TiVo, I have betrayed you, but I'm coming back!
Week one with HDTV is great... most of the time. The picture quality really is gorgeous. Though I could easily put in my DVD, I got a kick out of watching "33" (and even "Litmus") in hi-def yesterday. I keep exclaiming aloud, "It's so pretty!", for even shows I'd normally ignore. Can't wait until S4 of Galactica airs in six weeks!
On the other hand, I have betrayed my beloved TiVo -- yes, I'm one of those hardcore, obnoxious TiVo snobs. ;) When I went to the Comcast office on Tuesday, I learned that if I wanted HD, I'd need to have someone come out and install the cable card, which meant taking a day off work. If I wanted HD immediately, I'd need to get one of their DVRs. I figured, hey, I could use it until June, when I can take off work and afford to pay cash for a new HD TiVo. Plus, thousands of people have the cable company's boxes, so they must be good. Maybe I'd even like it better than the TiVo!
Yeah, right. I promised myself I'd give it a week, hoping I'd like it better once I was more used to it. Instead, I find myself missing my darling TiVo more than ever.
Why I Hate the Comcast DVR
1. No instant replay button, though I did find a hack to create a 30-second skip. The RW/FF is too literal -- I either need lightning reflexes or have to rewind to catch what I miss once I hit the play button.
2. I can't automatically create my own list of preferred channels. I set up a macro, but that's still too much trouble for a feature that comes standard with TiVo.
3. The remote SUCKS. The DVR buttons aren't all in one place, so I keep having to jiggle it in my hand while I try to press buttons.
4. None of the codes seem to work for my Philips DVD player (which is a bestselling model, so it's not like I need some obscure code.) No codes for my new TV either, so I have to juggle two remotes. Granted, this isn't an area of TiVo superiority -- their remote will only handle the DVR and TV -- but it's still annoying.
5. Navigating the cable program guide is a pain in the ass. I do like the little PIP screen, but the downside there is that it only lists four channels before I have to hit page-down. Plus, I can't scroll through as easily.
6. Maybe I'm just not used to the setup yet, but I keep hitting the wrong buttons while trying to call up a program and play it. Then I have to go through the steps again and again.
Those are just the things that come to mind right now; I'm sure I'll have more later. I do like the dual-tuner... but then the new HD TiVos have that too. So, it looks like I'll be shelling out $250 for another TiVo as soon as I can swing it, and then I'll have to figure out when I can get someone out to install the cable card. Yeah, TiVo is more expensive, at least in the initial purchase (the monthly rates are actually a bit lower than Comcast's), given how addicted reliant I am upon mine, I'm more than happy to pay for it.
Oh, and this is just MY OPINION! Like I said, thousands of people seem to be quite happy with the cable company's DVRs and can probably make a case for why it's superior to TiVo. But again, I'll admit that I'm a hardcore devotee/snob when it comes to digital video recorders. ;)
I'm quite happy, though, that I have a three-day weekend! Definitely needed it after the hellish week I had. I caught up on some long-overdue cleaning, and I spent the rest of the time knitting. And, as usual, here's another linkspam.
-- txvoodoo wants to know if you use the serial comma. And here is Grammar Girl's great podcast about it.
-- I kinda love that Greg Garcia, the EP of My Name Is Earl, spent the writer's strike working in a fast-food restaurant.
-- The NY Times has a cool article on Atlanta's new soul food museum, plus another on English teachers using Gatsby as a reflection of the immigrant experience.
-- Newsweek profiles Michelle Obama (gorgeous cover photo of a kickass woman), and a columnist talks about how online "personas" help with social phobia.
-- It's not just for your emo mp3s anymore! 100 ways to use your iPod to learn and study better.
-- Finally, a few fun Mental Floss links: 8 weird theme parks we'd be willing to stand in line for, a Saved by the Bell trivia quiz, and in praise of cheap coffee.
On the other hand, I have betrayed my beloved TiVo -- yes, I'm one of those hardcore, obnoxious TiVo snobs. ;) When I went to the Comcast office on Tuesday, I learned that if I wanted HD, I'd need to have someone come out and install the cable card, which meant taking a day off work. If I wanted HD immediately, I'd need to get one of their DVRs. I figured, hey, I could use it until June, when I can take off work and afford to pay cash for a new HD TiVo. Plus, thousands of people have the cable company's boxes, so they must be good. Maybe I'd even like it better than the TiVo!
Yeah, right. I promised myself I'd give it a week, hoping I'd like it better once I was more used to it. Instead, I find myself missing my darling TiVo more than ever.
Why I Hate the Comcast DVR
1. No instant replay button, though I did find a hack to create a 30-second skip. The RW/FF is too literal -- I either need lightning reflexes or have to rewind to catch what I miss once I hit the play button.
2. I can't automatically create my own list of preferred channels. I set up a macro, but that's still too much trouble for a feature that comes standard with TiVo.
3. The remote SUCKS. The DVR buttons aren't all in one place, so I keep having to jiggle it in my hand while I try to press buttons.
4. None of the codes seem to work for my Philips DVD player (which is a bestselling model, so it's not like I need some obscure code.) No codes for my new TV either, so I have to juggle two remotes. Granted, this isn't an area of TiVo superiority -- their remote will only handle the DVR and TV -- but it's still annoying.
5. Navigating the cable program guide is a pain in the ass. I do like the little PIP screen, but the downside there is that it only lists four channels before I have to hit page-down. Plus, I can't scroll through as easily.
6. Maybe I'm just not used to the setup yet, but I keep hitting the wrong buttons while trying to call up a program and play it. Then I have to go through the steps again and again.
Those are just the things that come to mind right now; I'm sure I'll have more later. I do like the dual-tuner... but then the new HD TiVos have that too. So, it looks like I'll be shelling out $250 for another TiVo as soon as I can swing it, and then I'll have to figure out when I can get someone out to install the cable card. Yeah, TiVo is more expensive, at least in the initial purchase (the monthly rates are actually a bit lower than Comcast's), given how addicted reliant I am upon mine, I'm more than happy to pay for it.
Oh, and this is just MY OPINION! Like I said, thousands of people seem to be quite happy with the cable company's DVRs and can probably make a case for why it's superior to TiVo. But again, I'll admit that I'm a hardcore devotee/snob when it comes to digital video recorders. ;)
I'm quite happy, though, that I have a three-day weekend! Definitely needed it after the hellish week I had. I caught up on some long-overdue cleaning, and I spent the rest of the time knitting. And, as usual, here's another linkspam.
-- txvoodoo wants to know if you use the serial comma. And here is Grammar Girl's great podcast about it.
-- I kinda love that Greg Garcia, the EP of My Name Is Earl, spent the writer's strike working in a fast-food restaurant.
-- The NY Times has a cool article on Atlanta's new soul food museum, plus another on English teachers using Gatsby as a reflection of the immigrant experience.
-- Newsweek profiles Michelle Obama (gorgeous cover photo of a kickass woman), and a columnist talks about how online "personas" help with social phobia.
-- It's not just for your emo mp3s anymore! 100 ways to use your iPod to learn and study better.
-- Finally, a few fun Mental Floss links: 8 weird theme parks we'd be willing to stand in line for, a Saved by the Bell trivia quiz, and in praise of cheap coffee.