Will HR10-250 OTA work if I drop Directv HD?

[bobbo007]

Hi,

I realize that 95% of our viewing time is OTA HD. I want to be able to continue to record OTA programming with our HR10-250 both SD & HD.

Questions:

1. If we drop Directv completely, can we still view and record OTA programming both HD & SD.

2. If we drop down to the family package (the lowest cost programming they have) and dump our HD channels can we still view and record OTA programming both HD & SD.

3. Related to the above: Will we still have a guide for OTA and will we see a Now Playing list of OTA programs we recorded.

Thanks,

Bob

[TonyTheTiger]

Simple straight answers...

1. No. The HR10 will work as an HD receiver ONLY. No DVR functions will work.

2. Yes.

3. You should do, yes.

[bobbo007]

for $29.99...and finding out that they will charge me $5.99 to keep the dvr record service, OK, I can live with that..... AND there is no way to take off their HD Access for $9.99. So the total would be $45.97.

I don't want their HD access as I never really watch it?

Do you think I need to talk to a rep and see if they will drop the HD access for me? If so, will that affect recording HD OTA?

Thanks,

Bob

[weaknees]

for $29.99...and finding out that they will charge me $5.99 to keep the dvr record service, OK, I can live with that..... AND there is no way to take off their HD Access for $9.99. So the total would be $45.97.

I don't want their HD access as I never really watch it?

Do you think I need to talk to a rep and see if they will drop the HD access for me? If so, will that affect recording HD OTA?

Thanks,

Bob

You will need the DVR service to record OTA. If they are willing to drop HD access, you should still be able to get and record OTA channels, presuming you have the DVR service.

[stevel]

However, their recent policy is that an HD receiver requires HD service. This is mainly for new activations but it would not surprise me if they also applied this to attempts to drop the service for existing activations.

[John T Smith]

>recent policy is that an HD receiver requires HD service

Interesting... I bought an HR10-250 (new on eBay) just over a year ago to put in my movie theater

I don't have HD service, but wanted the larger capacity to be able to build up a library of movies (I did not know, then, about putting a larger hard drive in one of the SD units)

I didn't say what kind it was when I activated it (but, I am sure DTV would know from the serial number) and they have never said anything about adding the HD fee... so I will guess this unit is "grandfathered" under the old rate

[TonyTheTiger]

There's too little MPEG2 HD on the boxes for them to insist on you paying for it, especially with two less channels than before.

The HR10 is little more than a large capacity SD box now anyway, so I find it hard to believe that you can't use it as an SD receiver without an HD sub.

[stevel]

Nevertheless, that is the policy, as of mid-October 2007, I believe. There was "plenty" of HD content for the first two-plus years of the HR10's life, and there isn't any less right now (though there will be less over the coming year.)

[cougfan]

I dropped Dtv but still have an HR10-250. With the tourney coming up next week, I'd like to plug it in to get my OTA CBS channel (which uses its sub-channels to broadcast three games at once).

I don't need to record anything, just watch it.

Am I in luck?

[stevel]

Yes, the HR10 will function as an OTA receiver without satellite service.