HR10 has external antenna which new dvr has that option?

[allenn]

I use the external antenna input for my local channels. What new box has the same option?

[bpratt]

The HR20-700 or HR20-100.

[JimSpence]

My new HR20's OTA tuner seems to be better than the HR10's.

[litzdog911]

I agree that the HR20's off-air reception is bit better than my HR10-250, fed from the same antenna. It's not dramatically better, though.

[milominderbinder]

Here are some resources from the FAQ (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=76617):

Why would I want to connect a TV antenna to my HR20 satellite receiver? How do I do it?
→ Dozens of Great HD Channels are Just Waiting for You (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=817199#post817199)
→ Adding More HD Channels to Your HR20 (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=870155&postcount=5)

My HR20's get 27 out of 28 Chicago HD channels at 57 miles out. That last channel is 100 times less poweer than the rest!

- Craig

[allenn]

Thanks for the replies. One of the reviews I read gave me the inpression the antenna connection was not active. I wanted to make sure before I switch off the Hr10-250 and move to something else. Will the HR21 have external antenna input?

[tonyquan]

Thanks for the replies. One of the reviews I read gave me the inpression the antenna connection was not active. I wanted to make sure before I switch off the Hr10-250 and move to something else. Will the HR21 have external antenna input?

the HR20 does have antenna input. when the box was first released, the input was not active, so you may have been reading an old review.

on the other hand, the HR21 does *not* have an antenna input, and it will never have one (it's physically not present).

[hankster]

the dish vip622 and vip722 hd dvrs have a single OTA tuner in addtion to two sat tuners, and can record from all three simultaneously while you watch a recorded show. if only lived in an area that could get hd ota... they have dual live buffers that you can toggle between. PIP functionality is built in to dvrs that uses the dual liver buffers to do standard PIP or can show two feeds in side-by-side windows that fill the screen - works well on a 16x9 hdtv. though there is a bit of black border above and below when viewing two hd feeds side by side.

[Indiana627]

My new HR20's OTA tuner seems to be better than the HR10's.
+1 Same antenna with same coax going to my HR20-100 is much more reliable than my old HR10.

[RS4]

The one thing to know is that the HR10-250 scans for signals in the local area, while the HR20 uses a database that must be constantly updated. So, if you don't get the local channel, you have to get them to update the database.

[Rigelian]

The HR10-250 couldn't get most of the OTA network channels in my area, the HR20-100 and HR20-700 can. (Prior to getting the HR20s I had to get the LA feeds for NBC, ABC and CBS for HD) However, getting the local HD channels by the dish pretty much obviated that issue.

The HR20s have an external antenna option, I think that the HR21s will not. At least that is what I've been hearing.

[rminsk]

However, getting the local HD channels by the dish pretty much obviated that issue.

The HR20s have an external antenna option, I think that the HR21s will not. At least that is what I've been hearing.Top bad DirecTV does not carry all the subchannels, recompresses the locals, and does not carry all the locals I can receive other the air.

[TyroneShoes]

The one thing to know is that the HR10-250 scans for signals in the local area, while the HR20 uses a database that must be constantly updated. So, if you don't get the local channel, you have to get them to update the database.
Well, that's partly true, but potentially misleading. For the sake of clarity here's what I know, leading up to a question about what I don't know:

I not completely sure about some aspects of the HR20, but the HR10 uses the same legacy service, Tribune Inc., to maintain the channel and EPG information which it keeps in its database, and downloads it to a local database in the HR10, as standalone Tivos have always used. The HR10 does not use PSIP information gathered locally from a periodic signal scan, as it does not include a PSIP decoder.

But, any device with a ATSC tuner performs a signal scan prior to first use, so that it can remap the channel numbers, so yes there is scanning and storing of info for both devices. But the HR10 does not use any of the PSIP information. Both devices have a DB that must be periodically updated, but the HR10 only updates its channel map table from the signal scan, and only once, or when a rescan is initiated. All other info is updated by either sat or phone downloads.

There is a primary and secondary market list of OTA ATSC channels chosen manually at setup, and whether you can actually receive the channels or not is not considered in folding those two lists to the main channel list. It is expected that if you can't receive a channel on the list, you will simply exclude it from "Channels I Receive", a system which seems to work fairly well.

Obviously, the MPEG-4 channels for the HR20 are not updated from information from the local scan of OTA channels, but if it contains an OTA tuner, it scans them just like the HR10. If the HR20 is set up properly, it should automatically fold in the 4+ MPEG-4 locals for your area. I can't imagine the purpose of updating a DB for that, so other than the MPEG-4 channels actually being sat (DVB) channels, I would not expect the HR10 and HR20 to be very different regarding their DBs or their methods of keeping them current.

Any ATSC tuner that misses a particular OTA channel in a scan for whatever reason (off the air at the time, low power for maintenance, new channel, etc.) will typically require a rescan to fold that channel back into the lineup, regardless of whether its a HR10 or an HR20 or anything else.

Both have DBs that must be periodically updated. Both scan locally for OTA signals, as a part of setting up or even refreshing that DB. Obviously, the DB for Tribune doesn't drop channels sporadically, so a local rescan for an HR10 can always fix that sort of problem without DTV intervening.

Wouldn't that be the same for the HR20?

[allenn]

Do both models have antenna input? Which model do you get from D*?

[litzdog911]

Do both models have antenna input? Which model do you get from D*?

Yes, both have OTA antenna input.

[JimSpence]

... However, getting the local HD channels by the dish pretty much obviated that issue....That isn't the case for everyone.
Top bad DirecTV does not carry all the subchannels, recompresses the locals, and does not carry all the locals I can receive other the air.
In my case, DirecTV doesn't carry any locals either SD or HD. And, to make things worse, we don't have an NBC or CW OTA affiliate.

Since I get the networks with DNS, I don't really care if DirecTV ever carries our locals.

[TonyTheTiger]

Do both models have antenna input? Which model do you get from D*?

There is no difference between the two. The numbers merely designate the manufacturer, not any differences in the unit itself.

[annenoe]

I agree that the HR20's off-air reception is bit better than my HR10-250, fed from the same antenna. It's not dramatically better, though.

Interesting... Had mine installed on Sunday and the installer told me it didn't work very well. I wonder if he didn't realize he was installing a newer model (HR20-700). So I just hooked the antenna directly to the TV. Will now have to go get a splitter so I can try it.

[stevel]

I wonder if he didn't realize he was installing a newer model (HR20-700).
I'm not sure what you're comparing against, but the HR20-700 is an older design, by about a year, than the HR20-100.

[TonyTheTiger]

I'm not sure what you're comparing against, but the HR20-700 is an older design, by about a year, than the HR20-100.

Actually, Steve, I believe they are both exactly the same. The 100/700 just identifies the manufacturer, but the design is identical.

[stevel]

No, they are definitely not the same. The -100 adds coaxial digital audio, a second Ethernet port and is a different layout internally. Even the hard disk is mounted differently in the two models. For more info, see http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=83811

See this for example:

http://hr20.dbstalk.com/images/hr20_100/small/img_6005.jpg

[TonyTheTiger]

I bow to your superior knowledge. I did not realize that.

Thanks Steve.

[allenn]

No, they are definitely not the same. The -100 adds coaxial digital audio, a second Ethernet port and is a different layout internally. Even the hard disk is mounted differently in the two models. For more info, see http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=83811

Do you order an HR20-100 or does D* send whatever?

[Indiana627]

Usually D* will send whatever. The best way to get the specific model you want is to buy it at a retailer.