Considering getting DVR service...?

[colma]

I currently have 2 leased HD receivers with D* and I am considering leaving the "stone ages" and getting DVR service. I basically want to "upgrade" one of my hd receivers for an HDDVR.

I am still in my contract and wanted to know if anyone has had experience in adding/upgrading to DVR service.

If so, what were the associated costs if any...or is it subject to CSR roulette?

When I have looked online, it looks like they want to charge $199 :/

 

[Mr Tony]

I was one of those who never had a DVR...then I got one....and its true. "It moves you"
One of the best things I got. DVR you can record one show and watch another or record two shows at same time

Honestly I would buy a R22 from Solidsignal
DIRECTV R22 PLUS DVR with Free HD Upgrade* (R22) from Solid Signal

I have 2 of them. Since you have HD once you activate the receiver the HD gets turned on (if you didnt have HD it would be a SD receiver only). Depending on your dish/LNB setup you may need two cables to the DVR.

 

[Jimbo]

Personally, I would go with the HR24's .... if you want to KNOW what your getting recvr wise, Solid Signal or Claude at Dish Store is where I would look.

Both have worked very well for me.

Once you get the recvr hooked up and use it, you'll wonder how you ever did without it, you'll want to upgrade your other box too.

If you want you can buy them, call to activate and turn off the others at the same time.

HD fee is $ 10 p/m and the DVR fee is $7 p/m, but the DVR fee is one that covers ALL DVR's on the account, so, once you have a DVR, you may as well make them all DVR's as your not paying anymore DVR wise for it. (unlike DISH Network)

IF you have the money, do it all at once, you'll be required to re up on the 2 year commitment when you activate. (this is part of the reason I mentioned to do it all at the same time, if money allows).

Btw, your already paying the HD fee as you already have a HD recvr. also, if you Autopay, then you usually get your HD fee waived.

 

[lacubs]

got a DVR W ON DEMAND about 9 months ago, best move for me ever!

 

[cave1376]

I have two hr24. One in the family room the other in the master bedroom. The kids, and sometimes the wife and I, record shows on the family room dvr, the wife and I record our programs in the master bedroom dvr. Sometimes all four tuners are going. Well worth having one, or more, dvr(s).

And if you do get a dvr, you can also get mrv and vod.

 

[joed32]

They're all speaking the truth, it will change your viewing habits dramatically. You will watch what you want to WHEN you want to and never miss anything that you wanted to see.

 

[colma]

Thanks for all of the advice everyone! I called D* tonight after work and they offered to "switch out" one of my HD boxes for an HDDVR at no charge. Had to agree to a new 24 month contract, but so far I have been HAPPY with the service I have received from D*.

 

[Mr Tony]

very cool

 

[Hutch1814]

I was one of those who never had a DVR...then I got one....and its true. "It moves you"
One of the best things I got. DVR you can record one show and watch another or record two shows at same time

Honestly I would buy a R22 from Solidsignal
DIRECTV R22 PLUS DVR with Free HD Upgrade* (R22) from Solid Signal

I have 2 of them. Since you have HD once you activate the receiver the HD gets turned on (if you didnt have HD it would be a SD receiver only). Depending on your dish/LNB setup you may need two cables to the DVR.

They've since changed it Ice, you now have to have an HDDVR on the account already to have it convert it. But once you get one you HAVE to have it hooked up HDMI and change it to a slimline dish then force a software download for it to do it now. Inconvient yes BUT still the best deal you can possibly get

 

[Mr Tony]

interesting. When I upgraded to HD (Dec last year) I had the 2 R22's already. All we did was change it to slimline and after the tech added the H23 receiver I had HD on all receivers. One of the R22's is hooked up via component

 

[Hutch1814]

interesting. When I upgraded to HD (Dec last year) I had the 2 R22's already. All we did was change it to slimline and after the tech added the H23 receiver I had HD on all receivers. One of the R22's is hooked up via component

That's odd, maybe it varies per market? I know we've tried it without one on the account but they've had HD and wouldn't work. Called ISS and that's what they told me. Tried it and worked everytime since. Must be one of those weird things

 

[Mr Tony]

yeah when I upgraded Directv told me I needed a "real" HD receiver on the account and offered one + install for like $50.
They said the R22's wouldnt have HD unless you had another HD receiver on the account (other than the R22)

 

[Hutch1814]

yeah when I upgraded Directv told me I needed a "real" HD receiver on the account and offered one + install for like $50.
They said the R22's wouldnt have HD unless you had another HD receiver on the account (other than the R22)

Yeah who knows then, it should be that way really! You already have HD and DVR service so I don't see the reasoning behind why ISS wouldn't allow it when I tried it without the HDDVR

 

[colma]

When the installer comes on Friday with my new HDDVR (hr24, I believe), will I need the cinema connection kit? The csr claimed she would email me some installation info regarding on-demand & cinema information last night, but I got zip.

Can the receiver connect to wireless or I will need to run an ethernet cable from the D* receiver to my router/modem? Is the connection kit needed if my dvr is not a whole-home dvr?

I am sure my installer will know what to do, I am just trying to get everything figured out ahead of time to make it easier on both the installer and me.

 

[joed32]

A Cat-5 cable from your DVR to the router should work just fine for "On Demand".

 

[Hutch1814]

A Cat-5 cable from your DVR to the router should work just fine for "On Demand".

It will work for on demand but as soon as he plugs it in it will turn off the built in deca so if he's using/wanting MRV he won't be able to. He'll need either a wired or wireless connection kit

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

I have a HR24-500,HR23-700,& HR22-100 HD DVR,all with MRV(unsupported). I hooked up my own DECA equipment. The DIRECTV DECA Broadband DIRECTV DECA Broadband with power supply (DECABB1R0) from Solid Signal I hooked up directly to my router & MRV compatible splitter. I only needed to hook up the coaxial cable to my HR24 for internet connection as the internet connection runs through the coaxial cable(no need for ethernet cable). For my HR23 & HR22,I hooked up a Ethernet Coax Adapter DECA DIRECTV Ethernet Coax Adapter DECA (DECA1MR01) from Solid Signal to each of them. Because my SL3-SWM LNB was installed before DECA came out(no green label),I had to put a band stop filter DIRECTV Band Stop Filter (BSFR01) from Solid Signal on the cable between my LNB & splitter. If you do not have a way to connect your splitter with your router,but you have a wireless router,DIRECTV has the Wireless DECA Cinema Connection Kit DIRECTV CCK-W Wireless DECA Cinema Connection Kit (CCK-W) from Solid Signal that you can use.

 

[joed32]

He doesn't use MRV so he would be OK without the Cinema Connection.

 

[colma]

Thanks for all of the input, I won't be using MRV. This is just for my "man cave".

 

[Kurkus]

I agree, once you got to DVR you will wonder how you ever watched TV before

I never watch any show at the scheduled time anymore, sometimes I even have a Mini-Marathon

I do notice though that the older TIVO's allow you to actually watch 2 shows at once while the newer ones you have to be recording both to actually watch both at the same time

I pause one show, switch to other and watch it for a while then pause it, switch to other and catch up regular time and then pause and vice-versa, works especially well when wanting to watch two sprts game

You cant do that with the newer units, or at least I havent discovered how