Feeling The Joy!

[Steve Mehs]

Well as of 5:15 PM this after noon my dream came true.

The installers were a little late arriving due to weather conditions and problems at their previous stop, which was 30 miles away and a 6 receiver set up. So far I’m loving the DirecTV experience! The guide is a little slow but I was testing out the dual tuner capabilities and played with the software a little and I’ll take a little slower guide anyday with the features this thing has to offer. I spent the last few hours just experimenting to my hearts content and I’m still in amazement. With in 30 minutes of getting my 508 I had the thing figured out, this will take a week or two after playing around with the standard features and easter eggs. I haven’t used it for real, but in playing around, it doesn’t even compare to E*s digital vcrs

Programming, two things that stand out from Dish, 1) Music Choice. The Music Choice channels sound more richer and fuller then Muzak, and the selection is amazing. I put Power Rock on and I got Metallica, not that skater boy reject chick. The Metal channel seems to play black metal, the Alt station has a decent mix. And 2) I get 4 (yes 4) RSNs with Total Choice Plus, all Cheap Charlie would give me was Empire. With DirecTV I get Empire, Fox Sports New York, MSG & YES, all blackout free. Overall I like Total Choice Plus compared to AT180, I never watched anything on the Encores, and even with the price increase (which I won’t get until next year), I still think Total Choice Plus is a better value all around. I also like, no 17 channels of public interest stuff, and I count 5 shopping channels on my first time through the line up, compared to E*s 13. And no channel duplications in the EPG.

Picture quality is about the same as Dish. Excellent on some channels, iffy on others. Most of the local channels appear to be less pixilated and more color saturated on DirecTV then Dish, except of WB. Fox is excellent though. I didn’t have HBO with E*, but the quality of the HBO channels is a downer, I was expecting it to better. But, overall picture quality is equal, after a few give and takes.

I like that you can change the look of the channel banner, having the program info was cool, but kind of distracting, I also like that you can just have the channel logo, name and time appear. I didn’t think I’d like the channel logo in the banner, but it’s okay.

Tomorrows going to be the fun day, calling up E* to cancel :D

[Mike500]

It's like buying a new car and trading in the old one. Nice new options, maybe better handling. Some stuff on the old car will be missing. You trade in, you get something different. Some of the newness will wear off. Some of it stays.

[Phil T]

Congratulations!!!
Don't stay up to late programming season passes tonight! :D

[Phil T]

Oh, don't forget to check out Tanya on channel 219! :D

[pez2002]

Congrats :joy:

[Chris Blount]

That's great Steve! Glad you are enjoying your new toys. Like I have told you before, it's quite a culture shock but once you learn everything, the DirecTivo is quite easy.

There is one thing to remember. This is something I have ran into over the past couple weeks. If you record a lot of shows, be sure to keep a close eye on your season pass listing. The listing is prioritized meaning that the most important season passes are at the top. If any of them conflict, the timers at the top of the list will take precedent.

What I do is keep the season passes that I know are rerun later in the week towards the bottom. This way if they do conflict, the DirecTivo will pick up the show later in the week.

One thing that I really do love. Last week "The Apprentice" ran 1 hours and 17 minutes instead of the usual hour. The DirecTivo recorded the entire show. This week I believe is also a longer show.

Have fun!

[Steve Mehs]

Thanks for the tip Chris. And of coarse, Phil, I checked out 219. :D

I've been noticing something strange on both TiVos, when changing channels or going into menus sometimes the picture will go black and white for a few seconds. I did a reset but it still happens. Anyone else experiencing this?

[Mike Richardson]

Well as of 5:15 PM this after noon my dream came true.

Your dream?

And 2) I get 4 (yes 4) RSNs with Total Choice Plus, all Cheap Charlie would give me was Empire. With DirecTV I get Empire, Fox Sports New York, MSG & YES, all blackout free.

You should get all the RSNs for your area on Echostar.

I also like, no 17 channels of public interest stuff, and I count 5 shopping channels on my first time through the line up, compared to E*s 13. And no channel duplications in the EPG.

The 17 PIs do not cost money. The 13 shopping channels lower your bill. Except for using satellite bandwidth, what is the problem.

[beejaycee]

I've been noticing something strange on both TiVos, when changing channels or going into menus sometimes the picture will go black and white for a few seconds. I did a reset but it still happens. Anyone else experiencing this?
Steve, you might check out this thread on the Tivo Community:
DirecTivo Loss of Color (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155227)
I had this happen to me within the first couple of weeks after switching to DirecTV and thought, "Oh, Fudge, it was too good to last!" but it appears to be fairly common. Seems that it's more of an irritating "hiccup" than anything serious. I got used to those with my 501, I'll get used to 'em with my Tivos. :)

[bills976]

You should get all the RSNs for your area on Echostar.

Nope. In New York, the entire area is claimed as Yankee, Met, Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, and possibly Devils and Nets territory. Yet in order to get all the games blackout free on E*, you have to subscribe to the Sports Pack.

The 17 PIs do not cost money. The 13 shopping channels lower your bill. Except for using satellite bandwidth, what is the problem.

That is the problem. Undeniably, you have two companies going in two different directions... E* wants to spend their bandwidth on RealityTV and sleazy shopping channels while D* is spending their bandwidth on Nicktoons and College Sports TV. To each his own, I guess.

[Steve Mehs]

Seems like a generally infrequent thing, hopefully it works itself out, thanks Beejaycee :)

Yeah my dream to no longer support Dish Network and get a quality DVR. After 5 years I’ve seen a good company go down the tubes. When we canceled this morning the CSR did nothing in the way of retention. All she said was if we come back there will be a $25 reactivation for each receiver. Nothing else. Oh well, it's their $67/month loss.

You should get all the RSNs for your area on Echostar.
Not so. Cable companies, Dish Network and DirecTV have slightly different contracts for RSNs. Really Empire is the Buffalo areas only true RSN, but since the whole state of NY is Yankees territory, I get YES and MSG from when the Yankees used to be on MSG. Both Time Warner and Adelphia system around here also offer MSG and YES. Why I get Fox Sports Net NY is beyond me but I'll take it. But for the Buffalo area, all Dish provides is Empire, when I first subscribed I expected to get MSG as well, but later learned I wouldn't.

I used to say the same thing, shopping channels lower monthly bills, but 13 channels, come on. When I first got Dish there were 2 QVC and HSN. AT100 was $28.99 a month, now with 13 shopping channels AT120 is $34.99. It's don't mind true shopping channels, but those 24/7 infomercial channels get me, how many people actually buy that stuff.

[Phil T]

I get the B&W picture occasionally on both of my DirecTivos if I channel surf a lot. It has always cleared up after a few seconds and never been a big deal. It will take a couple of days for you to get the latest software. 3.1.1c is in limited release now. I don't have it yet on either of my units.

[Mike Richardson]

That is the problem. Undeniably, you have two companies going in two different directions... E* wants to spend their bandwidth on RealityTV and sleazy shopping channels while D* is spending their bandwidth on Nicktoons and College Sports TV. To each his own, I guess.

I think Nicktoons was added because Viacom said so. D* just bent over and took it.

[Karl Foster]

I think Nicktoons was added because Viacom said so. D* just bent over and took it.

They may have "just bent over and took it," but it is a great station if you have kids. It is already one of the most watched stations at my house. YMMV, but quit people need to quit bitching about Nicktoons (ch 302). When trying to add familes to the subscriber base, D* now has NickToons and PBS Kids, which the competition (E*) doesn't offer. :p

[BrettStah]

Here's a nice thread aimed at new Tivo owners (it's not specifc to only DirecTivo owners, but most/all of the suggestions apply to all Tivo owners):
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=71440

[pez2002]

I love nicktoons

Im watching it all the time

[Jasonbp]

I think Nicktoons was added because Viacom said so. D* just bent over and took it.

If that's what D* did, then they took it right. They show the good Nicktoons, you know, the ones before the talking sponge?


I got a TiVo about four (maybe five) months ago. At first I thought I was never going to be using the thing and thought 'what a waste of $100'. But now I have close to 30 different shows in my Season Pass. I didn't even think I watched 30 different shows.

And Steve, what took you so long to make the switch to D*? You said in a PM to me about six months ago you were switching. :D :lol:

[Mike Richardson]

They may have "just bent over and took it," but it is a great station if you have kids. It is already one of the most watched stations at my house. YMMV, but quit people need to quit bitching about Nicktoons (ch 302). When trying to add familes to the subscriber base, D* now has NickToons and PBS Kids, which the competition (E*) doesn't offer. :p

Of course D* does not have Nick GAS which shows a lot of the neat old game shows I used to watch as a kid.