We just received our 1st r15 dvr

[DTV-T2-Tech]

We just received our 1st r15 dvr, we are beta testing it, I will post more info as I learn about it, if you have any questions just ask in this thread and I will awswer as quickly as possable. So far I like it alot, it is very fast in the guide, has vod features, has a front mounted usb port, it does use the dtv style remote.

Has the same connections in the back as a dtv tivo. I've only spent about 5 mins with it so far, so I have alot more to learn , but my 1st impression that this is a very nice unit, and I own 2 dtv tivo's at home. Hit me back

 

[riggscm]

is the USB port going to do anything this time??

 

[DTV-T2-Tech]

I dont know, but it seems odd to put it up front for it to do nothing.

 

[KingsFan]

Can you record 2 different shows and watch one of them at the same time? There was something vague about this not being possible in the manual.

What does the "advance" button do? Is it a 30 sec. skip?

 

[riggscm]

true, but then again it seems odd to put the USB on the tivo's as well... I mean they don't do anything. I guess I can only hope.

My big concern is that the thing can access my home network and I wont get a dialout nag screen.

 

[moonman]

MPEG-4? Interactive enabled?

 

[Neutron]

I would consider jumping to the R-15 if and only if I didn't lose any functionality as far as features with the R-10 DTivo, AND if the USB ports are working properly.

 

[billbillw]

D* has no current plans to make SD channels into MPEG4 and previous discussions have pretty much ruled out MPEG4 on this model. Interactive is supposed to be included in this model.

 

[Hogarth]

D* has no current plans to make SD channels into MPEG4 and previous discussions have pretty much ruled out MPEG4 on this model. Interactive is supposed to be included in this model.

This is confirmed.
There's spec sheets available which state that this is an MPEG2 only SD DVR, with DirecTV Active.

 

[Hogarth]

I would consider jumping to the R-15 if and only if I didn't lose any functionality as far as features with the R-10 DTivo, AND if the USB ports are working properly.

A little birdie told me the USB ports won't ever be enabled on the R-10, but there are concrete plans to enable them on the R-15... just not in time for launch.

(Considering the R15 doesn't have TiVo HMO, there's not much point to having them enabled anyways.)

 

[peterl1365]

true, but then again it seems odd to put the USB on the tivo's as well... I mean they don't do anything. I guess I can only hope.

My big concern is that the thing can access my home network and I wont get a dialout nag screen.

This is not intended to be a flame, but it just occurs to me how spoiled we've become as consumers. I mean, here's a device that does some truly awesome things, and one of our biggest concerns is that we might have to deal with a nag screen every day.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with what you say. It's just when you sit back and think of it, it's pretty amazing all the things we've become accustomed to.

 

[riggscm]

This is not intended to be a flame, but it just occurs to me how spoiled we've become as consumers. I mean, here's a device that does some truly awesome things, and one of our biggest concerns is that we might have to deal with a nag screen every day.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with what you say. It's just when you sit back and think of it, it's pretty amazing all the things we've become accustomed to.

I wonder if the thing is truly awesome. What if it sucks balls like a E* DVR?

 

[peterl1365]

I wonder if the thing is truly awesome. What if it sucks balls like a E* DVR?

What I meant was, the DVR in general is pretty awesome. Even the E* DVR. I presume you're old enough to remember VHS tapes?

Granted, some devices are truly exceptional, and I'm willing to put the DTivo in that group. But let's not forget that all DVRs are amazing devices.

 

[Hogarth]

I wonder if the thing is truly awesome. What if it sucks balls like a E* DVR?

I can attest that it's way better than anything E* has ever produced.
They set out to build a TiVo-killer.
The R15 is very impressive and exceeds or matches the R10's capabilities in almost every way, except that it's not a TiVo, and we don't yet know how hackable it is.

(Granted, if they offered DirecTiVos all the features of standalone, this would be a more difficult comparison to make.)

Now, when they come out with an R25, look out world.

Here's a breakdown, based on:
http://www.leodler.com/R15-manual.pdf
http://www.2000networks.com/directv_r15.html

                   R10                            R15
Disk Space         80GB                           120GB
Tuners             2                              2
Menu Speed         Slow                           Fast
Caller ID          No                             Yes
USB Support        When Hell Freezes Over         At worst, Unlikely
Remote             IR                             IR & RF
Dolby Digital      Yes                            Yes
Folders            By Name of Program             User-Specified
Guide PIP          No, Overlayed over Picture     Yes
Interactive        No                             Yes
Buffer             30min                          90min
Bookmarks          No                             Yes
Wishlist           Yes                            "Autorecord Find"
Disk Space Meter   No                             Yes
Favorite Lists	   1				  2
**		   No				  Yes
Season Pass	   Yes                            Yes ("Record First Run, Repeats, or Both")
***                Yes                            Only if one current recording****
Upgradable	   Yes        			  Unknown
Hackable	   No                             Unknown
30 sec. Skip       Easter Egg                     Unknown, but believed to be No.

** - Automatically knows which channels you subscribe to.
*** - Watch Program Live During Recording
**** - Stated in Manual. Yet unconfirmed.

 

[KingsFan]

Watch Program Live During Recording - Only if one current recording

This and a built in or code for 30 sec skip are the only disadvantages I can see. Maybe the delay was to fix these shortcomings.

 

[hiker]

Hogarth's table shows the R15 remote as RF. Is it both RF and IR?

Some of us have expensive universal remotes that can't do RF directly to any device as no universal remote can do.

 

[Hogarth]

This and a built in or code for 30 sec skip are the only disadvantages I can see. Maybe the delay was to fix these shortcomings.

I have a feeling that it's merely a terminology thing.
TiVo lets you watch LiveTV even if recording.
I think the R15 forces you to watch the recorded version, specifically to get around that "I was watching something, but didn't hit record, and it changed the channel on me" issue.

Can't verify yet, though.

 

[Hogarth]

Hogarth's table shows the R15 remote as RF. Is it both RF and IR?

Some of us have expensive universal remotes that can't do RF directly to any device as no universal remote can do.

The back of the box has a port for a UHF antenna, just like the H10.
I'm pretty sure it has IR too, though. (The H10 does, and the remote is the same model as the H10 remote. It's the new DirecTV white universal remote.)

I've updated my table to reflect that.

 

[kbohip]

The thing I'm most interested to see how it works on the R-15 is the "Wishlists" or whatever they'll call it. This is one feature I refuse to give up from my Tivo. I hope the R-15 has something that is at least equivalent.

 

[cfarm]

This and a built in or code for 30 sec skip are the only disadvantages I can see. Maybe the delay was to fix these shortcomings.

The 30 second skip is on it's way out. It would be a surprise if it was included. Too many advertisers objecting.