Activation recommendation

[mskreis]

I just purchased an HR10-250 from Newegg. This is my second one and I forsee using it in 12- 18 mos when I get another HD TV. I would like to test it out for at least a month to ensure I didn't get a lemon. I also want to avoid the "lease" issues many others have experienced.

I assume that I must activate it now in order to do this. Are there any other options?

Thanks

[rminsk]

If you want to use it you must activate it. I'm not sure if there are any other options here.

[mskreis]

If you want to use it you must activate it. I'm not sure if there are any other options here.

I don't actually want to use it for at least a year but I would like to test it to ensure its working properly.

[ayrton911]

Just make sure they get it marked down as owned, if you want to own it. If they don't get it marked down as owned the first time, call back and keep working with them until they do.

For me, it appears they got it right from the start. It was the first thing I told the guy, when I called in to activate. I told him how I emailed Newegg and DirecTV to confirm it would be owned.

He seemed to completely not care about it being owned. He never even tried to suggest it would be leased. At the end I made him check it again, and he said I was set after looking up the receiver's smart card.

[hiker]

I don't actually want to use it for at least a year but I would like to test it to ensure its working properly.
You don't have to activate it with D* for a simple basic checkout without recording capability. Connect phone line and satellite inputs, and go through Guided Setup. You should then be able to view chan 100.

[mskreis]

You don't have to activate it with D* for a simple basic checkout without recording capability. Connect phone line and satellite inputs, and go through Guided Setup. You should then be able to view chan 100.

Thanks, that is kind of what I'm interested in doing.

[Yog-Sothoth]

Thanks, that is kind of what I'm interested in doing.

You could just use an OTA antenna and no satellite signal; just hit the DirecTV button when the "Searching for Satellite" screen comes up, and set it to OTA-only in Guided Setup.

[LarryInAz]

You could just use an OTA antenna and no satellite signal; just hit the DirecTV button when the "Searching for Satellite" screen comes up, and set it to OTA-only in Guided Setup.

If you connect an OTA antenna and don't activate the unit with Directv will you be able to record OTA channels? I'm guessing not. I'm assuming you can't setup any manual recordings and create season passes. At the very least if you can watch live OTA and maybe watch the 30 minute buffer wouldn't you also see the "nag" at the bottom of the screen requesting you to call Directv to activate the unit? :confused: