HR-23 DVR Questions

[Rockstead]

Hi, since it is reality that the Tivo HD unit for directv ghas been postponed until mid 2010, it is sinking in that I will need to purchase an alternative to Tivo.


I had a few questions regarding the HR-23


1. I've seen it on ebay for under $200, if I purchase it this way, am I still required to pay a leasing fee to Directv? I think it is $5/month, and if so, does this fee ever go away? and are there any other fees associated to having a DVR?

2. If I purchase 2 HR-23 units, can I stream shows between the two units using my home network? i.e I start watching a recorded show on one unit and I move to my bedroom and continue to watch it from there?

3. This depends on the above answer. Can content recorded in HD be played back on a TV that is not HD?

4. How does the functionality compare to an actual Tivo unit, will I be able to record season passes at the very least? is it pleasant to use?

5. From what I understand, if I upgrade to a new slimline dish, I can have just one cable going from my dish to one of the Satellite inputs on the HR-23 and it will still be able to provide two feeds as though there are two cables? is this correct?

6. I don't plan on using the on-demand service, does this reduce my monthly charge or should I not be buying this unit if I don't plan on using that feature?

Thank you!

 

[rad]

#1 - You are not purchasing a HR23 for $200, what you actually are doing is paying an advanced receiver charge of $200 to upgrade from a basic free receiver. You will still pay a $4.99/month lease charge, which is the same as the $4.99/month additional receiver charge if you have an owned receiver.

#2 - Not at this time but rumor is that the feature will be coming, I recommend you check out the CE section of this site for information on that ability.

#3 - Yes it can, all the HD receivers come with S-Video and composite outputs which are always active.

#4 - Yes you can set up season passes, they call them series links. However there is a limit of 50 series links per DVR.

#5 - Is not the dish but the LNB that allows that, it's called a SWMLNB. The SWMLNB allows for a max of 8 tuners to be driven off of it and you use splitters to split the signal to where it needs to go. Depending on where you live on earth you may or may not get one since there has been a recently discovered problem with those LNB's in cold areas and I've seen some post saying they've gone back to non-SWMLNB's until the issue is resolved.

#6 - DirecTV on Demand is a free/no charge feature unless you download a PPV movie which does have a charge, so don't download PPV's and it doesn't cost you a thing to have/use it.

 

[Rockstead]

#1 - You are not purchasing a HR23 for $200, what you actually are doing is paying an advanced receiver charge of $200 to upgrade from a basic free receiver. You will still pay a $4.99/month lease charge, which is the same as the $4.99/month additional receiver charge if you have an owned receiver.

What happens if in 1 year's time the HD Tivo's come out and I upgrade to it instead, do I need to return the HR-23 to them that I buy from ebay?


#3 - Yes it can, all the HD receivers come with S-Video and composite outputs which are always active.

OK so even though the show is recorded in HD, as long as the connet is via standard RCA cables it will automatically downcovert the feed to SD?

#4 - Yes you can set up season passes, they call them series links. However there is a limit of 50 series links per DVR.

50 season passes is fine. Could I also set up a search for a specific title, so whenever that movie actually plays, it will automatically reocrd it?

#5 - Is not the dish but the LNB that allows that, it's called a SWMLNB. The SWMLNB allows for a max of 8 tuners to be driven off of it and you use splitters to split the signal to where it needs to go. Depending on where you live on earth you may or may not get one since there has been a recently discovered problem with those LNB's in cold areas and I've seen some post saying they've gone back to non-SWMLNB's until the issue is resolved.

I will be back and forth between l.A and Montreal, and Montreal is damn cold in the winter, so you are saying there could be issues.

 

[hdtvtechno]

I been told the HD Tivo is due out 2nd Qtr of this year

 

[rad]

#1 - You are not purchasing a HR23 for $200, what you actually are doing is paying an advanced receiver charge of $200 to upgrade from a basic free receiver. You will still pay a $4.99/month lease charge, which is the same as the $4.99/month additional receiver charge if you have an owned receiver.

What happens if in 1 year's time the HD Tivo's come out and I upgrade to it instead, do I need to return the HR-23 to them that I buy from ebay?


#3 - Yes it can, all the HD receivers come with S-Video and composite outputs which are always active.

OK so even though the show is recorded in HD, as long as the connet is via standard RCA cables it will automatically downcovert the feed to SD?

#4 - Yes you can set up season passes, they call them series links. However there is a limit of 50 series links per DVR.

50 season passes is fine. Could I also set up a search for a specific title, so whenever that movie actually plays, it will automatically reocrd it?

#5 - Is not the dish but the LNB that allows that, it's called a SWMLNB. The SWMLNB allows for a max of 8 tuners to be driven off of it and you use splitters to split the signal to where it needs to go. Depending on where you live on earth you may or may not get one since there has been a recently discovered problem with those LNB's in cold areas and I've seen some post saying they've gone back to non-SWMLNB's until the issue is resolved.

I will be back and forth between l.A and Montreal, and Montreal is damn cold in the winter, so you are saying there could be issues.

#1, Yes, you will need to return the leased HR23 to DirecTV.

#3, Yes it will downconvert HD to 480i for output on those output jacks.

#4, Yes

#5, I'm not sure what type of signals you would get up in Montreal, if any, on the HD channels. There are SWMLNB's that do work on the cold, just need to get the right one.

 

[Rockstead]

#1, Yes, you will need to return the leased HR23 to DirecTV.

That's so messed up.

So I purchase this from ebay and I need to return it back to Directv if I cancel or upgrade my receiver?

How does that make sense? I didn't even purchase it from them, I purchased it from ebay?

Do I need to return it even if I keep it for like 2 years of paying lease fees?

 

[rad]

That's so messed up.

So I purchase this from ebay and I need to return it back to Directv if I cancel or upgrade my receiver?

How does that make sense? I didn't even purchase it from them, I purchased it from ebay?

Do I need to return it even if I keep it for like 2 years of paying lease fees?

You can purchase a HR21-Pro, it's not a lease, for $500 to $600 IIRC. You end up paying the same $4.99/month additional receiver fee as you would for a leased reciver so don't get hung up on the month lease fee since you'll pay the same for a purchased.

As I said earlier, you're not paying to purchase a receiver but you're paying an upgrade charge in effect. You can get a standard def receiver for free, no up front charge and pay the $4.99/month lease charge. Want a SD DVR or a HD receiver, that's an upgrade of $99 and pay the same $4.99/month. Want the HD DVR that's a $199 upgrade and pay the same $4.99/month.

It's kind of like looking at the car ad's. For $199/month and no money down you can get a Chevy Malibu or pay a $5,000 down payment and for the same $199/month get a Chevy Trailblazer SUV.

 

[Rockstead]

You can purchase a HR21-Pro, it's not a lease, for $500 to $600 IIRC. You end up paying the same $4.99/month additional receiver fee as you would for a leased reciver so don't get hung up on the month lease fee since you'll pay the same for a purchased.

As I said earlier, you're not paying to purchase a receiver but you're paying an upgrade charge in effect. You can get a standard def receiver for free, no up front charge and pay the $4.99/month lease charge. Want a SD DVR or a HD receiver, that's an upgrade of $99 and pay the same $4.99/month. Want the HD DVR that's a $199 upgrade and pay the same $4.99/month.

It's kind of like looking at the car ad's. For $199/month and no money down you can get a Chevy Malibu or pay a $5,000 down payment and for the same $199/month get a Chevy Trailblazer SUV.

Thanks for breaking it down like that, I keep thinking of the hassle it would have to be if I change the receiver in Montreal dn having to get it sent back to LA, it's just a pain but I understand.

Does the $199 price tie me in to any commitment if I am an existing customer?

 

[Rockstead]

I been told the HD Tivo is due out 2nd Qtr of this year

That was the orignal date, new date is 2010...

http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=1961049&postcount=1706

 

[Rockstead]

1) Can anyone tell me how many days of guide data appears on the HR-23, is it anywhere near what Tivo offers?

2) Does it have a feature on the season pass that will only record new shows and not repeats of your season pass?

3) If your show changes nights for any reason or runs for an extended period, i.e Survivor Finale and then Reunion show, is it intelligent enough to record the entire thing?

 

[rad]

Thanks for breaking it down like that, I keep thinking of the hassle it would have to be if I change the receiver in Montreal dn having to get it sent back to LA, it's just a pain but I understand.

Does the $199 price tie me in to any commitment if I am an existing customer?

1) Can anyone tell me how many days of guide data appears on the HR-23, is it anywhere near what Tivo offers?

2) Does it have a feature on the season pass that will only record new shows and not repeats of your season pass?

3) If your show changes nights for any reason or runs for an extended period, i.e Survivor Finale and then Reunion show, is it intelligent enough to record the entire thing?

Yes, an 'advanced' receiver has a 24 month commitment (last I heard) existing or new, doesn't matter.

I checked my guide and it's usable out to 3/5.

You can select First Run, Repeats or Both.

It only does what the guide data that gets sent to the unit can do. So if the guide gets updated with a show that ends at :02 vs. :00 it will take that into account and do the extra 2 minutes. It also will handle a change in dates, again as long as the guide data gets updates.

 

[Newshawk]

So I purchase this from ebay and I need to return it back to Directv if I cancel or upgrade my receiver?

You didn't purchase a receiver from e-Bay, you purchased it from (hopefully) a DirecTV authorized dealer who posted it on e-Bay.

How does that make sense? I didn't even purchase it from them, I purchased it from ebay?

You didn't purchase it, you initiated a lease.

Do I need to return it even if I keep it for like 2 years of paying lease fees?

Yes. It is DirecTV's property.

 

[Newshawk]

I will be back and forth between l.A and Montreal, and Montreal is damn cold in the winter, so you are saying there could be issues.

If it hasn't been said before, receiving DirecTV signals outside of the Continental US, Alaska and Hawaii is illegal. If DirecTV finds out you are doing so, your account will be canceled and you will be liable for any early termination fees.

 

[zcarguy]

If it hasn't been said before, receiving DirecTV signals outside of the Continental US, Alaska and Hawaii is illegal. If DirecTV finds out you are doing so, your account will be canceled and you will be liable for any early termination fees.

Good luck collecting the early termination fees. I would just cancel my credit card. If they initiate termination - they can have thier equipment back to thats it!!

 

[Rockstead]

Yes, an 'advanced' receiver has a 24 month commitment (last I heard) existing or new, doesn't matter.

I checked my guide and it's usable out to 3/5.

You can select First Run, Repeats or Both.

It only does what the guide data that gets sent to the unit can do. So if the guide gets updated with a show that ends at :02 vs. :00 it will take that into account and do the extra 2 minutes. It also will handle a change in dates, again as long as the guide data gets updates.

I didn't realize the Directv PVR was that good, it sounds identical to a Tivo, with features that good why would people still be willing to pay a monthly fee for a Tivo?

 

[Zynergi]

Tivo has a long time following so yea, they may even charge more just for a Tivo since I would hope from a marketing standpoint they will make it a choice.. D*DVR or Tivo but Tivo would be say $15 a month verses $6

Just checked my HR22 and the guide is out 13 days 5 hours atm.

Why pay $200 for the DVR when D* is giving them away. The ones on Ebay will be leased but wont come with free installation. The ones from D* will be leased and have free install (basic anyways) so either way you go the $400 route or the discounted route you will have a 24 month commitment and lease fees.

Edit Just realized that rad ment 3/5/09 but yea its 14 days give or take.