Time Warner DVR box vs. TiVo?

pfunk asks: "Time Warner Cable in Cincinnati is now offering an all-in-one Digital Video Recorder/Cable Box. I have a TiVo and basic cable now, but as I ponder an upgrade to digital cable and premium channels, I wonder if an integrated box might be a better choice? I haven't found out anything about pricing yet, but I was wondering if anyone else had any experience with Time Warner's new box? Any direct comparison to TiVo features would be a plus."

Comments

Better Feature Comparison

[RzUpAnmsCwrds]

Season Pass (record every episode of a show, even if it moves)

TiVo = Yes
DirecTV/TiVo = Yes
TWC Box = No

Suggustions (programs you may like - like it or hate it)

TiVo = Yes (optional)
DirecTV/TiVo = Yes (optional)
TWC Box = No

Advanced conflict managment (prioritize season passes or equiv.)

TiVo = Yes
DirecTV/TiVo = Yes
TWC Box = No

Two tuners (record two programs at once/record a program while watching a 2nd live program)

TiVo = No
DirecTV/TiVo = Yes
TWC Box = No

Picture-In Picture

TiVo = No
DirecTV/Tivo = No
TWC Box = No

Guide Style

TiVo = Two column, translucent
DirecTV/TiVo = Two column or grid, translucent
TWC Box = Grid, picture in corner

Delete Date/Time (tells you when programs will be deleted to make space)

TiVo = Yes
DirecTV/TiVo = Yes
TWC Box = No

God-Awful Remote

TiVo = No
DirecTV/TiVo = No
TWC Box = Yes

Half-Decent User Interface

TiVo = Yes
DirecTV/TiVo = Yes
TWC Box = No

I've got the DVR

[Mandomania]

And it's pretty sweet. It's got the basic Tivo feature-set (pause live-tv, record shows, etc.), but it's got it's own warts.

• No commercial skip. I've got to manually fast-forward through each commercial. Not too big of a deal, but it would be nice to skip ahead in 30 sec. intervals.
• No low-level Record All access. Whenever I want to record All Episodes of a particular shows, I have problems. Especially when recording kids shows. These shows often show the same episodes on different channels (Nick, Nick2, etc.) on the same day. There's no way to record all Blues Clues episodes on PBS. You either record one episode or All episodes on ALL Channels.
• Periodic playback problems. Sometimes there are skips and jumps in the playback. Once it was so bad that it sent the machine into a downward spiral that caused it to reboot over and over for about 4 hours. I called Time Warner and was about to go get a new one when the box just started behaving.
• Periodic recording problems. Sometimes, the box just gets confused. One time I caught it trying to record The View for no good reason. Not that there's a legitimate reason to watch The View, but still.
• Small hard drive. We keep running out of room on the damn thing. I don't really know how much room it has, but it seems to have exactly one hour LESS than we need.

Unfortunately, I don't have a Tivo, so I don't know how these things compare directly. I got the DVR because I wanted a Tivo but couldn't justify the initial cost. I'm sure that the Tivo is a better machine than the DVR, but it sure was easier to pay $15/mo. rather than $300 (plus subscription).

--
Mando

TW DVR

[DeLabarre]

TWC has been test marketing these here in Rochester, and I have had one for six months. Disclaimer: I've never had a TiVo or ReplayTV or any other DVR but this one.

Good: Recording selection is integrated into the box's program guide. I can schedule recordings as far in the future as the cable guide will let me scroll. Records up to two programs simultaneously, while playing back a third. Can record any of the analog or digital cable channels. Can FF through commercials during playback. S-Video, stereo out has decent signal quality (also puts out composite and modulated signals).

Bad: No SkipAhead button for commercial skips (you have to FF through them). Response to remote can be slow -- sometimes up to 4-5 seconds delay while it churns. Occasionally drops frames or loses frame integrity on recordings. Box is rented rather than purchased, so I pay extra $$$ every month on the cable bill for the service.

So-so: Unit is somewhat noisy -- I can hear it whirring and humming even when "off" -- non-DVR digital cable box is silent. No way to schedule recordings over the network from a remote location. No component video out.

In general, I like it a lot and use the DVR features all the time now. I wish it was quieter and had better response time, but I can live with it.