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StealthMonkey
StealthMonkey
Last reply · posted in DIRECTV General Forum

New DirecTV Customer - HR21 Sadness

So, after having cable my whole life, I was enticed away by NFL Sunday Ticket. I pulled the trigger and left Time Warner (who I was otherwise happy with -- they actually had more HD) for DirecTV.

I've never had satellite. Didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into. I had never been to this website before. And most importantly, I had never heard of the HR21 or HR24.

I got the Choice Xtra + HD + Whole-Home DVR + NFL Sunday Ticket + HD DVR Reciever + HD Receiver + SD Receiver + SD Receiver.

Installer showed up on Saturday got everything up and running. I started to play around with everything. The SD Receivers work well, as does the HD Receiver (turns out is H24). However, the HD DVR, the receiver that we use FAR more than any other receiver is slow and unresponsive (and I thought my Scientific Atlantic 8300HD was junky). I started to search online to figure out what the deal was. That's when I discovered the different receiver models. To my horror, I found that my HD DVR is a HR21-700.

I called DirecTV and complained about speed. They had me try a reset -- no help. They told me about the full reset -- I may try this, but I'll need to watch some recorded stuff and jot down favorite channels. I asked about getting an HR24. I talked to 3 different people (one clueless, one seemingly nice but unable to do anything, and one quite rude). They don't guarantee hardware -- warehouse something or other -- blah blah. Nothing helpful.

I guess at this point I have two questions.

1. Is what I am experiencing expected with the HR21-700? Specifically: When tuning channels, sometimes the info at the top changes quickly; other times, the screen goes completely black (no info) for 3-4 seconds before it comes back on the new channel. Is this normal?

2. Any suggestions about what I can do? Is there any point in trying a full reset? It doesn't seem like calling back is going to get me anywhere. I could say it is still slow and have them replace it and hope to get a HR24, but that seems like a shot in a dark.

Thanks for reading. Any other feedback would be a appreciated. Also, a shoulder to cry on would help. I miss my cable so much.
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StealthMonkey
StealthMonkey
I guess the one thing that surprises -- well maybe it doesn't surprise, but at least disappoints -- me is that they wouldn't want to make customers who complain loudly happy. I mean, 99/100 customers probably have no idea their receiver is slow. I mean, how many people think they are watching HD because their tv is widescreen? The minority of us who notice the speed and care... it would go a long way if they made us happy. I mean, word of mouth is the strongest form of advertising and right now I am going to tell people to stay away from DirecTV. I guess they don't care.
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Jimbo
Jimbo
StealthMonkey said:
I guess the one thing that surprises -- well maybe it doesn't surprise, but at least disappoints -- me is that they wouldn't want to make customers who complain loudly happy. I mean, 99/100 customers probably have no idea their receiver is slow. I mean, how many people think they are watching HD because their tv is widescreen? The minority of us who notice the speed and care... it would go a long way if they made us happy. I mean, word of mouth is the strongest form of advertising and right now I am going to tell people to stay away from DirecTV. I guess they don't care.
Click to expand...

You answered your own thought.

The majority of people that sub have no idea that the recvr may be slower than others.
So you come to a site like this and find this out, had you never went to a sat site, you would have no issues as you would expect it to be normal.

Don't bother with the BBB ... D* is fulfilling thier obligation already, as mentioned plenty of times it's been mentioned that you get what you order, you ordered a HD DVR and you got one, thats all D* is required to do.

I bought a very nice TV, when the newer model came out that was faster, were they obligated to send me a NEW TV so I could keep the newest equipment, NO.

IF the company was going to upgrade every person with the new equipment they would never MAKE any MONEY as all thier resources would be going to existing subs.
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H
Hemi 6.1
Jimbo said:
You answered your own thought.

The majority of people that sub have no idea that the recvr may be slower than others.
.
Click to expand...
When I got my First HR20, I knew something was not normal with the function.
I've used enough receivers in my time before the HR's to base this off of, Long before I knew of DBS TAlk and Satellite guys.
I'm sure Hundreds of Thousands of others also.:)

There are far more complaints around then just here.

H20-600 was a flatout POS and this was faster the the HR20-700 when it was first released.
D* CSR's admitted they had thousands of complaints.

People are not as dumb as we think.;)
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cfb
cfb
Hey Jimbo, tivo manages to sell a box thats got nearly the same parts content as the directv boxes for $199 with frequent sales and refurb deals for as low as $99 and you own it.

I already mentioned in another thread that directv's build cost for the receivers is well under $200.

So throwing around huge strawman numbers isnt really that legitimate.

The HR's except for the 24, if used fully (lots of series links, lots of recordings, mrv, etc) get pretty slow. Mine sometimes wont respond to the remote until I hit the same button 2-3 times or it'll respond but not until 3-5 seconds later. Thats not cool. Its not the remote or box either, because sometimes its quite sprightly, and if I delete a lot of the recordings, remove a lot of series links, and its just sitting there recording the 90 minute buffer, it runs just fine.

They did make the 24 with a much faster processor for a reason...

For the OP, the full reset probably wont do a dang thing for you. Well, it'll remove all of the dvr's work that it has to do as far as managing your recordings and whatnot, so that might speed things up a bit. But its sort of like throwing the motor out of the car to make it lighter so it'll go faster. I think the 'reset all' is just a way for customer service to make the customer go away. Most customers wont do it, because they dont want to lose all their recordings and series links and the ones that do and find it doesnt help may not bother calling back again.
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Jimbo
Jimbo
Hemi 6.1 said:
When I got my First HR20, I knew something was not normal with the function.
I've used enough receivers in my time before the HR's to base this off of, Long before I knew of DBS TAlk and Satellite guys.
I'm sure Hundreds of Thousands of others also.:)

There are far more complaints around then just here.

H20-600 was a flatout POS and this was faster the the HR20-700 when it was first released.
D* CSR's admitted they had thousands of complaints.

People are not as dumb as we think.;)
Click to expand...

I never had a HR20-600, actually I think they were -100's , but anyways, I've always had the -700's and still to this day have several and they have been GREAT.

Never had the slowness of the newer ones (24's excluded) ,
Always enjoyed the 20-700's, I'm sure others have had trouble, I haven't been one of them.
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Jimbo
Jimbo
cfb said:
Hey Jimbo, tivo manages to sell a box thats got nearly the same parts content as the directv boxes for $199 with frequent sales and refurb deals for as low as $99 and you own it.

I already mentioned in another thread that directv's build cost for the receivers is well under $200.

So throwing around huge strawman numbers isnt really that legitimate.

The HR's except for the 24, if used fully (lots of series links, lots of recordings, mrv, etc) get pretty slow. Mine sometimes wont respond to the remote until I hit the same button 2-3 times or it'll respond but not until 3-5 seconds later. Thats not cool. Its not the remote or box either, because sometimes its quite sprightly, and if I delete a lot of the recordings, remove a lot of series links, and its just sitting there recording the 90 minute buffer, it runs just fine.

They did make the 24 with a much faster processor for a reason...
Click to expand...

The numbers I quoted were accurate at the time of the boxes coming out... if you wanted a TIVO it was $ 1000, I almost got one for $ 750 when the prices came down.
I have a Sony HD -100 that I paid $ 750 for.
Just because they can BUILD them cheaper, doesn't mean you can BUY them cheaper.

IF we could BUY items for COST, the companies would obviously go OUT of BUSINESS.
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cfb
cfb
Jimbo said:
The numbers I quoted were accurate at the time of the boxes coming out... if you wanted a TIVO it was $ 1000, I almost got one for $ 750 when the prices came down.
I have a Sony HD -100 that I paid $ 750 for.
Just because they can BUILD them cheaper, doesn't mean you can BUY them cheaper.

IF we could BUY items for COST, the companies would obviously go OUT of BUSINESS.
Click to expand...

They sort of make a little money by selling the monthly service for a lot of years on top of that box. The cable folks have managed to get by for decades not charging up front and just charging a monthly rental fee. Tivo manages to sell the box and only gets $12 a month vs $75-100+ for directv.

Sure, for about 9 months you could pay $1000 for a tivo, then they dropped to $399 and less pretty quick, and thats when a 30GB hard drive cost about $200. Not sure why that has any bearing whatsoever on any current business discussion around profit making.

The point is, directv could make plenty of money without charging up front for the box, and its not costing them $1000 to make, so creating a strawman around $1000/box prices just doesnt seem to make any sense. They're not subsidizing $1000. They're not subsidizing $500. They're subsidizing ~$170, maybe less.
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Jimbo
Jimbo
cfb said:
They sort of make a little money by selling the monthly service for a lot of years on top of that box. The cable folks have managed to get by for decades not charging up front and just charging a monthly rental fee. Tivo manages to sell the box and only gets $12 a month vs $75-100+ for directv.

Sure, for about 9 months you could pay $1000 for a tivo, then they dropped to $399 and less pretty quick, and thats when a 30GB hard drive cost about $200. Not sure why that has any bearing whatsoever on any current business discussion around profit making.

The point is, directv could make plenty of money without charging up front for the box, and its not costing them $1000 to make, so creating a strawman around $1000/box prices just doesnt seem to make any sense. They're not subsidizing $1000. They're not subsidizing $500. They're subsidizing ~$170, maybe less.
Click to expand...

I would MUCH RATHER pay an UPFRONT fee than pay for it EVERY MONTH of my existance with them .... my local cable company charges $ 18 p/m for a HD DVR, thats PER MONTH for EACH ONE .... so I would pay $ 72 in recvr fees every month with cable, PLUS the programming.

TIVO is an entirely different situation, they supply the box but NO PROGRAMMING. Of course D*'s overall price is going to be more, your including Programming.
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cfb
cfb
Eh, once again you're shooting for worst case scenario. I can buy a tivo for $99 and pay ~$7-8 a month for the service while directv is charging me $199, $7 a month for dvr service, $6 a month for a receiver fee, and $3 for mrv which tivo doesnt charge for. I think directv's mrv works better than tivo's for some cable providers, but it has a much higher network demand.

Oh, and I get to keep the tivo and can sell it for close to what I paid for it.

At least in the cable model, that you're renting the product is pretty straightforward and easy to understand. I dont hear a lot of people who are renting cable boxes freaking out when they have to send it back when they cancel cable.

But once again, we've wandered from the actual point. The actual point is that directv makes you pay for a box, pay for a service, pay a lease fee, and give the box back at the end. Theres no reason why they shouldnt give the customer the most current box available when they're buying or being given a deal, especially if they ask for it.
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Jimbo
Jimbo
cfb said:
Eh, once again you're shooting for worst case scenario. I can buy a tivo for $99 and pay ~$7-8 a month for the service while directv is charging me $199, $7 a month for dvr service, $6 a month for a receiver fee, and $3 for mrv which tivo doesnt charge for. I think directv's mrv works better than tivo's for some cable providers, but it has a much higher network demand.

Oh, and I get to keep the tivo and can sell it for close to what I paid for it.

At least in the cable model, that you're renting the product is pretty straightforward and easy to understand. I dont hear a lot of people who are renting cable boxes freaking out when they have to send it back when they cancel cable.

But once again, we've wandered from the actual point. The actual point is that directv makes you pay for a box, pay for a service, pay a lease fee, and give the box back at the end. Theres no reason why they shouldnt give the customer the most current box available when they're buying or being given a deal, especially if they ask for it.
Click to expand...

Of course not, they are THRILLED to get rid of it !
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M
Mike0616
Jimbo said:
Of course not, they are THRILLED to get rid of it !
Click to expand...

Almost as thrilled as I was to send back the POS HR20-700s that I had?

PS: Mine were slower than molasses in the winter and buggier than a flophouse mattress, but then, I am not running for "King of the D* Apologists."
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cfb
cfb
Jimbo said:
Of course not, they are THRILLED to get rid of it !
Click to expand...

Not really the point at all. The point was they didnt have to pay for it up front and then have to give it back, they didnt ever think they might own it, and there was no early termination fee if they decided it was a piece of junk or was too slow to operate in a reasonable manner.

People who rent a cable box or buy a tivo are never in doubt or wrong about their ownership status, they arent financially obliged to stay in the relationship, and they can ask for and receive a particular model from the vendor.

As I've covered before, the biggest problem in a customer/vendor relationship is doubt. Here the customer doesnt know what hardware they'll get, may not get the newest and best product, and doesnt even know who will be installing it or exactly when. In other words, the system is designed to create the maximum doubt.

About the only reason why it works at all is because the majority of customers dont know there are different products with different performance levels, so they arent disappointed when they get an old product with an old design that might even be refurbished rather than new.
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Jimbo
Jimbo
Mike0616 said:
Almost as thrilled as I was to send back the POS HR20-700s that I had?

PS: Mine were slower than molasses in the winter and buggier than a flophouse mattress, but then, I am not running for "King of the D* Apologists."
Click to expand...

Where you been hiding ?
Sorry about your issues .... I had several HR20-700's and for the most part they all worked as well as expected.
Still do fro that matter.

You ever look into why it was slow ?
Every see if there was a solution ?
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G
Gimpy McFarlan
Jimbo said:
I never had a HR20-600, actually I think they were -100's , but anyways, I've always had the -700's and still to this day have several and they have been GREAT.
Click to expand...

+1

I have 2 HR21-700 receivers and both work well. Just recently added multiple room viewing and I'm very happy it.
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P
PMKS
I haven't heard anything about the HR22's, I had a HR22-100 put in last year, and run it in Native mode.

It's kinda slow compared to my H21's/H23 non DVR's, but has performed flawlessly since it was put it.
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S
swzine
Jimbo said:
I would MUCH RATHER pay an UPFRONT fee than pay for it EVERY MONTH of my existance with them .... my local cable company charges $ 18 p/m for a HD DVR, thats PER MONTH for EACH ONE .... so I would pay $ 72 in recvr fees every month with cable, PLUS the programming.
Click to expand...


See that's what annoys me the most. Charge me $200 for a box or charge me $5-$10 a month to rent it. I'd actually prefer to buy as well. I agree that these things cost a few hundred dollars at best. Even throw in a 1-2 year committment with an ETF if $200 doesn't cover the cost (which i think it does). But what annoys me the most is how they do all three.
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dishstaller
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club

What supplements have you found that really helped your overall health

Didn't see a thread like this so I figured why not start one. This is about natural supplements. If you aren't into supplements, fine, but please let those of us who do want to discuss this discuss it.

The first one I wanted to mention has been a real life changer. I'm 62 and still do all of my own install work at my business....also do all the yard work at the house. A few years ago I started noticing that I was losing my range of movement, it was even getting hard to bend over and lace up my boots. Almost got stuck in an attic because I couldn't get turned around once the work was done. Didn't think much of it and figured with age comes stiffness that was only going to get worse as time went on.
It was then that I stumbled across a video which was discussing rotator cuff tears and why they were to prevalent these days. Turns out, the culprit is a simple deficiency in MANGANESE which is key in keeping your tendons flexible. Most anti-biotics strip your body of any manganese it might have had which is why certain anti-biotics, especially those in the Cipro family. I actually knew a man who had two tendons tear while on that stuff.
Went to Amazon and ordered some manganese. Now it took a while, it wasn't instant, but gradually I have regained all of my flexibility. I can bend over and touch my toes while standing with no pain and putting on my boots is no longer a chore.
Pretty cheap too. The bottle I ordered was a 200 ct for under $13. They said to take double the normal dose for the first month because most people are severely lacking, then go to one a day.
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(((Garyd)))
(((Garyd)))
dishstaller said:
Didn't see a thread like this so I figured why not start one. This is about natural supplements. If you aren't into supplements, fine, but please let those of us who do want to discuss this discuss it.

The first one I wanted to mention has been a real life changer. I'm 62 and still do all of my own install work at my business....also do all the yard work at the house. A few years ago I started noticing that I was losing my range of movement, it was even getting hard to bend over and lace up my boots. Almost got stuck in an attic because I couldn't get turned around once the work was done. Didn't think much of it and figured with age comes stiffness that was only going to get worse as time went on.
It was then that I stumbled across a video which was discussing rotator cuff tears and why they were to prevalent these days. Turns out, the culprit is a simple deficiency in MANGANESE which is key in keeping your tendons flexible. Most anti-biotics strip your body of any manganese it might have had which is why certain anti-biotics, especially those in the Cipro family. I actually knew a man who had two tendons tear while on that stuff.
Went to Amazon and ordered some manganese. Now it took a while, it wasn't instant, but gradually I have regained all of my flexibility. I can bend over and touch my toes while standing with no pain and putting on my boots is no longer a chore.
Pretty cheap too. The bottle I ordered was a 200 ct for under $13. They said to take double the normal dose for the first month because most people are severely lacking, then go to one a day.
Click to expand...
Chia Seeds
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dishstaller
dishstaller
(((Garyd))) said:
Chia Seeds
Click to expand...
Kinda the whole idea is to mention something and explain WHY it is something we might want to add to our daily routine.
This is what I got from google. Looks like I'm going to be adding them, thanks

Key Health Benefits
    • Digestive Health: One ounce (28 grams) of chia seeds provides nearly 10 grams of fiber, which promotes regular bowel movements, feeds beneficial gut bacteria, and helps prevent constipation. [1, 2]
    • Heart and Cardiovascular Support: Rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)—an essential plant-based omega-3 fatty acid—chia seeds can help lower blood pressure, reduce triglycerides, and improve cholesterol profiles. [1, 2, 3]
    • Blood Sugar Regulation: The combination of soluble fiber and protein slows down carbohydrate digestion, preventing sharp blood sugar spikes after meals. [1, 2]
    • Weight Management: When soaked in liquid, chia seeds absorb up to 10 to 12 times their weight in water. The resulting gel expands in the stomach, increasing feelings of fullness and curbing appetite. [1, 2, 3]
    • Bone Strength: They contain high levels of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which are vital for maintaining bone density. [1, 2, 3]
    • Antioxidant Protection: Compounds like chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid help fight cellular damage from free radicals and reduce chronic inflammation. [1, 2, 3]
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(((Garyd)))
(((Garyd)))
dishstaller said:
Kinda the whole idea is to mention something and explain WHY it is something we might want to add to our daily routine.
This is what I got from google. Looks like I'm going to be adding them, thanks

Key Health Benefits
    • Digestive Health: One ounce (28 grams) of chia seeds provides nearly 10 grams of fiber, which promotes regular bowel movements, feeds beneficial gut bacteria, and helps prevent constipation. [1, 2]
    • Heart and Cardiovascular Support: Rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)—an essential plant-based omega-3 fatty acid—chia seeds can help lower blood pressure, reduce triglycerides, and improve cholesterol profiles. [1, 2, 3]
    • Blood Sugar Regulation: The combination of soluble fiber and protein slows down carbohydrate digestion, preventing sharp blood sugar spikes after meals. [1, 2]
    • Weight Management: When soaked in liquid, chia seeds absorb up to 10 to 12 times their weight in water. The resulting gel expands in the stomach, increasing feelings of fullness and curbing appetite. [1, 2, 3]
    • Bone Strength: They contain high levels of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which are vital for maintaining bone density. [1, 2, 3]
    • Antioxidant Protection: Compounds like chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid help fight cellular damage from free radicals and reduce chronic inflammation. [1, 2, 3]
Click to expand...
Andy it builds your bones if I had used it in my food all my life I would not have the joint issues I have there is 3 types of calcium only the one from real foods build better bones


View: https://youtube.com/shorts/YjZfw6WPvGs?si=TPlK6UZxxKa3a3na
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dishstaller
dishstaller
(((Garyd))) said:
if I had used it in my food all my life I would not have the joint issues
Click to expand...
I have taken this stuff for years to help my joints. Over 20 yrs ago my shoulder sounded like it had gravel in it when I rotated it. Started taking this and after a few months I had my range of motion back. I mentioned this product to a doctor and told him the results I had and he totally blew it off....said it was just a coincidence. This has no shellfish like most joint supplements.

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(((Garyd)))
(((Garyd)))
dishstaller said:
I have taken this stuff for years to help my joints. Over 20 yrs ago my shoulder sounded like it had gravel in it when I rotated it. Started taking this and after a few months I had my range of motion back. I mentioned this product to a doctor and told him the results I had and he totally blew it off....said it was just a coincidence. This has no shellfish like most joint supplements.

Click to expand...
IT FIXED my wife's shoulder and knee pain, I only wish I took it before I got into Sat in 83, that beat my body up, I'm still here I turn 85 on the 31th
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R
reubenray
dishstaller said:
I have taken this stuff for years to help my joints. Over 20 yrs ago my shoulder sounded like it had gravel in it when I rotated it. Started taking this and after a few months I had my range of motion back. I mentioned this product to a doctor and told him the results I had and he totally blew it off....said it was just a coincidence. This has no shellfish like most joint supplements.

Click to expand...

This would be good for me being I am allergic to shellfish. I have arthritis bad in my right sholder.
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dishstaller
dishstaller
reubenray said:
This would be good for me being I am allergic to shellfish. I have arthritis bad in my right sholder.
Click to expand...
I have tried the pill form and this liquid form and found the liquid to be far superior. It wasn't immediate, my joints slowly improved over time.
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dishstaller
dishstaller
Another supplement I wanted to mention was Luteolin. This has two major benefits
1) it helps improve your memory
2) it has a unique anti-greying affect. Saw a Daily Mail news story about a year ago I guess and they were testing different antioxidants on black mice and found that the ones they gave luteolin to barely greyed at all where the control group greyed normally. Has something to do with this stuff preventing the hair roots from becoming damaged which is one of the causes of going grey.

Now I've been taking this supplement for a long time and at 62 I barely have any grey hairs at all.
If it would only help improve my ability to remember NAMES!!
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R
reubenray
dishstaller said:
Another supplement I wanted to mention was Luteolin. This has two major benefits
1) it helps improve your memory
2) it has a unique anti-greying affect. Saw a Daily Mail news story about a year ago I guess and they were testing different antioxidants on black mice and found that the ones they gave luteolin to barely greyed at all where the control group greyed normally. Has something to do with this stuff preventing the hair roots from becoming damaged which is one of the causes of going grey.

Now I've been taking this supplement for a long time and at 62 I barely have any grey hairs at all.
If it would only help improve my ability to remember NAMES!!
Click to expand...
It's too late for me. My hair is all gray.
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dishstaller
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club

4 ft LED tube bulbs now come with color selector

I bought the fixed color version of these bulbs for my store several years ago...work great and no more replacing ballast. Finally had one go out and when I went back to Amazon I saw that now they come in selectable versions so no more guess work as to what color light would do best in a certain area. They are now double OR single ended...used to be strictly one way or the other. If any of you are looking at replacing the old style 4 or 8 ft bulbs, you might want to give these a try. The 8 footers are BRIGHT. I put 5 in my shooting/target shed and you can get a decent tan if you are in there long enough.

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Foxbat
Foxbat
When we re-lamped my in-Laws' house for sale last year, we were able to get all the Edison bulbs and a few fixtures with switch-selectable Color Temperature. We tried a few and settled on 3000°K as the best fit for the house. Matching the lighting in all the rooms made for an inviting experience. The Shop was the only place that we went with 4000°K for the LED 4' fixtures.

The house was sold within a month of going on the market, so we must have done something right.

The other advantage is if the new owners decide that they prefer a warmer light, they can unscrew the bulbs (I think it was close to 70 bulbs) and set them to the 2500K/2700K settings.

I'll have to check these out. Thanks!
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dishstaller
dishstaller
Wanted to come back and update this. Had to send them back.
The housing is about 3/16 of an inch longer than a standard housing and the fixture I was putting them in had no wiggle room. Going to try another brand
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Jimbo
Jimbo
dishstaller said:
I bought the fixed color version of these bulbs for my store several years ago...work great and no more replacing ballast. Finally had one go out and when I went back to Amazon I saw that now they come in selectable versions so no more guess work as to what color light would do best in a certain area. They are now double OR single ended...used to be strictly one way or the other. If any of you are looking at replacing the old style 4 or 8 ft bulbs, you might want to give these a try. The 8 footers are BRIGHT. I put 5 in my shooting/target shed and you can get a decent tan if you are in there long enough.

Click to expand...
That will be great, I won't have to remember what Color they are that way ... I use the Non Changeable ones in the garage and they normally work great ... when it comes time to replace, lets hope they still have them ...
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Jimbo
Jimbo
dishstaller said:
Wanted to come back and update this. Had to send them back.
The housing is about 3/16 of an inch longer than a standard housing and the fixture I was putting them in had no wiggle room. Going to try another brand
Click to expand...
Keep us updated ... wonder how they expect them to work universally if they are longer ?
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Marques Brownlee
· posted in Marques Brownlee

Meta VR Glasses: What Vision Pro 2 COULD Have Been!

Time for another AWESOME video from Marques Brownlee!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x58r9TBois


Direct YouTube Link - Meta VR Glasses: What Vision Pro 2 COULD Have Been!
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
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TheForce
TheForce
Supporting Founder Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Phone & Tablet Zone

Apple Event September 2026

Apple Fall Hardware Event takes place today, September 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET. It marks the debut of new CEO John Ternus and the expected reveal of Apple's first foldable phone.
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harshness
harshness
Gone are the days when Apple "perfects" what debuted years earlier on an Android phone.
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comfortably_numb
comfortably_numb
harshness said:
Gone are the days when Apple "perfects" what debuted years earlier on an Android phone.
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Or better yet, innovate something "completely revolutionary!"
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slow_poke_pete
comfortably_numb said:
Or better yet, innovate something "completely revolutionary!"
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when was the last time they innovated something:rolleyes:
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Foxbat
Foxbat
slow_poke_pete said:
when was the last time they innovated something:rolleyes:
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I'd probably say when they came up with their M-series of processors with integrated memory. That allowed Apple to get away from the inefficient Intel CPUs that were limiting their notebook computers.
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Foxbat
Foxbat
Well, Munro and Associates are now a go-to for mobile device teardowns! Who knew? They have an idea what may be causing the iPhone Duo's inside folding screen to fail 40% up from the bottom:
​
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Apple's Q4 2026 Earnings Report

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6UJXAJfomcE


Direct YouTube Link - Apple's Q4 2026 Earnings Report
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
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Neutron
Neutron
Supporting Founder
Last reply · posted in Computers and Gadgets

Apple HomePod Home Automation

Does anyone here use Apple Home/HomeKit with HomePods or Apple TV to automate smart devices in their house? We have had Amazon's Alexa set up in our house for the last 10+ years and I have been waiting to switch them out to Apple for a few reasons; We are already in the Apple ecosystem with our phones, tablets, and computers. I have never liked Amazon's stance on privacy and I really like that Apple has pushed for privacy for a long time.

I bought 4 of the new HomePod Mini 2 speakers to go in various rooms in our house and we have one of the new Apple TVs on preorder that will be the start of me replacing our Rokus. I have the HomePod Mini 2s set up and have an RPi that is running HomeBridge for our legacy smart devices that worked natively with Alexa but don't work with Apple Home natively. I had trouble with the older smart bulbs not keeping the brightness or light color consistent with what our routines were with Alexa despite trying every setting in HomeBridge with the bulbs just not shining very bright. I ended up replacing them with updated versions that are Matter compatible so they work in Apple Home natively. That in and of itself has been interesting to set up because I have my home network segretated with the IoT devices on their own vlan and wifi and pretty locked down. Matter requires IPv6 and due to how my home network is designed I had to do some digging with AI to figure out how to make it all work correctly.

Apple Home definitely has some shortcomings that Alexa does much better with but I am hoping Apple will continue to improve their Home products and introduce features that will bring it closer to the functionality of Alexa.
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b4pjoe
b4pjoe
I tried HomeKit to be able to see my Ring cameras on my Apple TV as they are not supported natively on Apple devices. The best I could get was to be able to view the cameras live but I could not view any recordings. After the last major update version of HomeKit I could not even view the live cameras anymore. I gave up on it after that. If I were going to do it again I would only buy devices that can work on Apple devices natively as HomeKit didn't work well at all for me.
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Neutron
Neutron
b4pjoe said:
I tried HomeKit to be able to see my Ring cameras on my Apple TV as they are not supported natively on Apple devices. The best I could get was to be able to view the cameras live but I could not view any recordings. After the last major update version of HomeKit I could not even view the live cameras anymore. I gave up on it after that. If I were going to do it again I would only buy devices that can work on Apple devices natively as HomeKit didn't work well at all for me.
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That's what I started doing after seeing legacy devices work hit or miss using the HomeBridge. At least Apple is following a standard now with Matter which is unusual for Apple. Looks like HomeBridge does allow you to see the live views but I haven't seen how to view past recordings. I'd really like to ditch Ring altogether due to their stance on privacy and if I had my choice I'd go with UniFi since that's what I use for my network and I like the idea of my camera recordings being all local and not in the cloud. UniFi doorbells and cameras are quite pricey though.

I'll try to access the Ring doorbells in Apple Home for now but I'll see if it's useful any.
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Foxbat
Foxbat
I found that the IoT devices need to see the Apple TV to be able to use it as the HomeKit Hub. Unfortunately, that means being in the same IPv4 subnet.

I was thinking of getting a HomePod Mini for my Mother-in-Law to play music and set up HomeKit scenes, as well as make FaceTime Audio calls. When Apple announced their price rises due to RAMageddon, I kicked myself as they went up 50% in cost. I'll be curious to see the HomeView in person as this might not be a bad way to get her started on automation.

She asked about it because her friends have Alexa and they use it to control lights. But like you, I feel better putting in a HomePod or HomeView that's listening for commands instead of Amazon or Google.
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b4pjoe
b4pjoe
Neutron said:
That's what I started doing after seeing legacy devices work hit or miss using the HomeBridge.
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Homebridge is what I meant when I said HomeKit. Forgot the name of it.
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Bruce
Bruce
Supporting Founder Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Internet Television (IPTV) Discussion Forum

Traditional/Streaming Live TV Providers Losses, 3rd Quarter 2026 Edition

Comcast is the first to report, with a massive 274,000 loss in video subscribers.

In the 3Q of 2016, Comcast had 21.42 million video subscribers and was the #1 provider, now at 10.39 million and is the #3 Provider, YTTV is #2 ( who also surpassed DirecTV-8 Million and Dish-under 5 Million), Charter/Spectrum is #1.

cordcuttersnews.com

Comcast Just Lost 274,000 TV Customers & 144,000 Internet Customers In Just Three Months | Cord Cutters News

Comcast Corporation reported its third-quarter 2026 results on October 22, showing continued erosion in its domestic residential broadband internet and video customer bases as competitive pressures intensified across the connectivity market. The company recorded a net loss of 144,000 domestic...
cordcuttersnews.com cordcuttersnews.com
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ncted
ncted
All my parents had to do to get a discount on Spectrum Internet is say the words "Verizon Home Internet," and they cut the price by $30/month.
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NYDutch
NYDutch
ncted said:
All my parents had to do to get a discount on Spectrum Internet is say the words "Verizon Home Internet," and they cut the price by $30/month.
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I don't think they'll go below the current $30 price since it's part of a deal they have with the non- profit that owns the apartment building.
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ncted
ncted
NYDutch said:
I don't think they'll go below the current $30 price since it's part of a deal they have with the non- profit that owns the apartment building.
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Yeah, I was just saying Spectrum suddenly wants to keep what customers they can.
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Tom Speer
Tom Speer
Optimum, which bought up our previous cable company, Suddenlink (originally COX), replac ed all of their coax disdripution with Fiber several years ago. They ran new fiber links to the house, but installed RFOG (RF over glass) devices on the outside of the house, which makes the house coax system look like a cable system. They used DOCSIS modems and of course we had the same assymetric bandwidth of cable internet. When I called them a couple years ago, and said I had installed a connection to the local Fiber provideer, MetroNet, They panicked and offered me the 300 MBit "Fiber powered" cable service for $20 per month. They were bleeding customers. I cancelled my Metronet and went with the $20 deal for a year, even though I didn't like the old cable technology.

Then T-moble Fiber struck a deal with Metronet Fiber where T-mobile would take over the marketing, billing and customer relations for residential Customers. They offered a "Founders Deal" for 2 Gigabit service, symmetric speeds, for $70 per month for new customers. That included all taxes and fees and was guaranteed for 10 years. I couldn't resist. That deal is no longer offered, but I am set for 9 more years.

Now the successaor to the old local telephone company, Brightspeed has also installed a modern Fiber system in the neighborhood, but won't be getting my business. But their Fiber technology is also superior to Optimums cable based system.

With Fiber competition, the cable companies are eventually doomed.
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Foxbat
Foxbat
Meanwhile, my neighbor 300' away has gigabit fiber, and I'm stuck with copper solutions.
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K
klang
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in TV Shows

Rockford Files Reboot - NBC, Peacock

'Rockford Files' Reboot Gets NBC Pilot Order

I grow tired of all the reboots. Most I don't bother with but will depend on the actor chosen.
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dfergie
long_time_Dish
long_time_Dish
dfergie said:
Teaser

View: https://youtu.be/g7R669yokr4?is=wv_qN0B-YOBxRt24
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I wonder how they're/if they're going to do something like the answering machine message opening? It was always funny...
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Howard Simmons
Howard Simmons
long_time_Dish said:
I wonder how they're/if they're going to do something like the answering machine message opening? It was always funny...
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I hope they can find enough Pontiac Firebirds to keep the show going.🤔
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dishstaller
dishstaller
long_time_Dish said:
I wonder how they're/if they're going to do something like the answering machine message opening? It was always funny...
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I had forgotten all about that part of the show. Used to really like it.
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osu1991
long_time_Dish
long_time_Dish
The one where Beth is telling him about her cat is one of my favorites. "...he's not very discriminating". 🤣
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Scott Greczkowski
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Song Name Game Part 3!

Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne


Get it?


An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
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dishstaller
dishstaller
Knights In White Satin - The Moody Blues
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Bobby
Bobby
The Topical Song - The Barron Knights
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dishstaller
dishstaller
The Logical Song - Supertramp
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sdfntx
sdfntx
From a Logical Point of View - Robert Mitchum
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long_time_Dish
long_time_Dish
Point Of Know Return - Kansas
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b4pjoe
b4pjoe
Pub Member / Supporter Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in Computers and Gadgets

Fox Is Buying Roku in $22 Billion Deal

Fox Is Buying Roku in $22 Billion Deal
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harshness
harshness
Given that Tubi is one of the hottest FAST services out there, I don't expect it to go anywhere. Building up intolerance for ads takes a while, and as long as the advertisers are willing to foot the bill, why not?
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osu1991
osu1991
variety.com

Fox Closes $22 Billion Roku Takeover, Says Streaming Platform Will Remain ‘Open Ecosystem’

Surprise! Fox Corp. has closed its acquisition of streaming platform Roku, a deal valued at $22 billion, well ahead of the expected 2027 date.
variety.com variety.com

Surprise! Fox Corp. said Friday it has closed the acquisition of streaming platform Roku, a deal valued at $22 billion, well ahead of the expected 2027 date.
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Neutron
Neutron
Another reason I'm glad we are swapping or Rokus out for Apple TVs. I was already planning on ditching the Rokus earlier this year and had been waiting on Apple to announce the new one last month. Our Rokus have had issues the last year or so with freezing video and reboots, and one with an HDCP issue randomly.
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dishstaller
dishstaller
harshness said:
Building up intolerance for ads takes a while, and as long as the advertisers are willing to foot the bill, why not?
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That is what I have to explain to customers all the time. They want it free with no ads :facepalm
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