Direct TV's platform is light years ahead of Cox's. I just switched from Direct TV to Cox and I am really missing Direct TV now. The program guide is so much better. You get a lot more information from Direct TV's program guide including icons for each show/movie and the year it was created.
And there are really great features such as Smart Search and Double Play that Cox does not have.
With DIRECTV Smart Search, you can search for movies, shows, sports, people, channels, and even YouTube videos on your DIRECTV HD DVR. Your DIRECTV search results will start to appear as soon as you enter the first letter of the word you're typing in the search field.
Here's how to use DIRECTV Smart Search:
- Press the MENU button on your remote, then select Search & Browse.
- Select DIRECTV Smart Search. You’ll see a letterpad, as well as suggested search items highlighting new and interesting shows and movies based on what's trending now.
- Use the arrow buttons on the remote to navigate the letters on the letterpad and press SELECT, or use the number keys in the same way you would text on a mobile device.
- DIRECTV search results will start to appear as soon as you enter the first letter of the word you're typing in the search field. At any point you can press the red button on your remote to start the Keyword Search.
- Want to find something on TV, but don't remember how to spell it? No problem. Smart Search knows what you're looking for and can interpret misspellings, nicknames, and more, returning only the results you want.
- When the title of the program you're looking for appears, you can set the recording options. You can also see detailed cast information, pictures, filmographies, and actor biographies, as well as the upcoming movies and shows they'll appear in.
- Additionally, you can search for YouTube videos and watch them on your TV screen.
The more you use the DIRECTV Smart Search feature, the smarter it gets. It'll save all your recent searches to help you find what you're looking for the next time you use the search function.
And Double Play...
It's happens to every sports fan: two huge games on at the same time. What to do? DIRECTV has the answer: DoublePlay. It allows you to quickly toggle between any two games that are simultaneously recording. It works for any two shows on any two channels. DoublePlay doubles your enjoyment with a click no matter what you want to watch.
Here's how it works:
- While watching one game, press the DOWN arrow on your remote to start recording it.
- Press the DOWN arrow again to select a game on a different channel.
- You can use the DOWN arrow to toggle between the two programs.
- You can also pause or rewind either program so you don't miss a minute of the action.