# My time has come....



## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Over the past few weeks, I have been evaluating how things have evolved.

I have changed in the 6 years that I have been part of TCF. 
I started with my SA Series 1, asking for help deciding if I should get lifetime or not. 
To being one of the first to get a DTivo, and asking why it didnt have a quality setting. 
Then eventually, progressing to being #5 on the list to get an HR10-250 to doing my first review with the R10. 
Which led to getting the R15 on day one and spending my night blog style, letting everyone know about it and then having that review shutdown and sent to another site.

I guess looking back that is when I turned the page, and entered the final chapters of my time here.

I love what I do. I have this crazy passion and desire to help all of you relatively anonymous people out there. Some of you have become pretty good friends and others well letss say for whatever reason, they developed a personal level of disgust against me.

When DirecTV announced that they were going a different way with the DVR platform I was bummed at first, but came to realization that it was not the actual name on the box it was the DVR function that I became a fan of and that DirecTV was the carrier that I selected out of my choices. 

So from that moment on, my focus changed not from the tool to use, but the source. 

I waivered a bit with regards to the HR10 and its 6.x update Being clobbered from multiple sides but knowing what I did, I still wanted to deal with it to make sure you knew what was going on.

I am a software guy so I may just simply look at things a different way. Whatever it is, that way just doesnt seem to fit into what TCF-DirecTV forums have evolved to. I have changed, the two forums have changed. And we have gone different ways.

So to that point. I say good bye Not to helping people, as I will still post what I know, especially about if/when there are software updates for the TiVo or something effecting their service. But I just cant simply deal with the manner at which the threads go anymore Just cant It just isnt in me anymore As that is not what I want to do here, not how I want to spend 'MY' time. I am not here to change your minds I just want to help, with the information I have access to.

2006 taught me, that I need to spend each moment as best I can.... as in a moment... with a single phone call... your life, as you know it... can change.

So you know where to find me, if you need something from me. I dont plan on leaving that role anytime soon. Ill still post critical information about the DTiVo platform but since I basically dont use any of the DTiVos I still own anymore. Just like I ask those that dont own a R15/HR20 Not sure how I can participate here anymore just doesnt seem right. 

So too all the thousands of people that I have communicated with in last 6 years, it has been fun and I hope at I at least helped. But, just like a lot of other people before me it is time for me to go on my merry way.

I will still be around in the Happy Hour, as frankly I find it better then GOOGLE on some days.

Later. Earl


----------



## Billy66 (Dec 15, 2003)

Peace Earl. See you over there. I'm Xaa


----------



## rhuntington3 (May 1, 2001)

Best of luck, Earl! See ya over in HH from time to time.


----------



## MichaelK (Jan 10, 2002)

see ya earl.

good luck and thanks


----------



## patonenow (Jul 22, 2005)

Good luck to you EARL and thank you for all the things you have helped people with through the years.Although I didn't always agree with you(probably 95% of time I did) I always understood it was not personal and your opinion and mine and only just that.
I started out when satellites were unknown to most persons and before anything was scrambled and remember the excitement of finding new and uncensored stations and hope that you will remember as well when you first got into it and how fast things change and it will be interesting at just in 10 years time what we will all have. So take care and don't give up the ship completely!


----------



## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

Earl That was a very heartfelt goodbye. I am sorry to see you go. You helped me with many issues even non dtivo ones. Best of luck to you whatever you do. I never spent any time at the other forum, but i was one who believed there was room for all the platforms to be discussed but i supose it is a tivo forum and that is that. Again best of luck but this isnt really a parting of the ways just a going into reading mostly and posting when needed.(BTW you are needed because of all thye regulars you seem to be one of the most knowlegable) So it is more like see you later than goodbye.


Catch you later gator


----------



## 20TIL6 (Sep 7, 2006)

I still stand by my pillar comment. Be good.


----------



## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

Earl, I may not have always agreed with you, but I've always valued your contributions to the forum, and you have my respect for sticking through some very rough patches where you'd essentially be dumped on and cursed as "The Man, or worse, IMO, called a DirecTV shill. I have never believed that and still don't, and it pissed me off that people called you that, so I can only imagine how you felt. Anyway, glad to hear you'll still be posting here occasionally ...


----------



## LacyinTX (Apr 25, 2005)

But... but... you'll still be on DBSTalk, right???? *cries*

No, seriously. I never posted much, but I lurk and get lots of good info from this forum. I'll miss your posts, but I wish you the best. 

See ya 'round the net.


----------



## moondoggie (Jul 19, 2000)

Earl, I have always enjoyed reading your posts & reviews. You will be missed and I hope to see you in HH.


----------



## Fish Man (Mar 4, 2002)

I will seriously miss you, Earl.

You've been about the most valuable source of information about DirecTV DVR boxes, both TiVo powered, and not, that I can think of.

Even more importantly, you've been an indispensable asset in getting reports of problems we are seeing through to the engineers at DirecTV so that they can be fixed, while the rest of us would gyrate for years banging up against the CSR brick wall.

You will be seriously missed.


----------



## jrinck (Nov 24, 2004)

Adios. Sorry to see you go, but it honestly doesn't surprise me. You did an AWESOME job with that R15 review, and to see it dismissed like that wasn't the best way to handle it, in my opinion.

I could tell that something in you changed after that--in the way you posted--in your attitude. You remained helpful and friendly, but that overwhelming passion, at least here on TCF, was gone, and I can certainly understand why.

Live long and tinker.


----------



## jgjackson (Oct 27, 2006)

We'll miss you ed.


----------



## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

jgjackson said:


> We'll miss you ed.


 Not Ed ... Earl.

Earl! Earl! Earl!

(Or as I joked with him: Earle! Earle! Earle!)


----------



## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

I completely understand where you're coming from.

Peace.


----------



## Delta13 (Jan 25, 2003)

Thanks, Earl. And what everyone else said.


----------



## RedRider (Nov 20, 2006)

Hi Earle, I guess I have been one of the 'anonymous' people you have helped. Your posts have always been informative. I am sorry to see you go!


----------



## samo (Oct 7, 1999)

> but came to realization that it was not the actual name on the box it was the DVR function that I became a fan of


Another voice of reason gone from this forum. I share your feelings, Earl. I been called a shill for Dish just because I happen to like Dish DVRs and live in Littleton. I been asked why I'm posting here if I like HR20. Good old times of constructive criticism and intelligent discussions are almost gone from TCF. Thanks for the sticking around here for as long as you did and see you at dbstalk.


----------



## itsmeitsmeitsme (Nov 13, 2003)

See you at DBS............thanks for all the help and I'm sure I'll be asking for more in the future.


----------



## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

Good luck, Earl. Although I post rarely in the DIRECTV forums, I read them fairly often, and have appreciated what you have had to say over the years. Thanks.


----------



## Fish Man (Mar 4, 2002)

samo said:


> I share your feelings, Earl. I been called a shill for Dish just because I happen to like Dish DVRs and live in Littleton. I been asked why I'm posting here if I like HR20. Good old times of constructive criticism and intelligent discussions are almost gone from TCF. Thanks for the sticking around here for as long as you did and see you at dbstalk.


I agree. And I totally understand Earl's decision.

Recently, I was called a Shill for DirecTV (actually, the quote was, "You must work for DirecTV") because I mentioned that periodically rebooting your DirecTiVo seemed to help avoid the "someone modified the season pass" problem.

I was ripped into as "blindly defending" DirecTV and considered frequent rebooting an "acceptable solution." 

Anyone reading my post with any semblance of objectivity would have seen that I didn't see the need to reboot frequently as "acceptable", but, like others, was presenting it as a potential workaround to the problem until DirecTV got it fixed.

I too, feel Earl's pain.

He's been nothing but helpful. Extremely so, in many cases, thanks to his inside connections in DirecTV. As I said above, some problems that we've experienced were probably fixed months faster than they would have been otherwise thanks to Earl's ability to get word of the problem to engineers at DirecTV who could actually look into them.

The thanks he gets for this invaluable help is to get flamed! 

What the hell is wrong with some people here!


----------



## cowboys2002 (Jun 15, 2001)

Damn..losing one of the rational members of TCF!

Earl, you have helped with your insight and honest opinions.

See you in the Happy Hour Forum.


----------



## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

Sorry to see you go, I agreed with almost everything you posted.

I have a different perspective. One of the reasons I went from cable to DTV was the dual tuner DTvio. At the time cable didn't offer any DVR. DTV no longer has that advantage.

Cable, and soon FiOS, offers bundle pricing in my area. I don't think DTV DVR is any better than the units supplied by cable and Verizon. The NFL is about the only programming DTV has that digital cable doesn't.

Cable now offers better rates, similar programming and a similar DVR as DTV.



ebonovic said:


> When DirecTV announced that they were going a different way with the DVR platform I was bummed at first, but came to realization that it was not the actual name on the box it was the DVR function that I became a fan of and that DirecTV was the carrier that I selected out of my choices.


----------



## disco (Mar 27, 2000)

cowboys2002 said:


> Damn..losing one of the rational members of TCF!
> 
> Earl, you have helped with your insight and honest opinions.
> 
> See you in the Happy Hour Forum.


(I know it's cheap and easy to do this, but....) +1

See ya' on DBSTalk.com, too! I'm syphix.


----------



## Chilli_Dog (Jan 19, 2004)

I can only echo what everyone else has already said -- thank you for everything, Earl. You've unselfishly helped so many of us, and it is greatly appreciated. You will definitely be missed...


----------



## Squonk (Jun 8, 2005)

ebonovic said:


> Over the past few weeks, I have been evaluating how things have evolved.
> 
> I have changed in the 6 years that I have been part of TCF.
> I started with my SA Series 1, asking for help deciding if I should get lifetime or not.
> ...


Wow. This could be a heckuva script for a tearjerker made for TV movie, to air on the Lifetime or Oxygen network or something. "The Earl Story: The Journeys of a DVR Addict". Earl would you grant me the rights if I take this idea and run with it? I am welling up right now. This could be a huge ratings grabber for sweeps week, huge I'm telling ya.


----------



## Dkerr24 (Oct 29, 2004)

Thanks Earl... we all were Tivo 'noobs' at one time, and you were there for us with helpful guidance. Don't know who could fill your shoes at this site.


----------



## snickerrrrs (Mar 31, 2006)

Earl I've seen your posts all over the DVR web: here, directv forums, etc. you've been very helpful every where you've posted. I know what you mean about not fitting in here, people can be downright mean if they don't agree with you. I've always believed that open discussion is a good thing, some people here wouldn't agree. So far I think that Tivo is the best thing out there, but I really haven't used a NDS unit so I can't comment fairly on it. All I know is the negative things I've read about them. Anyways I digress... See you around, sorry to see you go. 

PS: where can I read your review of R10 vs R15 side by side?


----------



## Mr. Soze (Nov 2, 2002)

See ya at the other place, Earl. You've helped me, and countless others.
For that, I offer you my continued gratitude. Au revoir.


----------



## extension 721 (Sep 29, 2005)

You've been a real pillar, earl. Will this place still be standing without ya?


----------



## 69800 (Dec 22, 2002)

I too was one you helped several times long ago, and that help will not be forgotten! Nothing is for sure in life but CHANGE and then it is time to move on. I have been there. 
Thanks for everything.
Mark


----------



## Squonk (Jun 8, 2005)

where I once was hungry, Earl gave me something to eat...
where I once was wet and cold, Earl provided me with shelter..
where I once was naked, Earl lent me his diamond studded loin cloth..

where I once wanted to know how to collect my Tivo programs in folders, Earl showed me the light......


----------



## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

Sorry, I just don't see the "passion" with the DirecTV DVR anywhere like the "passion" with TiVo. You'll have people who own a TiVo based unit going out and actively convincing friends and family to get them, too. But you just don't see that sort of behavior with the user base of any other DVR. And for good reason, too.  Sure it's always nice to help others out, but after a while you just need a break when it's the same problems and the same questions and the same old same old all the time.

Anyway, there's plenty of people here who haven't even ever owned a TiVo unit of any kind, so even without using any TiVo devices anymore, you won't feel out of place at TCF.


----------



## rick31621 (Jun 20, 2004)

dswallow said:


> Sorry, I just don't see the "passion" with the DirecTV DVR anywhere like the "passion" with TiVo. You'll have people who own a TiVo based unit going out and actively convincing friends and family to get them, too. But you just don't see that sort of behavior with the user base of any other DVR. And for good reason, too.  Sure it's always nice to help others out, but after a while you just need a break when it's the same problems and the same questions and the same old same old all the time.
> 
> Anyway, there's plenty of people here who haven't even ever owned a TiVo unit of any kind, so even without using any TiVo devices anymore, you won't feel out of place at TCF.


I agree. The R15 is a POS. Mine has been disconnected within days of receiving it. Long live TIVO!


----------



## Kevin L (Jan 10, 2002)

Thanks for your time here, Earl. See you at DBS.


----------



## Zephyr (Sep 16, 2005)

I too say thank you for sharing your infinite wisdom on the R10 boxes. We must have been some of the very first to get these in Massachusetts and I spent hours reading through this bulletin board as I discovered the new world of DVR's. Seems like a generation ago! I'm sure you have helped hundreds, if not thousands, of people. That alone should make you so proud and happy! That is your true sprit that will last here!


----------

