DirecTV interface not as good as Dish
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That was a picture of the DVR list, not the guide. The DVR list can be sorted by a number of ways to the preference of the user. There are a number of ways to customize, if you wish, on the Hopper that don't exist with DirecTV STB's. But, granular control is a very subjective matter. Let's ramp down the fanboy reactions here. Some people want the old text list, while others find that to be old and tired looking and prefer thumbnail art and channel logos in color. It depends upon the user. No question, if one has a family, then a Hopper, and the option of a 2nd Hopper or the Hopper 3 (option for 2nd Hopper 3 by January) is the way to go, based on features only. On the other hand, if one is single or a childless couple, the Genie is an excellent option, based upon features only. In some of the options count as "need" in some households. And not having a 2nd Genie can be deal breaker for some. Custom folders for others (although not necessarily for me). Large text is another option that can be a deal breaker for some. People will always have their preference for a TiVo over ANY DVR, or the Genie or the Hopper. So What? The point is that is works for me or some other DVR works for someone else.
I do think DirecTV lost a lot of its innovation after Rupert Murdoch purchased it. Before the purchase, the licensed boxes to Sony, for instance, had some of the best UI ever at that time from anyone. However, after the purchase, overall, in interface, guide, and more innovative features, Dish did pass up DirecTV along time ago, probably because Dish is motivated to do as the #2 sat provider. That can be a mighty incentive. Sadly, DirecTV lacks that drive, but they do very well with what they have: less than TiVo or Dish.
However, today, it is more about price, value, and then interface, features, etc. I don't thing that either Genie or TiVo interface are awful, but probably not as good, and on interface UI, I would place TiVo above Genie, but Genie is the superior whole home system compared to TiVo's somewhat clumsy whole home set-up. So, this all goes back and forth.
All this means is that everything is a compromise: if one wants something, they have to give something up.
Obviously DirecTV has something the OP wanted, but it required him to give up what he believes to be the superior UI experience. And that would be a shock since DTV had been the undisputed king in that area (UI, features) in the beginning. FWIW, feel Genie's UI and feature set is beneath DTV and its esteemed legacy. I do hope to see some improvements, but now that AT&T own it, I have may fears they will not live up to DirecTV's early days of innovation.
So, you have an icon for each show ?
Talk about wasting space ...
I'd much rather have a line format for my shows.
Yeah, and if DTV presented the batch of TiVo or Hopper features first, many would be extolling the virtues of these now "pooh poohed" features by many. Fanboys, are sad. Of course, the poetic justice will be when DTV enhances its Genie with TiVo and Dish features to keep competitive. Then you will LOVE them because they come from DTV.
I had that kinda stuff back in 98 when I had a Hughes set up for D* ...
It was alright back then, apparently not enough to make people ask for it, seeing it was never implemented into any newer recvrs.
Fwiw, I have no need for any TIVO stuff ... D* already force a TIVO remote on those of us with HR44 and newer equipment ....
Its junk ...
I used it for a few weeks and then went out and bought a URC MX890.
The TIVO peanut remote took away a lot of things the old (still working fine ) white remote did.
I should rephrase that, it's not junk, it just doesn't do nearly enough, without workarounds.
Just like all the DISH guys that looked at thier 2 tuner set ups when D* came out with the Genie with 5 tuners.
Dish fans were pissed, until the brought out thier new equipment.
It goes in cycles, that doesn't make one any better than the other.
Personally, I hope D* doesn't do anything that DISH does ... and does thier OWN thing.
If your calling me a sad fan boy ... well, your making the same statements about how great DISH is and ripping D* for not keeping up, doesn't that make you a DISH Fan boy ?
At least you don't see me ripping DISH equipment and you don't see me going over to the DISH Forum to do it.
I think the DirecTV interface is clean and simple. There could be improvements, sure! I look at how flashy Xfinity X1 looks in videos and ads (can't get it here, not an xfinity area). I thought it was so cool I demoed it in an Xfinity store. The rep showed me the cool voice remote where you can just click the button and say "show me the money" and wouldn't you know all the movie info for Jerry McGuire comes up and an option to watch it in HD right there, right now.. no downloading, no buffering.
I would love a voice remote like that with DirecTV. The iPhone app doesn't cut it, I'd rather have a quick and easy button and mic on the physical remote itself.
The flashy xbox UI like X1 would be neat. What I mean by that is everything has some kind of motion or fluid transition. Its easier to see where you coming or going when you page through screens with some kind of motion or animation effect.
The apps section seems pretty sparse on DirecTV. An HD capeable YouTube client would be nice. Maybe a Vevo app, hulu, netflix, SiriusXM, or heck even an app store.
The biggest gripe is how awful the system runs if you don't have an HR44 or newer. I have an HR24 in the family room and the channel change speed, bringing up the guide, navigation, etc.. is just piss poor. I know its an older unit but still, Dish network hardware from the same era run smoother.
I initially have DirecTV because trees blocking Dish Networks Eastern Arc. Now I have DirecTV because it has great quality HD and more HD channels that mean something to our family than Dish offers. Not sure how I feel about our local cable providers Arris 6 tuner DVR running the Moxi crossbar interface. I hear its a lot of extra clicking and scrolling to get things done. Not to mention that the wife, kids and guests would probably never make it up to channel 500+ where the HD resides. I love how on DirecTv if the channel is broadcast in HD, it just displays it in HD. Some cable operators have auto tune to HD but ours does not. Needless to say I only use them for phone and internet.
I would love a voice remote like that with DirecTV. The iPhone app doesn't cut it, I'd rather have a quick and easy button and mic on the physical remote itself.
The flashy xbox UI like X1 would be neat. What I mean by that is everything has some kind of motion or fluid transition. Its easier to see where you coming or going when you page through screens with some kind of motion or animation effect.
The apps section seems pretty sparse on DirecTV. An HD capeable YouTube client would be nice. Maybe a Vevo app, hulu, netflix, SiriusXM, or heck even an app store.
The biggest gripe is how awful the system runs if you don't have an HR44 or newer. I have an HR24 in the family room and the channel change speed, bringing up the guide, navigation, etc.. is just piss poor. I know its an older unit but still, Dish network hardware from the same era run smoother.
I initially have DirecTV because trees blocking Dish Networks Eastern Arc. Now I have DirecTV because it has great quality HD and more HD channels that mean something to our family than Dish offers. Not sure how I feel about our local cable providers Arris 6 tuner DVR running the Moxi crossbar interface. I hear its a lot of extra clicking and scrolling to get things done. Not to mention that the wife, kids and guests would probably never make it up to channel 500+ where the HD resides. I love how on DirecTv if the channel is broadcast in HD, it just displays it in HD. Some cable operators have auto tune to HD but ours does not. Needless to say I only use them for phone and internet.
There is one icon for each show (and icons for each folder). If there are more than one recordings of a series, a little number in the corner of the icon shows how many. Click on the icon and there is a list with episode info. the list can be sorted and organized by season (seasons are now collapsible lists). There are as many icons visible on a page as lines on the former list. I was skeptical when upgrading to the Hoppers form the old VIP DVRs, but believe me, I'd never want to go back. The new Carbon Interface (Hopper3 and coming to old Hoppers) has a ton of other new features, easily accessible with menus and tabs.
To be fair, Dish's answer to the Genie/HR34 was the Hopper 1, with three tuners. You can also add multiple Hopper 1 and 2's to an account to have more tuners, DirecTV will only allow one Genie.
Then there is the Hopper 3 with 16 tuners that negates the need for multiple Hoppers for most users.
The 5 tuner limitation is one reason I will not go with DirecTV despite their 4K content and more HD channels, and the fact I can get a better deal with my AT&T account. Of course, if DirecTV's service is now as bad and as incompetent as AT&T's has been for me, I am better off anyway with Dish, even if AT&T comes out with better equipment and more tuners.
Of course the main thing is if YOU are happy with the service you have, regardless of the equipment offered.
Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!
I don't like it when DTV's guide sticks sometimes when scrolling and now when you press the info button that sticks for a few seconds before getting to the show info. Maybe the only thing to add to the guide is replace the channel names with just their logos and add another hour to the guide?
your forgot that directv allow hr-24's and below to work with a genie
so you are not limited to 5 tuners. you can have 5 in the genie and 2 in every other box
this is the reason i switched to the genie system, i didnt like being forced into a client server model
i will evaluate my options at that time.
IF the server has enough tuners (hopper 3 and 16) then maybe
i just dont like relying on a single box
now if they put a regular tuner in the client and relied on the server as a dvr only, then it would be a much better system imho
IF the server has enough tuners (hopper 3 and 16) then maybe
i just dont like relying on a single box
now if they put a regular tuner in the client and relied on the server as a dvr only, then it would be a much better system imho
I don't think that's going to happen. The rumors say its going to be a headless server/client system. It sounds to me like its going to be combination of the HR-54 with the Wireless Video Bridge built in and I wonder if it will look like something the Wireless Video Bridge?
Yeh I am surprised something hasn't leaked out by now. Since rumors also have it coming out in 2017. The only reason I am interested in the next server is if you could only get the new guide and IPTV for rain/snow backup? I wonder if the current boxes also get the new guide then maybe the only reason to get the next server is if you can only use IPTV for rain/snow fade backup?
I think in order to view 4k you will always have to have a 4k client box or a 4k TV. It sounds to me like they aren't going to do a server that outputs to 4k over HDMI. Don't get me wrong I would like for them to do that. I can't stand the server/client model because haven't a lot of people don't like it because of connection issues with the client? Unless they can build the next system from the ground up where the clients connect better to the server? If they use that Humax headless system that has a cable modem in it. Maybe they would use that cable modem to only connect to the clients to the server better?
I wouldn't mind if the guide was jazzed up a little - small channel logos on the guide, the show icons are ok as long as they don't take up a lot of room. They appear on the DVR on the app and they're not obtrusive (they being the show icons). But none of that is worth a less-functioning or more buggy guide. Directv likes to screw things up when they try to fix them. They can't even get the clients to work right - let's fix things that are broken before things that are not!
After the stink that went down when they added the "recently watched on-demand folder" on the list, I don't think more folders is the answer. For someone who uses on demand and their computer a lot to watch Directv, that folder is quite handy. My friend uses it for Ray Donovan and other things that he streams. But having a folder in there for Husband, Wife, Kid A, Kid B, Kid C, Cat, Dog, Lizard would result in a lot of button presses that, like I said earlier, would make it more confusing for kids. And more annoying for me. When I had roommates, we had a Genie/client set up and there was never any confusion as to which shows were whose.
After the stink that went down when they added the "recently watched on-demand folder" on the list, I don't think more folders is the answer. For someone who uses on demand and their computer a lot to watch Directv, that folder is quite handy. My friend uses it for Ray Donovan and other things that he streams. But having a folder in there for Husband, Wife, Kid A, Kid B, Kid C, Cat, Dog, Lizard would result in a lot of button presses that, like I said earlier, would make it more confusing for kids. And more annoying for me. When I had roommates, we had a Genie/client set up and there was never any confusion as to which shows were whose.
You gotta at least get the HR44. Make up a reason for a service call and they'll probably swap it. That will be a temporary gift for your 4K TV. I don't want the current 4K system, either, when I go 4K. I have had the Genie/client system twice (once with HR34 and once with HR44) and the client, including the one mentioned above, would lose connection with the server often. Less often with the HR44, but still enough to be annoying. I liked the client in my old place in another state for bringing my more-desirable OTA channels from the AM21 into the bedroom. Other than that, it was garbage.
If I get a roommate in the future and if my Internet speeds can improve, I think a tablet (that they would have to own) and a HDMI cable would be a better receiver with the current streaming app.
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