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TV Tales, Part 3
Jan. 19th, 2007 07:54 pmSo the HD TiVo (HR10) was working okay, but the picture wasn't great, even on HD channels, because I was still using the old composite (red, white, yellow) cables. I decided to give the ridiculously expensive HDMI cable a shot, now that I knew what made the TiVo stop working the last time I tried the HDMI cable.
At least, I thought I did. It turns out that I couldn't get any picture when I plugged in the HDMI cord. I mean, the AV2 composite cables worked just fine, but when I switched to HDMI input, I just got a blue screen.
This, combined with the fact that the off-air antenna didn't seem to be working with the HR10 (see previous post) was the last straw. I called DirecTV again, and got a knowledgeable service guy, even though he did have a nasty cold. We spent some time trying to troubleshoot the HR10, and determined that either a) the HDMI cable was bad, or b) the HR10 wasn't recognizing the HDMI cable, even though it was damned well supposed to.
The obvious fix to test this was to plug the HDMI cable into the other DVR -- the DirecTV HD DVR (HR20) that DirecTV hd sent me when they thought the HR10 was broken and that I hadn't got around to sending back yet.
With the HDMI cable and the HR20, there was a picture -- a really nice picture. As good a picture as I'd been hoping to get, in fact. I know when the universe is conspiring against me. So...it's adieu TiVo. The support guy sympathized with me, but pointed out a few nice features that the HR20 has that the HR10 doesn't.
Right now, I'm getting used to the interface on the HR20. It's decidedly not as user-friendly as the TiVo's, but it does seem to have all the functionality I had with the TiVo. And a tech is coming on Tuesday to install a 5-LNB dish, which means that I'll get local channels in HD off the satellite, which will be much the simplest thing. And if I can find the packaging for the off-air antenna, it'll go back to Circuit City, but the cleaners tossed that when they cleaned house last week, so it means a search through the trash.
Just as an amusing postscript: a week or so ago,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lydy asked me what all the fuss was about between the HR10 and the HR20 and why "but I love my TiVo" was relevant here. I told her that it was as if I were using a Macintosh and someone told me that in order to connect to the Internet I had to use a PC instead, and really, it was just as good and I would get used to the PC soon*. It all became instantly comprehensible to her.
*This is not intended to spark platform wars. I am in fact a happy PC user. But technical writers should tailor their explanations to their audience, andlydy is a take-no-prisoners Mac aficionado.
At least, I thought I did. It turns out that I couldn't get any picture when I plugged in the HDMI cord. I mean, the AV2 composite cables worked just fine, but when I switched to HDMI input, I just got a blue screen.
This, combined with the fact that the off-air antenna didn't seem to be working with the HR10 (see previous post) was the last straw. I called DirecTV again, and got a knowledgeable service guy, even though he did have a nasty cold. We spent some time trying to troubleshoot the HR10, and determined that either a) the HDMI cable was bad, or b) the HR10 wasn't recognizing the HDMI cable, even though it was damned well supposed to.
The obvious fix to test this was to plug the HDMI cable into the other DVR -- the DirecTV HD DVR (HR20) that DirecTV hd sent me when they thought the HR10 was broken and that I hadn't got around to sending back yet.
With the HDMI cable and the HR20, there was a picture -- a really nice picture. As good a picture as I'd been hoping to get, in fact. I know when the universe is conspiring against me. So...it's adieu TiVo. The support guy sympathized with me, but pointed out a few nice features that the HR20 has that the HR10 doesn't.
Right now, I'm getting used to the interface on the HR20. It's decidedly not as user-friendly as the TiVo's, but it does seem to have all the functionality I had with the TiVo. And a tech is coming on Tuesday to install a 5-LNB dish, which means that I'll get local channels in HD off the satellite, which will be much the simplest thing. And if I can find the packaging for the off-air antenna, it'll go back to Circuit City, but the cleaners tossed that when they cleaned house last week, so it means a search through the trash.
Just as an amusing postscript: a week or so ago,
lydy asked me what all the fuss was about between the HR10 and the HR20 and why "but I love my TiVo" was relevant here. I told her that it was as if I were using a Macintosh and someone told me that in order to connect to the Internet I had to use a PC instead, and really, it was just as good and I would get used to the PC soon*. It all became instantly comprehensible to her. *This is not intended to spark platform wars. I am in fact a happy PC user. But technical writers should tailor their explanations to their audience, and
lydy is a take-no-prisoners Mac aficionado.
