DirecTV DVR vs Tivo. Differences?

[goldenwoof]

Hi all,

I've made the decision to get a DVR and have one big question that I need an answer to first:

The DirecTV DVR is $5.99/month, and the Tivo is $12.95/month. What are the differences between the two? Would I be getting something more for my $12.95? What would I be losing out on if I went with the DTV version?

Thanks very much!

John

 

[SteveinTN]

I believe that there are no differences, D* just go I guess what you would call a volume discount for its subscribers.

 

[CRendall]

With a DirecTV Tivo you have two tuners so you can record two shows at one time, and the picture quality is the same as watching it live. There is no re-compressing of the recording that a stand alone Tivo does.

What the DirecTV Tivo doesn't have is the Home Media Option. There are hacks available to add this capabillity but I haven't bothered to do it.

 

[Melissa]

One advantage of having a Directv DVR (which is currently a TIVO DVR) is that the monthly fee is the same regardless of the number of DVR receivers you have. One of my friends has a TIVO DVR (not through Directv) and I think she pays $12.95 for the first and $6.95 for the second.

We have one Directv DVR receiver now and plan to buy two more this weekend at Circuit City. Circuit City's website also says the DVR is free now with a $100 rebate. I haven't checked the rebate rules to see if there are any restrictions.

I read in the Wall Street Journal yesterday that Directv is developing its own DVR and may be abandoning the TIVO DVR in the future.

 

[Fugg]

With a standalone tivo you can add a usb/ethernet adaptor (wired or wireless) to share recorded videos between tivos in your home (watch video from the living room tivo on the bedroom tivo), download and upload recorded video via a pc and get access to 3rd party applications via a pc for local weather, local theater listings and show times, news, internet radio and video, and other stuff.

All right outta the box with no "hacking" needed.

 

[JustBob]

I'm a little surprised by these answers to the original question of stand-alone Tivo vs DirecTivo. To me it seems like a no-brainer that if you have DirecTV you'll want the DirecTivo. The cost is far less, there's no re-compression, and it has a dual-tuner. The dual-tuner is by far the best thing about it. I'm not sure how the guide would work with a stand-alone Tivo with DirecTV. Does anyone actually use a stand-alone Tivo with DirecTV? I guess if the Home Media option is really important to you there might be a case for it. However I'd rather work through the hacks than give up the DirecTivo advantages.

-JustBob

 

[Fugg]

"The dual-tuner is by far the best thing about it."

hehehe... That's a no brainer.

"I'm not sure how the guide would work with a stand-alone Tivo with DirecTV."

It works exactly the same, but you have to have a phone line or internet access (the dtivo gets the guide via satellite). The guide data on the standalone can have more detail at times, but the difference is not enough to write home about.

"Does anyone actually use a stand-alone Tivo with DirecTV?"

I do! (I've got 3 dtivo's and two sa's)

"I guess if the Home Media option is really important to you there might be a case for it. However I'd rather work through the hacks than give up the DirecTivo advantages."

A hacked dtivo kicks butt! It's kinda the best of both worlds.

but about the "unhacked" standalone tivo...
... there have been quite a few times that the ability to set recordings via the internet has really come in handy, especially since it updates the tivo via broadband within 10 to 15min.

The cool part is the ability to move mpeg2 videos BACK to the tivo for viewing. Being able to move videos off the tivo when you're running out of space and then be able to move them back for later viewing right from the remote control is pretty damn slick.

My family loves the "picture and music" features and have really enjoyed the local weather radar feature, too. (they hardly look at the weather channel anymore!) .... and the internet radio is something I find myself using quite a bit as well.

If you're into whackin' at the innards of a computer, you can get most of these additions on a dtivo.

But for a consumer who does not want to open their box or void their warranty, a sa tivo is pretty darn cool. ... and being able to get two for ~$100.... psudeo dual tuners!! (...for $19.90 a month!!)

 

[video62]

I'm not sure how the guide would work with a stand-alone Tivo with DirecTV. Does anyone actually use a stand-alone Tivo with DirecTV?

Yes, there are people with a SA Tivo that controls a DirecTV receiver; ditto for a SA Tivo and Dish Network. In the Tivo setup you specify your DBS provider instead of XYZ cableco so that it will have the correct guide info and channel numbers. One reason for doing this is that they may have purchased a lifetime Tivo subscription for $299 and switched from cable to DBS and decided to keep their Tivo box.

I have 3 DirecTivos at home (mostly due to the single fee for all DTivos!), two of them hacked to add network features... there's no way I could stand to have a non-integrated DVR/sat rcvr, but there are some that still go that route.

 

[video62]

but about the "unhacked" standalone tivo...
... there have been quite a few times that the ability to set recordings via the internet has really come in handy, especially since it updates the tivo via broadband within 10 to 15min.

Hacked DTivos (running TivoWeb Plus) can do that too if you have some help from your home network setup - I can reach two of my DirecTivos securely (username/password protection via SSL aka "https") from anywhere on the internet.

Click on thumbnails for screenshots - I am setting up a recording right now.

 

[Fugg]

You bet! I've been running tivoweb since '02!
It's also the easiest way to get access to the mfs.
(add your kid’s name to the credits of their favorite movie in the now playing list and watch their reaction! )

You can add all kinds of cool things to the dtivo if you don’t mind crackin’ the case digging in (which is actually the fun part to me!), but I was referring to what you could do with a un-hacked sa tivo right outta the box.

speaking of moddin’ the mfs…..

Picture a living room full of teenagers flippin’ through the now playing list running across a “Rugrats” ep with the show description of:
“Tommy and Chucky smoke up the cronic and get down with the bitches.”

 

[jollyrogr]

hey fugg and video62, which dtivo units would you guys recommend that are easy to 'hack' to enable the HMO and network features?
Pretty much all new DTivo's are R10 units. Are these ok, or should I look for a different model if I plan to modify it?
thanks.

 

[Fugg]

The R10 units have a chip that needs to be physically replaced to be able to access the system. It's a smd chip that needs special equipment to be able to remove and replace it, unless you have a very small soldering iron, 20-20 vision, a steady hand, the patience of a saint and a the blessings of lady luck.

All the other series 2 dtivo models? You're good to go with them.

Good Luck!!

 

[Juan]

Are you guys sure this guy doesnt have a r15?

 

[Fugg]

If someone in this thread has a R15, FESS UP!! They'll be the first I know of. ...please give us all the details!!!!

I guess the op could be askin' about the r15, but as it's not even out yet it's kinda hard to compare it to anything. ...but I could tell him about the standalone tivo, at least.

I assumed that he was asking about directv's current dvr too, as the new one is not on the market yet.

If I was mistaken,...

WOOPS! I'm Sorry!!

 

[jollyrogr]

I dont have any tivo yet. I want to figure out which one will be easy to modify to enable the features I want before I buy. I was thinking maybe the philips dsr708 receiver?

As far as the R15 goes, I'm thinkin that one will be a hard nut to crack? It wont be running open source like the tivo boxes.

 

[jollyrogr]

or..what about the hughes sd-dvr40? they can be bought cheap.

 

[Fugg]

That one should be fine!

As far as the R15 goes, I'm thinkin that one will be a hard nut to crack?

Since NDS's (the designer of directv's new, as yet unreleased dvr) core business is data security (they design and provide the smart card conditional access system for directv and many other satellite and cable providers worldwide) I would tend to think that their dvr would be quite secure and much less prone to reverse engineering (hacking) than any other dvr available in the us.

Now this is only a guess on my part, as no one has actually had the opportunity to even get a good look at it's innards yet. But judging by NDS's reputation for security and the info you can get from nds's promotional and informational material on their web site, I'd say it's a pretty good bet that it's gonna be one heck of a hard nut to crack, to say the least.

...but again, though...

I'm just guessing. As far as I know it could have a sticker on the inside of the chassis entitled, "How To Hack This Box"!

 

[Technojunky]

I have been with my lifetime Tivo since 2001, and I have one more that is series-1, and two that are series-11.
The main advantages with the DirecTV Tivo unit, besides that there is no compression, is that it is a pure digital recording. It records the digital stream that is coming down from the satellite. This means that there is only one quality and the amount of hours you can record, do not change as they do on regular Tivo, who gives their speified time at the worst resolution. So when you boost the quality, you cut the total time down. No so with DirecTivo, or Dish DVR's. If you go with an outboard Tivo, it can be used on any DirecTv, or DISH receiver. The Series-II gives you Tivo2Go at your desktop and network support, but you must purchase the network adater, and if you want to usethe best part of the Tivo neworking, you ned two Series-II Tivo's. The two Series-2 Tivo's can talk to each other, and let you want anything from either, in either location. I think that the Dish 625, alone, beats Tivo in this one area.To put a Tivo on a Dish or DirecTV DVR makes no sense, but you could do it. I have my lifetime Tivo hooked to my 322 Dish receiver. The other Dish receiver is a 625 DVR model. How does the 625 compare to Tivo? As all Tivo owners will tell you, nothing works as good as a Tivo. So while I like my 625 as a DVR, it is no Tivo by any stretch. It is Duel room, duel tuner, duel DVR, and is a pure digital recorder at 100 hours of perfect recording, so that makes it one great receiver. I put two Tivo series-II out of business when I got the 625.
I would have went with DirecTV to get the DirecTivo receiver, but at 4 rooms, they were $25 higher per month than Dish. The price difference gets reduced when yoiu go to less rooms because other than the Directivo receiver, DirectTV is inferior to Dish. DiectTV used Mpeg-1.5, Dish uses Mpeg-2. Dish has many duel room recivers and supplies two remotes with them, one IR, one RF-UHF. Their receivers work perfectly. DirecTV can't do two rooms on one receiver yet, MAYBE they have one planned for the future. Dish has had then for a long while. Dish, who is Echostar, has been in the Satellite business far longer than DirecTV has been around.
So now for the best deal I've seen yet. There is a Dish receiver that is HD, and it is a DVR, but was costing $699 to get it. It was not available for lease like many other receivers. Last week, Dish started offering the 942 for a $250, one time charge, for a lease when you order a new Dish system with HD. Now, if you keep that 942 for the 18 month term, it would have lost over $250 of its value by that time. So this is a good deal if you need HD. Also, if you have Dish Club number, from me or any other Dish customer, Dish will start you off with $25 off of your first bill. They also offer you the pay channels for a few months to try them out. You only have to cal and turn them off if you don't want them after the 90 days passes. Tehy will tell you the excat date that the free period ends so you can mark it on a calendar. If you want a Dish Club number, email me and I will send you one. Good luck on making the best choice.. JM

 

[slinky]

Hi Guys,
I noticed this thread and it is intriguing to me to say the least.
Instead of listing a bunch of questions for you guys to deal with I'd like to try to understand some basics of interconnecting DTV units. If there is a link or links that you could supply that may have a primer on what these units are capable of I'll try to digest some knowl3edge before coming back with questions. At this point I don't know the diff between R10 and R15 or what these are. I don't know if the HMO is for remote (internet) access only or for communicating with machines on a LAN. In any case, I'd appreciate getting pointed to a primer on this thing.
BTW, I have one RCA DTivo that is about a year old as well as a couple of Phillips DSX 5500 receivers.
Thanks for your help.

 

[video62]

If there is a link or links that you could supply that may have a primer on what these units are capable of I'll try to digest some knowl3edge before coming back with questions.

For basics on the DirecTivos, this forum or the DirecTivo forum at http://www.tivocommunity.com - there is also an 'underground' forum there that discusses many hacking things but doesn't permit discussions of digital extraction. The easiest hack on any Tivo/DTivo is adding disk space. Rough rule of thumb for DTivo disk space: Hard drive size * 0.875 = recording hours... thus a 120GB disk gives you 105 recording hours.

Also, FYI, the Tivos/DTivos are Linux based, thus once you have them networked you have easy access to the box for further 'enhancements'.

In a nutshell, the R10 isn't very hack friendly (must be chipped, see previous post) but is still a Tivo-based box. The R15 is the yet-to-be-shipped DirecTV DVR that doesn't use Tivo, so there is no info on its hackability. Standalone (SA) Tivos offer more networked features out-of-the box than DirecTivos, but don't have the recording quality of a DirecTivo nor do they have dual tuners, which is a big negative in my book. A hacked DirecTivo can have nearly all of the networked features of a SA Tivo. Standalone Tivos will cost you more in subscription fees as well - $12.95/mo. for the first one, $6.95/mo. for each additonal unit, whereas DirecTivos are $4.99/mo. (soon $5.99/mo. I hear) for as many DirecTivos as you have on your account, thus your Tivo fee is the same if you have one box or seven!

For hacking, nearly any Series 2 (i.e. with USB ports) DirecTivo will do except for the R10, which is pretty much the only DVR being provided by DirecTV and their installers right now. You may find some sat distributors/installers with non R10 boxes, and Ebay has a number of units.

If you really want the lowdown, tech-in-the-trenches stuff on hacking Tivos/DirecTivos then check out http://www.dealdatabase.com forums, but be prepared to read a lot. No discussions of signal/service theft however.