Directv HD DVR Boxes Are REALLY Junk!

[rad]

A year ago that was a true statement, heck they didn't even have the ATSC tuners enabled back then. But for the last 8 or 9 months D*'s fixed most of the problems and the box works fine for the vast majority of folks. I've had two HR20-700's since last fall, have the missed a recording every now and then, yep, but so did my HR10-250 or Dish 501/508 that I've had.

 

[vurbano]

My installer owned an HDtivo and said the HR20 is junk. He said he hated having to sell off the HDtivo but did it anyway. We both agreed the dongles on the back were a ridiculous design error. Jimbo? does he count?

 

[agregjones]

The dongle on the back is better than having a box that won't receive new channels.

 

[LOBO2999]

The box is JUNK.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

I love my "junk".

 

[LOBO2999]

I love my "junk".

So did Fred sanford

 

[anhmduk]

I have 3 HD DVR, 2 never have had a problem since the release. I added the third one about 2 months ago. It locked up as well (1 day in). Dtv sent a new one and it would not boot up. The darn thing would restart half way through boot up. I receved another today so we will see.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I'll back him up, I agree. they are P's OS. D* should be embrassed to push such an unpolished box upon good paying customers. They fixed something that wasn't broken. And broke it more.

"but you have all this new HD!" Yeah, sure, I still can't scan for my OTA, DLB is NEVER coming, as of a month ago when I got rid of the damn thing it STILL missed recordings, it STILL can't filter out the channels I get from the ones I don't.

I just don't get the D* fanboys constantly saying how good the HR20 is. The only thing the Hr20 will do that my TIVO couldn't do BETTER is MPEG 4. VOD, DOD or whatever the hell they call it is a joke. Run ANOTHER wire to my receiver, then WAIT for it to download? That isn't on demand....no thanks.

Tivo FANBOYS should not throw stones.

 

[stogie5150]

Tivo FANBOYS should not throw stones.

Actually I don't even own a DVR now, unless you count the buffer in my Coolsat 7000 that I use for FTA. I am strictly comparing the HR10-250 to the HR20-700 that I just sent back. I am not married to ANY technology, I want technology that works. TIVO WORKED with D*. HR20 does NOT work to the level that TIVO did. I forgot to mention, too that the D* DVR's GUI looks like a four year old designed it.

Hey, if one likes paying for broken equipment, have at it. I want my stuff to WORK and look good. Like I said, all the HD in the world doesn't matter if the box is junk.

 

[Jimbo]

I'll back him up, I agree. they are P's OS. D* should be embrassed to push such an unpolished box upon good paying customers. They fixed something that wasn't broken. And broke it more.

"but you have all this new HD!" Yeah, sure, I still can't scan for my OTA, DLB is NEVER coming, as of a month ago when I got rid of the damn thing it STILL missed recordings, it STILL can't filter out the channels I get from the ones I don't.

I just don't get the D* fanboys constantly saying how good the HR20 is. The only thing the Hr20 will do that my TIVO couldn't do BETTER is MPEG 4. VOD, DOD or whatever the hell they call it is a joke. Run ANOTHER wire to my receiver, then WAIT for it to download? That isn't on demand....no thanks.

Still lost in the world of TIVO I see.
Why don't you just go buy the TIVO 3 and be done with it.

 

[Jimbo]

Also, an interesting note: The higher-level support tech at Directv admitted to me that the general feeling within Directv is that the boxes were released WAY too soon, and that they should have been more thoroughly tested prior to their release. He said that the general level of engineering competence at trying to marry the two technologies together (DVR and HD) weren't really there to attempt this.

This is TRUE, they were released too soon, but why was that ?????
It was because off the public pressure being put on them to have a HD DVR.

 

[Jimbo]

My installer owned an HDtivo and said the HR20 is junk. He said he hated having to sell off the HDtivo but did it anyway. We both agreed the dongles on the back were a ridiculous design error. Jimbo? does he count?

Yup !

 

[Jimbo]

Actually I don't even own a DVR now, unless you count the buffer in my Coolsat 7000 that I use for FTA. I am strictly comparing the HR10-250 to the HR20-700 that I just sent back. I am not married to ANY technology, I want technology that works. TIVO WORKED with D*. HR20 does NOT work to the level that TIVO did. I forgot to mention, too that the D* DVR's GUI looks like a four year old designed it.

Hey, if one likes paying for broken equipment, have at it. I want my stuff to WORK and look good. Like I said, all the HD in the world doesn't matter if the box is junk.

You probably don't remember back when the TIVO's came out, they were far from perfect, it took time for them to become what they ultimately ended up being.

At least D* is making an effort to push new code and fix what they can with software.
I have had very few problems with any of my HR's.

Jimbo

 

[Bob Nielsen]

The dongle on the back is better than having a box that won't receive new channels.

With SWMs the dongles aren't used.

 

[ycebar]

I have two HR20-100 since June ever had a problem with any of them

 

[gadgtfreek]

This is TRUE, they were released too soon, but why was that ?????
It was because off the public pressure being put on them to have a HD DVR.

This was soo true. I got my first HR20 in the first couple of weeks they were out. Buggy as hell but I was VERY tired of the SLOW HR10-250.

D* rushed it out because people wanted it, and just like most software it had bugs. IMHO, its a good machine now.

I have not missed ONE recording in 2 mo's. I know have an ext hdd attached that is working flawlessly. I know there was a wait, but the OTA tuners work good too.

 

[bidger`]

I have had more issues with my HR10 (TiVo) in the last year, twice found it comatose and unresponsive to the remote and requiring a plug pull to restart and found it unable to pick up OTA and then sat programming in two separate instances just this week, than the HR20.

I've done TiVo for over seven years now and, contrary to what some would have you believe, it's not flawless.

 

[Mike0616]

With SWMs the dongles aren't used.

So what? That really doesn't mean jack if they are not available, now does it?

 

[Mike0616]

This was soo true. I got my first HR20 in the first couple of weeks they were out. Buggy as hell but I was VERY tired of the SLOW HR10-250.

D* rushed it out because people wanted it, and just like most software it had bugs. IMHO, its a good machine now.

I have not missed ONE recording in 2 mo's. I know have an ext hdd attached that is working flawlessly. I know there was a wait, but the OTA tuners work good too.

What version of the software do you have? I am using the NR software and it cannot tell the difference in new shows and reruns and misses shows frequently, so maybe I need a new HR20?

Even though there are things that I am thinking D* was asleep at the wheel when they did the software for, sure beats the hell out of the Moto 64xx box I had from the local comcrap monopoly and the so-called dvr I had with the "yo-yo programming" satellite company.

 

[gadgtfreek]

What version of the software do you have? I am using the NR software and it cannot tell the difference in new shows and reruns and misses shows frequently, so maybe I need a new HR20?

Even though there are things that I am thinking D* was asleep at the wheel when they did the software for, sure beats the hell out of the Moto 64xx box I had from the local comcrap monopoly and the so-called dvr I had with the "yo-yo programming" satellite company.

I was on NR till mid Oct and now have a CE release.

Between locals OTA and channels like TLCHD/DiscHD/NatGeoHD I have 27 series links right now. I haven't missed anything since 9-3.