DirecTV/HD/Tivo

[juanito]

What gives?
I have been unable to find an HD Tivo DVR to use with DirecTV. All Tivo HD receivers I've seen are only for cable users. Having had a Tivo with my standard def DirecTV service, I have become spoiled with the ease of use of the remote. I have tried the Hughes receiver & remote and have been very dissatisfied.
I am ready to upgrade my TV to HDTV but don't want to go with cable.
Any thoughts?

 

[TLS Guy]

What gives?
I have been unable to find an HD Tivo DVR to use with DirecTV. All Tivo HD receivers I've seen are only for cable users. Having had a Tivo with my standard def DirecTV service, I have become spoiled with the ease of use of the remote. I have tried the Hughes receiver & remote and have been very dissatisfied.
I am ready to upgrade my TV to HDTV but don't want to go with cable.
Any thoughts?

Direct TVs first HD system used Tivo HD DVRs, but the two fell out of bed.

The new system does not use Tivo HD DVRs. You can use the old TIVO boxes with the current set up, but you will not get all the HD channels and you won't get local channels in HD. The reason is that there is a new satellite that the TIVO can not pick up.

Direct TV have two HD DVR boxes in their system, the HR 20 and HR21. I have one of each. I prefer the H21, it is quicker in action, including reboot. It has a better build quality and finish. I have been a a real stick in the eye to Direct TV, and have even had words with the CEO after I wrote him a letter. May be this played some part in improving the HR21.

If you want to use the Tivo boxes, I have a couple you can have.

Before you select Direct TV, this is my take on satellite versus cable. I have just posted this, this morning.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=434645&postcount=7

Satellite is complicated, and to keep costs down far too many corners are cut. Really they should be engineered to a higher standard and cost a lot more than they do.

 

[Midcow2]

You might not like my recommendation but ....change to DishNetwork!

I really like new technology, especailly as it goes to watching TV , and DVDs. I remebr time-shifting with VHSs and looking at laser disks. Anyway, I have had cable, stalllite and reviewed fiber optics.

Right now I have DishNetwork with 4 TVs hooked up ( two HD and two standard). I have two DVR recorders, 622 and 722.

My best HT system is in the den and I have the 722 connected via HDMI to Marantz 8002 then to 37" (largest that would fit in Amoire cabinet) Vizio LCD TV.

The PQ with the 722 seems to be better than the 622, but if so not by much; my current TV only supports 1080i.

Anyway, I can record HD. It also records HD anything I am watching and you can pause up to an hour.

The only downside is with either the 722 or 622 you can only have two TV streams. If the second TV is in use ( which in my case most of the time it isn't), then you have to watch what you are recording. This is about the only
advantage cable DVR ever had you could record and watch simutaneously.

However one great advantage of the DishNetwork DVR is that you can set a pre recording then turn the TV on in the middle of the recording and go back and start watching the recorded TV show at the beginning with all the pause fast forward, etc. controls, while the recording is still going on.

The capacity of the 722 is very good: 350 hours recording standard 55 hours recording HD.

It doesn't sound like the DirectTV or Tivo can do these same things the DishNetwork does. Maybe you should consider changing to DishNetwork

I also looked at AT&T uVerse, At first it looks good from the specs, One DVR four recording streams, etc. But when you look further you find that you are bandwidth limited and also DVR palyback is limited. I know several people who had it and then went back to satellite.

 

[TLS Guy]

I really like new technology, especailly as it goes to watching TV , and DVDs. I remebr time-shifting with VHSs and looking at laser disks. Anyway, I have had cable, stalllite and reviewed fiber optics.

Right now I have DishNetwork with 4 TVs hooked up ( two HD and two standard). I have two DVR recorders, 622 and 722.

My best HT system is in the den and I have the 722 connected via HDMI to Marantz 8002 then to 37" (largest that would fit in Amoire cabinet) Vizio LCD TV.

The PQ with the 722 seems to be better than the 622, but if so not by much; my current TV only supports 1080i.

Anyway, I can record HD. It also records HD anything I am watching and you can pause up to an hour.

The only downside is with either the 722 or 622 you can only have two TV streams. If the second TV is in use ( which in my case most of the time it isn't), then you have to watch what you are recording. This is about the only
advantage cable DVR ever had you could record and watch simutaneously.

However one great advantage of the DishNetwork DVR is that you can set a pre recording then turn the TV on in the middle of the recording and go back and start watching the recorded TV show at the beginning with all the pause fast forward, etc. controls, while the recording is still going on.

The capacity of the 722 is very good: 350 hours recording standard 55 hours recording HD.

It doesn't sound like the DirectTV or Tivo can do these same things the DishNetwork does. Maybe you should consider changing to DishNetwork

I also looked at AT&T uVerse, At first it looks good from the specs, One DVR four recording streams, etc. But when you look further you find that you are bandwidth limited and also DVR palyback is limited. I know several people who had it and then went back to satellite.

The only feature the DISH network DVR has that the Direct TV does not, as far as I can tell is that the DISH unit has an RF out and the Direct TV unit does not.

On talking to people round here they have had bad service from DISH also, in fact their reputation is worse. I have to say that the Direct TV online techs are very polite and pleasant, and so are the techs they send out.

Understanding the systems vulnerability to AC power problems has been a big advance and the local techs have learned a lot from that.

I have to say the COMCAST system I have at Eagan is excellent. The picture is good and their DVR works well and has a lot better build quality than the satellite counterparts.

At least in the snow belt, I would strongly recommend cable over satellite.

I had cable for almost 30 years in Grand Forks ND, and it was worry free. There are just many more issues associated with satellite systems.

Although I have to say that since going to fast online UPS systems for ALL satellite units, I have had no problems, other than rain and snow. I have had to do zero reboots. Previously the need for reboots was frequent. What I found is that every piece of Direct TV equipment HAS to be powered from a fast acting UPS to control both high and low voltage, especially low.

What we need to move to, is fiber optic cable to every home in America.

 

[Midcow2]

Comparison - DirecTV verss DishNetwork

The only feature the DISH network DVR has that the Direct TV does not, as far as I can tell is that the DISH unit has an RF out and the Direct TV unit does not.

On talking to people round here they have had bad service from DISH also, in fact their reputation is worse. I have to say that the Direct TV online techs are very polite and pleasant, and so are the techs they send out.

Understanding the systems vulnerability to AC power problems has been a big advance and the local techs have learned a lot from that.

I have to say the COMCAST system I have at Eagan is excellent. The picture is good and their DVR works well and has a lot better build quality than the satellite counterparts.

At least in the snow belt, I would strongly recommend cable over satellite.

I had cable for almost 30 years in Grand Forks ND, and it was worry free. There are just many more issues associated with satellite systems.

Although I have to say that since going to fast online UPS systems for ALL satellite units, I have had no problems, other than rain and snow. I have had to do zero reboots. Previously the need for reboots was frequent. What I found is that every piece of Direct TV equipment HAS to be powered from a fast acting UPS to control both high and low voltage, especially low.

What we need to move to, is fiber optic cable to every home in America.

They are similar but different.

DishNetwork - DirecTV
record 1 watch 1 - [watch 1 record 2
sd hours recording 350 200
hd hours recording 55 50
dolby 5.1 surround sound ???
Picture in a Picture no PIP
live playback 60 minutes 90 minutes
RF to second TV ???
1080i upconvert for SD ???
expanded storage with external hard drive ???
supports 2 TVs -1 HD 1 SD supports 1 HD

The AT&T uVerse fiber optics where I live still has a lot of bugs and is bandwidth limited to one HD recording at a time.

 

[TLS Guy]

They are similar but different.

DishNetwork - DirecTV
record 1 watch 1 - [watch 1 record 2
sd hours recording 350 200
hd hours recording 55 50
dolby 5.1 surround sound ???
Picture in a Picture no PIP
live playback 60 minutes 90 minutes
RF to second TV ???
1080i upconvert for SD ???
expanded storage with external hard drive ???
supports 2 TVs -1 HD 1 SD supports 1 HD

The AT&T uVerse fiber optics where I live still has a lot of bugs and is bandwidth limited to one HD recording at a time.

The answer for Direct TV supporting Dolby 5.1 is Yes. Up convert no, but the TVs do. Expanded storage I think not, at least it is not in the manual. So yes, pretty similar. I think the biggest significant difference is the inability to support an extra SD TV.

Sorry to hear your fiber hook up is buggy, but that should be the best solution down the road.

 

[Midcow2]

The answer for Direct TV supporting Dolby 5.1 is Yes. Up convert no, but the TVs do. Expanded storage I think not, at least it is not in the manual. So yes, pretty similar. I think the biggest significant difference is the inability to support an extra SD TV.

Sorry to hear your fiber hook up is buggy, but that should be the best solution down the road.

Thanks for the response TLS

 

[jfalk]

The Directv HD DVRs have enabled Esata ports which allow 1TB drives to be added in a trouble-free way which also eliminates any storage problems you have on hd content. As a longtimne TiVo addict, I think it's fair to say that the DirecTV DVRs are getting there, but not quite there. Overall, I still prefer it mightily to cable.

 

[SpeedDemon]

Direct TVs first HD system used TiVo HD DVRs, but the two fell out of bed.

The new system does not use Tivo HD DVRs. You can use the old TIVO boxes with the current set up, but you will not get all the HD channels and you won't get local channels in HD. The reason is that there is a new satellite that the TIVO can not pick up.

Direct TV have two HD DVR boxes in their system, the HR 20 and HR21. I have one of each. I prefer the H21, it is quicker in action, including reboot. It has a better build quality and finish. I have been a a real stick in the eye to Direct TV, and have even had words with the CEO after I wrote him a letter. May be this played some part in improving the HR21.

If you want to use the TiVo boxes, I have a couple you can have.

Before you select Direct TV, this is my take on satellite versus cable. I have just posted this, this morning.

Satellite is complicated, and to keep costs down far too many corners are cut. Really they should be engineered to a higher standard and cost a lot more than they do.

Great answer TLS!

Direct TV hates me too -as I'm constantly complaining about their NDS DVR's.

Just one thing. The older Direct TV HR10-250 can receive local HD channels - just not via the satellite. It has a built-in terrestrial ATSC tuner which is seamlessly integrated into the unit via the TiVo software. Of course you would also need a terrestrial ATSC antenna and be able to receive those signals.

I own every Direct TV HD-DVR variant and although the HR-10 cannot receive ALL the available satellite HD channels and is missing the latest interactive and network (ViiV) features, I sill like it the best. The TiVo software is vastly more intuitive.

And yes, the newer HR-20/21 DO have slightly better video quality via the HDMI than the HR-10. It's always a compromise isn't it?

To be fair, the HR-21 is another step in the right direction. Unfortunately the TiVo software simply annihilates the NDS software for simplicity and ease-of -use. Now, with that said, I also beleive that the latest NDS box is still better than most of the non-TiVo Cable DVR's I've used. I have not used the Dish version extensively, so I can't make intelligent comments on that product.

I wish Direct TV would kiss and make up with TiVo especially now that Rupert Murdoch has a lessened role with Direct TV. The forced NDS / Direct TV marriage has resulted in millions of very dissatisfied Direct TV / TiVo customers -including me.

SpeedDemon

 

[Hi Ho]

On talking to people round here they have had bad service from DISH also, in fact their reputation is worse. I have to say that the Direct TV online techs are very polite and pleasant, and so are the techs they send out.

I certainly haven't had bad service from Dish. I know I'm just one guy but every time I have talked to them they have been polite and helpful. I also think that their hardware is much better than DirecTV. The Dish VIP722 has excellent build quality and is virtually bug free. Mine hasn't exhibited a single issue in 8 months of ownership. It works every time I use it and it has never locked up or missed a recording. I can't say the same for the DirecTV HR20/21 DVRs I have worked with for customers.

 

[TLS Guy]

I certainly haven't had bad service from Dish. I know I'm just one guy but every time I have talked to them they have been polite and helpful. I also think that their hardware is much better than DirecTV. The Dish VIP722 has excellent build quality and is virtually bug free. Mine hasn't exhibited a single issue in 8 months of ownership. It works every time I use it and it has never locked up or missed a recording. I can't say the same for the DirecTV HR20/21 DVRs I have worked with for customers.

That's interesting. If you see more customers with those HR 20 and 21s, tell them they need a UPS. I know that's sounds absurd, but they lock up and a damaged by voltage fluctuations that are not out of the ordinary. That is not really acceptable, but that is the way they are.

 

[TLS Guy]

Great answer TLS!

Direct TV hates me too -as I'm constantly complaining about their NDS DVR's.

Just one thing. The older Direct TV HR10-250 can receive local HD channels - just not via the satellite. It has a built-in terrestrial ATSC tuner which is seamlessly integrated into the unit via the TiVo software. Of course you would also need a terrestrial ATSC antenna and be able to receive those signals.

I own every Direct TV HD-DVR variant and although the HR-10 cannot receive ALL the available satellite HD channels and is missing the latest interactive and network (ViiV) features, I sill like it the best. The TiVo software is vastly more intuitive.

And yes, the newer HR-20/21 DO have slightly better video quality via the HDMI than the HR-10. It's always a compromise isn't it?

To be fair, the HR-21 is another step in the right direction. Unfortunately the TiVo software simply annihilates the NDS software for simplicity and ease-of -use. Now, with that said, I also beleive that the latest NDS box is still better than most of the non-TiVo Cable DVR's I've used. I have not used the Dish version extensively, so I can't make intelligent comments on that product.

I wish Direct TV would kiss and make up with TiVo especially now that Rupert Murdoch has a lessened role with Direct TV. The forced NDS / Direct TV marriage has resulted in millions of very dissatisfied Direct TV / TiVo customers -including me.

SpeedDemon

I can't get an off air TV signal at this location.