HD Tivos show up now . . . too little too late

[agregjones]

For those of you in the major urban areas, you may want to take a look at what happens outside the top 20 markets. The BestBuy here just started carrying the HD Tivo a few days after we found out that it would have to be replaced before those users could receive upcoming MPEG-4 channels. Obviously, those people already having one will get some use out of it for some time to come.

The HD Tivo took too long to come to market. When it finally got manufactured, they built too few. Now that they're more available to the average consumer, they are behind the technology. Most people accept that high-tech items will become obsolete at some point and that some of the features will be behind the times soon. This isn't a secondary feature for these receivers, though. Receiving DirecTV's HD broadcasts was one of the two most important selling points for this piece of EQ. Seeing these systems on the shelves at full price ($999) for the first time made me furious. DirecTV is still marketing these systems at full tilt.

As far as replacement plans, I'm sure DirecTV will offer a replacement, but we're up in the air what that might be. Even if it's an HD DVR, there is a huge opportunity for disappointment. If I paid even $850 for a new HD Tivo and was offered a replacement in six months that retailed for $500, I'd be upset. In addition to the $350 extra I paid, I would most likely be stuck in a year-long commitment from the time the new equipment was hooked up.

DirecTV having to change equipment is understandable if unfortunate. Their continuing to put these on the shelves and to market them at the full retail price is much more troubling.

 

[rad]

Well since you said you were not in the top 20 markets you won't be part of the first group of people to get HD via LIL, and there hasn't been a schedule posted yet as to when the rest of the DMA's would get theirs.

Now everything that's been posted says that D* will replace the HR10-250 with a new box that will provide at least the same functionality for no charge (may not have the Tivo interface but should be able to do everything Tivo can do). If this is a new box that costs D* $500, more or less, I don't care, as long as it has the same capability. It's been rumored that the replacement would be the home media server which has more functionaly then the HR10-250.

Also, not sure about your statement about lack of availability. True, when they first came out they were as rare as hens teeth, but that cleared up by mid summer. Maybe your local BB's department manager just decided to not carry them until now? If they were in as short a supply as you imply I'd wonder how our local BB had 15 of them sitting on a shelf? I'd think that they would be allocated better.

Also remember, if you got the HR10-250 now you would not lose any programming for a number of years, there's been no timeline published for when the current HD channels would move to MPEG4, all you'd lose is any new MPEG4 programming. So the question you need to ask yourself is do you want to NOT have the functionality that a HD PVR provides for X number of months or years or spend the $'s now and receive a free replacement when the time comes?

 

[agregjones]

The problem is when DirecTV starts putting up MPEG-4 national HD channels. Then users are left with the option to have either MPEG-4 channels through a new non-HD receiver or have an HD DVR for the legacy channels.

My market isn't even in the top 100, so it will be a long time (if I ever do) before I get HD LIL from any satellite provider. I just got the option to have locals via satellite (SD) a few months ago. This means that my only option for an HD DVR is to pay $1000 for most of the channels. If I'm "lucky" then DirecTV will compress the existing HD channels even more so that I can see all of the new ones. That would get me a lot of channels, but none of them would be even close to HD (I know they're already below HD standards by a mile).

I can pick up all the network HD I want to see without it coming over a satellite. I pay for DirecTV in order to get national channels, as do a number of other people.

 

[rad]

The problem is when DirecTV starts putting up MPEG-4 national HD channels. Then users are left with the option to have either MPEG-4 channels through a new non-HD receiver or have an HD DVR for the legacy channels.

???? The plan that's been floated around is that if you have a HD10-250 then you would get a new, for no charge HD DVR to replace it. The only issue that I've seen is the timing of this occuring. The current rumor is that the new HD media center won't be ready until late this year/early next year. So yes, if new national HD channels go up on MPEG4 before then you wouldn't be able to view them. So it's not like D* would be taking anything away from you since you can still record/view what you can now. With you being in the >100 DMA the chances then are VERY good that your HD locals woudn't be up on LIL/MPEG4 before the new box is available.