HD Tivo - Confirmation that I'll be okay later?

[sgupta]

Hey all,

I'm planning on getting DirecTV very soon with the HD package. One of the things I definitely want is a DVR.

Now, here's my conundrum. I was planning on going with the HD DirecTivo since I want to be able to record HD. It looks like a very nice product, but it's of course quite pricey.

I've read on here things to lead me to believe that DirecTV WILL be replacing these units free of charge (or at minimal cost). Is this true? Can I get confirmation? I just don't want to plunk down that type of money and have it worthless in 8 months.

Thanks!

 

[riggscm]

You know I don't think there has been a official press release regarding how D* will handle us HD Tivo people. I believe most of the opinions floating around are based on D*'s past customer handling.

Charper or Longhorn, you seem to be in the "know" - you guys got any "official" news?

 

[sgupta]

Well, I took the plunge. I know I'll love HD DirecTivo - I just hope I won't regret it when the switch comes and that sources here that have said (in another thread) DirecTV will take care of us and upgrade us for free/low cost are accurate.

Install should be next week assuming the box comes in time. (Scheduled for Wednesday, but had to go through Verizon to get a discount to my phone bill offer, so I had to order the box online).

Still interested in any comments.

 

[LonghornXP]

You know I don't think there has been a official press release regarding how D* will handle us HD Tivo people. I believe most of the opinions floating around are based on D*'s past customer handling.

Charper or Longhorn, you seem to be in the "know" - you guys got any "official" news?

Don't worry about it much. You will be happy when its all over and still have money in your bank account. Last I heard is at worst you will have to pay a 15-25 dollar S&H charge and at best just agree to a total choice package for one year but that would be more for the cost of upgrading your dish than the box itself.

Now when they do swapout your HD Tivos I'm not sure if you would get the home media server or the plain HD DVR but rest assured that at worst you will get an HD DVR very close to what your HD Tivo is without the Tivo software of course.

 

[sgupta]

Awesome. Looking forward to joining the DTV community. =o)

 

[moonman]

Even if for some reason, you do not swap your gear out, it will still record OTA stuff
just fine via antenna.

 

[sgupta]

If I got any OTA stuff at all, that might be nice. =oP Doubt I do though.

 

[LonghornXP]

Your HD Tivo can still record OTA HD as long as it stays under your account. It might still record with D* service but I can't promise that because I haven't tried. Now any HD channels in MPEG2 format will still record and all SD channels in MPEG2 will still record. Only MPEG4 stuff won't record and that will include all new LIL HD and national HD channels. Now I've heard that at some point around years end or right after the new year they would stop broadcasting anything HD in MPEG2 which means all current and new HD channels won't record or playback using your HD Tivo. Now if you do accept a swapout box I'm not sure if they would take the HD Tivo back and use its parts or if they would let you keep them for OTA only use or what. I've asked and haven't been told anything because they haven't decided that yet because they have bigger fish to fry right now than that.

 

[colofan]

This seems odd since they have a contract with Tivo until 2007. Considering you have to change a dish out as well as change hardware turning off mpeg2 by the end of the year would seem to be pretty agressive schedule.

 

[sgupta]

Hmmm. Interesting point. I dunno. I don't really CARE as long as we're taken care of how long it takes, though MPEG4 of course would be awfully nice. =o)

Can I ask what exactly will be the difference between the home media server and the HD DVR? I'm assuming the HD DVR will have all the features this HD Tivo has now, but what will the home media server be able to do? Out of curiosity?

Thanks!

 

[LonghornXP]

Hmmm. Interesting point. I dunno. I don't really CARE as long as we're taken care of how long it takes, though MPEG4 of course would be awfully nice. =o)

Can I ask what exactly will be the difference between the home media server and the HD DVR? I'm assuming the HD DVR will have all the features this HD Tivo has now, but what will the home media server be able to do? Out of curiosity?

Thanks!

The HD DVR will have two D* tuners and two OTA HD tuners but only two can be used at the sametime. Besides that it will just record and playback as your HD Tivo does today.

The home media server will have 4 D* tuners and two OTA HD tuners and only 4 of these 6 can be used at any given time. This setup will consist of one server box and upto three client boxes. At rollout only the server will support an HDTV set which means your server box needs to be directly connected to your HDTV set. Within a few months after rollout they will have HD client boxes which would support 4 total rooms of HDTV sets for the very few that have that many sets. Now client boxes will not have live tv control such as pause, RW and FF but that is planned to be offered via software update. Now any client box can setup and playback anything recorded on the server. This is a multiroom system. It will all be seamless. Client number 3 can schedule the recording while say both client number 1 & 2 can both play it back when they want with full pause, RW and FF controls.

Just to make this clear at its rollout all client boxes can pause, FF and RW recorded shows its only pausing, RW and FF of live TV shows that won't work at first on client boxes but again its planned to be allowed soon after release.

This box will have either a 350 or 400GB hard drive inside it and it will be offered as both a rental and a purchase option. Also if you need more than 4 rooms hooked up you will need a second server with how many extra clients you might need. Say you want six rooms total you would need two servers and 4 client boxes and it would all be seamless which means all your hardware would only see one big server and anything can be played back anywhere. Also if you just want more room you can add an extra server to get twice as much recording and the ability to record 8 live shows at the sametime. Now this system will only support two servers being used within the same system so you can't get anything more than that without having to seperate the third from the first two systems.

 

[LonghornXP]

Also the Tivo contract only says they have to support those boxes it doesn't mean they have to support those boxes with every new service. Pretty much D* won't be selling the HD Tivo after their DVRs lauch so they only have to support whats out there in homes today and if a customer accepts a swapout to get something new they have honored their contract with Tivo.

 

[sgupta]

WOwww...home media server sounds nice. =oP Can always hope for that one, though HD DVR is fine if it comes down to that too. (Rental option is nice though...may think about upgrading if it's affordable enough.)

 

[LonghornXP]

WOwww...home media server sounds nice. =oP Can always hope for that one, though HD DVR is fine if it comes down to that too. (Rental option is nice though...may think about upgrading if it's affordable enough.)

I'm hearing that each server which would included upto 3 client boxes would cost 10-15 dollars per month rental plus you would still pay the mirror fees on it. But again that 10-15 dollars per month would include the rental of the server and all client boxes you require. Also if the box breaks they replace it with another one because you will rent it. Now I'm hearing it would most likely cost 15.00/month for the rental of the hardware. So say you have three total rooms it would cost you 15.00/month hardware plus 5.00/month times 2 which is the mirror fee for your two extra rooms.

So it would all breakdown like this and firstly no upfront costs at all period.

94.00/month for total choice premier with local channels.
11.00/month for HD Package
10.00/month for extra two room mirror fees
15.00/month for home media server rental fees.
------------------------------------------------
130.00/month subtotal
17.00/total taxes
----------------------------------------------
147.00/month total cost.

Now for three rooms all having multiroom HD DVR viewing and playback with all rooms supporting HDTV with no upfront costs with every single channel they offer is a pretty good deal. Right now my cable company BHN costs more than that for three HD DVRs without multiroom viewing with everything else. Now again I was paying D* before I left about 138.00/month so I would gladly pay another 9.00/month for this setup. Also remember that I was paying for their protection plan so with all rental hardware I would be for this plan.

Edit...Also on other thing I thought of is that they won't charge a DVR fee with this box. They will only charge the rental and mirror fees for it so guess what that means for customers who have total choice premier but think the sports pak is worthless. Well customers with a D* DVR won't save much by droping the sports pak. If you drop the sports pak you save 8 dollars per month but because dropping the sports pak drops premier package status that means you don't get the DVR fee free so you now have to pay 5.00/month which means of you 8.00/month savings your net savings ends up being only 3.00/month.

So with all that said if you want all premium channels but don't care about the sports pak than drop it with this home media server and it will save you 8.00/month which means that my price above of 147.00/month would actually be reduced down to 138.00/month.

 

[hongcho]

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Just to make this clear at its rollout all client boxes can pause, FF and RW recorded shows its only pausing, RW and FF of live TV shows that won't work at first on client boxes but again its planned to be allowed soon after release.
------

This is a news to me. That would be pretty lame, not being able to control the live TV. Hopefully, it won't get stuck by the insistence of the content rights holders.

Hong.

 

[chazcbh]

Where are the Taxes from? I don't pay any tax now.

 

[sgupta]

Hmmm. Sounds fairly reasonable. Depending on how much I want to upgrade, I might at the time. (That is, unles D* decides to just give all of us these boxes instead.)

 

[riggscm]

Where are the Taxes from? I don't pay any tax now.

some people in some areas are required to pay taxes for DBS

 

[LonghornXP]

some people in some areas are required to pay taxes for DBS

Correct in the Tampa Bay area of Florida I have to pay about 13% taxes of the total amount of my bill.

Now to answer the previous posters concern is that the pausing, FF and RW of live TV could be supported out of the box but for some reason the latest I've been told is that it will come via software update within a few months after its release but again I was also told that it "could" come out with the box right away. Now I've been asking more specifics on this and my contacts have been told anything about this than what I've said even when they asked.

 

[x1hdtv]

I would like to know how all of this will be hooked up.
Will the server box be the only one connected to the dish and then coax or cat cable run to each client box?
Or will each cleint box still be connected to the dish and a seperate coax or cat cable run back to the server box? Maybe wireless networking?