TWC, Stop Dragging Your Feet on New Navigator Features!

[Jack 1000]

There are too many things that the Navigator Guide does not have that all other cable, dish, and U-Verse Guides have included.  And the competition has had these features for YEARS:

When will things like the following be included in the Navigator software for BOTH MDN/ODN boxes?

Keyword Search:  The ability to type in the name of an actor or subject included in any part of the program description and get a list of topics related to that search.  While Title Search is nice for movies, it is HORRIBLE for finding specific Sports because you can not narrow down your choices.  You can't just key the word "Packers" for Packer games on the Keyboard or type "Al Pachino" for Al Pachino movies.  Yet for every other cable, dish, and U-Verse system, this feature is included.  The Passport Software had this from the beginning.  I thought Navigator was supposed to be better!  Why does the Navigator guide not have Keyword Search?

Manual Recording: A feature that used to allow you to set up start and stop times allowing you to record specific portions of a show.  Navigator does not allow users to do this.  When setting up recordings, you now have to account for recording all portions of any program in the time grid.  Other guides have this feature so why not TWC?

It's totally retarded that TWC in 2010 does not offer a feature that is a taken for granted as a feature on ANY IPG in this day and age. This isn't 1995 anymore, TWC.

While I don't expect a mass uprising for that feature, it is something that should realistically be included. AND it should be something available regardless of the box you have. Keyword Search is not a problem for any of the other competing IPG's from cable, dish, or U-Verse so it should be something that should be added to all TWC boxes.

Our group is smaller than general customer populations. But I still think that there is safety in numbers. TWC may not care that much about adding new features to the guide because mainstream public just accepts what is given to them.

However, we customers are paying good money and should expect an above average quality IPG in both features and performance. I would just call and bug the hell out of your division and have them send requests to engineering for the IPG features that you want to see or should be included. Right now, I don't think TWC is getting enough customer responses for new guide features and that is part of the problem.

Sadly, unless there are huge requests for a guide feature TWC will drag its feet on this. Test market ODN boxes will get feature updates, but if general populations don't let the software developers know what they want to see, it could be 1-3 years before TWC starts adding new features to all the boxes.

We have to get more people aware of this and even more people aware of the forums!

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Oh yea, TWC, show me how easy it is to find Shawshank Redemption doing a Title Search! Ridiculous! Or how about going through a Tilte list for College Football and having to open 15-20 different tiers of the same title "College Football" to find the game you want to see! Total BS!

You know, I wish the other cable and dish companies would throw up side by side comparisons of for example a Tivo IPG and TWC Navigator on a TV commercial. (Sort of like the old George Plimpton 1980's ads with Atari vs. Intellivision. George was a spokesperson for Intellivision back than. I had an Atari 2600 and loved it back than. But you get the point.) Such advertising would show all of the things that a competition's guide can do, which Navigator currently cannot. That might be the whip needed to be cracked over TWC's corporate head to see why the new Navigator features in the way of easier searches are important to improve the customer's guide experience. TWC can and needs to do better with the Navigator program guide.

Jack

[leprechaunshawn]

I have D*.  I searched for Shawshank Redemption.  I typed in SHAW and that was all it took to find it on Starz On Demand.

I do agree though, it is pitiful how long it takes TWC to add technology that other providers have had for years.

[LoadStar]

I gave up and got a TiVo HD about a year ago. Never looked back, never been happier.

Might want to take a look at whatever TiVo announces early next month.

[Jack 1000]

I'm not a software developer. But what would be one good reason that the majority of customers would not want easier Keyboard functions in Navigator? Even a simple keyword search would make the system better than it is now. How hard can that be to program? It's not even new. The competition has had it for ten years. Does TWC want to move DOWN the ladder of success?

What I don't understand is if so many competitors have better search options and a better IPG in general and even HAD the things that TWC Navigator lacks about 10 years ago, why is that not important for TWC to be competitive in the marketplace concerning a quality program guide?

How can they explain or justify that Comcast, Tivo, Direct TV, and so forth have these features but TWC doesn't? Obviously a quality IPG guide was important to the competition and the competitions shareholders. If a quality guide was not important to the competition, than every IPG from the competition would look like SARA's IPG's or lack the advanced search options that still are lacking in Navigator.

Even Passport cared and continues to care about a quality IPG that has enhanced and developed through technological change. But I find it ridiculous that the number two cable company can't or won't develop an IPG consistent with 2010 features and technology. Or is it that they don't know how to do it? What's missing from the equation here?

Jack

[duncantuna]

It does blow me away that the TWC DVR software has not been improved.

As an application, it just isn't that complex.   Even with just one developer, you could knock out at least ONE improvement each month.    You'd think SA or TWC would have dozens of guys working on this every day.

[Jack 1000]

I just read a report on the Internet about customer complaints about Navigator.  Guide Filtering and an expanded program list are coming out in a future update.  Still don't know when our division will get it, but at least it's a start:

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/feb/21/time-warner-cable-replies-to-some-reader-complaint/entertainment/

Jack

[Kenoman]

You know, I am so sick of complaining about Navigator that I am seriously looking at Direct TV or U-Verse. Navigator is the WORST thing Time Warner ever did. Passport was sooo much better. Since Navigator I have completely given up on any kind of search. Here again navigator is years behind other program guides. Also, Navigator is supposed to let you pause programs. The other day I was watching golf and paused it about ten minutes before five o'clock to answer the phone and when I went back it jumped to the 5 o'clock programming. What the hell. I couldn't rewind. These problems and all the nagging re-boots out of nowhere is just unacceptable. And as far as startover feature, what a joke. You startover and you cannot pause. Time Warner should forget about all their glitzy features and get the basic ones fixed. :bang:

[Jack 1000]

You know, I am so sick of complaining about Navigator that I am seriously looking at Direct TV or U-Verse. Navigator is the WORST thing Time Warner ever did. Passport was sooo much better. Since Navigator I have completely given up on any kind of search. Here again navigator is years behind other program guides. Also, Navigator is supposed to let you pause programs. The other day I was watching golf and paused it about ten minutes before five o'clock to answer the phone and when I went back it jumped to the 5 o'clock programming. What the hell. I couldn't rewind. These problems and all the nagging re-boots out of nowhere is just unacceptable. And as far as startover feature, what a joke. You startover and you cannot pause. Time Warner should forget about all their glitzy features and get the basic ones fixed. :bang:

I hear you!

You should maybe get a Tivo.  If you do, you will still need a tuning adapter for the SDV channels, but at least you will have a quality IPG.  How are your phone lines for U-Verse? A clear view of the Southeast for Dish?  Actually the areas where TWC has done well are Digital Phone and Road Runner.  But that Navigator guide is such a POS!

Jack