Your thought's on what the new Directv DVR's will be like?

[LonghornXP]

LonghornXp You always seem to have the best and latest info. My question is, What will be available for those who don't need a multi-room server. Will there be just a HD DVR for people like me who only have 2 rooms with TV's in them? The wife is happy with her SD Tivo in the Den and I have the HD DVR in the living room. What will be our options? I know I'll have to replace the HD DVR, but will I have to the replace the SD Tivo with a HD unit? Seems the multi-room server is at the forefront of discussion, and I might have missed the answer to my question. Tks in advance!

Customers with an HD Tivo can get an HD DVR replacement for free or they can apply a credit towards the multiroom HD DVR instead but the choice will be yours. Also new or existing customers without an HD DVR will have the option of buying and/or renting both the HD DVR and multiroom HD DVR. Hope this clears things up and also it seems that all HD hardware coming out this summer and on will be offered as both a purchase and rental option. That would include the basic HD box, the basic HD DVR and the multiroom HD DVR.

 

[LonghornXP]

The one thing I would like to see on the new DVR's is a better way of keeping "padded" programs from causing conflicts. For example on Sunday night I pretty much record everything on Fox from 6 till 9. When I first set up the shows to record I added a little to the beginning and end of the shows to keep them from getting cut off to early. The problem is when I did that I tied up both tuners. Had this been on a single tuner SA Tivo I would have missed every other show. If I would have had other shows on other channels recording at the same time this would have caused a conflict.

I'd like to see them come up with a software smart enough to figure out what you're trying to do in a situtation like that and just use the one tuner to record the shows. I did have it set up with a manual timer to record for the whole 3 hours but I stopped that because I only got the program info for the first show.

I wish I could help you here but that won't be coming anytime soon but I won't rule it out but your looking at 10% or less of seeing this ability in the future sadly to say.

 

[raymo721]

Customers with an HD Tivo can get an HD DVR replacement for free or they can apply a credit towards the multiroom HD DVR instead but the choice will be yours. Also new or existing customers without an HD DVR will have the option of buying and/or renting both the HD DVR and multiroom HD DVR. Hope this clears things up and also it seems that all HD hardware coming out this summer and on will be offered as both a purchase and rental option. That would include the basic HD box, the basic HD DVR and the multiroom HD DVR.

That clears it up somewhat, but does that mean eventually every one with SD tivos or recievers will be forced to get the HD DVR? What I'm trying to find out is, am I gonna have to get a HD TV for the wife in the den down the road? She's happy with the 27in Panasonic flat screen CRT now. I told here about a 26in widescreen Toshiba HD crt I saw the other day under $600, but she said she wasn't interrested in HD. Don't you guys wish you had a wife like mine!!

 

[hongcho]

SD DirecTV will not be affected, for a foreseeable future, by the new satellites. For that matter any SD receivers will not be affected.

If you don't watch HD channels, you don't need an HD unit (be it a DVR or just a receiver).

Hong.

 

[LonghornXP]

That clears it up somewhat, but does that mean eventually every one with SD tivos or recievers will be forced to get the HD DVR? What I'm trying to find out is, am I gonna have to get a HD TV for the wife in the den down the road? She's happy with the 27in Panasonic flat screen CRT now. I told here about a 26in widescreen Toshiba HD crt I saw the other day under $600, but she said she wasn't interrested in HD. Don't you guys wish you had a wife like mine!!

Everything in this thread only applies to customers with an HDTV set. Now if you want multiroom DVR viewing you will need to rent the multiroom HD DVR even if you don't have HDTV but at least it would be ready in the future. But one plus side would be for a non HD household you can view in SDTV all the channels in the HD package so that might be a plus with the multiroom HD DVR.

 

[Scott R. Scherr]

Any idea what the cost will be for HD-Tivo users? Any additional credit for turning in Tivo units?

Thanks.

Scott

Customers with an HD Tivo can get an HD DVR replacement for free or they can apply a credit towards the multiroom HD DVR instead but the choice will be yours. Also new or existing customers without an HD DVR will have the option of buying and/or renting both the HD DVR and multiroom HD DVR. Hope this clears things up and also it seems that all HD hardware coming out this summer and on will be offered as both a purchase and rental option. That would include the basic HD box, the basic HD DVR and the multiroom HD DVR.

 

[Hogarth]

Any idea what the cost will be for HD-Tivo users? Any additional credit for turning in Tivo units?

Thanks.

Scott

Scott,

NOBODY KNOWS YET, NOT EVEN INSIDERS.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS.

As the product won't ship until 2006, don't expect -any- solid information until Q4 2005.

H

 

[LonghornXP]

Scott,

NOBODY KNOWS YET, NOT EVEN INSIDERS.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS.

As the product won't ship until 2006, don't expect -any- solid information until Q4 2005.

H

First some do have inside information that says otherwise. I'm hearing that current customers with an HD Tivo will have these options below.

1. They can have their HD Tivo swapped free of charge with no future costs or fees with their HD DVR (not the multiroom HD DVR).

2. They can get a credit towards either the purchase or rental of the upcoming HD multiroom DVR. I'm hearing this credit would be somewhere between 250 and 500 bucks. To get those credits a customer must trade-in their current HD Tivo for only the multiroom HD DVR. If you decide to purchase it you would be required to pay full price for it but programming credits would be issued right away thus resulting in your bill being free until the credit runs out. Or if you rent it you would get the credit split up over a one year period and if you stop renting the multiroom HD DVR they would not give the rest of your credits.

Also trading in SD Tivos might be allowed but even if so it wouldn't get ya that much more in programming credits. Doing this would be a worse deal than just selling them on ebay.

 

[jrbdmb]

To get back to the original thread (non-TiVo DVRs) - Humax will be manufacturing the non-Tivo SD receivers, link is http://www.humaxusa.com/news_DIRECTV050224.html

At the CES, I belive DirecTV said these units would be avaialble in "mid-2005". I have not seen any more specific info on when these boxes will be available.

 

[stevesmall]

That clears it up somewhat, but does that mean eventually every one with SD tivos or recievers will be forced to get the HD DVR? What I'm trying to find out is, am I gonna have to get a HD TV for the wife in the den down the road? She's happy with the 27in Panasonic flat screen CRT now. I told here about a 26in widescreen Toshiba HD crt I saw the other day under $600, but she said she wasn't interrested in HD. Don't you guys wish you had a wife like mine!!

My Wife takes it to a whole other level, i buuy what i want and when i want , she never complains and yes she loves hdtv and now wants it in the 2 rooms we dont have it, i already have hd in 4 rooms so 6 hdtvs soon. NOW thats the kind of wife i have. your all jealous now http://www.satelliteguys.us/images/icons/icon10.gif
Talking

 

[raymo721]

Nope, not jealous, just happy for ya! Only have room for 2 TV's. She'll get HD sooner or later. Just not in a hurry. Enjoy!!

 

[Barney]

Any ideas what I'll have to pay to upgrade my Sony HD300 STB (cost me $599.99) to a HD-DVR (not the HMC)? Not sure how I'll go in my 2nd room (27" analog tube w/RCA SD STB).
Since I'm #54 on the list.........I'll have to sit-back & watch how they handle the 1st goups & read about how the HD-DVR's turn-out...etc.

Barney

 

[mhaider]

Something that I'd like to see on the new DVR is the ability to add an external HD for more recording capcity. I was reading about Scientific Atlanta's 8300 DVR, it has an SATA connector and over at the AVS forum many users are building their own external drive and it works well. That would be much less hassle than adding an internal drive.

Another thing, after reading D*'s press release at CES about the HMC I hope they come through with the capability of remote scheduling via the internet. There have been many times that I could have used that feature.

 

[Stargazer]

I believe Dish Network is planning this for their current DVR's (attach external hard drive to the reciever).

 

[Hogarth]

I believe Dish Network is planning this for their current DVR's (attach external hard drive to the reciever).

Yep, but only if you buy a hard drive from a partner, and the hard drive is then tied to work only with that particular receiver. Not that worthwhile, IMHO.

 

[vurbano]

Q: Your thought's on what the new Directv DVR's will be like?

A: Expensive and cost more than everyone elses as usual. But it will be a nice piece of equipment as usual. Probably the best.

 

[cr0mag]

Naturally an external HD raises the piracy issue flag, but it would be nice to be able to add storage to our DVRs (regardless of whose service you use) without going through opening up boxes, hacking hard drives, buying esoteric kits, etc. Not to knock any of those ways of doing things, but there are users who would never want to do any of them. Besides, it could be a new money maker for the service provider. (Instead of jacking up rates more and more!)

 

[mhaider]

Naturally an external HD raises the piracy issue flag, but it would be nice to be able to add storage to our DVRs (regardless of whose service you use) without going through opening up boxes, hacking hard drives, buying esoteric kits, etc. Not to knock any of those ways of doing things, but there are users who would never want to do any of them. Besides, it could be a new money maker for the service provider. (Instead of jacking up rates more and more!)

I wonder if they do some sort of encrytion to try and prevent piracy. From what I've read after the HD is connected to a STB and formatted to work with it, it can not be used with a PC, but somebody always figures out a way to get around that. I'd think giving the end user the ability to add extra external storage would keep the cost of the STB down by installing a smaller internal HD. But I agree, it would be so much more convinent to add an external drive to get added capacity. I added and extra HD to my series 1 Dtivo four years ago and it was well worth it, I haven't done it with my HDtivo, I'm too afraid of messing up the HDMI port.

 

[LonghornXP]

Q: Your thought's on what the new Directv DVR's will be like?

A: Expensive and cost more than everyone elses as usual. But it will be a nice piece of equipment as usual. Probably the best.

All HD boxes in the future will be offered as a rental option but you can still buy them if you want. Now when I say all future HD boxes I'm talking about all future MPEG4 HD boxes which as of now will include three total boxes. A basic HD box, HD DVR and the multiroom HD DVR. Now how good they will be is another question.

Also to the other poster the multiroom HD DVR will support internet scheduling but I can't say if the HD and HD DVR boxes will support it and when I say I can't say its because I don't know and haven't been told.

 

[vurbano]

All HD boxes in the future will be offered as a rental option but you can still buy them if you want. Now when I say all future HD boxes I'm talking about all future MPEG4 HD boxes which as of now will include three total boxes. A basic HD box, HD DVR and the multiroom HD DVR. Now how good they will be is another question.

Also to the other poster the multiroom HD DVR will support internet scheduling but I can't say if the HD and HD DVR boxes will support it and when I say I can't say its because I don't know and haven't been told.

That would be a great improvement. I just hadnt heard of the rental option announced for anything except the home media center. From D*'s statements I believe there will be an HD reciever, a standalone HD DVR, and a networkable HD home media box/DVR that will be rentable. The first two items I hadnt heard that there would be rental options for. Lets just hope that someday they will enable USB ports, etc and provide someway to backup recorded material for archival for the standalone DVR.