Totally new UI? Ever?

[ONUOsFan]

I know this has been discussed before, but I haven't seen it recently....

What are the odds that we get a totally revamped look to the UI at any point in the near future?

I love my DTV service, and I know picture quality and channel selection are more important, but we have to have the most archaic UI going these days. Seeing other people's UI's on FIOS, U-Verse, Tivo, Dish, even cable... it seems like we're behind almost all of them.

Maybe the problem is I'm looking for some really cool HD-looking stuff but D* uses the same UI for all of its boxes, HD or not? Or maybe it's a horsepower issue - I know the HR's aren't the most responsive of boxes as it is...

 

[JosephB]

I doubt you'll see a complete re-do. They might update the UI resolution on the HD boxes, but they have sunk a ton of time and money into the current boxes and their UI and training and everything that goes with it. They had for a very long time tens of different UIs across different manufacturer's boxes, and they specifically went in this direction to standardize so that a CSR or tech could walk a customer through steps without having to figure out which box they had.

 

[Jimbo]

I doubt you'll see a complete re-do. They might update the UI resolution on the HD boxes, but they have sunk a ton of time and money into the current boxes and their UI and training and everything that goes with it. They had for a very long time tens of different UIs across different manufacturer's boxes, and they specifically went in this direction to standardize so that a CSR or tech could walk a customer through steps without having to figure out which box they had.

Yes, it was nice when you could choose a manufacture for the Gui as well as the performance, now the Gui's are all the same.

Back in the day the RCA's were OK, the Hughes brought us the "Mini Guide" as well as the colored guide as in different colors for Sports vs Movies ext.

 

[slacker9876]

Your next chance at a new UI will be the "phantom" TiVo that is due ... now in 2010. Joseph is right, too much money invested in training and development to get a UI that the CSR's can understand and that will run on all the platforms D* has out there.

 

[DJ Rob]

When I signed up with DirecTv last summer, they were saying a new Tivo HD box would be coming out at the end of 2009. Now they are saying sometime in 2010. There hasn't been any information leaked on it (screenshots, features, etc.) as far as I know or anyone claiming to be beta testing it.

It appears they are still going to use the existing GUI for new receivers going into at least the summer of 2010.

It will take time (I would say 6 months at the very minimum) before a new GUI is tested fully and ready to be released to the public. And it will probably require a new receiver. Of course all of this is my speculation based on past timetables and experiences.

I hope they get going on a new GUI ASAP as Dish's new stuff (922k) is really cool.

 

[cfb]

claiming to be beta testing it.

Doesnt surprise me. I've done a lot of tivo beta testing. Its invite only, its not a huge group, everyone is sworn to secrecy, and if it ever gets out that you did any lip flapping about it, you'll never be invited again.

Most of the people who participate are tivoholics, so except for one or two instances in the last ~8 years, its zippered up pretty well.

 

[B-Dog]

I heard several years back that Tivo was shifting its focus off of its own equipment, onto writing software that could be upgraded to major providers boxes, without a complete new box.

Personally that is what I would like to see, I had a first generation Tivo, with a lifetime subscription, in fact I gave it to my in-laws and they still have it, it works great...8 years later. I upgraded to Tivo Series 2, but when it came to HD Tivo, you needed cable, that is when things fell apart for Tivo. However, I was excited when I heard that Tivo was coming back to DirecTV for HD.

Personally, I am glad TIVO remains TOP SECRET, they have always had the most stable software, hopefully we can avoid unstable knock offs. Just have patience, and when DirecTV releases the HD TIVO box, it will be well worth the wait, in the mean time, my suggestion is stick throug the outdated UI, at least for me, I would rather have an outdated UI with DirecTV service than have a cool UI on amy other platform, I have done Cable, Dish and DirecTV, and I agree Direct has the worst UI, but the best service. U-Verse and FIOS is a cool concept, from what I here FIOS is great, but U-Verse is the product in my area, and that is a JOKE! My parents had it, and went back to DirecTV, the service was very unstable, and the claims to record 4 shows at once, all MUST be SD, the system can only support 2 HD shows at once, and that maxes it out...not to mention, they had the weakest HD line up by far. For me HD is the most important, 90% of what I watch is HD.

 

[Jimbo]

I heard several years back that Tivo was shifting its focus off of its own equipment, onto writing software that could be upgraded to major providers boxes, without a complete new box.

Personally that is what I would like to see, I had a first generation Tivo, with a lifetime subscription, in fact I gave it to my in-laws and they still have it, it works great...8 years later. I upgraded to Tivo Series 2, but when it came to HD Tivo, you needed cable, that is when things fell apart for Tivo. However, I was excited when I heard that Tivo was coming back to DirecTV for HD.

Personally, I am glad TIVO remains TOP SECRET, they have always had the most stable software, hopefully we can avoid unstable knock offs. Just have patience, and when DirecTV releases the HD TIVO box, it will be well worth the wait, in the mean time, my suggestion is stick throug the outdated UI, at least for me, I would rather have an outdated UI with DirecTV service than have a cool UI on amy other platform, I have done Cable, Dish and DirecTV, and I agree Direct has the worst UI, but the best service. U-Verse and FIOS is a cool concept, from what I here FIOS is great, but U-Verse is the product in my area, and that is a JOKE! My parents had it, and went back to DirecTV, the service was very unstable, and the claims to record 4 shows at once, all MUST be SD, the system can only support 2 HD shows at once, and that maxes it out...not to mention, they had the weakest HD line up by far. For me HD is the most important, 90% of what I watch is HD.

You are aware that UVerse is VERY new, right.

As for your comments about the TIVO, when the new TIVO box comes out, it too will have it's issues, nothing is perfect for everyone when it first comes on board.

 

[cfb]

Considering the new tivo box will use existing directv platforms (at least thats what they said), bring over quite a bit of existing and well debugged tivo code, and tivo has plenty of experience with directv/tivo integration...perhaps it wont be badly inflicted with problems.

That having been said, I wouldnt snap one up the first day they come out. I wont be snapping one up at all, since I have little interest in spending a bunch of money on leased boxes and winning a new 2 year commitment.

 

[ONUOsFan]

While it's sad that the boxes have to be designed to the lowest common denominator (the CSR's), I understand that point, at least insofar as you're talking about how the menu structure is.

However, I still don't see why they can't have a more polished look on the HD boxes, even if the command "strings" are the same for the CSR's.

Clearly they develop software for the boxes individually anyway, and each has its own features already - it shouldn't be that hard to tweak the visual part of the code a little bit for the HD receivers.

 

[Jimbo]

Maybe they could throw in 3-5 different gui's for the sub to choose from !

 

[JosephB]

It would be a bad idea overall to have different UIs. I think maybe they should polish the HD boxes' UI in terms of resolution, but the look, layout, and overall function should remain uniform across all the receivers.

 

[Jimbo]

It would be a bad idea overall to have different UIs. I think maybe they should polish the HD boxes' UI in terms of resolution, but the look, layout, and overall function should remain uniform across all the receivers.

Thats part of why they all have one platform now!

 

[Paul Wozniak]

I don't really have a problem with the current UI. I think it's easy to use.

 

[Jhon69]

I don't really have a problem with the current UI. I think it's easy to use.

The complaint is it's not an HD guide as far as easy to use I agree with you.

 

[Jimbo]

The complaint is it's not an HD guide as far as easy to use I agree with you.

So they need to flip the switch like all the networks did and make it HD !

 

[cfb]

Eh, I think we all have to go out and buy new tv's and a big antenna before they can do that. Isnt that right?

 

[ONUOsFan]

The complaint is it's not an HD guide as far as easy to use I agree with you.

I don't really have a problem with the current UI. I think it's easy to use.

Yeah, I'm fine with the layout - maybe my OP was poorly worded. I would just like for it to look better

 

[Jhon69]

Yeah, I'm fine with the layout - maybe my OP was poorly worded. I would just like for it to look better

I can understand your issues but since the DirecTV HDDVR+ guide is basically DirecTV's first inhouse HDDVR the guide is not too shabby,can it be improved? sure which one can't.

 

[vurbano]

no too shabby?
http://gizmodo.com/5350061/12-user-interfaces-that-will-give-you-bad-flashbacks

<H1>

12 User Interfaces That Will Give You Bad Flashbacks

By Danny Allen, 2:30 AM on Tue Sep 1 2009, 25,240





Not every GUI experience can be as smooth as Apple's iPhone (and it still has more than a few annoyances). From WinMo 6 to DirectTV's HD DVR to Windows 2.0, oobject's collection could bring back some bad memories. [oobject]
I never tried the DirectTV HD DVR, but my experience with a Dish Networks DVR back in 2008 wasn't anything to write home about, either. What's the most over-the-top, least intuitive interface you've ever had the misfortune to use?

</H1>