Coming back ..Should I go for Whole House DVR?

[Longjack]

After many years, am planning to come back to Directv and was hoping for some "sage" advice.
Ou setup will require a split at the dish, one line going to one side of home where we will have a single HD DVR box, which I guess is "free" under the current promo.
The second line from dish will need to go to other side of house where I have a distribution panel where I plan to feed 3 boxes, all HD and one of them will have DVR.
Not knowing too much about their current technology, I see where I can order a Whole Home DVR for the same price ($99) as the normal HD DVR and was wondering if I should just go for the "Whole Home" unit since it's the same price and does not appear to cost anymore in monthly fees.
Am I correct, or missing something here?
Was thinking that in my above described scenario, the Whole Home DVR might be nice to have since it will be on the same line with the other 2 boxes, although I realize I probaly won't be able to get it's signal over to the other side of the house that has the single HD DVR box.
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated....and thanks.

 

[Opusnbill7]

I would. You get 5 tuners and can watch any shows recorded on it in any of up to 3 (I think) rooms at a time. If you have one HD-DVR, you can only watch a recorded show off of it in one room at a time. This may not make a difference if you live alone, but if you don't it can be a big deal.

Only complaint I have (after moving from the HD-DVR to HMC) is that the software on the HMC isn't up to par with the DVR yet. It's a new product, however, and it will improve. Mostly it works properly, just a few visual glitches and strange scheduling behavior with shows near the far end of the available schedule from now.

 

[KasumiX]

Whole-home DVR is an additional fee ($3/mo) In addition, if you want the 5-tuner model (HR34) that Opus mentioned, you need to specify that when you order, though if you're feeding 3 other rooms they may suggest it. The HR34 (or "HMC HD-DVR", as the CS reps call it) is $99, which I think is worth it over the "free" 2-tuner HD-DVR. The 3 additional HD boxes you need should all be "free" initially under the current promotion, though you'll pay $6/mo for each of them.

 

[PATECO]

YES! YES! YES! Even if you decide against spending the $99 for the HR34, the Free HR24 is still a great enhancement to your system. allowing Multiroom viewing and VOD (if internet connected).

Go For It

 

[BobStokesbary]

Longjack,
Just a note of caution here, based on your stated plans which appear to be future plans and not your current installation order. You need to be aware of some constraints on D* technology. If you get the HR34 (with 5 tuners) you will need what is called a SWM setup. If you only have one other receiver (one tuner) in your order the installer will install the standard SWM head on your dish. The standard SWM LNB supports up to eight tuners. Each of the other D* HDRs have two tuners and each receiver has one. If you implement your plan to have two more tuners and another DVR you will have 9 tuners on your system (HR34=5, HRx=2, Hx=1, Hx=1). That in turn requires that you go to a SWM-16 setup. Unfortunately, the SWM LNB cannot be upgraded to SWM-16. So, you would need to have the LNB removed and replaced with a standard LNB and a SWM-16 box. That will also require an additional line to your distribution center.

So, either you need to have your whole system setup now, drop one of your desired tuners, or maybe skip the HR34 installation for now. Only you can provide the right answer here. But, it is important to know that what you plan to do will have implications on what might need to be changed in the future.

As for the line to the other side of the house, just know that total line lengths greater than 100 feet seem to come with issues. You just need to be aware of this. I would imagine that the installer will do what needs to be done to make it work.

As for Whole Home DVR, absolutely, especially if you go for the HR34 option.
Bob