DirecTV DVR

[dcarp23]

We recently switched from Comcast to DirecTV and with the receiver that DirecTV provided us, I am unable to hook up my Tivo (I can't change the DirecTV channels using the Tivo remote because the infrared sensors don't mesh up).

Therefore I need to buy a new DVR for the DirecTV. Should I simply get the one that the company offers or is there a better option out there? Does buying one off of ebay or Craigs List work just as well?

[TNTDevil]

We recently switched from Comcast to DirecTV and with the receiver that DirecTV provided us, I am unable to hook up my Tivo (I can't change the DirecTV channels using the Tivo remote because the infrared sensors don't mesh up).

Therefore I need to buy a new DVR for the DirecTV. Should I simply get the one that the company offers or is there a better option out there? Does buying one off of ebay or Craigs List work just as well?I have two DirecTV DVRs, one HD and the other standard.

Both are quite good and the remote controls are very functional. I have no complaints.

However, one of the absolute best electronics purchases has to be my Logitech Harmony 880 remote control. This is one of the slickest devices I've ever used. It's completely programmable for practically any A/V device you may own using a web-interface to their (Logitech's) device command database. Very, very slick.

[Pacer]

I also have two TIVO's, one HD and one SD...

If you buy one off E-bay, be sure and get the card ID# (or the box SSN, I forget which) and call DirecTV to be sure that there is no back charges due on it. If you buy one that has back charges, they won't allow it to be hooked up until those are paid.

Other than that, just buy it with a CC via paypal and you should be fine... (the CC insurance can protect you from getting stuck with a dead box). Also, if you buy it via Ebay, be sure and tell them it is an owned box when you activate it.

I don't have experience with the DirecTV DVR interface.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Therefore I need to buy a new DVR for the DirecTV. Should I simply get the one that the company offers or is there a better option out there? Does buying one off of ebay or Craigs List work just as well?

Do you need an SD or HD DVR?

[SlimSlowSlider]

I have two DirecTivo boxes right now, but they are SD. I really want to go to HD, and saw where the DirecTv HD DVR is now $100. (I assume that I can get that price, and that it is not a "new customer" only price.)

I am thinking of taking the plunge, but also am considering Comcast and FIOS. The bundles they currently offer do not really save me much money, however, so I may stick with Direct.

What do people think about Comcast or FIOS? I don't watch tons of tv (mostly sports) so it probably does not matter much for me. And does anyone have a DirecTv Tivo box for HD (there is such a thing, isn't there)? I love the Tivo interface and will be giving that up reluctantly....

[Pacer]

Even better than a new customer is a existing customer who knows the customer retention number... (or call up and say you want to cancel, they'll send you to customer retention).. look all this up on sites such as DBSTalk... I've gotten every DVR for free from DirecTV... (two SD's, followed later by a HD). Just say something about wanting to switch to cable because you don't want to pay for the HD box... they'll usually either credit the amount to your account, or give you like $50 credit plus the HD package free for 5 months... (which is about $10 per month)...

[Clipsfan]

Even better than a new customer is a existing customer who knows the customer retention number... (or call up and say you want to cancel, they'll send you to customer retention).. look all this up on sites such as DBSTalk... I've gotten every DVR for free from DirecTV... (two SD's, followed later by a HD). Just say something about wanting to switch to cable because you don't want to pay for the HD box... they'll usually either credit the amount to your account, or give you like $50 credit plus the HD package free for 5 months... (which is about $10 per month)...

Solid advice; I did something similar and ended up getting HD free for a year and an additional $10/month for a year to offset the $120 I ended up fronting for the HD DVR. Unfortunately, the DVR is awful and I had them send me a new one because the old one wasn't working well (the screen went black at times, the DVR refused to play anything once etc).

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

And does anyone have a DirecTv Tivo box for HD (there is such a thing, isn't there)? I love the Tivo interface and will be giving that up reluctantly....

The older DirecTV HD DVR (MPEG2) had Tivo, but the HD DVRs that work with the new HD channels (MPEG4) do not have Tivo, nor will they.

I have the HR-21-700 (check out DBSTalk) and I like it fine (I was a Tivo fanatic myself close to 6 months ago). No it's not Tivo, but it works well and does most things Tivo did, albeit in a not nearly as easy manner.

Note: if you're going to FiOS for HD, the lineups will look a lot better this summer and even better by the end of the year.

[SlimSlowSlider]

Note: if you're going to FiOS for HD, the lineups will look a lot better this summer and even better by the end of the year.

What do you mean by "the lineups"?

Are you saying I should wait to the pull the trigger? (which i have been doing for far too long.... inertia) At this point, I suppose if the price is going to be about equal, i should just stick with Direct.

[Pacer]

DVRs that work with the new HD channels (MPEG4) do not have Tivo, nor will they.


It looked this way for a while... but I haven't given up hope... there are still glimmers that suggest a TIVO interface isn't out of the question in the future.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

It looked this way for a while... but I haven't given up hope... there are still glimmers that suggest a TIVO interface isn't out of the question in the future.

Yeah, I wouldn't bet on that happening anytime soon. The standard thought is that adding Tivo to one's DVR reduces churn, but with DirecTV's churn at an 8 year low, it doesn't look like they need any help.

I agree that it's possible that something like this could happen in the future, but that future probably won't be soon enough to impact someone's buying decision today (or this year).

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

What do you mean by "the lineups"?

Are you saying I should wait to the pull the trigger? (which i have been doing for far too long.... inertia) At this point, I suppose if the price is going to be about equal, i should just stick with Direct.

Sorry, I meant HD channel lineups. Right now, Verizon FiOS TV has about 30 HD channels. They're adding more HD channels over the summer and have announced a plan to have 150 channels by the end of 2008 (that'll make them roughly equal to DirecTV in terms of HD channels). There's no benefit to wait until later, just thought I'd share that FiOS TV is going to be getting better this year.

The biggest benefit of FiOS currently is in the Internet service, IMO.

[Pacer]

The FIOS DVR's around here can only supply one HD signal at a time... so that's a major drawback to me. (You can only watch or record one HD signal... you can't record two, and you can't record one and watch one at the same time... that's the ATT U-verse)

[OZZIE4DUKE]

The FIOS DVR's around here can only supply one HD signal at a time... so that's a major drawback to me. (You can only watch or record one HD signal... you can't record two, and you can't record one and watch one at the same time... that's the ATT U-verse)

Time Warner's HD DVR does that. Mine is several years old at this point. Does anyone know if newer TWC equipment has significant improvements or maybe even a network interface (like I've read y'all say about Tivo)?

[Pacer]

Does anyone know if newer TWC equipment has significant improvements or maybe even a network interface (like I've read y'all say about Tivo)?

To be clear, the network interface is only for non-DirecTV Tivo's.... I received a postcard late last year telling me to expect a software update to bring the network interface for the DirecTV Tivo's sometime about now.... but I haven't really heard anything more about it.

[alteran]

We recently switched from Comcast to DirecTV and with the receiver that DirecTV provided us, I am unable to hook up my Tivo (I can't change the DirecTV channels using the Tivo remote because the infrared sensors don't mesh up).

Therefore I need to buy a new DVR for the DirecTV. Should I simply get the one that the company offers or is there a better option out there? Does buying one off of ebay or Craigs List work just as well?

I'm not sure what you mean by "I can't change the DirecTV channels using the Tivo remote."

The standard method would be to use either a serial cable or an infrared cable to allow your TiVo to change the channels on your decoder box on it's own. This means your TiVo always knows what the channels are and which one you're on, and recording is seamless.

Here are some instructions (http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/connecting-tivo-to-a-cable-or-satellite-box/153115). The appropriate cables came with your TiVo. If you didn't hold on to them, you can order a new set.

While you may not have a serial connector on your decoder, my understanding is that your cable provider (e.g. DirectTV) is REQUIRED to provide a decoder box with a serial-out (allowing the Tivo to drive it) if you request one. I recently ordered DirectTV and they said they would provide me with one. (They couldn't get a signal, so it was moot. My neighbors have pine trees that scrape the moon.)

Even if you can't get a serial port, the infrared should absolutely work, although it's a bit of a kludge. Good luck!

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

The FIOS DVR's around here can only supply one HD signal at a time... so that's a major drawback to me. (You can only watch or record one HD signal... you can't record two, and you can't record one and watch one at the same time... that's the ATT U-verse)

Pacer, that doesn't sound right to me. FiOS TV DVRs should be able to record 2 shows at once, and watch a third previously recorded one. You may have a bad DVR.

If you're talking about not having Dual Live Buffers, then yes you'd be correct.

[SlimSlowSlider]

Pacer, that doesn't sound right to me. FiOS TV DVRs should be able to record 2 shows at once, and watch a third previously recorded one. You may have a bad DVR.

If you're talking about not having Dual Live Buffers, then yes you'd be correct.

The Direct HD DVR does not have Dual Live Buffers, either, does it? That is the one thing that I will miss the most.

[Pacer]

The ATT U-Verse FIOS DVR's can record two shows at once and watch a third, provided the two shows being recorded are both SD... And its not a function of a bad one... its an admitted feature... Actually, the FIOS DVR's can record 4 SD feeds at a time... (Again, I am only familiar with the ATT U-verse offerings) So, that's a plus... but the single HD feed is the bummer... Keep in mind, you can record one HD while watching another fully recorded HD. But when I said watch simultaneously with recording, I meant watch a live HD feed while recording an HD feed... you can't do that.

I don't have one mind you.. Maybe I've gotten bad information, but I've gotten it from multiple sources and every time I discuss it, everyone acknowledges that is how it works...

As to Slim.. you are also correct regarding the DirecTV non-tivo DVR... no dual live buffers... but you can get around that by just recording what you would normally have in the buffers... its a bit annoying to have to do though.

**Edit:

Ok, here's some backup on what I'm saying:

http://www.uverseusers.com/component/option,com_openwiki/Itemid,36/id,faq/


"Current Drawbacks

As a new service, there are some drawbacks.

*
You currently can only receive one HD stream at a time. "

"The current limit is four streams, but only one of those streams can be an HD stream. AT&T is planning on making a second HD stream available in the second quarter of 2008."

So, there is plan for expansion.. so that's nice.

[jimmymax]

we just got our TWC HD DVR. it has a network interface but from what i've heard even if you enable it, TWC sends signals nightly to disable it.

[Clipsfan]

The Direct HD DVR does not have Dual Live Buffers, either, does it? That is the one thing that I will miss the most.

Yeah, losing that sucked. The work around is to actually record both channels and switch back and forth, but the live buffers was much better.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Sorry to turn this thread into a FiOS DVR discussion, but I'm confident that the FiOS DVR will record two HD shows at the same time. Verizon uses a Moto QIP6416 HD DVR (http://broadband.motorola.com/business/digitalvideo/product_qip6416_settop.asp) box that definitely has dual HD tuners.

FiOS TV is a lot different than U-verse, so that may explain some of the confusion. Unlike U-verse product, FiOS TV isn't IPTV... yet.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

we just got our TWC HD DVR. it has a network interface but from what i've heard even if you enable it, TWC sends signals nightly to disable it.

Those ba***rds!

How do you enable it to begin with? By connecting it to a computer or via the remote control?

At least we can buffer two HD streams at the same time.