To some, DVRs are a like a religion and switching shouldn't be taken lightly, but others will take whatever their provider gives 'em them, if the price is right. Unfortunately, choosing a provider often means choosing a DVR, as satellite providers don't give you any choice. TiVo is the obvious old favorite, but Vista Media Center has really given them quite a challenge, and to be frank, Tivo hasn't really done much in the past few years to improve the experience -- new features yes, UI enhancements, no. So since we can't all try every DVR, we want to know, who makes the best HD DVR?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
wireless.nemo @ Mar 20th 2008 12:12PM
um... FiOS boxes are made by Motorola.
Harley3k @ Mar 20th 2008 7:50PM
The FIOS DVRs are made by Motorola, but I wouldn't fault Motorola for the poor state of their DVRs. It's the Verizon software that makes them suck so hard. The MS developed stuff they had before worked reliably although not pretty. Now it is somewhat pretty, but isn't reliable for sh!t. I returned both of my Lipsticked Pigs I had in exchange for TivoHDs. Now if FIOS doesn't follow through with their HD promises, I'll be forced to go back to DirecTV.
Frank Furter @ Mar 20th 2008 12:16PM
Kinda hard to compare when most don't have things like Season Pass, Suggestions, and Wish Lists (like the TiVo). I've had Cox, DirecTV, and TiVo's, and comparing a TiVo to a DirecTV DVR is like comparing my iPhone to my old RAZR. Both make calls, but the RAZR seems downright silly compared to the iPhone.
DEEZNUTZ @ Mar 20th 2008 12:18PM
The SA8300HD SUCKS, but I guess it's good enough.
Although they never stuck around to make an HD DVR, ULTIMATE TV from MS was a great DVR, better than Tivo at that time.
harma41 @ Mar 20th 2008 4:20PM
I would have to agree. I cannot stand the fact that I am watching and recording HDTV on an interface that came from a Commadore64. As a new TiVo HD owner this week, I have now witnessed the pinnacle of DVRs. Cox can come pick up their box tomorrow.
stiltskin @ Mar 20th 2008 6:09PM
Agreed, and the guide is never hd always sd which really pissed me off and my 2nd one wouldn't work right after 10 boxes and 2 trips to my house wouldn't record HD right.
Ryan Waddell @ Mar 20th 2008 12:25PM
OMG, people actually voted for Scientific Atlanta? Maybe you Americans are getting some better stuff than what Rogers throws at us up here in Canada... but god DAMN do I ever hate those SA boxes.
StealthMonkey @ Mar 20th 2008 1:08PM
No, I'm pretty sure those votes are by drunk people. They suck down here too.
stiltskin @ Mar 20th 2008 6:10PM
hahahha. you said it all
The Angry Intern @ Mar 21st 2008 1:14PM
lol, definitely drunk people, SA boxes blow big time. I've got a SA HD-DVR with my Time Warner and I still use my old Tivo Series2 for everything. Haven't gotten around to getting an HD Tivo yet.
Matt Burns @ Mar 20th 2008 12:26PM
I'm torn here. I have used a Motorola Comcast box for a couple of years but just recently, upgraded to a TIVO. Does it have more features? Hell yeah; I don't know if it is a better experience though.
Why doesn't it show what is set to be recorded on the Guide.
Also, why does it kick me from my recorded program if I want to view the Guide.
The big one is though, the UI seems a bit dated and messy.
Even with all these flaws, I do believe though that the TIVO is a far superior platform and, yes, a better DVR than the Motorola box. But seriously, I find these TIVO issues a gross oversight.
Ben @ Mar 20th 2008 12:27PM
Wow, you're still alive!
Seriously though, I agree, but I've never used a Moto DVR for more than a few minutes. Not sure why TiVo hasn't done more to refresh it's UI.
Geoffrey Sperl @ Mar 20th 2008 12:41PM
You know, I've been a TiVo user for six years or so (there was a point I moved from a DirecTiVo to a Comcast Moto box and hated every moment of that Moto box before moving to a Series3) and I have to admit: I never use the guide. Ever. I just search for what I'm looking for.
But, yes, I would like to see that PIP ability show up in the standard TiVo interface (they built it in on the cable box software).
Otherwise: I like the UI compared to the three or four others I've tried. I would just like TiVo to allow me to turn off a few things I don't use (Rhapsody, Live365, etc.). The holy grail would be synchronizing the tuners between my Series3 and TiVo HD so they could coordinate which box can record, let's say, a third show while two tuners on the other box are being occupied. Synchronizing thumb ratings and suggestions would be nice, too.
Matt Burns @ Mar 20th 2008 12:49PM
Am I still alive?
Oh Ben. I read the site everyday and miss you guys dearly.
Steve Jr. @ Mar 20th 2008 7:33PM
Dearest Ben,
As an owner of 2 TIVO HD's and 1 Series3 and 2 Series2's the reason why they BETTER NOT "refresh" the UI is because of this... IT EFFIN WORKS!!!
Why mess with something that works just fine? It records a show I set to find and I can find it to watch and what else does it need to do? I know those menus so well that I often am ahead of the speed of the unit anyway. The only way it will get "refreshed" is if the logo changes to Miscrosoft... the quintessential KING of "refreshing" things to the point you can't find a goddamn thing and it takes countless hours of learning curve to get something done that should have taken a tenth of the time like it used to take. So Ben, please spare me your thoughts on TIVO refreshing the UI... what they need to concentrate on is functionality... not the way the menu structure works or looks like. I heard you bitch about things before such as why the grid does not show you with a red dot or shade the show red to know it's set to record... that's the kind of stuff you need to fire up the EHD TIVO troops about. Now that I have moved on with HD DVD being done, it's now time to concentrate on getting TIVO to get their shit together.
Thanks for your time,
Steve
KL @ Mar 20th 2008 12:34PM
Just my $.02, but unless people voting actually used all the DVR's, I can't help but question the validity of this poll. I'm thinking it'll be more of a popularity contest instead.
ryan10ad @ Mar 20th 2008 12:39PM
Sky - UK
UI eats your cable and satellite (even Tivo) for breakfast. Not expandable, but there is not triangle, circle and square
locke6854 @ Mar 20th 2008 12:59PM
I bet alot of people aren't really qualified to choose "the best", and are voting on "the one they own." Because in most cases, its the ONLY dvr they've experienced.
The Fuzz 53 @ Mar 20th 2008 1:00PM
Nothing can top Vista Media Center for one sole reason: it's free! There's not BS subscription required. I don't care if the interface was complete dogshit and written in swahili, it would still win. There is absolutly no reason, no fucking reason, why you should have to pay a monthly fee to record something that you are watching.
Frank Furter @ Mar 20th 2008 1:38PM
Wow! Passionate about it, eh? Actually, there kinda -is- a reason. You can fumble around with Home Media Center all you want, but I'll gladly pay to have a talented team of programmers give me something that is easy and intuitive. Oh yeah, and virus free. Or Vista-free, for that matter.
Ryan Waddell @ Mar 20th 2008 2:01PM
Hrmm, but can Vista decode my digital/HD stations off Cogeco? I'm asking this seriously, as I haven't looked at the PC TV Tuner market in many years. If not, then I have no use for it. There's shows that I want to record that just aren't available on analog cable in my area.
Peter @ Mar 31st 2008 10:22PM
I'm sure MS would be surprised to hear the Vista Media Center is free. You may not pay an ongoing fee, but you do pay for it. MythTV, on the other hand, *is* free, and does everything except walk the dog for you.
Matt @ Mar 20th 2008 1:12PM
What is the one in the picture... it is very pretty....
*grumble* SA Explorer 8300HD *grumble*
Paladin @ Mar 20th 2008 6:57PM
The one in the pic is from a tru2way beta Panasonic DVR IIRC. Comcast will eventually use that DVR to replace the Motorola's.
Joe @ Mar 20th 2008 1:16PM
I have had both a series 2 tivo, and currently have a dish 722. the tivo's interface and usability was top notch, but i'm going to give the nod to dish instead. they offer the 722 as a great deal for new customers, i got it free. it's hd, with a 550 gig hard drive. feature wise it is very rich, in fact quite honestly it matches tivo in every way with the exceptions of the 'suggestions', which i don't really miss. in some ways it is even superior.
Michael Sheehan @ Mar 20th 2008 4:27PM
I've got two Tivo's; the SD version has been in use for over 8 years while the relative newcomer HD model S3 has been going for 16 months. It would be difficult to imagine going backwards to "life before the pause button".
I choked when I used the MOTO dvr for the first time: sadly, nearly pathetically, inferior to the Tivo. In it's defense, it has a pause button, but i cannot defend it beyond that.
Apple should buy Tivo, incorporate the Tivo software into AppleTV, and complete the "convergence" concept once and for all. That box would make the iPod phenom look trivial by comparison.
stiltskin @ Mar 20th 2008 6:16PM
Oh you can go back if you've had a Scientific Atlanta.
Adam @ Mar 20th 2008 1:17PM
Is there some place that has a gallery of pretty much every DVR's UI? I'd like to take the HD plunge which will necessitate me getting a new set top box. I'd like to make as much an informed decision about what UI I'm getting as what HD channel lineup I'm getting. And I don't frankly care what other people think about the UI I'm the one who's going to be using it. So - to my point - can I compare side by side, function by function the AT&T U-Verse, Time Warner Digital Cable, DirecTV, and Dish HD DVR UIs somewhere?
Adam @ Mar 20th 2008 1:19PM
I should note that yes, I have Googled "time warner hd dvr" and the like but the wild inconsistency of thumbnails tells me that Google Image Search has a long was to go before I can use it to compare product UIs.
Ryan @ Mar 20th 2008 1:46PM
It's hard to say which one's the best unless you've used all of them. Can we vote for which one(s) suck? Scientific Atlanta is on the top of my list. I can't imagine a worse interface for a DVR.
Greg @ Mar 20th 2008 1:48PM
It's more about the software than the hardware. I've used the SA 8300HD, SA 8300HDC all with different software. The passport versions are good, the mystro is okay, and the SARA is terrible.
DeadPlasmaCell @ Mar 20th 2008 1:49PM
I've had a SA8300 HD for a few years now and have never had any problems with it, though I've never used anything else to compare it to so I guess ignorance is bliss in this case.. I would love to see a HD guide for it though.
Bennie @ Mar 20th 2008 2:42PM
What, no Beyond TV love?
Reynaldo Lay @ Mar 20th 2008 3:01PM
I've had so many different DVRs from various providers including Tivo (x3), TWC (x2 Motorola), DirecTV (x2), and even a few PC based/OTA set top boxes in Australia...and there are pros/cons to every one of them. I think for me it comes down to the program guide and recording options. The Tivo two frame program guide is the easiest to look at upcoming shows on a particular channel as well as what's currently on adjacent ones. That makes it much easier to find what you want to record, and ultimately what makes it a better DVR.
EvilWaterman @ Mar 20th 2008 3:02PM
I've tried a few different things. I currently have Media Portal running on Vista for my media center, but use a TiVoHD for all my TV watching. I also have a series 1 TiVo that I've had since 2001. For the TV aspect I definitely prefer TiVo over Vista Media Center, Media Portal, and MythTV.
kastonie @ Mar 20th 2008 3:04PM
is that UI in the picture seriously a Scientific Atlanta? because i just got a SA HD DVR from comcast and it looks like monkey dick. I also have a tivo HD and i wish they would update that interface too....but I totally prefer the Tivo over the SA though...The only thing about tivo is that it acts like im using a old pentium 3 processor to display the guide...its all slow sometimes...
Ben @ Mar 20th 2008 3:06PM
The UI pictured is the new tru2way UI for comcast that will be released later this year. It is made by TV Guide.
Jake @ Mar 20th 2008 3:07PM
No, it is the as-yet unreleased Tru-2-Way interface, from CES.
rothgar @ Mar 20th 2008 3:51PM
I really wanted to vote for MythTV but I found myself needing to be honest and didn't.
It just just too complicated to get it all to work for HD most of the time.
Jody @ Mar 20th 2008 3:53PM
Not sure how Directv could be beating Dish on this poll. I have had TWC, Dish, Directv, and Tivo in the past 18 months and Dish is by far the superior unit. TIVO has the cool suggestions deal, but I know what I want to record and when. Dish's ability to offload to an external HD is awesome and a neccessity in the HD world. If you ask nicely they will turn it on for free.
Ben @ Mar 20th 2008 3:55PM
Someone posted a link to the poll on DBSTalk.com which has alot of DirecTV supporters. Also, there's a link at TiVoCommunity.com so that explains all the TiVo.
Haven't checked the greebutton, but by the looks of it, I'd say there isn't a link.
Joebnsd @ Mar 20th 2008 3:56PM
Ummm....of course that I wanted to vote for was not listed although the Hard Ware of the box is manufactured by Motorola. THE BEST HD-DVR IS......THE MOXI BOX!!! Moxi has won several awards including an Emmy for ease of use and software UI design. I got my first Moxi a couple years ago when my provider was Adelphia here in San Diego and to this day the box rocks!! Granted it has had it's issues with over heating and nowadays the disk space is very limited compared to when they were first released....HOWEVER I would not give up my Moxi for any other box!! Moxi Blows TV out of the water and sinks all other boxes! The only replacement I will be getting will be version 2 upgraded and sleeker and sexy. Cant wait for it to be released some time this year and even better, you and I should be able to buy one at your local big box retailer to replace the lamo box you probably have now. I know since Time Warner took over Adelphia it is like a back door secret if you have a moxi and No one I mean No one will issue you a new one. Check the link to see why I am so stoked!
http://www.moxi.com
Pipper @ Mar 20th 2008 4:35PM
This has to be a joke post. The Moxi is by far one of the worst DVRs in existence. I got to use one for a week and it was just terrible. I've posted before I'd rather live in the UK with a single channel than be stuck having to use a Moxi box over here in the states.
That said, I finally upgraded from my Series 2 to a Tivo HD and I am in absolute 99% pure HD heaven. The last 1% is reserved for VOD compatibility. Expandable with an external hard drive, dual HD tuners, networked, transfer shows to my PC, video pod casts (Onion TV, etc), and now some Amazon unboxed thing that lets me rent movies (To be honest I just use my 360 and rent HD movies if I need to.).
Joebnsd @ Mar 20th 2008 4:51PM
Well you can all listen to the Tivo Lover...if you like paying a monthly premium for your DVR!!! Maybe you are just to retarded to operate the best and easiest to use HD-DVR on the market ooh and did I mention the Emmy winning UI. Just wait until the new Moxi box is released...it will kick Tivo's ass all up and down the channel guide with 5...that's right 5 digital HD tuners that will let you record 4 programs at once while watching another channel live or on your recorded list...and dont even get me started on the companion box...yep thats right a networkable companion box that will relay any recorded or live content from your Moxi to another tv with no cable box just the companion over your home wifi...not to mention being the first box to let you set recordings over IP! And the 500GB HD is pretty awesome. So there!! Maybe you would be better off living in the UK with that crappie programming and one channel or maybe the Sahara Desert!
P.s. Dont you work for Tivo.....Moxi Haters
FrankRizzo @ Mar 20th 2008 4:19PM
The results are about to be skewed because all the sheep from dbstalk are on their way over to defend Directv.
Earl Bonovich @ Mar 20th 2008 4:26PM
Ahh.... so the people who use the DirecTV DVR... from DBSTalk...
Can't vote for what they feel is the better DVR (Regardless of which one they pick).
And this doesn't result in skewing... how?
So the poll should have been hidden for the user base that uses the product?
(With regards to the link being posted at DBSTalk, TiVoCommunity, GreenButton, and other forum sites that discuss and talk about DVRs)
Ben @ Mar 20th 2008 4:27PM
Actually this poll was destined for failure from the beginning.
It's just one of the questions that are too hard to answer.
JD @ Mar 20th 2008 4:56PM
Frank Rizzo,
Your mama called and wants her Jerky Boys CD back. You still on the phone trying to get that cable bill straitened out?
Kevin M @ Mar 20th 2008 4:39PM
You should really separate out the Scientific Atlanta DVRs into SARA and Passport. The interface software is completely different, and the user experience is completely different.
JD @ Mar 20th 2008 4:56PM
Sage and MythTV made the list...but not BeyondTV, which, in my opinion is better than these two, but not the best.