Customer Reviews

Hughes GXCEBOT - DVR - TiVo - DIRECTV

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This unit is NOT loud and makes no audible noise, that is unless you are in a room that is absolutely dead to sound, and this is the only unit turned on...you might hear something then.

In my system, sound goes out to Martin Logan SL3 speakers, which expose every flaw in the system (reference speakers for many magazines). I have yet to notice anything out of the ordinary -- the sound quality is superb.

The video quality is also superb, as displayed on our Panasonic CT34WX50 16:9 direct view monitor. No issues.

No cons, I have never been more happy with television. Buy this, you won't regret it.

I bought this unit as a second Tivo-DirecTV receiver for a really really low price due to the "echo" problem (if you have one Tivo unit and one non-Tivo receiver and both TVs are on the same channel---such as you're watching a sporting event and one person is cooking while the other entertains---then the sound comes out of the Tivo TV about one second behind the "regular" unit, which is marginally bothersome).

I'm sorry I bought this model and it is going back. I love the Tivo service and my Philips brand unit is a dream. Luckily that's the one in the bedroom. This unit is identical in all respects but one: it has an el-cheapo hard disk with an audible hum. Audible over music. Audible 24/7. It's really annoying. Spend the extra bucks and get a real unit. You'll be very happy you did.

I just got my GXCEBOT today and am pretty impressed with it so far. Unit was well packaged, and came with every cable I could conceivably have used (even one to connect the VCR). I did have a weird problem during setup where the screen would go blank, and I'd get a 'Access Card has Expired' message, then the picture would come back for a minute, then go blank again, etc. A quick call to DirecTV (well, quick if you don't count the time on hold) fixed that problem - they just sent some kind of re-init command to the box.

Picture is great, and I have no problems with noisy hard drives or fans. Love the TiVo features. The only disappointing thing was not being able to watch my local cable channels thru the TiVo interface - I know I've seen receivers that can do this, so maybe they'll offer a software upgrade soon.

So overall a big thumbs up for this machine!

TiVo is more than just a glorified VCR. It is a fundamental change in the way television and viewers interact. TiVo enables you to control what you watch and when in a easy, simple format. Now that DirecTV and TiVo are offering this machine for around..., it is an excellent value.

Technically, the Hughes receiver with Tivo is well-made. The box is clean and stylishly designed. The remote is very good, although it lacks more sophisticated controls for the television, such as an input button. I found it to be whisper-quiet. The packaging rivals that of a Dell computer in ease of set-up. I have to mention that the cables included are so good I used them instead of the standard connections I already had.

The picture quality is excellent. Video and audio reproduction is vastly superior to a VCR. The on-screen menus and programming guides load a bit slower than the Hughes DirecTV receiver I previously had, but it is bearable.

What is disturbing is the way TiVo wants to take over your TV watching. For example: your TiVo video library is referred to as "Now Playing". Beneath that listing is "Watch Live TV". TiVo isn't really "playing", it's waiting for you to watch it or delete it. This may seem like semantics, but it is a revealing use of language.

My wife thinks that I watch more TV now. She's right. I watch all the stuff I'd watch if I was home from work sick. It's a great product, but I hope I tire of it soon.

altogether, it is a very user friendly receiver with great menu layout and tons of features. one major problem, though - it is LOUD. the noise that this thing makes while it is running is pretty incredible - a constant shrill, whining noise. and since the unit never powers off, you are forced to endure this noise constantly. maybe in a family room ... maybe, but certainly not for a bedroom (. . .)you get what you pay for. my advice is to spend the extra money and go with the sony tivo receiver (with mail-in rebate) - or go to ultimate tv for the better service and better receivers.

I purchased a Hughes TIVO in November of 2001. I set it up using the two receivers. On April 4, 2002, it stopped working. It could not find the satelite signal on either receiver. I hooked up a diferent satelite receiver to both lines and each worked fine. The service had been great. I called the 800 number in the guide which came with the unit. It referred me to a toll number which I had to call for technical assistance. They don't open until 8:00 a.m. I got in touch with a tech named Tax who told me that they were having that problem with some units. I was instructed to send the unit back and it would be replaced in about two weeks. I called today (4/15/02) and was informed by Alex that it would now be another 6 to 8 weeks for replacement because the units are on back order. The unit was great when it worked, but the service is quite frustrating. One would think that Hughes would pull some off the market to replace such a unit.

NOTICE: This review relates to TiVo, not this specific hardware device. I have a Sony SAT-T60 DirecTV/TiVo combination receiver.
My wife and I became addicted to TiVo within 1 month after installing it. We have gone from watching 90% live TV/10% recorded (VCR) to 90% Tivo/10% live TV! We hardly watch anything anymore at its regular time. We simply pull up the "Now Playing" menu, which lists all the shows I have previously recorded, and watch whatever we're in the mood for - drama (Law and Order or Once and Again), comedy (Friends, South Park), reality TV (Survivor, Fear Factor), or sports (Illinois basketball, cliff diving).

There are so many cool things about TiVo, but these are my THREE FAVORITE things:
1) Season Pass, which once you set it up, allows you to record a particular show EVERY time it's on or all shows with a particular actor or subject,
2) Easy to record (simply choose the show, not the time and channel) and easy to find and play (scroll through "Now Playing" list of prerecorded shows and choose "Select" to play),
3) Record two shows at once (like Survivor and Friends, which both start at 8:00 on Thursday) with a DirecTV/TiVo combination receiver, which we have.

We started with the monthly subscription and moved to the lifetime after just a month (it's good for the life of the box, not you). We have a Sony model, and I've found Sony to always be reliable (two TVs, one VCR). I bought a 4-year warranty as a safety precaution (new technology and insurance against the lifetime subscription). DirecTV customer service is decent, but not great (they handle the TiVo side as well). The BEST resource for TiVo is the TiVo AVS forum, which you can link to from the Buzz section of the TiVo Web site. It's a "must read" prior to buying this unit. But I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the coolest, most liberating invention to come out since the World Wide Web. No joke! You will fall in love with your TiVo too.

UPDATE (1/13/02): I've just discovered that DIRECTV/TiVo combination units rarely hold the number of hours suggested. Note that this unit advertises "up to 35-hour recording capacity." In reality, the data density of the DIRECTV signal is variable and you will rarely have even 30 hours of capacity. I have been maxing out at around 25 hours before things get deleted involuntarily. You can control the recording quality on stand-alone units and therefore, you can tell exactly how much capacity you're using. Recording quality is not an option with the combo units, but you should assume that you will NOT be able to retain more than 22 to 25 hours of programming before shows must be deleted in order to make room for new recordings. This doesn't change my enthusiastic view on TiVo or the combo units one bit. But I might need a second one now.....

I absolutely love this thing! I record pay-per-view movies in the middle of the night and watch them whenever. No more going to the video store and they are out of the movie I want. No more late fees because I waited too long to return the movie. I also never miss my favorite shows. And since I have two lines from my satelitte into the TiVo, I can record two shows at the same time. This is just awesome!

Love my new Tivo unit!! Great features, easiest interface I've seen, very little noise as indicated before but it runs so hot it melted my access card! DirecTV has another on the way, but yikes! Make sure the unit has plenty of ventilation, especially when recording. I am now watching about 80% recorded content and 20% live - just opposite of before Tivo. There is occasional pixelation and the DirecTV guide is a little slow (better than my RCA), but overall a great product for the price.

The TiVo/DirecTV combo is a winner. The TiVo system is very easy to use, and it works seamlessly with the DirecTV receiver. I tested the UltimateTV/DirecTV combo, and the TiVo is MUCH faster. Buy this system (or something like it). You won't regret it.