Need a answer to this urgently ; Have schedule Direct Tv installation for 27 have asked for a hr 21 as i thought that was the best dvr which direct had to offer but now when reading thro the forums found many people recommending hr 20 - 700...can anybody pls tell me the key difference between these and which one shd i pick..thx
Which is the better hd dvr and why?
- Thread starter manutd1980
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 20
- Views 3K
- Status
There major difference between the HR21 and HR20 is that the HR21 doesn't have an OTA tuner built in, but DirecTV is supposed to be releasing an external adapter for it soon.
You can ask for whatever you want, but D* doesn't promise that you will receive it. Most installers haven't received any new HR20's in a few months. You will be stuck with whatever the installer happens to have on his truck at the time.
You can ask for whatever you want, but D* doesn't promise that you will receive it. Most installers haven't received any new HR20's in a few months. You will be stuck with whatever the installer happens to have on his truck at the time.
You will be fine with either one, if you don't need the tuner the HR21 is better looking and the one you will most likely get.
The HR21's run a bit cooler then the HR20-700. The HR21's also have a coax DD output, slighlty larger harddrive and an ethernet passthrough jack, the -700 doesn't.
Usually not, but software changes usually come to the HR20-700 first so if they make a change in the UI it will show up there first, but eventually make it to the HR21's.
Yes it does, and it includes all the local ATSC channels including the subchannels, and you don't need D* local channels to get it.
No, you can't record more then two channels at a time. If you connect it to the internet for DoD you can also record a DoD program at the same time as the two channels (two DBS or two OTA or one DBS/one OTA).
I think a lot of people are waiting for the new SWMSlimline dish to come out, this solution is taking D* a loooooong time to get out for general installs.
Yep, that is what I have been reading up on is that new SWM stuff. Going to study up on it. I am kinda liking what I have been reading. Why did you switch to Dish? Wow, I just noticed you are number 45 to join SatelliteGuys. You are a long timer
I'm a D* customer, I had E* for a couple years until the 811 and 921 were released, talk about your POS's, made me switch back. I had D* before trying E*, switched because E* had Showtime HD while D* didn't (back in the day when it was HBO or the HD Demo channel
).Yep, been here a long time, came over here when Scott had the falling out with DBS talk, I'm still active over there also.
I know my son is interested in the SWM solution since he'd says he would like to switch but running additional cableing would be a real PITA in his home. I'd like to get a SWM8 to make some wiring I have cleaner but at the $300 price that's floating around at the moment I'll keep the kluge that I have now, it works.
rad, yep, I hear you. If I switch to Direct I will have bunches of Dish stuff to sale. Would be pretty costly again because I like to kinda do it up right. The wife is still giving me hell for all we got for the Dish TV setup. Can you explain this what you said a little bit more for me?
"No, you can't record more then two channels at a time. If you connect it to the Internet for DoD you can also record a DoD program at the same time as the two channels (two DBS or two OTA or one DBS/one OTA)."
That is kinda a biggie for me not to be able to record OTA and two satellite channels at the same time. I do that all the time.
"No, you can't record more then two channels at a time. If you connect it to the Internet for DoD you can also record a DoD program at the same time as the two channels (two DBS or two OTA or one DBS/one OTA)."
That is kinda a biggie for me not to be able to record OTA and two satellite channels at the same time. I do that all the time.
Forget that I mentioned DoD then, the D* DVR's can record only TWO things at a time, not the two DBS and 1 OTA like the Dish receivers can.
OK, thanks. I would really miss not being able to record OTA and two channels at the same time. Tonight I could have used four tuners. There was four things on at 7PM the wife wanted recorded. I think that will be a deal killer for me for now to switch to Direct. Maybe they will do an improvement sometime so it can record three things at same time. I might have to think about it again. I really like that about the VIP722. Thanks again for all the info.
NP. One thing rumored to be coming down the line is Multi Room Viewing, they've mentioned a whole home solution on a number of financial conf calls. What this would allow is for viewing of something recorded on one HD DVR on another HD DVR over your in home ethernet network. I see you have three 722's according to your sig, if you got three HR21's like you have on the 722's you'd be able to record two things on each and then watch the recording on any of the HR21's.
No, there is no time frame on when this would be available and it hasn't been demo'ed. But at last months CES show D* did show a PC runing a client that showed content from a HR2X DVR, so since they're working on the server part in the HR2X series maybe it's not too far away, we can hope.
Would you believe that two 722s and the 625 all have agile modulated out rigged up and all TVs in my home can receive the modulated out signal. Even the TVs at those three receiver locations can view themselves. But, we hardly ever use the TV2 out. When my wife is working out in the basement, she watches recorded shows from one of the 722s and I watch it too at the 722 that is running the program. But, guess what, lucky me, I have to work the remote control. So, no need to put the DVR in TV2 mode. Actually, we keep all of receivers in single mode so we can use PIP and not have the recording issues when the DVRs are put into the TV2 mode, etc. The 722 in the main room and the 722 in the master bedroom are programed timer set identical. If we don't finish watching a recorded program at one location we can finish it up at the other without using the TV2 out. That is why I like to be able to record three channels on each DVR. Pretty anal I guess. That is what the wife calls me anyway. LOL Looks like Direct has some exciting new projects coming up. I will start following it all. When they fix the DVRs so they can record three things at once, I might just jump ship from Dish. I could care less about all the HD hype war going on. I am more into the quality and neat figures of the equipment. Thanks for the info on the HR2X series.
If you're waiting for the three things at once (beside DoD) it's going to be a long wait then according to what I've seen, there are no plans to add that function.
But adding MVR would be good for what you're doing. No need to set identical timers on both HR2X's, just set it up on one. Then when MVR is rolled out you start watching a show in the main room and then if you go to the bedroom you tell that receiver to use the recording from the main room HR2X and show it on the bedrooms HR2X via your ethernet connection.
- Status
