# Like so many others...



## Phanatic (Feb 10, 2003)

... my HDVR2 bit the dust this morning. Had the Tuner 2 issues for a few months, but this morning, after a lockup, it won't power on anymore. Since so many of you have been through this, I'll take recommendations on the next step.

1) We've been DTV customers since 1999, and never asked them for a thing. What are the chances they'll do a retention upgrade to an HR series? (And can you request models? I understand the HR24 is the one to get.) I have 2 DTivo units - my guess is that they won't replace both - I may be lucky to get one?

2) Do I just buy a replacement power supply off Ebay for @ $30 and throw it in, and limp along for a while? I replaced the PS in my other box about 6 months ago, and so far, so good, but it just seems like most of these boxes are permanently failing lately.

Any suggestions from you good folks out there is appreciated. (I won't even open the can of worms that is the new HD DirecTivo...)


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## rwardfla (Feb 24, 2009)

I was in the same boat as you.I finally decided the HDVR2s were too much of a pain.Directv replaced the last HDVR2 that failed with an R15 for $20 shipping cost.It's not bad once you get used to it;it is,however,very slow to respond to the remote control.Prior to this,I also upgraded to HD and got rid of another HDVR2.Since I have been a customer since 2001,this upgrade did not cost anything for the DVR itself.Sign up for autopay and you can get the $10/month HD fee waived for 24 months.Good luck.There is life after Tivo!


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## PrimeRisk (Dec 16, 2002)

I've just crossed the bridge with DirecTV and am going to Comcast with Premieres. But, before you go, try to see what DirecTV will offer you. First off
get prepared for the conversation.

1) Call Dish, Cable, FiOS, and any other carrier that you have available to you and find out what their deals are.

2) Scrub the DirecTv deals to find out everything they're offering to new customers

3) Figure out who you would really be willing to jump to and what would get you to stay. Write it down.

4) Call DirecTV and let the games begins

Call #1:
Talk to a regular CSR (some say go directly to the Retention department, but I think you get better response if account notes show you went through the CSRs first) I always recommend being nice, the people on the phone are just doing their jobs. I always try to rationalize my position to them. I remind them that I've been a customer for X years, I've been out of contract for a long time, my hardware is just wearing out and I really want to continue to be a customer. Then I'll ask the burning questions like: Can I get HD free too? Can I get NFL Sunday Ticket free too? Most likely you'll get the "only for new subscribers" song and dance on the question, 1 receiver for free, pay for the rest, and no budging on the 24 month commitment. I'll just wrap the call with saying that it doesn't sound like it's a very good deal to have to buy receivers that you don't own, then be expected to pay a lease on them, AND have to sign a contract. Tell them that you'll have to think it over and will have to consider what Dish/Cable/FiOS is offering before you make a decision. Ask them to document the offer on the account so you don't have to go through it all again with a different CSR. 

Call #2:
If you have the direct number for the Retention Department, use it. If not, just tell the computer voice "Cancel Service". This will get you to Retention. After you get through the pleasantries, get to the bottom line. You've called, you heard DirecTV's offer and that motivated you to look at other service providers. Your new provider offered you X and you've decided to go with them, so you're just calling to see when your billing cycle ends so you can schedule the new install. This should trigger the "Ok, what do you want to stay" conversation. Work the same questions as before around HD, Sunday Ticket, frustration with having to buy something you don't own and feel free to stick them with the "you keep promising TiVo" conversation.

Issues to be concerned about:
They'll probably offer HD DVRs for free and they may even try to sell the Whole-Home DVR setup, but beware they will NOT tell you what you'll get. They'll probably talk up the HR24 with 100 of HD and/or 500 SD hours of capacity. Problem is they won't guarantee what will be installed. In reality you'll get refurbished equipment and it's unlikely to be a HR24. It'll likely be a HR20-100 or 700 as they are flooded with these older, slower, lower capacity models. Whatever it is, don't agree to pay for anything; no shipping, no install, no nothing unless they guarantee the model of units you'll be getting. (C'mon, who agrees to pay for something when you have no idea what you're going to get???)

Service discounts. This is where you can probably score big. Just skip past all of the free offers for 3 months of HBO or 6 months of the top package at you current service price. If you wanted those services you would have already been buying them. Get hard cash discounts. First off, get $240 for HD... They want a 24 month commitment, ok, then demand free HD just like Dish offers to everyone and DirecTV offers to new customers ($10 off per month for 24 months). Sunday Ticket (if you subscribe) ask for the 2012 season (SuperFan) for free, just like new customers. See what else they are offering.

Remember, this just a negotiation and you better get what you want because you'll have no leverage for 2 years. If the deal is right, go for it. If not, tell them you'll think it over and have to get back to them. Again ask them to document the offers on your account so you can come back to it. They will likely try to say that the offer is only good now, but that's not true. They keep any proposed offer good for 5 business days and should provide you a 4 or 6 digit code you can call back with so you don't have to go through the conversation again.

This strategy has worked for me in the past quite well, but my string of luck came to an end recently. In my case I have 7 active receivers on 5 TVs, but 2 are hacked DTiVos are redundant because of the very limited capacity of the 2 HR20s I have. I got DirecTV to replace 3 receivers and install the Whole-Home hardware. With this I could reduce to 1 DVR per TV, but I couldn't get DirecTV to commit to what the hardware would be. I couldn't even get them to commit that they would supply DVRs instead of "Whole-House compatible HD receivers". If they show up with HR24s, then we'd be fine, but it's likely they'll show up with 3 non-DVR HD receivers. You won't know until they show up and I'm just not willing to go through the hassle of having the installer come out and then have to send them packing if they show up with HR20s. I've ordered the Premieres and scheduled the install with Comcast.

I hope you come out better than I did.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.


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## jonbig (Sep 22, 2003)

I sat down and ran the numbers for myself this weekend and concluded that there's no way that DirecTV can offer discounts to me that make economic sense to get HD service over switching to my local cable provider and buying a TiVo Premiere Elite with lifetime service.

Upfront cost to me will be about $1000 for the TiVo and cable installation.

Comcast is offering a contract package that gives me more premium channels than I was getting for a net of about $250 less than I would be paying to DirecTV for the next two years. 2 HD DVRs are $400 up front and $12/month for lease fees ($288 for two years).

That's already $933 for two years, pretty much what it will cost me to install cable and buy the TiVo Elite. And DirecTV would still cost $12/month additional after that.

And I haven't even looked at what I'm going to have to pay to install a HD capable dish.

DirecTV would have to do free HD dish installation, give me two HD DVRs for free and give me a significant break on my monthly bill to compete. It's clear that's not going to happen.


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## Rainy Dave (Nov 11, 2001)

DirecTv upgraded me to HD for free. I ended up getting an HR21, $10/month credit for 12 months, Free Showtime for 3 months & new dish installed for free.
My wife called and got it all worked out.
A year later I got an additional HR21 for $99.

I also am receiving HD for free for 2 years ($10 credit/month)


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## PrimeRisk (Dec 16, 2002)

jonbig said:


> DirecTV would have to do free HD dish installation, give me two HD DVRs for free and give me a significant break on my monthly bill to compete. It's clear that's not going to happen.


Actually you have a pretty good chance to get what you want...you're really asking for very little.

I'll guarantee that they'll install the HD Dish for free...otherwise you don't have the opportunity to pay them for it. Depending on your Package Level, Payment History, and time with them, you'll probably get 1 HD DVR for free and service discounts that compensate for the 2nd. They won't budge on the 24 month contract and I don't care what promise they make, they will NEVER EVER EVER tell you what you are going to get. You may get lucky and nice new HR24s, but you're just as likely to get used HR20-100s.

Your call, but I will say that the DirecTV HR-2x DVRs are a FAR cry from the performance and features of TiVo.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

Phanatic said:


> ... my HDVR2 bit the dust this morning. Had the Tuner 2 issues for a few months, but this morning, after a lockup, it won't power on anymore. Since so many of you have been through this, I'll take recommendations on the next step.
> 
> 1) We've been DTV customers since 1999, and never asked them for a thing. What are the chances they'll do a retention upgrade to an HR series? (And can you request models? I understand the HR24 is the one to get.) I have 2 DTivo units - my guess is that they won't replace both - I may be lucky to get one?
> 
> ...


Somewhere on the web I think there's an illustrated article about how to replace the particular power supply capacitor that's usually the problem.


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## johnd01 (Dec 17, 2002)

No matter what they do it will not be TIVO unless they start shipping Tivo again. I broke one of my HDVR2s and replace it with one of there boxes for about 2 months... Lots of time on the phone trying to get a box that was half as good as the one I had. I finally found the bad part on my HDVR2 board and fixed it. Very Glad to get Tivo back. I stayed with them for 2 more years but have been with ComCast for 18 months with 2 Premieres upgraded to 2 TB. Would like to upgrade to Elite. Would rather be back with DTV if I could get a TiVo Premieres equivalent on it.


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## rick430 (May 14, 2007)

when is the new DirectTV coming out, before christman 2011?


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## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

rick430 said:


> when is the new DirectTV coming out, before christman 2011?


Who knows. Anybody that tries to tell you otherwise is just making up a date.


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## PrimeRisk (Dec 16, 2002)

rick430 said:


> when is the new DirectTV coming out, before christman 2011?


Yes, it is absolutely coming out before Christmas...Just don't ask which year. 

I'll consider going back to DTV *IF* they ever put out a TiVo again, but with the amount of features they are investing in their Generic DVR, I don't hold a lot of hope that they'll ever follow through.

I think the more likely scenario will be the demise of the current satellite and cable digital feeds. With xfinity, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon VOD, HBOGO, and even NFL Sunday Ticket available to endpoints like the PS3, Roku, xBox, iPads, Computers and other CE platforms, the need for these traditional feeds and DVRs are becoming pointless. Stream what you want when you want it. Yes, you have to be connected to get anything...but when aren't you connected at home these days?

I'd *LOVE* to continue to have my endpoint be TiVo because of the great interface. Make no mistake though, if TiVo can't keep up with offering services (like Amazon Prime streaming), PS3s are available for $249 ($299 for 320GB), and they make pretty darn good UPnP endpoints plus you get Blu-ray/DVD playback, and the gaming platform to boot. Or go for the Roku XD for 1080P bliss at only $79.


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## yy4u (Nov 22, 2004)

I have not been on here since I went thru the same thing First let me say I loved my Tivo But the HR24 blows it away It would be to much to list all the ways it is better Lets just say it better on every front Just takes little time to get used to it & had I known I would have upgraded long ago.
I got my HR24 free & the HD dish Free $10 off for 12months with a 24month contract. When the installer called I said dont even come unless you got a 24 on the truck. 
As for Comcast guy down the street has it & I cant stand it blips all the time audio cracks & pops the interface is lame at best but hey its cheap for a few years. 
If you want to make your old DTV Tivo run look on Craigs List Or do what I did go to a computer recycler & got an old one with no drive for $10 then just swap the power supply its not hard to do.


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## PrimeRisk (Dec 16, 2002)

yy4u,
You may want to look at the TiVo Premiere some time, the DirecTV TiVos have been stuck in time with their software since about 2005 and of course they are only standard definition. Until Friday I lived with a HR20-700 that was installed in 2007. It is essentially a slower cousin of the HR24, but ultimately all of the HR series run the same UI with the same features. There are a lot of features missing from the original DirecTV TiVos vs the HR2x series. That same comparison exists between the HR2x and the Premiere, but the Premiere is the top dog in that equation....IMHO.


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## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

The main reason I will never leave Directv is their pricing. I have 4 HD DVR's in my house. Three of them cost me $6 a month each. Try getting a deal like that from cable.

Frankly I don't understand the fascination with "owning" the box. I "owned" two HR10's for $1000 each. My leased ones cost me $99 up front on average. And if it breaks I get a new one for free. Why would I want to spend hundreds to own the box? How would that benefit me?


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