DirecTiVo 6.2 thoughts

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Robert Peirce <bob@peirce-family.com.invalid> wrote in
news:bob-B00107.09361730052005@news.verizon.net:

> In article <Xns9665E8F8448D8jkl123iop@216.196.97.131>,
> Tony Rice <rtphokie@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> "wkearney99" <wkearney99@hotmail.com> wrote in
>> news:z-idnS3eCtJU2QffRVn-3w@speakeasy.net:
>>
>> > Because now is the only time it can ask you what might be very
>> > complicated conflict questions.
>> >
>> > If it discovers there are conflicts with your selection it can ask
>> > you what to do about it. The thumb ratings will help it make a
>> > choice but it needs confirmation from you. There's a distinct
>> > likelihood you won't be near the machine when the programming might
>> > occur so it's now or never.
>>
>> There should be no conflicts. Zero. Nada.
>>
>> All the information it needs to update the to-do list is available in
>> the season pass list. The list is already priority ordered.
>> If a conflict arrises between 2 items on the season pass list, the
>> ranking in the season pass list itself should resolve that. If a
>> conflict arrises between an item on the season pass list and a
>> scheduled recording, a preference could dictate whether the season
>> pass should take precidence or the scheduled recording.
>>
>> I'd prefer this kind of setup much more than the current one. I
>> avoid reordering season passes because it's so slow. I generally
>> save them up, do them all at once right before turning the TV off in
>> the evening.
>
> I ran into this last night and I was very glad of the conflict
> notification. It turns out I really did want to record the two shows
> I had set up and the third one could be recorded at another time. Had
> Tivo assumed I really wanted the third one, I would have been pissed.
>
> To do this automatically, Tivo would have had to check that the third
> show was going to be run multiple times and schedule accordingly.
> That would be nice, but conflict notification is fine.
>

And this happened during the re-shuffling of season passes?

--
Jim H

 

[seth]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"SINNER" <99nesorjd@gates_of_hell.invalid> wrote in message
news:rbkrm2xmb1.ln2@news.gates_of_hell.com...
>* Jeff Rife wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
>> Tony Rice (rtphokie@gmail.com) wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
>>> If a conflict
>>> arrises
>>> between an item on the season pass list and a scheduled recording, a
>>> preference could dictate whether the season pass should take precidence
>>> or
>>> the scheduled recording.
>
>> It would be nice to have a preference, but currently TiVo treats all
>> one-off
>> recordings (i.e., things not controlled by the SP Manager) as item #0 on
>> the SP Manager list. In other words, they have the very highest
>> priority.
>
> I never realized this. So does this mean that if I have a season pass
> set to record Lost on Wednesday at 8:00 but the next episode has not
> showed up yet, during that time I schedule a movie that is in the guide,
> for the same time slot, when the Lost episode DOES make the guide, it
> will not schedule it?

It will.

But what I think the poster to whom you responded was saying... Because LOST
is available at a later time, he/she felt it OK to not record on Wednesday.
He/she was OK with 2 other things getting recorded in the Wednesday slot
cause he knew LOST would be on at a later time. But depending entirely on
the SP priority list, it would have recorded LOST on Wednesday, ignoring the
lower priority item. By having the conflict message, he/she was able to
make a human choice and get all 3 programs.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Tony Rice seemed to utter in
news:Xns966378D1EA236jkl123iop@216.196.97.131:

> I've got a 105 hour DirecTiVo with plenty on it so paging through all
> those screens wasn't fun. This upgrade makes it much more useable.

I just wish all the channel settings didn't get nuked. This thing
has hundreds of gigabytes of disk space at its disposal and it
can't bother to save my channel settings between software updates?

It takes a good long while to reconfigure the channels I receive
and favorites when there are about 300 channels to wade through!

-- TRW
_______________________________________
t r w 7
at
i x dot n e t c o m dot c o m
_______________________________________

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"Tim Witort" <trw7at@ixdot.netcomdotcom> wrote in message news:Xns966867F731211timwitortwrotethis@207.217.125.201...
> Tony Rice seemed to utter in
> news:Xns966378D1EA236jkl123iop@216.196.97.131:
>
> > I've got a 105 hour DirecTiVo with plenty on it so paging through all
> > those screens wasn't fun. This upgrade makes it much more useable.
>
> I just wish all the channel settings didn't get nuked. This thing
> has hundreds of gigabytes of disk space at its disposal and it
> can't bother to save my channel settings between software updates?
>
> It takes a good long while to reconfigure the channels I receive
> and favorites when there are about 300 channels to wade through!
>

If your channel selections were saved, they would be useless since
the internal channel configuration changed with the version 6.2 update.

It's probably too late to learn now, but the easiest way to configure
the channel sets is to "Uncheck all channels" in Channels You Receive,
add/select channels one at a time... then select All for the Favorites
configuration. For most people there are fewer desired channels than
unwanted channels.

The Channels You Receive list is more important since this configuration
is used for Suggestion recording. The Favorites list is useful for the guide
setting as it prevents display of a few channels which come and go daily.

 

[sinner]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

* Jack Ak Wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:

>
> "Tim Witort" <trw7at@ixdot.netcomdotcom> wrote in message
> news:Xns966867F731211timwitortwrotethis@207.217.125.201...
>> Tony Rice seemed to utter in
>> news:Xns966378D1EA236jkl123iop@216.196.97.131:
>>
>> > I've got a 105 hour DirecTiVo with plenty on it so paging
>> > through all those screens wasn't fun. This upgrade makes it
>> > much more useable.
>>
>> I just wish all the channel settings didn't get nuked. This
>> thing has hundreds of gigabytes of disk space at its disposal and
>> it can't bother to save my channel settings between software
>> updates?
>>
>> It takes a good long while to reconfigure the channels I receive
>> and favorites when there are about 300 channels to wade through!
>>
>
> If your channel selections were saved, they would be useless since
> the internal channel configuration changed with the version 6.2
> update.

So? Make a conversion utility. Would not have been that difficult me
thinks. Things like this are done all the time when new versions of
software create inconsistencies with existing data.

--
David

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Jack Ak <akjack@excite.com> wrote:
> It's probably too late to learn now, but the easiest way to configure the
> channel sets is to "Uncheck all channels" in Channels You Receive,
> add/select channels one at a time... then select All for the Favorites
> configuration. For most people there are fewer desired channels than
> unwanted channels.

Not too late for me... My wife was befuddled by the empty Guide, since the
favorites were all gone. I changed the Guide to "channels you receive" and
unchecked the PPV. That's where it sits.

So, I could finish adjusting the "Channels you receive", and copy that over
to favorites, but that seems like unnecessary work. I just use the
"Receive". Too bad my three year old RCA can scan through and recognize
subscribed channels, and the DTivo can't. "Channels You Receive" is a
misnomer. It should be "Channels that could be available, but aren't
necessarily viewable with your subscriptions". That wouldn't fit in the
caption, though. The RCA also let me see the channels that me were
selecting in a P-I-P, so I could tell if I was subscribed for some of the
obscure channels that I don't bother to remember the name of... I'm looking
for titles and descriptions when I surf the guide, not channel names and
numbers.

> The Channels You Receive list is more important since this configuration
> is used for Suggestion recording. The Favorites list is useful for the
> guide setting as it prevents display of a few channels which come and go
> daily.

Is it also used for wishlists? I was keeping my "Receive" cleaned up, but
stopped doing that, and only adjusted the favorites. I was getting
auto-wishlists hits for sports on sportschannels that I don't receive.

I consider the favorites list useless. It might be handy for something,
but I haven't figured out what.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

<dold@XReXXDirec.usenet.us.com> wrote in message news:d7l73c$es7$1@blue.rahul.net...
> Jack Ak <akjack@excite.com> wrote:
> > It's probably too late to learn now, but the easiest way to configure the
> > channel sets is to "Uncheck all channels" in Channels You Receive,
> > add/select channels one at a time... then select All for the Favorites
> > configuration. For most people there are fewer desired channels than
> > unwanted channels.
>
> Not too late for me... My wife was befuddled by the empty Guide, since the
> favorites were all gone. I changed the Guide to "channels you receive" and
> unchecked the PPV. That's where it sits.
>
> So, I could finish adjusting the "Channels you receive", and copy that over
> to favorites, but that seems like unnecessary work. I just use the
> "Receive". Too bad my three year old RCA can scan through and recognize
> subscribed channels, and the DTivo can't. "Channels You Receive" is a
> misnomer. It should be "Channels that could be available, but aren't
> necessarily viewable with your subscriptions". That wouldn't fit in the
> caption, though. The RCA also let me see the channels that me were
> selecting in a P-I-P, so I could tell if I was subscribed for some of the
> obscure channels that I don't bother to remember the name of... I'm looking
> for titles and descriptions when I surf the guide, not channel names and
> numbers.
>
> > The Channels You Receive list is more important since this configuration
> > is used for Suggestion recording. The Favorites list is useful for the
> > guide setting as it prevents display of a few channels which come and go
> > daily.
>
> Is it also used for wishlists? I was keeping my "Receive" cleaned up, but
> stopped doing that, and only adjusted the favorites. I was getting
> auto-wishlists hits for sports on sportschannels that I don't receive.
>
> I consider the favorites list useless. It might be handy for something,
> but I haven't figured out what.
>

Favorites will never pick up shopping and barker channels that get added/removed
on a daily basis. The Channels You Receive list is dynamically modified by DirecTV,
while Favorites is managed by the user and is rarely cleared during a software update.

I counted channels after setting up my wife's DVR with version 6.2 the tedious way.
There are about 100 channels in Favorites (all checked) from selected channels
in Channels You Receive. Select only the channels you will watch in "Channels You Receive"
after "Unselect all channels"; then "Select all channels" in Favorite Channels setup.

One of the nicest additions in version 6.2 is jump to beginning of Live Buffer;
press Back (rewind), then Advance for skip to the live buffer start point.
I have yet to find where this new feature is documented.

 

[danr]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

dold@XReXXDirec.usenet.us.com wrote:
> Jack Ak <akjack@excite.com> wrote:
>> It's probably too late to learn now, but the easiest way to configure the
>> channel sets is to "Uncheck all channels" in Channels You Receive,
>> add/select channels one at a time... then select All for the Favorites
>> configuration. For most people there are fewer desired channels than
>> unwanted channels.
>
> Not too late for me... My wife was befuddled by the empty Guide, since the
> favorites were all gone. I changed the Guide to "channels you receive" and
> unchecked the PPV. That's where it sits.
>
> So, I could finish adjusting the "Channels you receive", and copy that over
> to favorites, but that seems like unnecessary work. I just use the
> "Receive". Too bad my three year old RCA can scan through and recognize
> subscribed channels, and the DTivo can't. "Channels You Receive" is a
> misnomer. It should be "Channels that could be available, but aren't
> necessarily viewable with your subscriptions". That wouldn't fit in the
> caption, though. The RCA also let me see the channels that me were
> selecting in a P-I-P, so I could tell if I was subscribed for some of the
> obscure channels that I don't bother to remember the name of... I'm looking
> for titles and descriptions when I surf the guide, not channel names and
> numbers.
>

I also miss some of the features of the old RCA box. The PIP you mention and
details of the movie you are watching. Actors, director, run-time, release date
etc.

>> The Channels You Receive list is more important since this configuration
>> is used for Suggestion recording. The Favorites list is useful for the
>> guide setting as it prevents display of a few channels which come and go
>> daily.
>
> Is it also used for wishlists? I was keeping my "Receive" cleaned up, but
> stopped doing that, and only adjusted the favorites. I was getting
> auto-wishlists hits for sports on sportschannels that I don't receive.
>
> I consider the favorites list useless. It might be handy for something,
> but I haven't figured out what.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"DanR" <dhr22@sorrynospm.com> wrote in message news:0oGne.1682$RV5.1606@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...
>
>
> dold@XReXXDirec.usenet.us.com wrote:
> > Jack Ak <akjack@excite.com> wrote:
> >> It's probably too late to learn now, but the easiest way to configure the
> >> channel sets is to "Uncheck all channels" in Channels You Receive,
> >> add/select channels one at a time... then select All for the Favorites
> >> configuration. For most people there are fewer desired channels than
> >> unwanted channels.
> >
> > Not too late for me... My wife was befuddled by the empty Guide, since the
> > favorites were all gone. I changed the Guide to "channels you receive" and
> > unchecked the PPV. That's where it sits.
> >
> > So, I could finish adjusting the "Channels you receive", and copy that over
> > to favorites, but that seems like unnecessary work. I just use the
> > "Receive". Too bad my three year old RCA can scan through and recognize
> > subscribed channels, and the DTivo can't. "Channels You Receive" is a
> > misnomer. It should be "Channels that could be available, but aren't
> > necessarily viewable with your subscriptions". That wouldn't fit in the
> > caption, though. The RCA also let me see the channels that me were
> > selecting in a P-I-P, so I could tell if I was subscribed for some of the
> > obscure channels that I don't bother to remember the name of... I'm looking
> > for titles and descriptions when I surf the guide, not channel names and
> > numbers.
> >
>
> I also miss some of the features of the old RCA box. The PIP you mention and
> details of the movie you are watching. Actors, director, run-time, release date
> etc.
>
....

Some details about programs are available from the program info screen.
Press select on a line item in Now Playing, then press Info (or Display) to see
Program Details.

You can do the same key presses on programs not yet recorded. Find a movie
in the program guide, press record, on the next screen select Season Pass
& other options. On the Upcoming Program screen press Info.

Program Details is available on all DirecTV DVR independent of software versions.

When you can pause the current program and switch tuners, PIP loses some of its appeal.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Jack Ak (akjack@excite.com) wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
> You can do the same key presses on programs not yet recorded. Find a movie
> in the program guide, press record, on the next screen select Season Pass
> & other options. On the Upcoming Program screen press Info.

I really wish there was a way to get this screen from the guide without
going in to the "I want to record this" menu, since that causes live TV to
go to the end of the buffer.

--
Jeff Rife | "A rabbit's foot? You slaughtered an innocent
| animal for some silly superstition?"
| "I didn't personally slaughter the rabbit. I shot
| a giant panda out of a tree, and he fell on it."
| -- "Cybill"

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Jack Ak <akjack@excite.com> wrote:

> When you can pause the current program and switch tuners, PIP loses some
> of its appeal.

I was specifically referring to using PIP while selecting channels in the
setup mode. Otherwise, I have to run through the channels live, making a
written (gack) list of which ones I want, and then transcribing that list
into the rather unintelligent setup screen.


--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

dold@XReXXDirec.usenet.us.com wrote in news:d7nlj3$ia9$3@blue.rahul.net:

> Jack Ak <akjack@excite.com> wrote:
>
>> When you can pause the current program and switch tuners, PIP loses
>> some of its appeal.
>
> I was specifically referring to using PIP while selecting channels in
> the setup mode. Otherwise, I have to run through the channels live,
> making a written (gack) list of which ones I want, and then
> transcribing that list into the rather unintelligent setup screen.

I know - that is a pain in the ass. I wish there was a menu item you
could select after hitting "Info" while watching live TV that says
"Remove this channel from Favorites" so that you wouldn't have to go to
the edit channels menu just to remove a channel. At the very least,
there should be a description of what the channel is in the channel edit
menu.


--
Jim H

 

[sinner]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

* Jeff Rife Wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:

> Jack Ak (akjack@excite.com) wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
>> You can do the same key presses on programs not yet recorded.
>> Find a movie in the program guide, press record, on the next
>> screen select Season Pass & other options. On the Upcoming
>> Program screen press Info.
>
> I really wish there was a way to get this screen from the guide
> without going in to the "I want to record this" menu, since that
> causes live TV to go to the end of the buffer.
>

Pause first.

--
David

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

SINNER (arcade.master@googlemail.net) wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
> > I really wish there was a way to get this screen from the guide
> > without going in to the "I want to record this" menu, since that
> > causes live TV to go to the end of the buffer.
> >
>
> Pause first.

I know, but I usually forget.

--
Jeff Rife | "A rabbit's foot? You slaughtered an innocent
| animal for some silly superstition?"
| "I didn't personally slaughter the rabbit. I shot
| a giant panda out of a tree, and he fell on it."
| -- "Cybill"

 

[sinner]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

* Jeff Rife wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
> SINNER (arcade.master@googlemail.net) wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
>> > I really wish there was a way to get this screen from the guide
>> > without going in to the "I want to record this" menu, since that
>> > causes live TV to go to the end of the buffer.

>> Pause first.

> I know, but I usually forget.

Me too

--
David
Yeah. Maybe I do have the right ... What's that stuff?

-- Homer Simpson
Deep Space Homer

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"Jeff Rife" <wevsr@nabs.net> wrote in message news:MPG.1d096a12e9e0c3a5989da9@news.nabs.net...
> SINNER (arcade.master@googlemail.net) wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
> > > I really wish there was a way to get this screen from the guide
> > > without going in to the "I want to record this" menu, since that
> > > causes live TV to go to the end of the buffer.
> > >
> >
> > Pause first.
>
> I know, but I usually forget.
>

In that case you will appreciate the advance to beginning
of live buffer which was added in the version 6.2 DVR software.

The advance button will now do a "skip" to either end of the live buffer.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Jack Ak (akjack@excite.com) wrote in alt.video.ptv.tivo:
> In that case you will appreciate the advance to beginning
> of live buffer which was added in the version 6.2 DVR software.

I really would if I expected that software anytime soon. My HDVR2 already
has it, but I generally only watch live TV on the HR10-250, because only
HD live TV is worth it. There's no timeframe for the HD units to get 6.x.

--
Jeff Rife | Coach: How's life, Norm?
|
| Norm: Not for the squeamish, Coach.

 

[danr]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Jack Ak wrote:
> "DanR" <dhr22@sorrynospm.com> wrote in message
> news:0oGne.1682$RV5.1606@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...
>>
>>
>> dold@XReXXDirec.usenet.us.com wrote:
>>> Jack Ak <akjack@excite.com> wrote:
>>>> It's probably too late to learn now, but the easiest way to configure the
>>>> channel sets is to "Uncheck all channels" in Channels You Receive,
>>>> add/select channels one at a time... then select All for the Favorites
>>>> configuration. For most people there are fewer desired channels than
>>>> unwanted channels.
>>>
>>> Not too late for me... My wife was befuddled by the empty Guide, since the
>>> favorites were all gone. I changed the Guide to "channels you receive" and
>>> unchecked the PPV. That's where it sits.
>>>
>>> So, I could finish adjusting the "Channels you receive", and copy that over
>>> to favorites, but that seems like unnecessary work. I just use the
>>> "Receive". Too bad my three year old RCA can scan through and recognize
>>> subscribed channels, and the DTivo can't. "Channels You Receive" is a
>>> misnomer. It should be "Channels that could be available, but aren't
>>> necessarily viewable with your subscriptions". That wouldn't fit in the
>>> caption, though. The RCA also let me see the channels that me were
>>> selecting in a P-I-P, so I could tell if I was subscribed for some of the
>>> obscure channels that I don't bother to remember the name of... I'm looking
>>> for titles and descriptions when I surf the guide, not channel names and
>>> numbers.
>>>
>>
>> I also miss some of the features of the old RCA box. The PIP you mention and
>> details of the movie you are watching. Actors, director, run-time, release
>> date etc.
>>
> ...
>
> Some details about programs are available from the program info screen.
> Press select on a line item in Now Playing, then press Info (or Display) to
> see
> Program Details.
>
> You can do the same key presses on programs not yet recorded. Find a movie
> in the program guide, press record, on the next screen select Season Pass
> & other options. On the Upcoming Program screen press Info.

I'll be darned. But you do have to press a few buttons to get there.

> Program Details is available on all DirecTV DVR independent of software
> versions.
>
> When you can pause the current program and switch tuners, PIP loses some of
> its appeal.

 

[danr]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

I have a DTivo that shipped with ver 6.1 so I'm not like a lot of you poor souls
waiting forever for the upgrade. What is the big deal with it taking so long to
get this upgrade out to folks. From reading these posts it's like they are
sending it to one person at a time. Technically... how do they get the upgrades
to the boxes? How large in MBs is the file they send? Seems to me they could use
the bandwidth of just one channel and loop the darn thing. They could send you a
message and say "the upgrade is available... select upgrade now". Go to bed and
let it happen.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"DanR" <dhr22@sorrynospm.com> wrote in message news:sBaoe.5602$Ag1.2898@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
> I have a DTivo that shipped with ver 6.1 so I'm not like a lot of you poor souls
> waiting forever for the upgrade. What is the big deal with it taking so long to
> get this upgrade out to folks. From reading these posts it's like they are
> sending it to one person at a time. Technically... how do they get the upgrades
> to the boxes? How large in MBs is the file they send? Seems to me they could use
> the bandwidth of just one channel and loop the darn thing. They could send you a
> message and say "the upgrade is available... select upgrade now". Go to bed and
> let it happen.
>
>

The v. 6.2 upgrade files have been sitting on the DVR's disk for a number of weeks
after an automatic download from satellite. There was a geographic area selected for
early evaluation and a number of customers in that area received the version 6.2 update.

Reportedly 100,000 DVRs have been added each day to the update queue starting
May 16. The upgrade process is completely automatic and requires no action from
the DVR owner. There is no need to send messages to request user involvement
in the upgrade process. The "poor souls" you mentioned are those who think
they must have the upgrade now. Unfortunately, too many people don't read
on-screen messages and will call customer support people to find out why
the channel up/down buttons don't work from the remote control.