TiVo : 1 week in, my initial thoughts...

[stereohaven]

I had TiVo (as well as VM Broadband and a VHD box) installed last Tuesday and I just thought I would share my initial thoughts on the service and equipment, although I want to concentrate mainly on the TiVo.

Please bear in mind I am coming from Sky and had no issues over the two years I was with them, so that it is the service I am comparing VM too.

First impressions...

The service from the installation team was very good. They arrived in the specified window, did a very tidy install and put things exactly where I wanted them. Let's just say my Sky install wasn't as satisfactory...

The VHD box is fine and is essentially the same as my parents V+ box so it has a familiar interface and is easy to use. Still think it's weird it has the V+ remote though!

The TiVo fired up first time and downloaded the latest software and so far I haven't had the "lights of death", but...

...it has needed resetting twice. Once when it just completely froze and the other when it stopped showing the TV window in the top right hand corner when you are in the Home menu. That's about has many times as I had to reset the SKy+ box in the last year.

iPlayer seems to work well, although it's search facility is pants so it's easier to go backwards in the EPG than try and find a show from within it.

I'm not keen on the remote. For a start, because of it's shape you can't tell which end you are pointing at the TV without looking at it! I rarely had to look at the Sky remote.

I put down 5 episodes of "Peppa Pig" to record for the kids and it recorded "Ben & Holly" instead. This may have been a late change by the broadcaster (which I find unlikely), which just shows why the EPG data and updates are all important, but I am more inclined to think the box just messed up.

I don't think either the SD or HD picture quality is as good as my Sky+ box, which I still have plugged in so I can make a direct comparison between channels.

I don't like the secondary menus which are a bit like SD compared to the HD look of the main Home screen. That's just laziness.

So far (apart from Peppagate...), it has recorded as promised and hasn't missed any programmes.

The Wife thinks it's too complicated (e.g. there are too many button presses to complete simple tasks), which just confirms to me why Sky+ is so popular, and I can understand why some people simply won't want what TiVo can offer.

The search works well although when you delve in deeper you quickly run out of decent info on shows and actors if they are not really mainstream.

I haven't tried the YouTube app.

I won't be trying Millionaire as I think I have to pay for it.

I won't be trying Spotify as it doesn't interest me.

At certain times of the day it is much slower at changing channel and we often get the little info box pop up saying "This channel is not available..." or words to that effect before it eventually comes on. In all the rain, wind, sleet and snow I have never had that issue with Sky.

The Suggestions it has recorded are fairly obvious things but it is still early days.

I have set up a Wishlist for the keywords (Treasure Island) hoping to catch the new Sky 1 show when it launches. Time will tell if this works as so far it only wants to record an episode of Dora the Explorer, but I assume this is because it relies on the EPG data and there is no broadcast info for this new show yet.

The Superhub was easy to set up although it's actual speeds have fluctuated between 10MB and 26MB. I'm paying for 30MB which the hub seems to sync at but never deliver.

Overall I would say as a package it's OK and I am relatively happy but I need to get a better router and VM will need to work hard to continue tweaking the TiVo to make it better still.

"The best way to watch TV, ever...". Not yet it isn't, but it's a reasonable start.

[zekeisaszekedoes]

Yeah, that's pretty similar to the conclusion I came to when I first reviewed the box.

The thing which bothers me most about the way VM have handled the TiVo is not giving new customers the option to choose the older V+ HD box. Basically if you want any PVR functions the only thing you can do is have the TiVo, which is far too complicated for most people who just want everything done with a couple of button presses.

A good tip with WishLists is make sure you mention one of the lead actors who will be in the show/movie you want and TiVo will have on file when the program becomes available. For example, if I just request "Castle" as the title keyword looking for the 2009 NBC comedy/drama series it'll record kids shows and Takeshi's Castle which I already have series linked on another channel. But if I keep the same title keyword and add "Fillion, Nathan" as an actor it won't record anything until that show starts airing again on one of my package channels.

The Super Hub is a complete POS, I'd recommend requesting a VMNG300 if it starts giving you grief.

[Doz007]

I'd request that your TiVo be replaced. My old one rebooted on the odd occasion until the update arrived. That well and truly killed it off!

I'm inclined to believe the previous reboots were the signs of an underlying fault from day one.

When our TiVo first arrived my thoughts about everything being long winded were the same as yours. Over the course of the last 8 months or so though it's become second nature to the point where everything else seem overly simplistic and restrictive.

[LexDiamond]

I went the other way from VM to Sky I personally find Sky+HD more difficult to use. Basic stuff like only the first episode of a series record highlighting in red and no other episodes showing as set to record (even though they will) is annoying sometimes.

For me V+ is the best pvr I have ever used as it is just so simple to use. Tivo was nice too but not for the whole family as I was the only one interested in the extra features and everyone else found the complexity annoying.

[zekeisaszekedoes]

The stigma around TiVo is that it is for nerds, that might not change. You should see the TiVo Community Forum thread when the new Premiere Elite came out... within hours a couple of members had taken theirs apart and started making notes on the motherboard.

[zantarous]

Most people was just get used to how a TiVo does things after a few months. There is always a learning curve when getting a new piece of AV kit. If my wife can use it the I know it has passed the simpleton test.

As for the router you can put it into modem mode and use your own router which is what I have done and works fine.

[Digital Fanatic]

...it has needed resetting twice. Once when it just completely froze and the other when it stopped showing the TV window in the top right hand corner when you are in the Home menu. That's about has many times as I had to reset the SKy+ box in the last year.

It's likely you knocked the SLOW button on the remote. this toggles the Video window on/off.

[chrisidaho]

A nicely balanced OP. I think the TiVo box is more complicated to use initially than sky+ or indeed a v+hd box. To me this is similar to much other equipment such as mobile phones eg comparing a smartphone to a standard mobile. Many more options and buttons to press on the smartphone, but also much more capability and user defined options
. Some of the features on the TiVo are great (wish lists, search function, use of 3rd party tech to interact with the TiVo) but with this is definitely a greater investment of learning how to use it and the odd function that is not as accessible as it could be.

What i am encouraged by is the last software update, which suggests that VM are responding (all be it not as fast as some would like) to people's suggestions and issues. If this continues then I think the TiVo will be a great pvr. Not there just yet but promising already.

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by chrisidaho

A nicely balanced OP. I think the TiVo box is more complicated to use initially than sky+ or indeed a v+hd box. To me this is similar to much other equipment such as mobile phones eg comparing a smartphone to a standard mobile. Many more options and buttons to press on the smartphone, but also much more capability and user defined options
. Some of the features on the TiVo are great (wish lists, search function, use of 3rd party tech to interact with the TiVo) but with this is definitely a greater investment of learning how to use it and the odd function that is not as accessible as it could be.

What i am encouraged by is the last software update, which suggests that VM are responding (all be it not as fast as some would like) to people's suggestions and issues. If this continues then I think the TiVo will be a great pvr. Not there just yet but promising already.

Any changes have to be fully tested, it would be madness to push an untested update every few weeks

[HD Boy]

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

Any changes have to be fully tested, it would be madness to push an untested update every few weeks

Are you talking about a beta trail ?

[greeninferno]

I don't get this more complicated to use stuff.

If you just want to watch the TV guide fair enough it works like that.

if you want to delve deeper you can, tremendous amount of info on actors etc.

what is the actual complication?

[HD Boy]

Originally Posted by greeninferno

I don't get this more complicated to use stuff.

If you just want to watch the TV guide fair enough it works like that.

if you want to delve deeper you can, tremendous amount of info on actors etc.

what is the actual complication?

[LexDiamond]

Originally Posted by greeninferno

I don't get this more complicated to use stuff.

If you just want to watch the TV guide fair enough it works like that.

if you want to delve deeper you can, tremendous amount of info on actors etc.

what is the actual complication?

Some people find the fact that there are certain aspects of the Tivo that they cant control as making the PVR more complex.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by greeninferno

I don't get this more complicated to use stuff.

If you just want to watch the TV guide fair enough it works like that.

if you want to delve deeper you can, tremendous amount of info on actors etc.

what is the actual complication?

No l agree as after the first couple of days its like riding a bicycle.

[HD Boy]

Originally Posted by LexDiamond

Some people find the fact that there are certain aspects of the Tivo that they cant control as making the PVR more complex.

So in other words not got a brain.