DirecTV Double-Play - Seems Clunky

[waff]

Is anyone using the DirecTV Double-Play feature? Does it seem clunky to anyone else? I was so excited for this feature, now I'm thinking they missed the mark.

Once I start double play, it takes me three or four tries to get it to record the two channels I want to flip between. I'm a software engineer, so I don't think that I'm often confused by technology, but I can't put my finger on how this is supposed to work.

When I push the down arrow twice, it takes me to some other channel that I wasn't going to double-play. Then I change to the channel I want in the double play, then press the down arrow again, and it takes me back to the channel I didn't want in the first place. So then, I enter both channels I want to double play, then press the down button, and guess what I'm watching again? The same channel I didn't want to watch in the first place.

Why is this so complicated. There's no way I'm explaining this to my wife.

Can't this functionality just be part of the Previous Channel button, or just work when you change a channel, then go back to the previous channel, and it allows you to rewind the content?

This is not what I expected at all from this functionality. DirecTV, I love your service and normally the technology decisions are very encouraging. This one, I think you've missed. There has to be a way to make this more user friendly. Keep your wives in mind when designing this. If you want people to use this and appreciate it, keep it simple. This, in my mind is far from simple yet.

 

[Big Dawg 23]

its not you. I had issues until this weekend. Here is a simple break down.

1. Turn to a channel you want to start double play(Press Down arrow and follow prompts on screen). Ex. ESPNHD 206
2. Hit the down arrow again to flip to other tuner.
3. Select new channel you want to watch. MLB NETWORK 213
4. Hit down arrow to toggle back and forth. After about 10-15 minutes hit play and you will see the bar has moved to allow you to back up.


I struggled mightily when I recieved the update last week. I was using the Prev button after toggling.

 

[jdspencer]

Using the previous button will bring up the previous channel on that tuner. The buffer will be dumped.
Use the down arrow to bring up the other tuner. Now the previous button will work on that tuner.
So, now you could watch four channels.

 

[waff]

What's the value if the buffer gets dumped? So now one channel has recorded data, but the rest don't? All of this seems great in theory, but in use, the average user will not get their minds around this. I wanted to tell a bunch of people about this option, but there's no way they're going to get it.

 

[cfb]

Having to activate it and then having at least 5 buttons on the remote control that will dump the buffer without asking if thats what you want to do make the feature not particularly useful. I tinkered with it for 3 minutes in its first CE incarnation and not since.

 

[waff]

My point exactly. You tried it, found no great value in it or didn't want to learn how it works, so you disregarded it. Now introduce this to the millions of users that are not tech savy or somewhat layman to this stuff. It will never get used. Can DirecTV go back to the drawing board on this one? Can they make it simpler? I like the concept, but the usage is poor.

I know, if you're a Directv engineer reading this, you think I'm an idiot and don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe that's the case, but I am a user and I have a feeling this was wasted effort unless they can make is better.

If you can sell this functionality to my parents, or my sister, or my wife, or my friends who aren't nerds, then you've done your job. I'd bet you couldn't get any of them to want to use this feature the way it is.

 

[jdspencer]

The dumping of the buffer is no different now than before this update. Before when you changed channels the buffer got dumped, unless you are recording that channel. Now, you can do it with both buffers.

The DirecTV TiVo worked the same way.

Simply put, use the down arrow to activate DP.
Then press again to change tuners and then select the channel you want.
Now you can press the down arrow to change between buffers, both of which are buffering.
The buffer only gets dumped if you change channels on the tuner.

 

[cfb]

The current tivo product and the dish product both ask "are you sure you want to change the channel because you're watching a live buffer right now" sort of question.

Directv had two choices to implement this: have it the way they did it or have it buffer two channels full time and interrupt the background buffer when they need the tuner to do 'something else' with it. Apparently the latter was far more difficult or limited them in some fashion, although tivo and dish seem to have managed.

In any case, I dont watch sports or news live so the feature just isnt that useful to me. In the constant buffer tivo world, at least once or twice a week I'd flip the tv on and have one of the buffers be on some PBS or Discovery show that looked interesting and I'd rewind and watch it. With two buffers I had twice the odds of some pleasing 'random' content. I dont think I've had it work out for me more than a couple of times in the last ~2 years I've had the HR20's.

Part of that isnt dual buffer related though. Since directv's 'keep until I delete' doesnt actually work properly, my sons animated shows record 350,000 times a day so the buffer is always on sprout or disney.

 

[Big Dawg 23]

My point exactly. You tried it, found no great value in it or didn't want to learn how it works, so you disregarded it. Now introduce this to the millions of users that are not tech savy or somewhat layman to this stuff. It will never get used. Can DirecTV go back to the drawing board on this one? Can they make it simpler? I like the concept, but the usage is poor.

I know, if you're a Directv engineer reading this, you think I'm an idiot and don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe that's the case, but I am a user and I have a feeling this was wasted effort unless they can make is better.

If you can sell this functionality to my parents, or my sister, or my wife, or my friends who aren't nerds, then you've done your job. I'd bet you couldn't get any of them to want to use this feature the way it is.

This feature is great for NFLST and College Football. I can see why some will not use it.

 

[SupaFresh208]

Thanks for this I was about to make a thread about this.

 

[Ronnie-]

What's the value if the buffer gets dumped? So now one channel has recorded data, but the rest don't? All of this seems great in theory, but in use, the average user will not get their minds around this. I wanted to tell a bunch of people about this option, but there's no way they're going to get it.

The buffer does not get dumped if you use the down button to swap between your two buffered channels. It DOES get dumped if you use the previous button to swap to the last viewed channel on the tuner that you are using at the time.

It does sound complicated, but I have never had a unit with DLB before, and after playing with it for just a few minutes it seems pretty simple to me anyway.

I can see how some might not use it though.

 

[thetech2009]

like most technology it doesnt always work out right the first time. HOPEFULLY they will see the problem and correct it! In D* case they really dont know how well or bad something is doing untill Technicians like myself fill out a field problem report, or get feed back from unhappy customers, and since this is new and not many people know about it, or use it for that matter, and knowing D*'s slow processing, it will probably take a while. Just my 2

 

[Jhon69]

This feature is great for NFLST and College Football. I can see why some will not use it.

The DoublePlay feature is also great when you want to watch two different programs on at the same time and not record it.

 

[waff]

I don't disagree, that it's a great concept. I couldn't wait to use it. My only issue is getting the masses to understand what is going on and how to use it. Maybe thetech2009 knows:

How difficult is the concept of having constant buffers? Everytime you switch channels, the other buffer is used. Maybe to avoid lag time, you wait a few seconds to invoke the background buffer (the other tuner). And if you're already recording something, then you only have the one buffer, which I think people would get. I'm sure they thought of this when designing, but I have to throw that approach out there.

More often than not, I would think most people would want to rewind content without it having been preemptive.

I like DirecTV a lot. But I do see a lot of negative feedback about their UI. I don't get all of the bad hype, but it's out there. I just hope threads like this will help them improve.

 

[armchair]

We need a selectable advanced mode for Double Play

I think the DLB buffer is great but currently it does not have an advanced option for users to select.

I think there should be a selectable feature like "Recording Tips" that can be turned off or on (see Menu/setup/system setup/Display). The advanced feature would eliminate the redundant extra steps intended to introduce the feature to newcomers. The steps I mean are the extra info screens and using the Directv help channel as default 2nd buffer.

These, I think are annoying some users and useful to others. An advanced user selected feature would please more users.

If you see the Dish Network ad I saw after posting, I do not endorse Dish Network and do not refer members, friends or family to Dish.

 

[Inetassoc]

While the new DoublePlay is inferior to the DTiVo Dual Live Buffer, I am greatful to finally have it. Surely it has its irritants. The 2 hour buffer is frustrating. Allow me to explain.

Watching NFLST I have 2 games being RECORDED, but I opt for using the DoublePlay for switching between the games. Actually, I have 4 games being recorded on two DVRs. I am watching 2 of the games on one unit while the other 2 games are buffering on the other unit. When I switch to the other DVR I find that the 90 minute buffer limit has kicked in and that the games are already in progress. Granted, I just have to go into LIST and play the recording from the beginning, but the DTiVo at least realized that the buffers were also recordings and didn't bother me with the extra steps to get back to the beginning of the games.

DoublePlay is still TONS better than nothing at all.

 

[rad]

Just to clearify, it's a 90 minute buffer, not 2 hours. The 2 hours is the time out limit for when Double Play will be disabled, no activity on the remote for 2 hours and it times out.

 

[Inetassoc]

Just to clearify, it's a 90 minute buffer, not 2 hours. The 2 hours is the time out limit for when Double Play will be disabled, no activity on the remote for 2 hours and it times out.

You are absolutely correct. I'll adjust my post.

 

[Happy Camper]

As a retired pilot, I still usually follow checklists carefully-occupational disability. I got the instruction on the new feature, followed instructions with the down arrow, and it's worked perfectly for me. Occasionally, I have regressed to old TiVo habits and attempted to toggle back with the return button.

Maybe not as elegant as the dual buffer on TiVo, but it works if you use it as advertised, for me at least. The ability to dual buffer without the clunky work around eliminated my one last remaining material objection to DirecTV vs. TiVo interface-the dual buffer.

Try it-you'll grow to like it? Or not.

Respectfully,
The Camper

 

[skyviewmark]

It's a great feature. What it needs is a remote with a Swap Button. Maybe a new remote will be forthcoming one day with more buttons for some of the newer features..