Thoughts on Navigator

[Kenoman]

Well, I have had Navigator for a while and have not really had a problem with the system as such, however, on their website they state The Navigator is much more than just a program listing. From "Finding Shows Instantly" etc. This is where Navigator fails horribly. With Passports guide you could choose Movie + Drama and it would list all the drama movies in the order of the time they were aired.  With Navigator you no longer have this option. If you go to the guide and select Movie + Drama, it list all the movies in alphabetical order. To make matters worse, you must select the movie to see 1. Can I receive this channel and 2. When is it on..
I now find myself recording less (which maybe is TW ultimate goal).
Also as you are all aware, keyword search has been taken away from us.
So my conclusion is that in switching from Passport to Navigator, Time Warner has actually taken features away from us. I see NO advantage in Navigator versus Passport. This together with the lack of HD programming has me very seriously considering Direct TV.
In ending this long boring post I would like to ask the Direct TV users how does your guide work as far as the program search options? Is it similar to Passport?

[Talos4]

I have no clue how "passport" works I haven't had TWC since 1996.

On D*, if I'm looking for a show. I enter search for shows, I have a choices ranginf from movies, sports, music, concerts, dramas, comedy's, documentaries, etc.

I usually don't use that.

I enter search, type in a few letters of the show I'm looking for hit select and there it is.

Full schedule of episodes broadcast dates and times, I can set my recordings from there, series, single episodes, first runs only, repeats  how long to keep, how many episodes to keep, etc.

If I'm missing a step someone will chime in. Sitting at work and doing it from memory can a little hazardous.

[duncantuna]

I too, hate Navigator with a passion.  It's really stunningly bad, and it makes me wonder if there's just one programmer working on it .. and his right arm is broken.

Just one other example of how awful .. With Passport, you could set up a series to keep only the first 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 episodes.  Navigator, they oddly chose 3 as the minimum number.

Why is this important?  I used "1" for a ton of series.  A great example is Baseball Tonight on ESPN.  It's often repeated multiple times in one night, and, of course, it's on 7 days /week.   But I only want to see the most current one.  Passport would always have the freshest one episode.  Navigator gives me 3, which means 3 hours of HD video that eats the tiny hard disk.

I've read that some people (nationally) have been able to ask TWC to revert their boxes to Passport, but not everyone has success getting that done.

When U-Verse comes to my block (soon) .. I will call TWC, and ask them to revert my box.  When they say no, I'll tell them to terminate the service. -- Please do the same.  If enough people tell them Nav sucks, and we're terminating .. maybe they'll get the message.

[kevbeck122]

Just get an HDC box and you'll love Navigator even more.  I'm stuck with an 8300HDC right now... takes me at least a minute or two after turning the TV and box on before the box will even respond to the remote.  HDMI is still buggy with the HDC boxes.. not the 8300HD (in my experience).  The guide is slow, channel changes are slow.  I didn't realize the "keep this many episodes" setting was there by default... I started wondering why episodes of things I didn't watch started getting deleted.

They aren't going to revert your box back to Passport.  If they did that, you wouldn't be able to get SDV channels.. because they are too cheap to keep Passport/buy the new version that supports SDV.  Instead they went in house with the programming and rolled it out while it was still buggy, basically so they can get more room for HD channels (since Navigator is SDV capable) to try keeping up with the other services.

[jpfieber]

One of my peevs is related to recording a series. Once a show starts, if you want to record the entire series of that show, how do you do it? With Passport I recall it being easy, I haven't figured out how yet with Navigator. If you press record, it simply records the episode you are watching. If you go to the Guide and select the episode, since it's already on, it simply closes the guide. The only way I can tell is to find another episode in the future, and select that, but if it's a weekly show, you have to wait a few days before the program info is even available, and of course by then you've forgotten about it. Am I missing something or did they take away one of the most basic features (see a show you like and decide to record the entire series)?

[kevbeck122]

Go to the guide and hit the record button on the show that is currently on.  It should come up with list of options, one being record series.

[jpfieber]

Right you are. Not at all intuitive!

[DooMer_MP3]

My one big problem with Navigator on a 8300HD (non-C) box:

The box refuses to save my output modes. I want 1080i to be the only output mode. It allows me to surf channels faster as everything is sent at one resolution. If I change it in settings, it will stay until the box is powered down. Then it has 480i/p, 720p and 1080i checked.

Is there ANY way to make this permanent? I'll get an HDC box if I have to...

[kevbeck122]

Trust me.. you don't want an HDC box.  Are you using HDMI or component?

[nick3092]

My one big problem with Navigator on a 8300HD (non-C) box:

The box refuses to save my output modes. I want 1080i to be the only output mode. It allows me to surf channels faster as everything is sent at one resolution. If I change it in settings, it will stay until the box is powered down. Then it has 480i/p, 720p and 1080i checked.

Is there ANY way to make this permanent? I'll get an HDC box if I have to...

My 8300 non C has only lost rest the resolutions once since april or may, or whenever we got Navigatored.  I'm using HDMI and my box has been powered off several times (once for over an hour) and it has kept it's settings except for 1 time.  And as noted, you do NOT want a C box.

[kevbeck122]

I wonder if TWC heard me... there was an update to my HDC box overnight last night.  Works better than it did.. HDMI not so buggy anymore.  It responds a bit better to the remote too... but it's still not as good as the regular 8300HD.

[DooMer_MP3]

My 8300 non C has only lost rest the resolutions once since april or may, or whenever we got Navigatored.  I'm using HDMI and my box has been powered off several times (once for over an hour) and it has kept it's settings except for 1 time.  And as noted, you do NOT want a C box.

I am using HDMI. If I turn the box off and on again with not too long of a delay, it maintains them. But when I say, turn it off for several hours or overnight the settings go back to default and all modes are checked

[mhz40]

I am using HDMI. If I turn the box off and on again with not too long of a delay, it maintains them. But when I say, turn it off for several hours or overnight the settings go back to default and all modes are checked

I thought HDMI was a pass-thru.  I remember going away from HDMI at one point, as I got sick of waiting for my display to re-sync while surfing.  Maybe it was the DVI port that has me confused...

[kevbeck122]

DVI was pass through.  I think HDMI was for a little while.. but not anymore.

[Jack 1000]

The next Navigator update REALLY NEEDS the following:

1. A more detailed sports category search:  One of the problems with this feature is that the descriptions are much too generic.  For example, if you want to look for College Football, you could do a:

1.) Find Shows (Press B)

2.) Select Category

3.) Select Sports

4.) Select Football.

However, than you have to scroll through about 50 different Football listings doing needle in a haystack scenarios to try to find the game and team you want.  Than even after you press Select, it often does not give specific teams.

Once I get to a category, such as Football, the left hand side of the screen should list THE EXACT football teams that are playing.  Don't just say, College Football, than I have to select again to find Teams TBA.  Put the exact team names on the left hand panel for a sub category after the category has been chosen.

What is:

College Football

College Football

College Football

College Football

College Football

College Football

College Football

College Football

College Football

College Football?

Than I have to press Select and info to see who is playing about 40 times?

The set up should be:  Press Select than after you get to Football, press select:

Michigan vs. Ohio State

Stanford vs, Nebraska

Arizona vs. Illinois.

And so on.

At least the Movie descriptions are better.  The names of movies are actually shown by subcategory when the Category Movies is selected.  However, with Sports, we are getting sub categories (College Football) instead of actual team descriptions, which should be in that area.

And please give Tennis its own Sports Category!

Jack