Is the HD GUI update strictly cosmetic or something more?

[Drucifer]

It does not increase when the HD guide gets released on DirecTV.

Correct! This first version of the HDGUI is mostly just a change of cloths.

 

[Jimbo]

HD or not, the GUI was better looking, far quicker, more intuitive and overall easier to use than D*. I'm not saying it was perfect, but comparing E*'s GUI with D*'s current/old GUI is like comparing Legos or an Erector set to those big blocks made for toddlers. Ugly and slow. It's good to know that someone at D* finally took a class in Graphic Design.

So, what do you think of the NEW Gui ?

 

[ejb1980]

I don't see how it's HD; when the channel is HD, the guide is crisp and HD looking, and when the channel is SD, it is less crisp and SD looking, just like the blue guide was. However, the black guide is MUCH faster, easier to read, and better looking than the blue one, in my opinion. So I would say it's pretty much cosmetic for the average user.

 

[dfergie]

If you use / watch strictly HD it stays pretty quick from what I've gathered ...

 

[Unpluggedtech]

I found a big change! If you connect to the composite output with the resolution in 1080 or 720 all you will get is a great big screen that says "Press and hold the EXIT button to change the output to 480i so you can watch TV. And if you are using multiple TV outputs guess what, there goes the HDMI output to 480 as well. So for the extra TV in the Master Bath, the workout room, the shop or worse for all those sports bars with local SD monitors and distributed HD we will have to design work arounds. This change is bad, bad, bad. Anybody got any insights?

 

[Drucifer]

Press and then Hold EXIT.

 

[Unpluggedtech]

which then changes all outputs to 480i, lousy for multiple TV viewing and different than before. Seems like HDMI police to me.

 

[bruin95]

Correct! This first version of the HDGUI is mostly just a change of cloths.

Cloths? I'm assuming you mean clothes.

 

[smitbret]

So, what do you think of the NEW Gui ?

I forced the DL on two of my four receivers a week and a half ago and it is definitely an improvement. It's far more attractive and the menus have more of an iPhone feel to them with the icons. Even though it takes a couple more clicks to accomplish some tasks because of it, it wouldn't be noticeable if you didn't know how the previous version worked.

I still don't think the visual presentation is as good as Dish Network and I'd really hoped for some faster FF/Rew options like E* has on their *22 receivers. It would be nice if they'd give the option for more than 90 minutes of of the program guide, but scrolling is so much faster, even with the H24/HR24s, that it's not a PITA like it used to be.

I'm starting to think that the slowness of the old guide really contributed to my feeling of "Ugly" on the old guide. My daughter still has the old GUI on her TV and the SO likes the old one better, too, so we kept it in the baby's room for now. I think she just fears change. I feel like throwing the remote control if I try to do anything in either of those rooms now. As bad as the old GUI is on the H24s, I can't imagine how bad it must have been on the H21, H22 or H23. Hard to believe that a company like D* would let the front line interface be such a poor introduction to their product. They shoulda been spending less on Beyonce's choreographer and more on R&D for user experience.

 

[Jimbo]

I forced the DL on two of my four receivers a week and a half ago and it is definitely an improvement. It's far more attractive and the menus have more of an iPhone feel to them with the icons. Even though it takes a couple more clicks to accomplish some tasks because of it, it wouldn't be noticeable if you didn't know how the previous version worked.

I still don't think the visual presentation is as good as Dish Network and I'd really hoped for some faster FF/Rew options like E* has on their *22 receivers. It would be nice if they'd give the option for more than 90 minutes of of the program guide, but scrolling is so much faster, even with the H24/HR24s, that it's not a PITA like it used to be.

I'm starting to think that the slowness of the old guide really contributed to my feeling of "Ugly" on the old guide. My daughter still has the old GUI on her TV and the SO likes the old one better, too, so we kept it in the baby's room for now. I think she just fears change. I feel like throwing the remote control if I try to do anything in either of those rooms now. As bad as the old GUI is on the H24s, I can't imagine how bad it must have been on the H21, H22 or H23. Hard to believe that a company like D* would let the front line interface be such a poor introduction to their product. They shoulda been spending less on Beyonce's choreographer and more on R&D for user experience.

I don't mind that they didn't change the Gui earlier, I have D* for watching TVC, not for watching the GUIDE, it's just a guide, you see it for about 5 minutes a day ...

Am I glad they have updated to the new one, YES, but it's just a guide to choose programs from.

 

[smitbret]

I don't mind that they didn't change the Gui earlier, I have D* for watching TVC, not for watching the GUIDE, it's just a guide, you see it for about 5 minutes a day ...

Am I glad they have updated to the new one, YES, but it's just a guide to choose programs from.

That's like saying a door is just a way to get into and out of your house. If that were the case, people wouldn't spend the money on solid oak or metal doors, otherwise everyone would have a $40 bathroom door on the front of their house.

The GUI is the first thing that everyone sees and uses when they try to watch tv and can set the mood for any TV viewing experience for many, many people.