Setup for grandma

[the mack]

Grandma might not be that old, could just be in her 50s or 60s.

I have known some Grandma's younger then that. Straight up GILF's.

 

[DWS44]

My in-laws (in their 70s) have a DVR and it only gets used when I'm there. They don't even pause or rewind, and there are 2 recordings on the hard drive, recorded by me.

Same thing happened with my parents...DVR was more complicated than they wanted to bother with. I eventually got them swapped for regular non-dvr cable boxes to save them some money.

 

[stejamand]

Thanks for the input. I'd get her the 211s and order the simple remotes off Amazon. She can navigate digital cable okay, and is even remembering to go to the HD number more often than not. We'll see what Comcast will offer her tomorrow, but $125 vs $82 ($77 for the first 10 mos. w/ my referral) for the same channels is going to be hard to match.

 

[KAB]

Thanks for the input. I'd get her the 211s and order the simple remotes off Amazon. She can navigate digital cable okay, and is even remembering to go to the HD number more often than not. We'll see what Comcast will offer her tomorrow, but $125 vs $82 ($77 for the first 10 mos. w/ my referral) for the same channels is going to be hard to match.

Again, if she is comfortable and capable with digital cable, I would not rock the boat. Probably would not be worth the savings in the long run. Remember, if she has problems, it will be you or your parents she'll be calling.

 

[Darrell S]

I can see a call coming when the tv is turned on in the morning, and the screen saver is there from the nightly shutdown.

 

[KAB]

I can see a call coming when the tv is turned on in the morning, and the screen saver is there from the nightly shutdown.

Exactly, that and other things. BIG mistake.

 

[ewindowman]

My grandparents lived only a couple of miles away so when they messed up the remote I would have to drive there to show them what they did wrong . I was glad when they went back to cable after the 2 year contract was over .

 

[the mack]

You could be underestimating Grandma. My mother is 83 and navigates her 211 pretty well. Other than the tv input inadvertently getting changed (limited mode on the remote solved this issue) she does ok.
The biggest problem was learning the new channel numbers.

 

[navychop]

I got my MiL (in her 80s) a DVR. She didn't want it. I just showed her the skip back button and said if you didn't quite hear something, just press this to hear it again, and I do it all the time.

I later casually commented that if she wanted to watch a show that was only on while she was in a meeting or otherwise elsewhere, she could record it and watch it later. She had no interest in that.

The seed had been planted.

I'd say in about a couple of months she needed to be somewhere else but didn't want to miss some show. She remembered my comment and a neighbor showed her how.

She records regularly now.

<smug>

 

[dare2be]

My in-laws are too hard-headed to listen to anyone.

 

[ChadT41]

One of my in laws is just a PITA. The other is awesome, and we get along great(granted we have very very different political views).

 

[Mr Tony]

everyone needs a DVR

not everyone.
Neither of my grandmas have a DVR. They got nothing better to do so they can afford to watch "live tv"

 

[Mr Tony]

I have known some Grandma's younger then that. Straight up GILF's.

same here. My mom was in her early 40's when she became a grandma (and not because of me...was my younger sister)

 

[Mr Tony]

Thanks for the input. I'd get her the 211s and order the simple remotes off Amazon. She can navigate digital cable okay, and is even remembering to go to the HD number more often than not. We'll see what Comcast will offer her tomorrow, but $125 vs $82 ($77 for the first 10 mos. w/ my referral) for the same channels is going to be hard to match.

The nice thing with Dish is obviously the locals will be on their "known" channel
(2,4,7,10) instead of some off the wall random number

 

[Mr Tony]

Just sayin' ! The TS might have to deal with all the phone calls!

My dad has had Dish for 14+ years now and I STILL get the calls
-how do I remove a timer?
-why is it when I hit channel up the TV changes and not the dish?
-How do I get it so it doesnt record all 108 episodes of Duck Dynasty? I just wanted the new ones?

edit: edited the time. He has had dish since at least 2002 (probably earlier....lets see we rebuilt the cabin in 01 and we put a dish on it then....so yeah longer)

 

[dishcomm]

My grandma's finally receptive to a change in TV providers. I'm thinking DISH for her, I looked at DirecTV and they are cheaper for the first year, but DISH comes out cheaper with the 3-year price lock. I don't know what receiver setup would be best. She has 2 HDTVs and no need for a DVR. I would like to have an antenna set up for sub channels and our local MyTV which is HD OTA, but not on DISH.

Unless grandma is a good listener and is mildly technically savvy,. take it from someone who installed these things for years.....Please keep it simple.
Older folks tend to be less flexible when it comes to electronics.
if the equipment is too complicated or your grandma has a stubborn streak to the point where she tries to get things to work the way SHE thinks they should, anything beyond the basic point click change channel will earn you the distinction of constant badgering about "why doesn't this thing work right"...
I realize this may appear to be crass. or even disrespectful....Not my intention. I am only sharing the realities of older people dealing with technology....

 

[dishcomm]

everyone needs a DVR

Not senior citizens.....Please.

 

[Bobby]

Not senior citizens.....Please.

This senior citizen, as well as his senior citizen wife, would not be without a DVR!

 

[KAB]

This senior citizen, as well as his senior citizen wife, would not be without a DVR!

For the curious, Bobby, how SENIOR are you?

 

[KAB]

It's one thing to have "become" a senior having kept up with the tech. A whole other thing to take someone like a Grandma who did not give a S and throw them into a new world they no nothing of.