Hmm well I just joined the forums, and also today went out and got the Cogeco Moto 6416 HD/DVR.

First of all I've used other HD / DVR's and upon getting this one I was happy to finally have one in my own home (as opposed to my GF's parents in the US or some friends in the US).

Anyways.. after connecting everything and getting it going (and being caught with the DL flashing on the display for what seemed like 50 min). I got the unit activated and working.

Then I honestly said WTF!

The moto 6416 interface is horrible, honestly why is it that it is so ugly looking and difficult to do anything? Having use TiVo based HD/DVRs I was quite pleased with their menus and layouts, as well as some nice 'sounds' if you call it that the tv made when you did things.

But the M6416 is just horribly clunky as an interface to my TV, the guide is like 5 lines high, and looks ugly in 4:3 on my 16:9 TV. I honestly got a better TV guide using OPEN SOURCE programs on my HTPC (I attempted to have a working PC based DVR.. which I gave up on a couple months ago and only used for remote viewing.. ie from work).

I was hoping for some jazzy nice interface, something good looking like a TiVO. But all I get is this uglyness, and all you can change (so far as I've found) are colors.. which do nothing to increase the effectiveness of the interface.

Sorry by now I'm ranting, and I'm just dissapointed. Also as I've read numerous posts, it seems my high tech spanking new DIGITAL CHANNELS are showing 'blockiness' around peoples hair, or when the action is fast, it looks like a bad encoded download of some episode / movie. I assumed that I was UPGRADING my 'old' analog to something better, but all I got was an ugly interface & poorer quality.

Now on to HD channels. Its nice to have them all in order (ie 1 after the other, instead of OTA 2.1 -> 14.1 etc..)

But I find that my FOX / CBS broadcasts (NFL games today) are not as crisp as simple OTA (I'm right near the river so get most of those channels from Detroit).

Hmm sorry to rant.. I'm just a big dissapointed.. I guess I set my hopes too high...

Anybody else find the interface ugly and inconvenient to navigate? The TV guide is just ugly (yes I know its better than nothing... but having used ones in the US.. I find this one amateurish at best).

Thanks for a great board btw, some good reading :)

I've heard the Tivo guide is great, but since I've never seen it, and since Cogeco is my first, and since when I started with Cogeco we had their older guide which was (believe it or not) worse....I find it to not be too bad. And the few times I've watched tv at a friend's place with the Rogers guide, I can't help but feel Cogeco has it better than Rogers. But that's just because I'm used to it. Give it time and accept the guide for what it is.

Yes, I am also dissapointed. I have the same blockiness as you decribed. I have heard it is because of signal compression. I should have just stuck with my 13 year old Trinitron.