[bcronin]

The HR10-250 HD DVR will continue to receive and record all of DirecTV's standard and HiDef MPEG2 channels, which should be around for a few more years. It will also receive and record your local over-the-air HDTV channels forever.

What it won't be able to do is receive the new DirecTV MPEG4 local HDTV channels, which are gradually rolling out across the country in major cities during 2006 and 2007. But this should only be an issue for you if you cannot receive your local HDTV channels with an antenna.

And, if you decide you want to replace your dish and HR10-250 when those channels become available in your area, DirecTV has stated that they will offer attractive upgrade/replacement programs for older equipment.

Are the NY metro HD locals already MPEG4? If so, then I presume that me getting an HR10-250 now would be a mistake?

 

[bcronin]

Thanks for your replys. I am still very disappointed that DriecTv has decided to try to come out with their own DVRs instead of keeping their partnership with TiVo. I have tried one of those cheap TiVo knock offs at a friends house and they don't hold a candle to the real thing. Most of the ones I have seen are just hard drive based VCRs, not much else. Other than the fact that DirecTv wants to try to get ALL of your TV dollars, I don't see why they can't keep TiVo. If companies like Comcast or Knowledgy come out with Tivo based DVR's, I will drop DirecTv. Someone posted something about a TiVo cable card. What exactly is this?
Ivar

I heard a rumor that CableVision was planning to test market a dual-tuner cablecard TiVo-software based DVR. Although I have been with DirecTv over 10 years and have quite a bit of loyalty to the platform, the lack of some of the nicer TiVo refinements (such as dual buffers) in the DTV DVR software is a real show stopper for me. I'd *almost* rather forego HD altogether just so I could keep the superior TiVo features of my two SD DVR's. If CableVision offered a dual-tuner TiVo-based HD DVR, I'd have a very tough decision. I don't exactly consider CableVision a good company to have to deal with, but if DirecTv can't deliver equivalent functionality in their "new" HD DVR's that I've been enjoying for years, then I'd probably make the switch (although I'd obviously prefer to not to have to).