# Does DirectTV supply the HDMI cables?



## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

My boss is upgradinghis directTV stuff. He has curent DirectTV TiVos in SD and will keep using those but on his main set he is getting the current NDS HD DVR.

Says they are leasing it to him for 300$.
Will they provide HDMI cables or does he need to get his own?


also
he has the series 2 DirectTiVo receiver - if he hooks that up to the other HD TV he just got - can he somehow get the HD siganl from that DirectTiVo receiver to the HD TV?


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

this seems to be a gray area. Some are saying that the installer should provide the HDMI cable and others are not getting them. When my install took place, the installer tried to sell me a cable for $60. I would verify with D* BEFORE the installer arrives and get it noted on the documentation.

If it is not provided, do not buy it from the installer. Go to monoprice.com and buy one there for about $6 or so.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

The TiVo-based HR10-250 comes with an HDMI cable (if the installer hasn't removed it). I don't know if the HR20 does or not.


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## Hockey9 (Jan 21, 2002)

If a HDMI cable is not included.. I found a 6 ft one at Sam's Club made by Belkin for $20.. The brand is Pure AV and it is of good quality. Not sure if it is on their web site..


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

stevel said:


> The TiVo-based HR10-250 comes with an HDMI cable (if the installer hasn't removed it). I don't know if the HR20 does or not.


He just did an order from DirectTV, so he is getting the HR20 - I warned him about the HR20 but also that my Brother-in-law is in some open NDS beta where you can just ask for updates they have for the HR20 HD DVR. My brother-in-law said at forst the HR20 had a lot of reliability issues but the Beta patches had him running much smoother.


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## joed32 (Jul 9, 2005)

My two came with cables.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

ZeoTiVo said:


> He just did an order from DirectTV, so he is getting the HR20 - I warned him about the HR20 but also that my Brother-in-law is in some open NDS beta where you can just ask for updates they have for the HR20 HD DVR. My brother-in-law said at forst the HR20 had a lot of reliability issues but the Beta patches had him running much smoother.


HR20 is not an NDS product, it is written and maintained by DirecTV employees.
The "open beta" he is referring to, is the Cutting Edge process:
http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=118


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

ebonovic said:


> HR20 is not an NDS product, it is written and maintained by DirecTV employees.
> The "open beta" he is referring to, is the Cutting Edge process:
> http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=118


Ah, thanks for the clarification straight from the source :up:


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## sjberra (May 16, 2005)

The owners manual for the HR20 shows that it ships with

1. AV Cables (RCA)
2. Remote control and batteries
3. Power Cord
4. Phone cord
5. user guide
6. Component Video cables
7. Access Card 
8. 2 BBC's

So no, the HR20 does not appear to ship with a HDMI cable


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## Mr Pieces (Mar 26, 2001)

Monoprice.com has great 6ft HDMI cables for $5.25, 10ft for $7.10 and 15ft for $7.53 plus REASONABLE shipping. I have used at least 20 of these between me and friends with no issues.


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## beartrap (Nov 8, 2005)

sjberra said:


> The owners manual for the HR20 shows that it ships with
> 
> 1. AV Cables (RCA)
> 2. Remote control and batteries
> ...


I just recently purchased an HR20 from Best Buy, and it came with an HDMI cable.


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## wiggo (Oct 19, 2006)

I just got an HR20 from Directv to replace a dead HR10, and it came with an HDMI cable. Better yet, I then replaced the dead HR10's drive with a new one from Weaknees (bless them), so now have both working and connected.


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## sjberra (May 16, 2005)

beartrap said:


> I just recently purchased an HR20 from Best Buy, and it came with an HDMI cable.


Just posted what was in the manual, I threw all the cables that ship with the unit into the trash and installed the monster brand stuff I use


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## Dssturbo1 (Feb 23, 2005)

sjberra, LOL, good april fools joke, LOL, soo funny..........


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

Yeah, please please please please tell us you're joking!


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## sjberra (May 16, 2005)

TonyTheTiger said:


> Yeah, please please please please tell us you're joking!


Why would I be joking? I prefer Monster Brand over the stuff they send with the unit. have never had an issues/problems. If either of you have had problems with the brand, then you might want to expand on that subject, going from personal expierence of myself and friends that have used that manufactuer's product I have never had an issue and the video of the home entertainment section was dialed in by a local firm that specialized in Home Theatre installations. Some supporting documentation to your comments is always nice.


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## Da Goon (Oct 22, 2006)

sjberra said:


> Why would I be joking? I prefer Monster Brand over the stuff they send with the unit. have never had an issues/problems. If either of you have had problems with the brand, then you might want to expand on that subject, going from personal expierence of myself and friends that have used that manufactuer's product I have never had an issue and the video of the home entertainment section was dialed in by a local firm that specialized in Home Theatre installations. Some supporting documentation to your comments is always nice.


No supporting documentation here, but....... I recently purchased a $6 HDMI cable from monoprice.com. When comparing to a cable purchased by a friend for over $60,......................drumroll please.................

they had the same freaking serial number. The SAME FREAKING CABLE. I just personally don't feel as thought the word "MONSTER" means I should pay 10 times as much for the EXACT same product. That's just me though. I could be crazy. Or joking...


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## parzec (Jun 21, 2002)

Monster Cables??? The brand is pure marketing fluff -- its not any better than the stuff you can get online for MUCH cheaper. If it's not too late, return the stuff to best buy and get your money back.


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

No documentation needed. If you can honestly tell me you can see or hear a difference when paying at least 1000% too much for a product, then I'll listen.

Monster and AR are both sold by BB to INCREASE THEIR PROFIT MARGIN and no other reason. I needed an HDMI cable and a Toslink cable (back in September) - BB price = $129.99 for the HDMI and $29.99 for the Toslink (that's a total of $158.98 - PLUS tax). Monoprice.com sent me the EXACT SAME CABLES for $12.44, which included over $4 in S&H!


Personally, I've never had issue with the cables that come with equipment, but if I did, I certainly wouldn't be paying out the wazoo for Monster.


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## parzec (Jun 21, 2002)

TonyTheTiger said:


> Monster and AR are both sold by BB to INCREASE THEIR PROFIT MARGIN and no other reason. I needed an HDMI cable and a Toslink cable (back in September) - BB price = $129.99 for the HDMI and $29.99 for the Toslink (that's a total of $158.98 - PLUS tax). Monoprice.com sent me the EXACT SAME CABLES for $12.44, which included over $4 in S&H!


And let's not forget Terk antennas - another profit margin maker and their products are usually worse than generic counterparts. I love looking at their Terk multiswitch prices for a good laugh!


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## MikeCC (Jun 19, 2004)

TonyTheTiger said:


> ...
> 
> Monster and AR are both sold by BB to INCREASE THEIR PROFIT MARGIN and no other reason.


Those _bastards!!_

I think you are on to something---I too have noticed that they are selling products *to make a profit*. I discovered a few other retail stores do that, too!

Fortunately, you have discovered a charitable site that _gives _ away these cables we need; without those cables our lives would not be complete.


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

MikeCC said:


> Those _bastards!!_
> 
> I think you are on to something---I too have noticed that they are selling products *to make a profit*. I discovered a few other retail stores do that, too!
> 
> Fortunately, you have discovered a charitable site that _gives _ away these cables we need; without those cables our lives would not be complete.


Mike, Read the post again.

There is no mention of anyone giving stuff away. I believe I said "...to INCREASE their profit margin", which, I think is a lot different to "...to make a profit".

I have absolutely no problem with anyone making a reasonable profit. After all, that's what businesses are there for. What I object to is companies that take advantage of the customers' ignorance and making a VAST profit at their expense.

If I can buy a cable for $10.00 and the store bought it for $5, they make 100% profit and I'm happy at getting a deal. If they charge $130.00 for it, I think I'd be upset if I found out I could buy it elsewhere for $10, wouldn't you?


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## MikeCC (Jun 19, 2004)

Ahh, yes. I see... "_reasonable _ profit." Reasonable to whom?

At what point do you find a mark up reasonable, assuming, in fact you know _accurately _ what the actual cost is to the retailer?

Five percent? Fifty percent? Five hundred percent? Why is it you feel you are a better judge of reasonable margins than the economy? Why is the sale of a high profit item taking advantage of customer ignorance?

You can judge that the cable you get from your e-site is the same, or about the same, as the cable you can find at CC or BB. Your judgement may or may not be right.

For you, the cheaper cable serves the purpose at a lower cost. But that hardly serves as proof in some nefarious scheme to cheat the unwary.

It may simply mean that some people will choose a known brand, with a proven track record, over an unknown item from some internet vendor.

Terms like "VAST profit" and "reasonable profit" are way too imprecise in this context, and have been used in the past to justify planned economies with centralized control.

Your original point was that the cable you got from your site was essentially the same as the Monster Cable available from a retailer at a much greater cost.

I won't argue about the sameness; you may be right. I just found that your side trip into discussions of profits and the intentions of sellers to increase profit margins was more emotional than factual, and a trifle illogical.


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

OK, so if one company can make a profit selling a cable for $5 and another is selling an almost identical product for $130, the latter is NOT making an unreasonable profit? 2600%??

You're right, I don't know the actual cost to the retailer, but I'll bet dollars to donuts that the buyers at BB are as savvy as the buyers at monoprice.com.

My point is that everyone makes a profit - as I stated, the absolute reason anyone is in business. Cables are an add-on to a major purchase in many instances. Someone buying a TV for $3000 wants to hook it up as soon as they get home. So the BB salesman will say something along the lines of "of course you'll want an HDMI cable?" and add $130 (or whatever) to the bill, increasing the profit on the sale by $125. I think this is unreasonable.

Of course, my figures are estimates, but I'm making a point and not attempting to suggest I know it all - I certainly don't - but if you think this is illogical, then you're free to disagree with me (as you obviously do).


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

And remember that even monoprice.com is making a profit... so what do those Monster cables REALLY cost to make?


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## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

dswallow said:


> And remember that even monoprice.com is making a profit... so what do those Monster cables REALLY cost to make?


Marketing costs. Packaging. Monster is similar to Bose. The marketing far exceeds to product.

My favorite is the CC/BB salesmen that tries to convince a customer purchasing a low end (under $50) DVD player that they need to spend another $50 on Monster Cables.


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## Stanley Rohner (Jan 18, 2004)

ZeoTiVo said:


> He just did an order from DirectTV, so he is getting the HR20 - I warned him about the HR20 but also that my Brother-in-law is in some open NDS beta where you can just ask for updates they have for the HR20 HD DVR. My brother-in-law said at forst the HR20 had a lot of reliability issues but the Beta patches had him running much smoother.


You don't have DIRECTV and you don't have an HR20. How could you warn him about the HR20 if you have no clue what you are talking about ??

_forst_


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## AccidenT (Oct 25, 2004)

MikeCC said:


> Ahh, yes. I see... "_reasonable _ profit." Reasonable to whom?
> 
> At what point do you find a mark up reasonable, assuming, in fact you know _accurately _ what the actual cost is to the retailer?
> 
> ...


You can't be serious, right? I recently bought a new TV from circuit city, and it's completely obvious that they're pushing the overpriced monster HDMI cable by any means necessary to try and trick people into overpaying for it. I'll give you the play-by-play.

- I went to the physical store, approached a sales rep and asked about a price-match with BB. Before even looking up the price information or asking me what BB's price was, he said "Oh, you're going to need to get an HDMI cable. It's required."
- After finding out the price-match was a no-go (BB's price was apparently only for the display model, despite the lack of any indication of that on the price tag in the store), I ordered from CC's website because I get a 10% discount online. At checkout time, the only suggested accessory was a $100 Monster HDMI cable. I would have at least expected to see the matching TV stand as a suggestion, but that might drive sales way from the huge margin cables.
- After completing my online order, I had to call a toll-free number to schedule the delivery. Before even looking at my local store's stock or delivery schedule, the rep. said "I noticed you didn't opt for the Monster HDMI cable. You're really going to want to have it!" I kindly told him my DVR came with an HDMI cable. He apparently wasn't in listen mode, because he followed that up with "Oh, well you might _think_ you're getting the best picture, but let me tell you - I was over a friend's house and he had a Monster HDMI cable and _man_ it looked great." I again explained that I already had an HDMI cable, to which he expressed his disbelief.

It's very clear to me that anyone who isn't very tech-savvy or hasn't done enough research is susceptible to being suckered into buying these overpriced cables.


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## MikeCC (Jun 19, 2004)

My, my, you've convinced me. They are evil. They are the devil.

They promote an expensive product, when others have found cable products for less.

I will continue to chuckle at the naiveté of folks who should know better. The marketplace has buyers and sellers; people who want some products and people who provide those products.

You may not feel the Monster Cable is worth the price. And _for you_, you are right. But does that make a Monster customer a sucker? Are retail stores really scamming people?

Not everyone wants to hunt the internet for a reliable source for what-they-hope-are-decent cables; you may love to do your shopping that way, and more power to you, but not everyone is comfortable with that. Sometimes folks just don't want to waste their time doing that.

You are making a value judgement of a retail transaction: because you feel the product is overpriced, you have labeled the store as *tricksters * _(" ...to try and trick people into overpaying for it.")_, and labeled the buyers as *suckers * _(It's very clear to me that anyone who isn't very tech-savvy or hasn't done enough research is susceptible to being suckered into buying these overpriced cables.)_

The beauty of our marketplace is that each and every transaction is a cost/benefit analysis,_ based on the individual parties involved_. You may decide that the product is too expensive; another buyer may decide that cost of the product is less than the hassle of using something else.

If Monster is too expensive for what you want, don't buy it. But don't assume the seller is a crook, and the buyer an idiot.

This continued side trip into economic forces just illustrates how easy it is for some folks to get tripped up by economic misinformation.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

Stanley Rohner said:


> You don't have DIRECTV and you don't have an HR20. How could you warn him about the HR20 if you have no clue what you are talking about ??
> 
> _forst_


if you read the post you would see I have a Brother-in-Law who does have one, also of course this very forum does talk a bit about the HR20. But then I guess *you* would rather post without a clue and just have harassing as your only agenda. says a lot about you.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

ok,
some you spend 10$ on a cable - some of you spend 50$ on a cable.


now anyone have advice on how the cabling would work to have an SD DirectTiVo on one inout for the TV and live HD on another input on the TV. I would like to make sure the installer is doing it a reasonable way and not oversell my boss


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

lew said:


> Marketing costs. Packaging. Monster is similar to Bose. The marketing far exceeds to product.
> 
> My favorite is the CC/BB salesmen that tries to convince a customer purchasing a low end (under $50) DVD player that they need to spend another $50 on Monster Cables.


To Bose's credit they actually produce a product that provides something discernible from their competitors products, unlike Monster Cable (unless you count Monster's patented packaging, I suppose).


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

ZeoTiVo said:


> ok,
> some you spend 10$ on a cable - some of you spend 50$ on a cable.
> 
> now anyone have advice on how the cabling would work to have an SD DirectTiVo on one inout for the TV and live HD on another input on the TV. I would like to make sure the installer is doing it a reasonable way and not oversell my boss


Some of your choices will be determined by what inputs are available on the TV as well as where your audio will come from (a separate amplifier/speaker system or through the TV as well, for instance).

Just make a list of what input devices you have and a list of what inputs the TV has and match them up. If there's not enough HD inputs for all the HD devices, you'll need to look at input switchers. But between HDMI, DVI and Component inputs, there'll probably be enough for a modest number of HD devices.

SD DirecTV DVR w/TiVo -- S-Video or Composite
HD non-DVR receiver -- DVI or HDMI, whichever is available, or component if neither are
HD DirecTV HR20 -- HDMI


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## AccidenT (Oct 25, 2004)

MikeCC said:


> My, my, you've convinced me. They are evil. They are the devil.
> 
> They promote an expensive product, when others have found cable products for less.
> 
> ...


Perhaps you don't grasp the nature of the HDMI interface. It's digital. The $100 cable and the $7 cable are transmitting the *same* bits to the TV. How can there be any added benefit of the $100 cable? Does it make up extra bonus bits and send them along?

With analog cables, the "higher quality" cable argument has a leg to stand on. With HDMI it doesn't.

With that established, I've personally observed Circuit City only stocking the highly marked-up HDMI cables while also (incorrectly) asserting that they are *required* for an HD picture. How one can interpret that as anything other than a ploy to exploit uninformed customers is beyond me.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

dswallow said:


> SD DirecTV DVR w/TiVo -- S-Video or Composite
> HD non-DVR receiver -- DVI or HDMI, whichever is available, or component if neither are
> HD DirecTV HR20 -- HDMI


Thanks Doug. You seem to be confirming he will need an extrareceiver of some sort. This is what I thought, just figured I would post and see since I have no Direct DirectTV experience.

extra bonus bits


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## Stanley Rohner (Jan 18, 2004)

ZeoTiVo said:


> if you read the post you would see I have a Brother-in-Law who does have one, also of course this very forum does talk a bit about the HR20. But then I guess *you* would rather post without a clue and just have harassing as your only agenda. says a lot about you.


I read the post and I did see you have a Brother-in-Law who does have one, also of course this very forum does talk a bit about the HR20. I don't feel that 2nd hand information is enough reason to be warning someone about a product *you* don't have and a television service provider *you* don't use. says a lot about you.


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

MikeCC said:


> If Monster is too expensive for what you want, don't buy it. But don't assume the seller is a crook, and the buyer an idiot.
> 
> This continued side trip into economic forces just illustrates how easy it is for some folks to get tripped up by economic misinformation.


I don't think sellers of Monster products are crooks nor do I think buyers of said products are idiots; uninformed is more like it, or perhaps different purchasing priorities.

When you slap down a couple of grand for a new HDTV, what's another $100 for a cable? I think the original point is that monoprice (a sponsor of sister TCF site AVS, BTW), offers the same or better quality at a better price point than Monster (Monoprice gets raves not just from value-hunters, but from those who value quality as well).

To your point, however, that model certainly won't fit the bill for everyone, especially if you just brought your new TV home on Saturday and have to wait for a cable in the mail to enjoy it  That's where you'll see folks not mind emptying their wallets for the immediacy that Monster could offer.

And let's not kid ourselves -- these are commodity products here. Not a whole lot of room for differentiation other than what comes from marketing (whether it be at POP, brand campaign, ads or whatever.....).


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

ZeoTiVo said:


> Thanks Doug. You seem to be confirming he will need an extrareceiver of some sort. This is what I thought, just figured I would post and see since I have no Direct DirectTV experience.
> 
> extra bonus bits


Let's back up. I'm not sure what you think I'm confirming. I was only trying to figure out what equipment you said he was going to have, I wasn't suggesting he needed anything specific.

What specifically do you think might be needed and why?

If he's getting the HR20 HD DVR from DirecTV, it can receive OTA and all DirecTV channels. No need for anything else if that's all he wants to be able to display.


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## wolflord11 (Jan 17, 2007)

Monster Cables : You pay for the name nothing more. A $6.00 cable does the same job.

Now back on Topic, why not just upgrade the equipment, if it comes with cables then all is good. If not, go and buy some cables.

Now thats a pretty simple answer isnt it?


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## Stanley Rohner (Jan 18, 2004)

dslunceford said:


> When you slap down a couple of grand for a new HDTV, what's another $100 for a cable?


Another $100 for a cable is about $90 to much.


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## parzec (Jun 21, 2002)

...and when the average customer purchases that expensive HDTV on their 28% interest BB credit card - that $100 cable last minute add-on ends up being about $300 over time.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

dswallow said:


> Let's back up. I'm not sure what you think I'm confirming. I was only trying to figure out what equipment you said he was going to have, I wasn't suggesting he needed anything specific.
> 
> What specifically do you think might be needed and why?
> 
> If he's getting the HR20 HD DVR from DirecTV, it can receive OTA and all DirecTV channels. No need for anything else if that's all he wants to be able to display.


sorry for a boit of confusion. He had a TV in some secondary room go out. He is moving his original HDTV and the DirectTV S2 TiVo back there. He is also getting a new HDTV and the HR20 for the main living area.

so he knows the S2 TiVo can not output HD and was looking for a way to setup watching live HD back in that extra room alongs side the DirectTV S2 TiVo DVR


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

Stanley Rohner said:


> I read the post and I did see you have a Brother-in-Law who does have one, also of course this very forum does talk a bit about the HR20. I don't feel that 2nd hand information is enough reason to be warning someone about a product *you* don't have and a television service provider *you* don't use. says a lot about you.


I warned him merely that there are reports of problems with the HR20 and that there is a web site where you can get patches for it faster than ordinary releases. I never warned him against DirectTV at all which he has had for years and likes very much. But you keep on worrying about me, you mught actually catch up with what I really said before long.


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