2 weeks and already Disappointed
Pinefang
Enthusiast - Level 1
First off I miss not having Picture in Picture. Can someone tell me when that will be available. I have two DVR STB. Next I hope the guide is changed to remove the distracting info tab that sits right in the middle of the screen and gives info on which ever abitrary channel lands onto the middle of the guide page when surfing through the guide. If anyone as answers to these two comments I sure would like to here from you. I don't think I can stand this situation for the remander of my contract.
Re: 2 weeks and already Disappointed
DMZ
Newbie
Loss of Picture In Picture is unfortunately the tradeoff of having the ability to record in one room and play back in the other via the Multiroom DVR.  Since I switched from Cablevision, I don't miss PinP as much as I thought I would. . .
Message Edited by DMZ on 04-19-2009 02:08 PM
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Re: 2 weeks and already Disappointed
spacedebrisR
Contributor - Level 1

Actually, PIP probably will not be available. In order for pip to work, your TV needs to be able to get multiple video signals. Now in the days were the cable connected directly to the TV and the TV did the signal decoding, you were fine, you had two tuners (one for the main pic and one for the secondary). But now that you have cable boxes, your TV is only receiving a single video signal so you are unable to use the PIP. Since cable boxes are unable to out put two separate video signals, PIP is useless.

Unless you get a second cable box and then you would have to have two separate cable boxes both connected to the same TV. I wouldn't think that PIP would be worth the effort. However, as long as cable boxes are required and as long as those cable boxes are only capable of outputting a single signal at a time. PIP will not be available.

As for the information that displays, it displays info on what ever channel is highlighted. If you are paging up and down, then the highlighted channel is in the middle. I don't see that changing either as every on-screen guide I've ever seen from any company works on the same principle. Verizon just selects the middle channel on the list,  Directive uses either the top or bottom, and time Warner uses the top. So I don't think either of your issues are going to change anytime soon if at all.

Message Edited by spacedebris on 04-19-2009 01:10 PM
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Re: 2 weeks and already Disappointed
Tomonion
Newbie

Concerning the annoying larger info row for the middle of a guide page, I have to agree.  DISH doesn't use it.  And here's the problem.  You call up the guide to do a quick scan of your favorites. You start looking at the top (or bottom) and work your way from channel to channel.  Every time you get to the center of the screen you get distracted by the oversized row.  It's like reading a paragraph with every seventh line a larger font.

I guess it's FIOS's way of seeing the channel's initial info without hitting the info button.

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Re: 2 weeks and already Disappointed
Tracy
Newbie
I'm with you!  I switched from Comcast to FIOS a week ago and already regret the switch.  The guide is a visual mess, and the DVR user interface is poorly designed.  Box freezes and needs to be reset frequently.
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Re: 2 weeks and already Disappointed
Reaper
Enthusiast - Level 3

@spacedebris wrote:

Actually, PIP probably will not be available. In order for pip to work, your TV needs to be able to get multiple video signals. Now in the days were the cable connected directly to the TV and the TV did the signal decoding, you were fine, you had two tuners (one for the main pic and one for the secondary). But now that you have cable boxes, your TV is only receiving a single video signal so you are unable to use the PIP. Since cable boxes are unable to out put two separate video signals, PIP is useless.

Unless you get a second cable box and then you would have to have two separate cable boxes both connected to the same TV. I wouldn't think that PIP would be worth the effort. However, as long as cable boxes are required and as long as those cable boxes are only capable of outputting a single signal at a time. PIP will not be available.


PIP can be handled within the box. There need only be a single line out to the TV. UltimateTV did it, Dish's HD DVRs do it. The only technical requirement for this to work is that the box have dual live buffers - which I believe the FiOS HD DVRs do. All the rest is software.

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Re: 2 weeks and already Disappointed
spacedebrisR
Contributor - Level 1

Nope, verizon stb's do not have dual live buffers. the only companies that have dual line buffers (that I was aware of before your post) were TIVO and Dish Network. Now a third that you mentioned Ultimate TV.  All other cable companies,  Direct TV, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner, and Cablevision, while they DO have dual tuners for recording capability, do not have dual BUFFERS, that would be required to make this work. It is actually related to another issue that many DVR users have been asking for and that is the ability to switch between buffers so you could watch two shows without having to record.

Tivo is the one I'm most familiar with, so that is the one I'm using for an example.  Tivo has two live buffers that allow each program on two tuners to be buffered for 30 minutes each. Other cable companies opted only for a single buffer but gave it a greater time limit. Usually 90 minutes. So effectively on the cable companies dvr's, they have one "live tuner" and one record tuner with a single buffer to output to the TV.

Now your right that this would be possible with only one output on the cable box......but only if they get the dual buffers. The cable companies have already stated that they do not plan to implement the dual buffers. So that leaves my original post. you have to have two boxes with different video signals to get the PIP.

Message Edited by spacedebris on 04-21-2009 03:09 PM
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Re: 2 weeks and already Disappointed
Reaper
Enthusiast - Level 3

@spacedebris wrote:

Nope, verizon stb's do not have dual live buffers.


On my FiOS HD DVR (not a HM DVR) I can flip between two live channels and rewind each one. As long as it's the same two channels, I can do this repeatedly. This box does have dual live buffers. Of course if I tune to a third channel, one of the buffers is cleared and it starts over.

BTW, UltimateTV was a DVR for DIRECTV developed by Microsoft.

Message Edited by Reaper on 04-21-2009 07:21 PM
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