Slashdot Mirror
DirecTV's New HD-DVR
Earl Bonovich writes to tell us that he recently had a chance to take a look at DirecTV's new HD-DVR, the HR20-700. His results are posted over at DBSTalk including several pictures and videos. Some of the features include high definition output, dual SAT tuners, dual ATSC tuners, wired RJ-45 ethernet port, external SATA connection, and a 300GB SATA internal hard drive that can hold 30 hours of MPEG-2 HD, 50 hours of MPEG-4 HD, or 200 hours of standard definition video.
Or Tivo will Smack you down! look at what happened to Dish Network yesterday...
It's a good start to get a peek at this new DVR. Unfortunately, if consumers were to base their choice on listed features, capacities, and pictures of the unit (they already barely do that, the DirectTV would be another DVR with really beefy meaty specs... and would be a top candidate for a great addition to the Home Entertainment Center. But, this isn't really the review I'm looking for.
I want to know (after using TiVo now for almost ten years, happily ever after):
This is just a partial list... but virtually none of which are really covered by the review in enough depth... too much to ask of one reviewer. I've been burned by the "wow" factor of a Comcast box (from a review), and now would wait for more concensus.
And, as an aside, does anyone else find it really annoying technology is going the way of PVR's becoming the providers' commodities rather than manufacturers? Assuming this new PVR is the greatest thing since sliced bread, it still wouldn't be enough of a draw to switch providers -- it's more than a little annoying to find that if you like x, y, or z about some PVR, you have to switch to that provider? WTF?
Interoperability with EVERYTHING (including over the air (OTA)) broadcast has been and continues to be one of the biggest draws for me with TiVo, though there's many indications of providers trying to shut TiVo out. Sigh.
This isn't EchoStar, but could they nab DirecTV, too? It'd be a shame to launch something just to have it shot down. (that said, the EchoStar case *did* take EONS before a ruling.... and it's already been temporarily suspended...)
DirectTV and TiVo came to an agreement earlier this year where DirectTV agreed to support the DirectTV TiVos until 2009. In return TiVo and DirectTV agreed not to sue each other for any DVR patent infringements.
So DirectTV won't suffer the same fate as Dish.
As an owner of both a DirecTV Tivo unit and a DirecTV Plus DVR, I can attest to the fact that the Tivo's interface is miles ahead of DirecTV's homegrown option in terms of usability and features. My hope is this will improve over time.
All of the VIDEO/AUDIO outputs are enabled at all times. The eSATA is not enabled at this time The Ethernet is "powered" and initilized, but there is no communication on the network from the device. The USB ports are also not enabled. There are disucssions going on how to use the eSATA port to it's fullest. The Ethernet is going to be in part for the future use with BroadBand VOD The USB Ports are at least slated to be used with the future DirecTV2Go product (no eta on that though)
For this reason alone, I think Sony's DVR is preferable.
It's a Sony, so whatever you do don't plug it into your computer.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Now that this box is out is seems that many a DirecTV customer (including myself) is weighing their options and it seems to be coming down to two things:
... and they say no?
... well if they are effectively going to force folks away from the well loved Tivo enabled hardware and only allow people to use the "one true hardware" that comes down to them from DirecTV, then they are going to force me and many others away as customers. As with many things it's about choice. The world of cable has choice, DirecTV does not. No Tivo choice, then it really starts to add up to a great big 'screw'em' sort of result for DirecTV as they switch over to MPEG4 and sunset their older hardware.
1) Switch to cable and *HAVE* a choice of series 3 Tivo / build a Myth, etc....
or
2) Stick with DirecTV on hardware that's dictated to the customer, offered by a company with a less than stellar reputation for customer satisfaction.
Hmm is it any surprise that #1 seems to be the popular choice?
Looking at it deeper, when customers of DirecTV who have Tivo systems have been utilizing the programming, Tivo is effectively the interface to the TV for them now. It is well put together. It works. It's intuitive. Universally they like the interface. Even my non-technical wife is the same, and way back when we sunset our series 1 tivo I was told spot on, the only acceptable upgrade was something with Tivo, so getting an HR10-250 was a no brainer. (o darn!)
But as time went forward and the features of the series 2 Tivo have been kept out of DirecTV Tivo offerings, my displeasure with DirecTV has risen. I've always found it amazing that direcTV never enabled any of the home media capabilities even tho the Tivo hardware in our direcTV box could have done it. Customers begging for it, begging to pay for it even
When it comes down to it, one can get the same programming as DirecTV over cable. The cable companies on account of the FCC and the cable card standard effectively have to play nice with the Series 3 Tivo or other hardware. The cable card standard has enabled choice.
DirecTV
Companies that take this sort of brutal approach and ignore their customers like that just don't survive for long in today's world. It's another great example of open vs closed, and yet again, open wins.
An ethernet port gives all sorts of interesting possibilities.. I wonder what they have planned for this?
How about:
- Content sharing to other DirecTV devices. My primary TV is downstairs, I would like a small satellite HD playback unit that can access content on the main DVR (don't the Moxi DVRs do this?).
- PC integration, access music and photos from my PC for display/playback through my HDTV+Stereo.
- Basic internet access via unit, WWW browser for display on HDTV.. sometimes this could be handy.
- Access guide data, firmware updates, PPV requests, and other DirecTV content via the Internet. This could eliminate the need for a phone connection to the unit.
- Additional storage on network (NFS, SMB) drives. Store content encrypted.
Somehow, I doubt they will be as aggressive as I'm hoping.
- Having to reboot at least once a week because of system freezes
- Losing the ability to select between first run, re-run, or all episodes of a series
- A lagging and unresponsive playback interface
- No ability to see the title of a series episode unless you have more than one recorded
- Frequently being told that you can't ask for something to be recorded because the 'list is full' of things automatically set to record in two weeks
- Tech support whose only answer is 'press reset'.
Maybe they will update the software on our boxes to fix these (finally) if they have done it in their HD box. My advice is - get the Tivo HD DirecTV box if it's still available before DirecTV sticky you with only their own proprietary choice.How did you get ahold of the Vista speech recognition technology? I thought that was still in internal trials at Microsoft...
I just moved and was evaluating between the big three and I was a DirectTV customer for 8 years and a DirectTV (low def) Tivo customer for 3 years.
I would LOVE to have stayed with DirectTV, but the fact that they severed their deal with TIVO and will NEVER upgrade their current HD/TIVO box killed the deal. I honestly don't care what this guys says in his review, the difference is significant and it is like comparing a Honda to a BMW. Yes they both have similar features, but you are either a Honda guy or not. The Honda guys will say all day long that their car is feature for feature as good, but they don't own a BMW.
So that left me with Cable and their DVR; in hopes that the Series 3 will be out soon. After working with this giant piece of crap for a month now, I can say that I am counting the days until the new Tivo series 3 comes out.
Now as far a cable VS sat goes, I can say that even Digital cable isn't near the quality of signal that my DirectTV signal was. The cable "fans" seem to disagree saying that "digital is digital" but that isn't the case for me. In my opinion, and I am willing to show just about anyone this; the quality kind of breaks down like this. (10 being the best).
1080P signal with BluRay input = 10
1080i or 720p signal input = 7
HD station on cable in standard format, normal DirectTV signal or good DVD (LOTR) = 6
Digital Cable = 4
Standard Cable = 3
Again, this is my opinion, but EVERYONE I have had over to look at this tends to agree. I still have my old TIVO and some stuff on it to compare so it makes it somewhat easy to compare the signals. What would have made me happy and I would have paid far more money for it would have been if DirectTV would not have killed their deal with TIVO. Also, it would have been great if they would have started to offer more HD content. But for some reason they decided to partner with Microsoft... I hope that works out for them as well as it has for every other company that has partnered with Microsoft...
Lastly, I don't want to hear how this "new" device is "just like or better" than a TIVO. That is your opinion, and if so then that is great for you. DirectTV just lost me as a customer for it, and everyone I can influence will never use them for service again.
The more I learn about science, the more my faith in God increases.
Don't sweat it ... I have a brand new DirecTiVo now because my old one died last week. When I went through customer service they noticed I'm a TiVo customer and offered me another one. It only works if you already have TiVo though.
Isn't the fantastic interface a TiVo thing and not DirecTV?
This login name for sale.