HR10-250 TiVo will *never* receive MPEG-4 HD channels

[tonyquan]

Moderators: Can we make this post a sticky? I'm sick of seeing the same questions asked over and over.

FAQs:

Q. Can the HR10-250 receive the new HD channels coming this Fall?
A. No. The new channels are transmitted on a different satellite band, and with a different encoding (MPEG-4). The HR10-250 does not possess the hardware required to receive and decode these signals.

Q. Would it be possible to add software to the HR10-250 to convert/decode the new channels?
A. No. The video decoder in the HR10-250 is designed to efficiently handle MPEG-2 only, not the newer MPEG-4. For those who say "my PC's CPU can decode MPEG-4, why can't the HR10-250?" the CPU in an HR10-250 is far too slow to decode MPEG-4 in realtime, it is many times slower than the CPU in your PC. It could take literally days for software running on the HR10-250 to decode an MPEG-4 stream.

Q. Is it possible to add a hardware device to enable the HR10-250 to receive the new HD channels?
A. No such device exists today. Even if it did, the HR10-250 would require significant modification (software, hardware, or both) to work with such a device. No entity is working on anything like this.

Q. Is there any way to get the new HD channels and keep the TiVo interface?
A. No, not at the present time. The only PVR DirecTV supports that will get the new HD channels is the HR20, which does not have the TiVo interface. The TiVo Series 3 and TiVo HD only support recording from antennas or cable, not satellite.

Q. When will the HR10-250 stop being able to record HD channels from satellite?
A. DirecTV has set no definitive date for this. Even when that happens, the HR10-250 can still record broadcast HDTV using a standard TV antenna, and will be able to record standard-definition DirecTV channels for the forseeable future.

[captain_video]

That sounds good in theory, but you're assuming that anyone looking for the answers to these questions will actually read the stickys first. If past history is any barometer then you can bet these questions will still show up regularly even if there's a sticky on the topic. Most people feel it's easier to ask the same question than waste their time trying to search or read through the sticky threads.

[phox_mulder]

Newbies don't know nuthin' 'bout readin' no stickies.

Or doing a simple search.

Or spending a couple hours reading the recent posts.


phox

[jdmac29]

Some guy in the weaknees forums posted a directv rep was going to send him the b band converters and that tivo was going to send a software update to enable his hr10-250 to receive mpeg4 channels from directv's new sat.
I told him not to believe a csr but he said she insured him. Some guys never learn, I even told him to ck out these forums and dbstalk but he was trusting the rep from directv. I have found out that folks in the forums know more than most of the directv employees and the installers.

[captain_video]

How much did she insure him for? :rolleyes:

[sluciani]

Tony gets one big ATTABOY from me. :) He asked the right questions and answered them perfectly, IMO. /s

[Budget_HT]

Tony gets one big ATTABOY from me. :) He asked the right questions and answered them perfectly, IMO. /s
+1

[Castaa]

Q. When will the HR10-250 stop being able to record HD channels from satellite?
A. DirecTV has set no definitive date for this. Even when that happens, the HR10-250 can still record broadcast HDTV using a standard TV antenna, and will be able to record standard-definition DirecTV channels for the forseeable future.

Thanks this answers my question. I hope for at least a year or two. :up: