Moving from SD to HD, should I stick with Tivo?

[hdvr22]

I currently have 3 hdvr2's all setup with home networking & stuff, so it's nice, I can record 6 things at a time, and share them all...
I basically want the same thing in HD. I like the tivo interface, but am not married to it.
What do you think is the best way to go?
Should I get a HR10 and setup networking on it, or get whatever is new with Directv now?

[JimSpence]

If you don't need or want the upcoming MPEG4 HD, then see if you can get an HR10.

[hdvr22]

Hi Jim,
Whats MPEG4 do for me?.. and do you think they'll eventually make those stop working?
Thanks.

[TonyD79]

Since you are not tied to the Tivo interface, go with the HR20. It will be compatible with future HD on DirecTV and I have better luck with its OTA than I do with the HR10.

Sadly, the HR10 is going to be very limited in the future (eventual loss of satellite HD for it) with SD and OTA only.

[amallon]

Should I get a HR10 and setup networking on it, or get whatever is new with Directv now?

None of the HD Tivo boxes have any media sharing/networking options. You'd have to hack the HR10 to do this.

[JimSpence]

Is you want your local HD stations delivered by DirecTV, then you'll need an MPEG4 compatible receiver. Also, the new national HD channels will be MPEG4.

If I were in your situation, I would go with the new stuff from DirecTV, including the 5LNB dish and the HR20. Your older HDVR2s will work just fine with the new dish.

[skaeight]

I am in mid transition to HD - have the tv, but waiting for the HR20 install. I didn't even think about it for 2 seconds when deciding to go with an HR20 as opposed to a S3 or HR10-250.

HR20 vs S3 pretty much comes down to one question:

"Which is more important to you, directv or Tivo?"

For me it was directv. I can't get NESN and EI together anywhere else, and I just all around love d*'s service so that was easy for me.

The other thing to take into consideration when comparing the the HR20 and a S3 is the retail prices (it is possible to get both cheaper either with negotiation or hunting for deals, so that is a wash):

HR20 - $299
S3 - $799

Also the DVR service cost:

D* - $6 unlimited DVRs - 2 year commitment (when activating HR20)
tivo - $12.95 PER DVR - 3 year commitment

So HR20 is obviously the cost winner.

The next question, HR20 vs HR10-250, shouldn't even be a question anymore. Don't even consider the HR10-250 at this point. They are launching the new satellite in June and all of the new HD channels will be MPEG-4. Unless you want to stick with their current HD offering, it would be a complete waste of money to get an HR10-250.

That's how I made my decision anyways. Circumstances may be different for different people, but d* and HR20 is a very attractive option.

I have had numerous tivos over the years and have been a huge supporter of them. However, I'm moving on because they have gotten too expensive in both the box and service. It seems like the S3 isn't doing all that well, and when you think about it besides tivo loyalists, why would anyone choose the S3 over either a d*/e*/ or cable dvr? All three of the other options offer integrated solutions which are much cheaper.

[Stanley Rohner]

I'm sure happy with my HR20.

I bought a 500Gig eSATA drive for it Thursday night.

Hooked it up and it works great.

[terpfan1980]

Definitely take the HR20 at this point. As much as I like TiVo and enjoyed my HR10 (since passed along for Wife and daughter to use), the knowledge that there's a bunch of coming HD channels that won't be available on the HR10 was enough to convince me to learn to deal with the HR20.

The HR20 has gotten better over the last several software releases and is an acceptable DVR at this point. It receives MPEG4 locals right now, and will receive new HD content as it gets added.

As a bonus, it's an interactive/PLUS+ receiver so it works with things like Nascar Hotpass, the Active channels, and more.

I still wish that DirecTV hadn't broken off the relationship with TiVo (for the most part it's broken off now), and that we'd have gotten S3 DirecTV boxes, but it just hasn't happened, and doesn't look likely to happen now.

Meanwhile I'll keep happily using the HR10, and older S2 type DirecTV DVR with TiVo box that I have. They work fine, and until I'm independently wealthy enough to go HD everywhere in the house, I'll keep on chugging with those boxes.

[skaeight]

I'm going to preface this with the fact that I never used an HR10-250, but have several Directivos and also had a SA tivo at one point.

I got the HR20 installed last week, and with the exception of one tuner being DOA (they're sending a replacement) I really really like the box. I do like the interactive features, it's a nice add on. The guide works very well, and is very fast. Picture quality is utterly amazing, especially on the MPEG-4 channels (YESH, SNYH).

Myself included, I think people just got hung up on tivo and thought no one else could possibly make a successful DVR. I think directv has done that with the HR20. Sure it is a different approach, but that doesn't make it bad. I don't miss suggestions or be beeps and boops. Also there are areas that the HR20 is actually further ahead than the S3 - it has esata enabled, but the S3 doesn't. That says a lot to me. They've also added HMO features to the HR20 (sans multi room viewing). Finally VOD is launching very soon only on the HR20 which will enable scheduling recordings over the web. These are all signs to me that d* is really trying to make this box work well and have most if not all of the features that tivos have.

Tivo really should have done everything they could have to stay partnered with d* (maybe they did). I just don't see the stand alone market as a viable market for DVRs anymore because people want to pay one bill and have the device work seamlessly.

[rminsk]

II got the HR20 installed last week, and with the exception of one tuner being DOA (they're sending a replacement) I really really like the box.Unfortunately not everyone has had the same experience you have had. For some people the box is still not stable. I can not trust it to record. I'm glad I have my HR102-50 as a backup.

[TonyTheTiger]

I have two Hr20s and an HR10 in my household. The ONLY reason the HR20s are there is because I have no other way to receive HD locals (too far from a large city and local cableco sux).

IMHO, the HR20s are pieces of junk. They do not work that well. Apart from the obvious differences of them not being TiVo, no dual buffers, etc., they skip and jump all over the place, suffer terribly from audio dropout, record shows with no sound or fail to record a complete show. Trick play is very intermittent and rarely works the same way twice, HDMI has NEVER worked for me - I have a 32" LCD and have to connect it via component. Also, the sync problems of HD shows makes some of them unwatchable, even when trying the pause/play trick.

The guide stinks for anyone who wants to see anything more than what's on for the next couple of hours. Yes, I know I can list each channel's upcoming programming, but I miss the TiVo guide , which, IMO, is much better.

I have the latest updates (I'm a regular on DBSTalk) but I'm still not ready to accept that the HR20 is even remotely a good box. Sure, it has some nice features and is quicker than the HR10, but I'd take the HR10 any day if there was some way I could get the HD locals.

By contrast, the HR10 is in my office. It hasn't been connected to a phone line since last September when I got the HR20s. It sits there quietly doing everything it did when it was new and the only thing it ever complains about is not being connected to a phone line for the last 200 days!