many of you know how much i've complained about the directv dvr's in the past. that ends here today with the HR24-500.
first thing i noticed after i plugged it in is how much faster boot up time is on these dvr's.
despite the fact that the HR24 had to download all the guide data, this thing was FAST!! unlike its predecessors which you have to give them 24hrs after for example a CE download to settle in, this thing is immediately fast. Set up was a breeze.
i decided to take advantage of the load the dvr had downloading all the guide data to test it to the max. I began recording two things at once. on my HR21 while it recorded just one program it always made the box painfully slow! hanging on so many commands no matter what they were. well the HR24 while recording two shows at once, downloading guide data and playing a previous recording at the same time performed better than i could've ever imagined! it didn't miss a beat. guide scrolling was lightning fast. performed every single command at the press of a button on the remote. (with the directv remote and the harmony) did not hang a single time.
channel changing is faster.bringing up your list of recordings is faster. bringing up the guide is faster. going through the set up menu is faster! from the moment you select a recording for playback to when it begins playback is also faster. response to FFW or REW is faster. deletion of recordings is faster! there's nothing this dvr hasn't been able to handle yet.
coming from dish and there excellent line up from the vip series, i can say that finally the speed and power between the HR24 and the VIP series from Dish are evenly matched!Finally!
from a cosmetic point of view this thing is gorgeous! no irritating blue ring of light. the directv logo lights up on the front panel. very beautiful.
you can't hear a thing. the HR24 is whisper quiet.
overall i'm extremely pleased. expectations were exceeded. if you are tired as much as i was from dealing with slow dvrs, THEN GO GET YOURSELF A HR24-500!!!!!!!
