# DirecTV Plus HD DVR



## Monkeybiz (Jan 14, 2005)

DirecTV and Intel are joining forces to produce the DirecTV Plus HD DVR -- which we first heard about all the way back at CES -- allowing viewers to check out content via the interweb when connected to a Viiv PC. In addition, there will be a new software update for DirecTV subscribers by the end of the year that turns subscribers' set-top-boxes into digital media adapters, the companies said in a press release earlier today.

New here but I thought that was newsworthy even if it isn't TIVO. Check out engadget or CNET for more info.


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## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

Wow.

Be sure to let us know when any of that happens


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

Read the real article a C|NET and not crappy engadget. DirecTV and Intel are not making a new DVR. It will be a software upgrade from the HR20 that will allow it to talk to a Viiv server. It will only allow users to access photos or music stored on their PCs, not movies or television.

There is no way DirecTV could release another DVR in the 4th quarter this year.


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## Monkeybiz (Jan 14, 2005)

Yes, a bit misleading, the quote came from engadget but it is the existing DirecTV HD DVR Plus (HR20-700) they are talking about. Sorry for the confusion but I wasn't sure myself. I also belive VIIV is something you can't build and have to pay through the nose for. DirecTV has sucked enough money out of me for now. I'm enjoying my H10-250 but didn't get the deal I hoped for in the end.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Anyone intrested in the discussion at the Sister Site...
[ducks while people throw things, for me re-directing again]

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=65364

We still don't know if it "has" to be a ViiV computer or not yet.
It was after all announced at an Intel event.


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## Arcady (Oct 14, 2004)

I have been able to do this with a Dtivo for years.

*yawn*


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Arcady said:


> I have been able to do this with a Dtivo for years.
> 
> *yawn*


Only if you hacked it.


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## Arcady (Oct 14, 2004)

ebonovic said:


> Only if you hacked it.


At least one *can* hack it, unlike that new junk-box.


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## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

Arcady said:


> At least one *can* hack it, unlike that new junk-box.


Well, good news then, because later in the year it sounds like you 'll be able to stream music and photos to the HR20 without hacking. Everyone's happy.


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## reh523 (Feb 28, 2006)

Arcady said:


> At least one *can* hack it, unlike that new junk-box.


Waa Waa (Artie Lang)


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## Arcady (Oct 14, 2004)

drew2k said:


> Well, good news then, because later in the year it sounds like you 'll be able to stream music and photos to the HR20 without hacking. Everyone's happy.


Sounds fine, but I'll hang on to my hacked Dtivo boxes until I make the jump to cable next year.

And if that HR20 streaming works from a Mac, I'll eat one of my TiVos.


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## bidger (Mar 30, 2001)

Arcady said:


> At least one *can* hack it, unlike that new junk-box.


You've used the HR20-700 or you're just going on assumptions?


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## Arcady (Oct 14, 2004)

I've used one this past weekend. Besides the fact that the over-compressed MPEG-4 HD-lite looks like ass, it is a horrid little box to use. If I want to press colored buttons to do things, I can go back to 1995 cable boxes.

Besides, I can't upgrade it with a bigger drive. I can't hack it to do things I want. And I'm not staying with D* anyway, since their picture quality sucks. It's really sad that a 1950's antenna gives me a better picture than a freaking satellite in orbit.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Arcady said:


> Besides, I can't upgrade it with a bigger drive. I can't hack it to do things I want. And I'm not staying with D* anyway, since their picture quality sucks. It's really sad that a 1950's antenna gives me a better picture than a freaking satellite in orbit.


Time to do some more reading... as of right now.. you can drop a 750gb hard drive in there... with no need to connect to a PC...

And soon you won't even need a Torx driver either....


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## GadgetFreak (Jun 3, 2002)

At CES, they said that they were going to release SAT cards for Viiv PC's. Is this instead of that or in addition to?


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

GadgetFreak said:


> At CES, they said that they were going to release SAT cards for Viiv PC's. Is this instead of that or in addition to?


In addition too


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## herdfan (Feb 5, 2003)

ebonovic said:


> Time to do some more reading... as of right now.. you can drop a 750gb hard drive in there... with no need to connect to a PC...
> 
> And soon you won't even need a Torx driver either....


But maybe just an eSATA drive?


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

herdfan said:


> But maybe just an eSATA drive?


Ultimately... yes... it will be as simply as plugging in an eSATA drive.


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## bbodin (Jan 21, 2004)

Arcady said:


> I've used one this past weekend. Besides the fact that the over-compressed MPEG-4 HD-lite looks like ass, it is a horrid little box to use. If I want to press colored buttons to do things, I can go back to 1995 cable boxes.
> 
> Besides, I can't upgrade it with a bigger drive. I can't hack it to do things I want. And I'm not staying with D* anyway, since their picture quality sucks. It's really sad that a 1950's antenna gives me a better picture than a freaking satellite in orbit.


well I don't want to defend the HR20 as I believe it's utter garbage. I don't own that box, but I own it's SD sister in my daughter's room and the thing is so un-intuitive its darn near unusable (no more pushing buttons on the remote by FEEL without looking down and saying "ok, now which button do I need to push?"). It also is just as slow with a lot of recordings on it as my HD Tivo (pre 6.3 release).

All that said, your complaint about over-compressed MPEG4 HD doesn't match what I've heard. All initial accounts were the HD locals being broadcast in MPEG4 were identical to the eye to OTA (at least if you trust guys like Ken over at AVS forums).


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

First: R15 <> HR20 Sure the GUI is the same, for the most part...but after that...that is where the similarities end.

And I am sure no one, that first picks up a TiVo remote, can push the correct buttons without looking at them....

I can navigate the DirecTV receivers without looking at the remote, just as much as I can with the TiVo remote.... It just took time to learn the new remote layout.


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## GadgetFreak (Jun 3, 2002)

ebonovic said:


> In addition too


Earl -- any idea when SAT cards for PC's will be released?


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## bbodin (Jan 21, 2004)

ebonovic said:


> First: R15 <> HR20 Sure the GUI is the same, for the most part...but after that...that is where the similarities end.
> 
> And I am sure no one, that first picks up a TiVo remote, can push the correct buttons without looking at them....
> 
> I can navigate the DirecTV receivers without looking at the remote, just as much as I can with the TiVo remote.... It just took time to learn the new remote layout.


well aside from the GUI, what else is there?!?

Basically all the complaints I have with the R15 (flipping between tuners, having to hit "guide" twice to actually get to your guide, needing to hit color coded buttons a-la TWC to get to various menus), I see HR20 threads where people are complaining about the same thing, so there must be quite a few similarities.

From those reviews, it appears one records HD and one records SD...that is where the DIFFERENCES end.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

GadgetFreak said:


> Earl -- any idea when SAT cards for PC's will be released?


Sorry, no... we probably won't know more about that till CES


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

bbodin said:


> well aside from the GUI, what else is there?!?
> 
> Basically all the complaints I have with the R15 (flipping between tuners, having to hit "guide" twice to actually get to your guide, needing to hit color coded buttons a-la TWC to get to various menus), I see HR20 threads where people are complaining about the same thing, so there must be quite a few similarities.
> 
> From those reviews, it appears one records HD and one records SD...that is where the DIFFERENCES end.


The colored buttons don't bring up any menu's.... it will get you places (like you can get to the ToDo list from MyVod by hitting Yellow... but those are quick jumps from different screens).

Sure... for a user interaction perspective... they are the same.. Hence the common GUI/User Interface they where trying to achieve... someone who uses a R15, should have no issues using an HR20 (and vice versa), or an H20, D10/D11

But underneath... they are different systems...


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## herdfan (Feb 5, 2003)

bbodin said:


> well aside from the GUI, what else is there?!?
> 
> Basically all the complaints I have with the R15 (flipping between tuners, having to hit "guide" twice to actually get to your guide, needing to hit color coded buttons a-la TWC to get to various menus), I see HR20 threads where people are complaining about the same thing, so there must be quite a few similarities.
> 
> From those reviews, it appears one records HD and one records SD...that is where the DIFFERENCES end.


All of that is part of the user GUI. I guess the use of the term GUI should be expanded to refer to the entire user experience.

With that said, the interface of the machines is very similar, but the engine is very different. The R15 is based off of the XTV/NDS box and the HR20 is based on the Ucentric engine. The coding is totally different.


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## BillyT2002 (Oct 19, 2002)

It would be really cool, if DirecTV would provide an option to redirect the entire user interface to a different monitor/television and/or even a laptop, computer and/or mobile device (using wifi) thus leaving the primary television to purely display television.


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