[Janice805]

Now the TO DO List is buried even further. I use it a LOT and would like easier access to it.

Why can't Direct TV make the LIST button on the remote bring up a choice to select, like PLAYLIST "or" TO DO List ... ???? Wouldn't that be easy to do and satisfy those of us that us it a lot ???

 

[texasbrit]

I'm interested in why you use it so much. I probably look at the todo list once a month, if that...

 

[Drew2k]

This thread is no longer active, but contained a LOT of information about why folks wanted to have quick access to the To Do List:

Constructive to-do list discussion (10/16/2011 to 10/21/2011)

I also want quick access to the To Do List, and my reasons from that thread are still stand:

I can't believe I missed this thread and it's been here for three days already!

OK, so I'm posting this without reading any previous responses, just so it's "real" ...

My Setup and Why I Use To Do:
I have 7 DVRs: 4 record daily, 2 record weekly, and 1 is full (my "movie" DVR).

I check the "daily" DVRs almost every day, and the others at least once a week. One thing I look for is conflicts, for results from Auto Record Series Links, and also for general planning purposes.

Conflicts/Omissions:
With this many DVRs and tuners, it's not often I have conflicts, but I have at least 25 to 25 series links on each DVR, so it happens. If I happen to remember what day of the week it is, I also look for what I *expect* to record, to confirm it's there. This actually was an issue last week when baseball on Fox ran long and bumped X-Factor, pushing it to the next night. The guide showed the bumped program that next night, but the DVR was not marking it as scheduled to record. If I didn't review the To Do List, I would have missed it. If you don't check the DVRs To Do List, you also won't know that a conflict was detected and will be skipped.

Auto Record Series Links:
I have some auto-record series links on a few DVRs. Some of these are for channel ranges, some are wide open. I like to check the To Do List to see what matches are found, to reschedule them if they bump something else, and to also see if there's a match that I *don't* want to record, so I can cancel that match. ARSLs are not 100% reliable, in that often I can have the ARSL set for "New", but often repeats will be scheduled to record.

Another thing I've noted with ARSLs is that you can check the To Do List on Monday and there's nothing set to record. Then you can check it on Tuesday and suddenly there's a recording set for today and the next three days. You can't just check once a week for the ARSL because it's never set in stone that the To Do List will not be updated in the next day.

General Planning:
One of the primary reasons I use the To Do List is to plan my viewing for hte night. There are certain programs I like to watch "near live", but I often *do* forget what day of the week it is and the To Do List reminds me. After looking at the To Do List in the DVRs set to record daily I know how I'll be watching TV that night.

So that's why I use the To Do List. You really can't have or want to use ARSL's without going into the To Do List.

To Do List Access:
Since I use the To Do List every day, I had at one time set up macros on my Harmony remotes to get me there with one Harmony button click. However, this is an unstable solution as when DIRECTV modifies the interface, as has happened three times now, the macros break. In addition, Harmony supports only 5 key-presses in a macro, and in the current HD GUI it takes more than 5 key-presses to get to the actual To Do List.

Since the DIRECTV remotes have a dedicated button for "List", to me the first step to making the To Do List easier to access is to swap "Playlist" and "Manage Recordings" in the main menu.

Better still, would be a shortcut from the Playlist, such as GREEN that goes directly into the To Do List, making it only two key-presses to get there: LIST > GREEN.

Another option, which would serve and satisfy multiple users would be to enable a new "shortcut" grid similar to Quick Tune, that permits users to specify their favorite "activities" or "settings" screens in the interface. Since the "Enter" key has no function until you enter a channel number, this key would be a perfect candidate for calling up the user's favorites.

Last Thoughts:
The primary reason most folks get a DVR is to "record". Getting to the recordings occurs in two ways: (1) what was recorded, and (2) what is scheduled to record. DIRECTV has made it easy to see what was recorded, but with multiple revisions to the interface has made it more difficult to see what is scheduled to record.

I'm hoping this thread is a sign that DIRECTV is willing to level it out and make it easier to get to the To Do List to see those scheduled recordings...

 

[jdspencer]

A universal remote with macro capability will solve the problem.

 

[Stuart Sweet]

I guess it's been a few months since we had a thread about this.

To summarize, there are a lot of reasons for the enthusiast to want access to the to do list, but the research shows that the overwhelming majority of the almost 10 million dvr users don't look at or even think about the to do list. As I don't have the raw data I can't interpret it myself, and I therefore rely on the integrity of my friends when they say it's sound.

 

[bwaldron]

To summarize, there are a lot of reasons for the enthusiast to want access to the to do list, but the research shows that the overwhelming majority of the almost 10 million dvr users don't look at or even think about the to do list.

Sigh. The tyranny of the majority once again.

 

[mws192]

the research shows that the overwhelming majority of the almost 10 million dvr users don't look at or even think about the to do list.

To which I would say, that's because it's buried in the menu and they don't know about it! Put it somewhere more noticeable and the statistics would change.

When I had cable it was on the main DVR page and I used it every day. Now that it's buried I have to force myself into checking it a few times a week.

 

[texasbrit]

We're obviously in disagreement here, but everyone has their own way of doing things. I doubt whether anyone would accuse me of not knowing where the to-do list is. I just don't see any need to use it, except in very unusual circumstances. I don't have any ARSLs. It isn't as if the to-do list is even a list of everything that is "to do". Most of the time, programs that are "bumped" from recording because of conflicts will not even appear in the to-do list but are recorded anyway. Looking at the to-do list makes people set programs to record manually and change priorities because they think their "bumped" program won't record.
Ironically, I have a fully-programmable Pronto remote with an infinite number of macros and so I could easily program a single button for access to the to-do list if I really wanted to....

 

[trh]

A universal remote with macro capability will solve the problem.

+1

 

[Herdfan]

You need to get your family out now. The black helicopters are coming for you. DirecTV does not want you to have easy access to the TODO List and they don't even want it mentioned. Save yourself while you can.

While on the surface this is funny, in reality it is not. There are too many easy ways for them to provide better access and they won't. So what if even a small amount of people use it, adding a LIST>LIST function would just not be that hard. Someone at DirecTV was harmed by the TODO List and they are keeping it buried.

A universal remote with macro capability will solve the problem.

+1

Yes, to a degree. That is what I use now, but you get missed commands on occasion and have to keep the remote pointed. Once the HR34 gets the new GUI, I am going to figure out their non-standard IR IN and try it that way. But that only helps on one TV.

 

[wilbur_the_goose]

OR - Make the info available thru your home network. Provide a to-do-list display on your computer or iOS/Android device!

 

[Carl Spock]

Janice, we all do, at least here on DBSTalk. I accept Stuart's explanation that the vast majority of DirecTV users don't use or even think about the To Do list, but I go to it at least once a week.

I would put easy access to the To Do list in the same category as that of getting to closed captioning. Most people don't use closed captioning but those who do wanted easy access to it and DirecTV complied.

I'd recommend it be accessed through two rapid presses of the List button. Once either the List or the To Do list are up, a single press of List button would take you back to live TV, which is what a second press of the List button does now.

 

[Drew2k]

The idea to make the LIST button work like the GUIDE button has been around for a while and is a great idea with a simple implementation and execution and it's mystifying that DIRECTV won't give the users that want the ability to manage their recordings a quick way to do it.

This would

GUIDE press 1: display the GUIDE
GUIDE press 2: display Guide Cagtegories
EXIT: return to video

LIST press 1: display the Playlist
LIST press 2: display the To Do List
EXIT: return to video

 

[Mike Bertelson]

I find it interesting how some people want others to justify their reasons for using the To-Do list. I check it once or twice a week...more often when a season is starting. And, I’m not inclined to justify my reasons.

At one point we had easy access to the To-Do list. Now I had to program a macro. I think it should be easier to get to but maybe that’s just me. IMHO, instead of having the Playlist as the first option under the Recordings menu, it should be the To-Do list. I’m not really sure why there is a menu option for something with a dedicated button on the remote but if it stays in the Recordings menu Playlist shouldn’t be first. I would like one button access back but I believe that isn't going to happen.

My 2¢ FWIW.

Mike

 

[lparsons21]

I use the todo list quite often as I have lots of series links set up, and also some one offs that I like to do. i have 2 HR24s in my viewing area that I have to use to set up to not get contentions that have bad results for me.

I would like to have it easier to get to the todo list, but I'd be MUCH happier if I had a unified todo list. Barring that, it would be nice to have a todo list with the iPad D* app so that I don't have to switch to the other HR to schedule/check.

 

[Herdfan]

but the research shows that the overwhelming majority of the almost 10 million dvr users don't look at or even think about the to do list. As I don't have the raw data I can't interpret it myself, and I therefore rely on the integrity of my friends when they say it's sound.

Does that justify the reason for making it as hard to access as possible? I don't visit the local "casino*" and neither does anyone I know, but it still sits out there right on the main drag making it easy for the minority of people who do use it to find it.

I would guess the same overwhelming majorities don't watch some of the niche channels, but they are still there. So just because the majority of a population don't use something doesn't mean it should be eliminated or hidden.

* Casino is a very loose term for a building that has electronic poker machines inside.

 

[Rich]

I guess it's been a few months since we had a thread about this.

To summarize, there are a lot of reasons for the enthusiast to want access to the to do list, but the research shows that the overwhelming majority of the almost 10 million dvr users don't look at or even think about the to do list. As I don't have the raw data I can't interpret it myself, and I therefore rely on the integrity of my friends when they say it's sound.

10 million D* DVR users? If I'm reading that correctly, wow!

Rich

 

[Rich]

Sigh. The tyranny of the majority once again.

Something you can't get away from. Such an obvious PITA that could be easily resolved.

Rich

 

[Rich]

Janice, we all do, at least here on DBSTalk. I accept Stuart's explanation that the vast majority of DirecTV users don't use or even think about the To Do list, but I go to it at least once a week.

I would put easy access to the To Do list in the same category as that of getting to closed captioning. Most people don't use closed captioning but those who do wanted easy access to it and DirecTV complied.

I'd recommend it be accessed through two rapid presses of the List button. Once either the List or the To Do list are up, a single press of List button would take you back to live TV, which is what a second press of the List button does now.

It used to be on the Yellow button. That was easy.

Rich

 

[Drucifer]

I'm interested in why you use it so much. I probably look at the todo list once a month, if that...

I look daily on three of my DVRs.

It is really a must do because of incorrect or poor info in the Guide data that the ToDo List depends on.