remotes. "Live TV" and "Exit" are not the same thing, as evidenced by the fact that lots of DVR remotes have both buttons.

I don't see the point. I love TiVo, but let's be real, since they rolled out the Haxe re-write with DTA back in late 2013, nothing significant has changed or improved in TiVo's software, and that's a good thing (other than not having user profiles GRRRR). There's really nothing that can or should be changed in the current TE3 software, which hasn't really changed since 2013. The hardware, while much faster on paper, hasn't really gained functionality since the Premiere, other than various HDD and tuner configurations, and a few lucky ducks on FiOS who can get 4k with the Bolt.

Which is why TiVo, after a lot of market research, decided to dump TE3 and go with a heavily revamped TE4. Got it.

They probably wanted something fancy to show off to investors and MSOs, even though for users, TE3 is excellent, and there is no need to change much of anything, other than adding new features (I'm looking at you, user profiles).

I spent over an hour this week messing with TE3, on my last lifetime Premiere that I dusted off. Ooof!! I could not stand messing with that UI. It is just terrible in functionality and aesthetics when compared to TE4. Just about everything I messed with is better or much easier to do in TE4.

I've never had a TE4 box, I see no need for it, but how can TE3 possibly be bad? It does exactly what a DVR should, with no fuss, with a very easy to use interface. Everything just makes sense. It's like the iPhone 8+, a refined and finely tuned version of the last of it's type.

 

[mschnebly]

Sounds horrid. I'd hate to sit there saying words into the remote while watching tv with others. A silent button push or two is far less intrusive than constantly talking to a remote.

Well, how often do you sit and flip through the menus while watching tv with others?

 

[aaronwt]

Yeah, Live TV sends you back to live. If I want to go back to something that's on live, I record it, so that I can go back to the recording. I have the live window on TiVo Central turned off, I just find it annoying on OTA, so I don't have something to Zoom in and out of. It was OK on cable, as I'd put CNN or MSNBC or something up there that was just sort of background.

I don't see the point. I love TiVo, but let's be real, since they rolled out the Haxe re-write with DTA back in late 2013, nothing significant has changed or improved in TiVo's software, and that's a good thing (other than not having user profiles GRRRR). There's really nothing that can or should be changed in the current TE3 software, which hasn't really changed since 2013. The hardware, while much faster on paper, hasn't really gained functionality since the Premiere, other than various HDD and tuner configurations, and a few lucky ducks on FiOS who can get 4k with the Bolt.

They probably wanted something fancy to show off to investors and MSOs, even though for users, TE3 is excellent, and there is no need to change much of anything, other than adding new features (I'm looking at you, user profiles).

I've never had a TE4 box, I see no need for it, but how can TE3 possibly be bad? It does exactly what a DVR should, with no fuss, with a very easy to use interface. Everything just makes sense. It's like the iPhone 8+, a refined and finely tuned version of the last of it's type.

Well compared to the SDUI TE3 is better. But TE4 does most things better. And also presents things on screen better.

Of course it's all subjective. But personally I really hated using the TE3 UI after I started using the TE4 UI.

Sent from my Nexus 7(32GB)