Is it just me, or does UltimateTV really suck or what? I've had the stand alone Tivo for about 18 months, and I love it. But due to the picture quality loss (inherent in the stand alone unit's DADA video) and the lack of Dolby Digital I was considering the Ultimate as a second machine (keeping Tivo for news and stuff on the lower PQ setting) and use the DD Ultimate for movies and sports.

We got one in my store as a demo and ... what can I say ... it just sucks.

The interface is very klugey and slow. The "easier-to-use-than-Tivo" aspect means less choices for recording selection, no preferences, no auto record abilty. In place of a season pass, you get a 'repeat recording' --like a vcr. If it's on at a different time one night, you just don't get it.

Your dealer demo units play looping commercials for UltimateTV every time you leave the remote alone for 3 minutes or longer and this CAN'T BE TURNED OFF. The tech people on the phone blame it on Microsoft. Getting those free commercials in A/V stores across the land...
And compared to intgrated Tivo/DSS receiver the Ultimates picture sucks, remote sucks etc.

The dork at my distributor told me "The remote for the UltimateTV is great, not like that lousy Tivo remote..." -- the best original equipment remote I've ever had. He had plenty of other disinformation about Tivo "filling itself up" with stuff you don't want and not leaving room for your selected shows -- which NEVER happens.

John Madden had me all fired up, but I've never been so disappointed in a new piece of equipment.

Oh wait... Installers be forewarned:
As nearly as I can tell, there are no alternate IR code sets for the UltimateTV. The RCA DTC100 is the same way, so if you have a customer who wants HD and Ultimate TV, can't sell them a DTC100 --They'll change channels together -- how stupid.

All in all, with all these problems and with RCA and Microsoft on the outside of the box, I'd just as soon pack our store model up and ship it back to the distributor and buy stock in Tivo -- the future of sat TV.


Whew...I feel much better now.

I read that the Dolby Intgrated Tivo/DSS has two receivers as well, but that there is currently no software support for second receiver. This is not really an issue for me because I have plenty of sat receivers and empty toslink slots on my amp to watch and tape as much as I want and have PIP too, but if anybody knows anything about the future of this second receiver, please post back.

I don't want to get off on a rant here...

but do you know what it's like to hop off of your DSL or DirecPC connection and go over to Grandma's house and do WebTV? Same principle, same look, same interface.

Lovely.

May be a viable alternative for WebTV-minded users who are to dumb to use Tivo. Or if they want a monthly bill for ever...

You said it first steve. I was holding back for awhile untill more come on the market to give my 2 cents. I have to agree with every word you said. To hell with Microsoft.

Micorsoft isn't all bad. At least they are thinking with the Xbox DVD features. Progressive scan, wide screen support, and DD 5.1 (I think maybe DTS too but i'm too sure). Not bad features considering they're just frills trown in with a video game console. And apparantly MS says that the 10 gig hard drive will in no way be used to record TV, but somehow I think it'll happen anyway.

The DVD player will have DTS. The games will have REAL TIME Dolby Digital. That is a first.

Back to original topic...
ALL Tivo people hate UltimateTV and the DishPro from Echostar. For the same reasons you just said. The problem is expectations. You thought this product was the same as your Tivo. A little research would have pointed out the truth. This precise discussion has existed on boards like this one since Ultimate appeared on the market. You should try a DirectTivo instead, since it has Tivo's subscription features, plus the high PQ.

For non-Tivo users, Ultimate is often an incredible upgrade from their current none or VCR recording capabilities. So these people claim Ultimate is the greatest thing since sliced bread, pointing out: No monthly fee, actual digital satellite recording quality, much more storage & features than their VCR.

It really comes down to not accepting the word of a salesman. Or, like me, wait until technology in satellite receivers catches up with the rest of the world.


Neon, when I see REAL TIME DD, I'll believe it. M$ has a habit of not delivering (at least in the promised decade), perhaps you've used Windoze before?

The second receiver in the DSS/TiVo combo units will be enabled by a software upgrade by this fall, according to what I've read online. That will allow you to record one show while watching another. Don't know if it will enable you to record two shows at the same time, though.

The DP which has most of the same software as Ultimate is also slow, but I think that is something that can be addressed with software upgrades in the future.

I think MS sooner or later gets software to the point where 80 percent of the population find the gui easy to use.

Just wanted to say that I love My Tivo unit's that I've had .. Right down to the old 14hr unit, and when I saw the Ultimate TV unit.. I must admit I was taken in... Even Gave it a blind recommendation or two, but Now... After using and abusing the thing... I can't say enough bad about the so called ultimate TV. Oh yeah... But if you Love "surfing" right past the channel you wanted to watch because the GUI's pop up to slowly then Buy this piece of..