Directv dvrs can record two streams at one time, hd from the satellites, or ota, so you would need two to match uverse. To do ota, you will need the AM21 ota tuner module. Directv has caller id on their dvrs. MRV is also available, like with uverse. Rain fade happens occasionally, but it is usually short lived, a few minutes or so. I would suggest getting the best deal you can to start, with the most equipment, since once you are a customer, upgrades are more difficult to get compared to being a new customer.