mjm76 wrote:Just got off the phone with DirecTV and they are going to install my HR20(HDDVR plus) next Friday (9/22/06). They are also going to install the new AT9 MPEG4 dish so I can pickup the local HD channels from DirecTV.
I can't wait for my new HD DVR!!!!!!!!!!
I am really looking forward to it. Now I can watch TV on my own time and not the network schedules.
I got it hooked up today. So far so good but I have only recorded a couple of shows. I like the interface also but this is my first DVR. Unfortunately I have always had a VCR and this HR20 blows it away in the things it can do.
I will report back after a few weeks to let everyone know how it is going.
Hi folks. Been away for awhile for various reasons, but I just got a new HR20-700 installed yesterday and thought I'd chime in.
The hard disk is LOUD.
The user interface is LOUSY compared to Tivo. The only good feature I've found so far is the red/green button to jump forward and back 12 hours at a time in the guide. You have to hit the guide button twice to actually see the guide. The first press gives you a menu of guide filters. With Tivo you get the guide in it's current setting and then an option to change it from there. The main menu is really confusing and hard to navigate.
The OTA antenna is not yet operable (not a problem since what I want to record is on the mpeg4 locals anyway).
The second buffer is not operable, so even though you can record one show and watch another or record 2 at the same time, you can't pause and switch back and forth between the 2 tuners.
The remote is absolutely, positively horrible. The transport buttons are way at the top - not convenient for DVR use. Thank goodness I'm using my Harmony.
The picture quality does seem excellent in limited viewing (I did record a late night episode of Bikini Destinations last night but haven't had time to do any in depth observations), and all the basic functions seem to work. And that's all I really need since I only watch a few HD shows per week. And I wanted to be able to do some HDTV demos on demand (see Bikini Destinations above).
What sealed the deal for me was full HD component output since my Mits CRT RPTV doesn't have DVI or HDMI input and a $250 credit from DirecTV making my total cost including installation and 5 lnb dish only $70. A reasonable deal to timeshift my HD series.
So it's no Tivo but it gets the job done. Fortunately they have the ability to fix the software at some point.
Yes. It was $299 plus $20 installation thru DirecTV. I called the retention department directly and said I wanted to buy it but I wanted the credit to offset the cost. Since I've been a customer for almost 10 years and spending almost $100/month they gave it to me no questions asked.
akirby...if you hit the guide button twice it will take you right to the main guide and bypass the first one. I was able to program my MX-3000 with macros where it bypasses the first guide...I'm not sure if you can do it with Harmony...
I like the fact that this new unit outputs 480i out of the RCA jacks
simultaniously along with the HDMI 720P/1080i output. Now I don't have to bother switching the unit to 480i everytime I know I'm gonna use my sling player or wireless setups... Also 90 minute pause time verses 30 minutes. Better scaler, it is faster too. Hard drive is not loud..(quiet as a mouse) (no fan I guess?)...My HR10-250 TiVo "was" loud!...About the only thing I don't like is it doesn't seem to advance instantly to the place where you left off when you rewind back to see something and then want to bounce right back...Maybe I'm missing something?...
Jeff - hitting guide twice doesn't "bypass" the intermediate menu - it just goes through it quicker. It's just a stupid design decision since most people want the same guide filter 99% of the time.
I would have sworn I heard the hard drive clicking on mine - I'll check it again tomorrow to see where the noise is coming from. Maybe it's defective.
Not sure what you mean by instantly returning where you left off after rewinding - you'll have to explain that.
You know, Like if you would rewind back to watch something on the HR10-250 and then want to go back to current you just hit the advance button (>l) and in a heartbeat you're there...with the HR20 it doesn't seem to have this ability...even though the button looks the same. >l
Oh - you're talking about Tivo's Skip to End button. Yes, I miss that, too. You can skip to the tick marks by holding the rew or ff buttons but it's a real PITA. Tivo's solution of hitting the skip back or forward button while rewinding or fast forwarding works easier.
I really like the picture quality and one-touch recording (hit record once to record one show one time, twice to get a "season pass" with default options. If they'd just fix a few things this would be a worthy competitor. As it is, I can live with it for the opportunity to timeshift my HD viewing.
