Comments on: HD on DirecTV: HR10-250, HR20, and HR21, and Channel Formats

By: Nettie

Nettie — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:04:28 +0000

Chris,

I was so happy I came accross your blog. It was VERY INFORMATIVE, I myself refuse to let go of what I already have!!! WAY To Go Chris!!! I totally agree with you 100%!

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:38:31 +0000

I got the same letter, phone call, AND email from DirecTV about how I was supposed to “get my free upgrade to the new DVR and get the new channels before we shut off the old channels in Feb 2009″.

I called and flew off the handle on them. 1) The “upgrade” units are refurbs (says so in the fine print), 2) they are all leased not owned units (no WK upgrades — ugh), 3) they are not TiVo (of course), 4) I would lose my OTA channels, 5) the “upgrade” would require me to get a new dish, and 6) it would charge me an additional HD charge for each of my five (5) units. I told them to go to heck.

The rep tried and tried to lure me in, I wasn’t buying it. And then I asked them “when are you cutting off the few HD channels I do get”. She said “in Feb when the digital change happens”. I said, “the two are completely unrelated! Why would you do that?” She passed me to her supervisor. Same conversation. He passed me to his supervisor. I told that person that I was going to upgrade when the new TiVos come out next year. He said “you and everybody else. We aren’t likely to cut off the HD channels for the old HD machines until well after those machines are out and installed.”

HTH,
Chris

By: Ken

Ken — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:00:14 +0000

I got an e-mail from Directv informing me of the new directivo hd. I do currently have an hr10-250, and get some HD channels. (From the sat and from the antenna) Does anyone know when they will cut off the channels I currently receive?? I will wait them out if they do cut off my NY locals….

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:33:56 +0000

From DirecTV website: Sep 3, 2008:

EL SEGUNDO and ALVISO, Calif. — Sept. 3, 2008 — DIRECTV, Inc. (NASDAQ: DTV), the nation’s leading satellite television service provider, and TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVR), announced today that they have extended their current agreement, which includes the development, marketing and distribution of a new HD DIRECTV DVR featuring the TiVo Service, as well as the extension of mutual intellectual property arrangements.

Under the terms of the non–exclusive arrangement, DIRECTV and TiVo will work together to develop a version of the TiVo® service for DIRECTV’s broadband-enabled HD DVR platform. The product will support the latest TiVo and DIRECTV features and services, including TiVo’s Universal Swivel Search and TiVo KidZone. TiVo will develop the new HD DVR for an expected launch in the second half of 2009.

and it goes on and one for many more paragraphs

By: Jerry

Jerry — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:43:53 +0000

Ken, obviously your directv cust service rep couldn’t see 3 days into the future.
My question is this; do you have an HR10-250?
And are you able to receive any HD channels? Do you receive OTA HD channels through your HR10-250? Thanks.

By: Ken

Ken — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:13:50 +0000

I just got a call from Directv and they told me they would be shutting off the HD channels my HD receiver can recicve in the near future. they offered me a replacement free and with no commitments, i asked if the replacement had a tivo interface, the rep said, we are trying to get away from tivo interface, our contract ends with tivo in 2010, and we will phase them out. I told him I’ll live with the OTA HD channels, and will go to cable if they shut down my tivo.

When will they get the message? I have been a DIRECTV customer since 1997.

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:19:00 +0000

I upgraded to the new DTV HD dish, and now my Tivo does not get any channels. I thought only the new HD channels would not be visible, but all channel are not working. Anyone come across this before?

By: Tommy

Tommy — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:50:28 +0000

Just a comment, Tivo could make a mint by selling a box capable of taking HD input and recording it to disk. I like my DTV service and I love my Tivo, If I have to choose I will most likely choose Tivo, but I have had such issue with different cable companies in the past, I don’t know how well it will go.

By: Ted

Ted — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:52:46 +0000

FYI, my HR10 does NOT receive local channels in HD (I’m in the LA market); they have been switched over to MPEG-4. I receive ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, HDTheater, and maybe one other channel. Also, as an installer, I’ve seen quite a few HR21’s acting up, locking up, and being very unreliable. So try at your own risk.

By: Frank Russell

Frank Russell — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:17:00 +0000

It looks like there are two paths available to me; if DirecTV wins out, then they get me to switch over to their DVR, and I get to watch their HD channels. If TiVo wins out, I tell DirecTV to go away, I keep an ugly dish on my roof, and I still have to switch over to another TiVo, this time with cable. Added to the cost of a HD TV in 1080p, I am looking at anywhere from three and a half to four $K to upgrade and switch over, not including the costs of subscribing to the TiVo content for Comcast, which was never terribly accurate.

Do I have this correct? Is there some alternative that I have overlooked? For these kinds of costs, I would think that someone would be working the hell out of developing alternatives.

Of course status quo is still if not free, relatively inexpensive.