# Now I know why Alyson Hannigan wanted to cry (just spent a few hours with my new R15)



## af250xxl (Jan 24, 2006)

Now I know why Alyson Hannigan wanted to cry...  


I just spent a few hours with my new R15(from the free DVR4ME offer)...
It's worse than asking a PC user to switch to Mac, or vice versa.  
I now know how those senior citizens who can't program VHS VCRs feel like! 


All my other DVRs are DirecTiVos.... I called DirecTV and begged for R10 but
the nice lady said they don't have no more R10s to send out.(which I know is not true since others have gotten R10s from this offer)


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## Rax (Jun 11, 2002)

PC = personal computer. Macs qualify as personal computers.

And it isn't just senior citizens who can't handle VCRs, many people are too ignorant to figure them out. 

Change is here and the R15 is the future, like it or not. Some people get overly upset over it while others see it as part of life.


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## codespy (Jan 7, 2006)

Has channel 1000 been of any assistance in learning this new DVR, I have not had the time to sit through it. Tivo doesn't need a channel like this for learning- its already that easy as many will agree. Probably a good thread for the DBS site.


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## n8. (Feb 26, 2006)

Rax said:


> PC = personal computer. Macs qualify as personal computers.
> 
> And it isn't just senior citizens who can't handle VCRs, many people are too ignorant to figure them out.
> 
> Change is here and the R15 is the future, like it or not. Some people get overly upset over it while others see it as part of life.


You knew what he meant. Windows based "PC" to a Mac.


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## Yog-Sothoth (Jun 14, 2005)

> t's worse than asking a PC user to switch to Mac, or vice versa.


With new Macs using Intel chips, it will now be "Windows to Mac OS." I believe OS X for Intel has already been hacked to run on "standard" PC hardware.


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## psyco2 (Feb 2, 2006)

Rax said:


> PC = personal computer. Macs qualify as personal computers.


Semantics


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## af250xxl (Jan 24, 2006)

codespy said:


> Has channel 1000 been of any assistance in learning this new DVR, I have not had the time to sit through it. Tivo doesn't need a channel like this for learning- its already that easy as many will agree. Probably a good thread for the DBS site.


That is very true. I had the in-laws for a few days during Thanksgiving.
They still have cable TV.  I showed them how to turn on the TV
and handed them the DirecTiVo peanut remote. They were able to master
everything in only a couple of minutes. (in fact, added dozens of new
SeasonPass to it..) Guess what happend after they went home? They
switched to DirecTV. Unfortunately, DirecTV sent them 2 non-Tivo DVRs.
They got very upset and called me up for help. I was able to hook them
up with two R10s that I was able to find. Now they're happy... 

By the way, I apologize to anyone if I somehow offended the Mac. I only 
use Windows PCs, but I always felt Mac were technically superior....


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## itsmeitsmeitsme (Nov 13, 2003)

I guess i just don't understand why so many people think the R-15 is so much harder to operate. I have both but my 7 year old daughter uses an R-15 with no problems.


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## Guindalf (Jun 13, 2001)

it's just a matter of what you're used to. I have both and although I prefer the TiVo software, I think it's because I'm used to it, not because it's that bad.

I have a friend who never had a TiVo based box. He upgraded to an R15 from a regular receiver and he, his wife and his kids love it and have no problems operating it.


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## Markman07 (Jul 18, 2001)

R15's .... the future...

oh thanks.....I needed a good laugh.


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## af250xxl (Jan 24, 2006)

itsmeitsmeitsme said:


> I guess i just don't understand why so many people think the R-15 is so much harder to operate. I have both but my 7 year old daughter uses an R-15 with no problems.


My 9 year old nephew assembles his own highly customized PC.... dual
processors, four 400GB hard drives, 4GB RAM, liquid-cooling and all that...
Plus he's really into overclocking the processor....

Kids today are so smart... they almost scare me...  
When I was 9, I think I was playing Ping Pong on Atari....


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## john-duncan-yoyo (Oct 13, 2004)

Markman07 said:


> R15's .... the future...
> 
> oh thanks.....I needed a good laugh.


Oh great, is this the first steps to the Terminators taking over the earth?


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

af250xxl said:


> When I was 9, I think I was playing Ping Pong on Atari....


well I had a stand alone pong game with dedicated paddles!  I think there were even 2 speeds!


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Guindalf said:


> it's just a matter of what you're used to. I have both and although I prefer the TiVo software, I think it's because I'm used to it, not because it's that bad.
> 
> I have a friend who never had a TiVo based box. He upgraded to an R15 from a regular receiver and he, his wife and his kids love it and have no problems operating it.


You are correct, for people who DO NOT have a "Frame of Reference", the R15 is okay.

But then again most people who DO NOT have a Frame of Reference think that the cable company Digital Video Records like the Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, and Moxi are okay and you know how bad those boxes are.


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## Guindalf (Jun 13, 2001)

tbeckner said:


> You are correct, for people who DO NOT have a "Frame of Reference", the R15 is okay.
> 
> But then again most people who DO NOT have a Frame of Reference think that the cable company Digital Video Records like the Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, and Moxi are okay and you know how bad those boxes are.


You are absolutely correct, sir. But remember that it is the VAST MAJORITY that do not have a "frame of reference" and will be quite happy with these boxes. After all, even a "bad" DVR is better than a VCR!


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## Mark Griswold (Apr 22, 2003)

Guindalf said:


> But remember that it is the VAST MAJORITY that do not have a "frame of reference" and will be quite happy with these boxes. After all, even a "bad" DVR is better than a VCR!


For people with a VCR frame of reference, having to constantly reboot their DVR to make it work correctly will probably leave a bad taste in their mouth. After all, how often (if ever) did they have to reboot their VCR.


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## Scott in CO (Oct 27, 2003)

Rax said:


> ...the R15 is the future...


"Out of order? F**K! Even in the future, nothing works!" - Dark Helmet, Spaceballs


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## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

I recently spent a few days at my brother's house in New orleans. He has cable with a motorola dvr. I'm not familiar with the different ones so I can't tell you which model. I asked him how he liked it and he honestly didn't get the question.

To him it was like asking how you like your toaster. He said it records shows, plays them back, what's to like or dislike?

I guess he falls into that VAST MAJORITY category.


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## DesignDawg (Aug 10, 2005)

Well, my parents have a Motorola DVR, and I HATE it. It sucks the big ball. My boss, however, has a Motorola DVR on his cable, and it's the best DVR I've ever seen. Blows TiVo away, IMO. I'd even go so far as to say I like it better than my precious UTV. --But the cable signal is kinda crap, so I'm not interested in switching. But not all Motorola DVRs are bad. In fact, I think you'd find, with a little research, there are some models/generations that are widely hailed as EXCELLENT DVRs by many many people (and no, I'm not just talking about people who have never seen another DVR.)

Ricky


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

DesignDawg said:


> Well, my parents have a Motorola DVR, and I HATE it. It sucks the big ball. My boss, however, has a Motorola DVR on his cable, and it's the best DVR I've ever seen. Blows TiVo away, IMO. I'd even go so far as to say I like it better than my precious UTV. --But the cable signal is kinda crap, so I'm not interested in switching. But not all Motorola DVRs are bad. In fact, I think you'd find, with a little research, there are some models/generations that are widely hailed as EXCELLENT DVRs by many many people (and no, I'm not just talking about people who have never seen another DVR.)
> 
> Ricky


As majority, not an absolute or complete majority, but as a majority all the Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, and Moxi DVR reviews that I have read say that the UI sucks in comparison to what is becoming a very old TiVo UI. I will not try to assume, but it appears that based upon what the TiVo CEO Tom Rogers said in interviews last week, Comcast may agree because TiVo will be supplying replacement software for the existing Comcast DVRs, which include the Motorola boxes, this year.

I have to say from experience that the user interfaces on the Motorola cable boxes, including the new DCT700 really suck. And if the Motorola DVRs have user interfaces that are a lot like the interfaces in their cable boxes then I can say without a doubt they suck big time.

You do have to realize that the current TiVo UI is almost six years old and was created about the time Windows 98 SE was released, and some of us will be replacing our Windows XP with Vista this year.


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## codespy (Jan 7, 2006)

af250xxl said:


> My 9 year old nephew assembles his own highly customized PC.... dual
> processors, four 400GB hard drives, 4GB RAM, liquid-cooling and all that...
> Plus he's really into overclocking the processor....
> 
> ...


Hey, can we get him to write the 6.2 upgrade for the HR10-250? I'll contribute the first $50 bucks. Anyone else want to join in?


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

tbeckner said:


> You do have to realize that the current TiVo UI is almost six years old and was created about the time Windows 98 SE was released, and some of us will be replacing our Windows XP with Vista this year.


and some of us are still using 98se and thinking about xp this year...maybe


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## Guindalf (Jun 13, 2001)

Oh no! The computer in my car is 9 years old. Does this mean it's going to crash?????


The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

newsposter said:


> and some of us are still using 98se and thinking about xp this year...maybe


I have nothing against Windows 98SE, which I continued to use almost everyday, along with Windows 2000 Pro, until the middle of 2002, when I switched over completely to Windows XP Pro.

Even now I run Windows 98SE under Windows XP Pro via Virtual PC 2004, because of a single program that I highly modified in the early 90's that I use to modify IBM RPG programs for the IBM System/36 and AS/400.

On both a professional and personal level I have been involved with Microsoft Operating Systems since DOS 2.0 starting in 1983, Personal Computers since 1975 starting with the Altair 8800, and mini-computers at the professional level since 1973 starting with a NCR Century 50.

What I was pointing out is that the current UI is dated and starting to show its age. I have a feeling that TiVo will do some updating when they release the Series 3 and the Comcast TiVo software for the cable boxes, and some of these changes should filter down to the current Series 2 owners.

In other words, TiVo is a software company, not a DVR company, so I wouldnt judge the current TiVo UI to the current UI on other boxes, most of which are released as is and usually never receive major upgrades or enhancements. Although I would bet that the current DirecTiVo users are stuck with what they currently have, unless they hack their machines.

And this is a BIG THANK YOU to all of those brave people who have helped to improve the DirecTiVos, so we can all enjoy the PREMIER DVR while still enjoying the some of the best content offered by what once was the LEADING satellite video content provider.

I am braced to receive some flack for some of my comments that I made in this post.


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Guindalf said:


> Oh no! The computer in my car is 9 years old. Does this mean it's going to crash?????
> 
> The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!


If it was running an early version of a Windows OS there is that possibility.

Have you ever seen the BSOD on a Windows 2000 based ATM at a bank?

I have many times, but not very much in the last couple of years.


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## Stanley Rohner (Jan 18, 2004)

Markman07 said:


> R15's .... the future...
> 
> oh thanks.....I needed a good laugh.


It sure sounds like it's DIRECTV's future.

Since it's so funny to you why don't you tell us what is the future going to be.


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Stanley Rohner said:


> It sure sounds like it's DIRECTV's future.
> 
> Since it's so funny to you why don't you tell us what is the future going to be.


I doubt that anyone knows, even some of the upper level DirecTV Executives might not have a good idea where they are headed.

It currently appears that everyone is playing this by ear, although it appears that users with a FAST broadband connection will have far more options in a few years. Although the FAST broadband connection might just play into cable company strengths, so the end around run the Murdoch is attempting to get past the current VOD limitations of the satellite service could end up backfiring on DirecTV.

Only time will tell.

But IMHO it is a reasonably save bet that the current R15 will likely be replaced with a different model before it gains any significant number of users. I dont remember where, since I have read a lot of DirecTV information, but I read in one of their briefings that DirecTV has already released information about the replacement for the R15, so I believe that it would be safe to bet that the current R15 at the SD level is NOT THE FUTURE for DirecTV. And it is likely that Markman07 is referring to the fact that the current R15 is currently somewhat featureless and bothered by a handful of bugs.


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