TiVo : My experience with Tivo

My installation went ok, even though the installer was not looking forward to it, it was his fourth installation and the others had been difficult, luckily mine went ok.

So to its use, well my initial reaction was disappointment, picture quality was awful in comparison to my V+ box. On SD its like looking at the screen via a lens covered in Vaseline (misty and soft).

HD is better but not as sharp as the V+ box. The recording function is very involved, how easy it was on the V+ box just to highlight a show and press the yellow button done in seconds (simples), now with the TiVo box I have to select the show then set up a series link, then configure the series link (yawn) take about 3 mins to do it.

The menu system is clunky, with seconds lapse when hitting the home button between the sound and picture on full screen being updated on the mini screen (awful), if you hit the guide or home button whilst viewing a Sky channel then the mini screen is disabled (bizarre).

The secondary menu levels are in a misty SD format (again Awful). I have 3 days left to change my mind and at the moment I am leaning towards getting my V+ back. The TiVo is not worth the activation fee and its a crime to charge extra £3 for the awful picture.

I would advise others to wait until its been around a few months and these problems have been sorted as its inconceivable, that Virgin will not improve this TiVo service. It has vast potential but at the moment it is not even close to the quality of the V+ Box.

[Stephen]

Hi and welcome.

Sorry to hear you are not enjoying the TiVo experience. The SD menus are designed that way as TiVo have yet to update them to HD. In the USA they have been begging for that to be done for ages.

Personally my SD and HD picture quality is great and I have no issues. It is a strange one as sone people are happy with the pq and some are saying it's terrible compared to V+.

I personally would not turn to the v+ as I like the extra functionality of TiVo and dont mind the small issues are will eventually resolved.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by kenoliver

The recording function is very involved, how easy it was on the V+ box just to highlight a show and press the yellow button done in seconds (simples), now with the TiVo box I have to select the show then set up a series link, then configure the series link (yawn) take about 3 mins to do it.

Well yeah. Tivo is more intelligent than V+ so it needs a little more to set it up. You can actually set up a one-off recording or SL in two "clicks". You don't have to fully modify the SL straight away if you don't want to.

****** "You don't have to fully modify the SL straight away if you don't want to.[/QUOTE]"******

__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Well I accept that, but the default settings on a series link is to record 10 episodes, and to start and end recording on the exact times,

Now on V+ it was possible to set a global time lag before a show and after a show say 2 mins before and after,

To do this on TiVo you need to go into the series link and manually set these choices on every recording

I dont want 10 episodes to be recorded on anything so I have to change it on every recording

I want my recording to start 1 minute before the program starts and 1 minute after it ends, so again I have to set these parameters on every recording an it takes time

I believe this is a backward step, why make something difficult on new technology ? when it was so easy on the old technology ??

Originally Posted by kenoliver

My installation went ok, even though the installer was not looking forward to it, it was his fourth installation and the others had been difficult, luckily mine went ok.

I wasn't there for the install but my wife said the installer was friendly and efficient.

Originally Posted by kenoliver

So to its use, well my initial reaction was disappointment, picture quality was awful in comparison to my V+ box. On SD its like looking at the screen via a lens covered in Vaseline (misty and soft) .HD is better but not as sharp as the V+ box.

You might want to take a look in the VM tivo community as someone with the pq issue said that VM came out and made adjustments and the pq is now OK. Personally I don't have any problem with the picture quality.

Originally Posted by kenoliver

The menu system is clunky, with seconds lapse when hitting the home button between the sound and picture on full screen being updated on the mini screen (awful), if you hit the guide or home button whilst viewing a Sky channel then the mini screen is disabled (bizarre).

The missing Sky mini screen is to do with a contract issue which is now resolved. It will be added at some time in the future.

Originally Posted by kenoliver

The secondary menu levels are in a misty SD format (again Awful). I have 3 days left to change my mind and at the moment I am leaning towards getting my V+ back. The TiVo is not worth the activation fee and its a crime to charge extra £3 for the awful picture.

I would advise others to wait until its been around a few months and these problems have been sorted as its inconceivable, that Virgin will not improve this TiVo service. It has vast potential but at the moment it is not even close to the quality of the V+ Box.

Luckily you have a week to preview the box and then can get your money back. I have only had the tivo for three days but so far I have no issues and the 1Tb drive and three tuners alone make it worth it for me. Everybody has different priorities though.

[devilincarnate]

Originally Posted by ahardie

I wasn't there for the install but my wife said the installer was friendly and efficient.


You might want to take a look in the VM tivo community as someone with the pq issue said that VM came out and made adjustments and the pq is now OK. Personally I don't have any problem with the picture quality.



The missing Sky mini screen is to do with a contract issue which is now resolved. It will be added at some time in the future.


Luckily you have a week to preview the box and then can get your money back. I have only had the tivo for three days but so far I have no issues and the 1Tb drive and three tuners alone make it worth it for me. Everybody has different priorities though.

Well said

[denphone]

So far my experience is very very good.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by kenoliver

Well I accept that, but the default settings on a series link is to record 10 episodes, and to start and end recording on the exact times.

Correct, and for most shows (not on 101-107) this is fine

Now on V+ it was possible to set a global time lag before a show and after a show say 2 mins before and after

True.

To do this on TiVo you need to go into the series link and manually set these choices on every recording

For now. Global Padding should be available by the Autumn if not sooner.

I dont want 10 episodes to be recorded on anything so I have to change it on every recording

Huh? That's the max number it will keep assuming you don't delete any. What's the problem?

I want my recording to start 1 minute before the program starts and 1 minute after it ends, so again I have to set these parameters on every recording an it takes time.

99% of my SL have no padding at all.

I believe this is a backward step, why make something difficult on new technology ? when it was so easy on the old technology ??

I agree and, like I said, this feature will be added soon.

Ok I accept that Virgin TiVo is in it's early stages and will improve, but I still find the PQ hard to accept, most of the problems I have I can just about put up with, believing that improvements will happen,

Its not as if we have these boxes as a free upgrade from V+, we are paying £149.95, and £3 pm, so we could reasonably expect the product to have been polished and to be at least as good as V+,

I have a few more days to decide if I will stay with it, and appreciate, the forums input,

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by kenoliver

The recording function is very involved, how easy it was on the V+ box just to highlight a show and press the yellow button done in seconds (simples), now with the TiVo box I have to select the show then set up a series link, then configure the series link (yawn) take about 3 mins to do it.

.

When I first got Tivo, I set up around 25 series links. Even going in and changing recording options, it was far quicker that setting that many up on the V+. Yes, it was easy just pressing the yellow button, but on my V+ it took ages to process it after that.

I do think it would be good for tivo to remember the last used settings in recording options, as I use pretty much the same settings each time, and I suspect others do too?

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by passingbat

When I first got Tivo, I set up around 25 series links. Even going in and changing recording options, it was far quicker that setting that many up on the V+. Yes, it was easy just pressing the yellow button, but on my V+ it took ages to process it after that.

I do think it would be good for tivo to remember the last used settings in recording options, as I use pretty much the same settings each time, and I suspect others do too?[/

Good point

I do think it would be good for tivo to remember the last used settings in recording options, as I use pretty much the same settings each time, and I suspect others do too?[/QUOTE]


Yes I agree, or the option to set up global permitters for the recording settings,

My TiVo box is now suggesting and recording stuff, I have to go into each one and set the options that suite me

One good thing though to get around this I have set my last 6 recording using my laptop and the on line guide, this was good as my family were watching the box, and I was setting up recordings remotely as they watched

So I have found a feature I like :-)

[savvychels]

Originally Posted by kenoliver

Ok I accept that Virgin TiVo is in it's early stages and will improve, but I still find the PQ hard to accept,

I had to go into my TV settings and fiddle with them a bit after changing from V+ to TiVo. I'm finding little difference with the TiVo SD/HD on my Samsung TV, and only minor 'softness' on the SD channels on my Panasonic with TiVo. I 'do' see a difference but not as much as I thought based on some posts, and certainly was MUCH better after I tweaked some TV settings.

also have you tried altering some of the TiVo settings (ie 1080/720 etc) to see if they help?

"

Originally Posted by savvychels

I had to go into my TV settings and fiddle with them a bit after changing from V+ to TiVo."

"also have you tried altering some of the TiVo settings (ie 1080/720 etc) to see if they help?

"Thanks for the advice, I to have a Samsung, I have altered my brightness,contrast, and sharpness, this as made a difference, so I can see an improvement


No not tried that, I had assumed the TiVo box had selected the best output, the engineer advised me not change this setting as it may mess up the box, so I didn't,

Im not sure if the TiVo box upscales the picture, i.e. if you have a 720p TV and set the box to 1080p would it upscale ?

[savvychels]

Originally Posted by kenoliver

""Thanks for the advice, I to have a Samsung, I have altered my brightness,contrast, and sharpness, this as made a difference, so I can see an improvement


No not tried that, I had assumed the TiVo box had selected the best output, the engineer advised me not change this setting as it may mess up the box, so I didn't,

Im not sure if the TiVo box upscales the picture, i.e. if you have a 720p TV and set the box to 1080p would it upscale ?

I'm really not overly technical minded so not sure how it all works, but I went into the display area of the settings and let it run a test for my TV. It set them both to 1080 as that was what they were capable of, but showed they could also run at all the other 'levels' as well. I left them both at 1080 only. I know some with the picture problem have enabled both 1080 and 720 and that has seemed to make a difference with their SD showing in 720 (I don't understand it, just passing on the info that I've seen others say has helped).

Hope it helps you