V+ or Tivo easier for the elderly

klabnix · 22-12-2011, 23:24

Hi,

My 82 year old gran has the option to move from normal cable to a V+ box or cable, and I think it should be a lot easier for her than recording with video.

She is used to the normal cable and I think as V+ is pretty much the same, but I have never used Tivo. Is the interface and usage less or more complicated than V+?

I'm not sure if the new technology would add complication or make things simpler as it is mordern.

Thanks

22-12-2011, 23:47

Go for the V+, same everything, just with a record button.

toady · 23-12-2011, 00:07

I'd also go for a V+ for older relatives

TIVO can be a lot more complicated as it gives you so many more options

pythagoras · 23-12-2011, 00:38

Can you still order a V+?

Regards

John.

23-12-2011, 00:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by pythagoras

Can you still order a V+?

Regards

John.

I am not sure what they mean by normal cable

Hopefully VM customer support could make an exception in this case surely!

Chad · 23-12-2011, 01:12

V+ for ease of use. My 28 year old wife still can't use TiVo!

cimt · 23-12-2011, 02:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlayzell

I am not sure what they mean by normal cable

Hopefully VM customer support could make an exception in this case surely!

Means a standard V box, that's all.

OP; I would go with V+ as well.

jb66 · 23-12-2011, 08:26

V+ is much easier

klabnix · 23-12-2011, 12:45

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.

Yeah by normal cable I meant just the V box, wasn't sure what it was called.

And can still get the V+ box installed, in her case the Tivo would actually be Â£2 cheaper a month though, but she'd have to pay the installation.

I was quite annoyed with Virgin though how their deals are a bit of a rip off for people in her situation. Massive discounts available for long term customers who have internet as part of their package, but they never once offered her any loyalty discounts, and I had to phone them several times to get a half decent deal for her.

sn00p · 27-12-2011, 19:39

Considering how long TiVo have actually been around, it's very surprising at how bad the interface actually is. There are really basic things missing from it that you would expect to be there and then the things that should be simple to use are just so convoluted.

Even I struggle sometimes! I don't even bother with catchup, it's one big flat horrible mess too.

I wrote (the windows/mac app) that allows the US TiVo iOS app to work with the VM boxes and even I struggle to use the "normal remote control" interface. My wife hated the TiVo before we were able to use the iPad app because it was just too many clicks to get it to do anything! She was cursing me!

That said, things have improved with the last software release. Things are about 100000000% better with the iPad app, but there's no way I'd let an elderly relative near it, it might just finish them off.

Maybe in 6 months time virgin will have pressured TiVo into fixing all the usability issues, because apparently lots of the long standing gripes that US TiVo owners have had to live with without hope of being fixed have suddenly got fixed with virgin leaning on them.