# Upgrading to HD Channels



## mccoady (Dec 8, 2002)

I hope this is the right forum to ask these questions so here goes. I have Direct TV with two DTivo's both Samsungs SIR-S4080R and also a Standard D-10 receiver my wife uses. I have an older Toshiba HDTV (57HX81) that only has component plus I use an OTA outboard digital tuner (Zenith 420) to bring in my local channels in Hi-def to the Toshiba. I also subscribe to getting my local channels through Direct TV since all of my other tvs don't have a coax feed from the OTA antenna. 

My wife's D-10 has a RF out that I have split going to small tvs in two rooms plus I use the RF out of one the DTivos to feed a signal to another bedroom, yeah I know it's alot of tvs.(lol)

Okay I'm dying to get HD channels from DTV but really don't want one of their HD dvrs so if I can hold out I may try to wait for the new DTivo supposed to be released later in the year if it's not too expensive.

Now to my questions:

1. Do you anticipate the new DTivo not being overly expensive kind of inline with DTV's HD DVRs?

2. Since it only cost $10 a month more to receive the HD channels that really isn't a big deal but I also know besides a HD DVR I also will need a different dish. Is it expensive to upgrade to a new dish, how does DTV handle this?

3. Depending how much the new DTivo costs I may only be able to replace one of my Samsungs, are you allowed to subscribe to the HD channels and have only one HD receiver? Would my D-10 and remaining Samsung DTivo still work with the the new HD service?

4. If I'm still able to use the D-10 I assume it wouldn't affect my using it's Rf out to other tvs. Since I'm also using the Rf out from the one of the Samsungs what do you think the chances are the new DTivo might not have one?


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## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

mccoady said:


> I hope this is the right forum to ask these questions so here goes. I have Direct TV with two DTivo's both Samsungs SIR-S4080R and also a Standard D-10 receiver my wife uses. I have an older Toshiba HDTV (57HX81) that only has component plus I use an OTA outboard digital tuner (Zenith 420) to bring in my local channels in Hi-def to the Toshiba. I also subscribe to getting my local channels through Direct TV since all of my other tvs don't have a coax feed from the OTA antenna.
> 
> My wife's D-10 has a RF out that I have split going to small tvs in two rooms plus I use the RF out of one the DTivos to feed a signal to another bedroom, yeah I know it's alot of tvs.(lol)
> 
> ...


1. It will be the same price or more is my guess.

2. new dish is free when you subscribe to HD channels.

3. Yes. You only need one HD box to get HD channels.

4. Zero chance the new HD DVR will have RF out.

You should also keep in mind that the new DTivo may be a little buggy at when first released. They are probably rushing it as fast as they can.


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## mccoady (Dec 8, 2002)

Thanks for the reply! When you say there's little chance of the new HD Tivo not having an RF out is there a reason why?

Would I have any other options to get the Tivo signal to the upstairs bedroom like I'm now doing? I use a MX-600 remote with the bedroom tv with a RF base station located in my basement home theater room to control the Tivo, so I just need to get the signal upstairs and using RF out has worked pretty good.

You would think with Tivo already having had some experience with SA HD Tivos that the DTV HD Tivo wouldn't be that buggy but surely it would still be better than having to deal with DTV's own DVRS.


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

mccoady said:


> Thanks for the reply! When you say there's little chance of the new HD Tivo not having an RF out is there a reason why?
> ...


Because the current (not so current) DirecTV HD TiVo (HR10-250) doesn't have an RF output.

BTW, the HR2x HD DVR isn't all that bad.


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## mccoady (Dec 8, 2002)

I have no personal experience with Direct TV's HD DVR's only what I've read about their SD DVR's and I thought they had trouble with missing recordings and such. A friend has both a DTivo and a Direct TV SD DVR and he hates the latter.

Can you switch between tuners on the fly (like the Tivo's) with the DTV HD DVR's?

If you've used DTivo's and SA Tivo's for years would you have a problem adapting to DTV's HD DVR's interface?


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

The HR2x series is quite good. I have two of them and an HR10. Never missed a recording.

Switching between tuners is not straightforward on the HR2x - there are not "dual live buffers". There is a workaround for this which some people find ok, some don't. I never used the tuner switch feature, so I don't care.


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## mccoady (Dec 8, 2002)

I didn't know what it was called but I absolutely love the "dual live buffers" I use this feature all the time so I don't think I could give this up, I like to be able to flip back and forth by hitting only one button.

Another thing is I don't like is DTV's Program Guide or for that matter Dish's Program Guide, personally I think Tivo's guide is so much easier to use. Whenever I go to my mom's I hate finding programs on her Dish Program Guide but I'm sure it's not a big issue to everyone.

IF DTV would add DLB's to their dvrs I might be able to get used to their program guide but until they address that I'm not willing to give up my two favorite Tivo features.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

You can flip back and forth with one button, but have to begin recording on one of the tuners first.


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## marktd (Jan 9, 2005)

I'm sure all of these questions have been asked and answered, probably over and over again, in the past but since this thread is here...

I'm also considering upgrading to HD - I have the TV's but have just been putting of actually upgrading the service for several reasons (in large part due to not wanting to give up TiVO - for example, I use dual-live-buffers all the time and would really hate to give that up. I also have a family member who isn't keen, to say the least, on learning a new interface). Although I've had DirecTV for 10 years now, I'm well out of contract and will be deciding between staying with DirecTV or switching to Comcast. Anyway, I have several questions:


How good is DirecTV's HD quality - 1080i that is so compressed that it looks like SD isn't really what I'm looking for. For example, how does a 1080i local OTA compare to the same station on DirecTV?

What happens to all the stuff that is on a current TiVO when it is deactivated? Can I still play things that I recoded before the unit was deactivated?

 Who owns DirecTV equipment these days (i.e., me or them)? Is it leased or sold? Is there any chance that they will give me an HD DVR as a retention incentive since I've been out of contract for years?

 If DirecTV introduces an HD TiVo later this year will I be able to swap out the DirecTV DVR for a Tivo or will I have to also "buy" the TiVo?

 Am I understanding correctly that they will give me the new antenna when I upgrade to HD, but that I will have to "buy" the DVR? What about a new multiswitch, does DirecTV provide that or will I have to buy one?

 I (obviously) haven't been following this, but does the DirecTV DVR have an equivalent to wish-lists? How about 30-second skip?

 Besides DLB, what else is the DirecTV DVR missing compared to the TiVo? What does the DirecTV DVR have that the TiVO doesn't?

 What am I not asking here because I don't know to?

Thanks so much for any answers, if I could have found answers on DirecTV's site I wouldn't have bothered posting here.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

DirecTV HD quality is very good - especially on the MPEG4 channels.
Shows recorded on a TiVo are still watchable even after disconnection.
DirecTV owns the equipment - you lease it.
Nobody knows what the deal will be when the new DirecTV TiVo comes out next year (I don't expect to see it in 2009.)
Yes, you will get a new dish. Whether or not you have to pay for the DVR seems to depend on many variables.
The DirecTV DVRs do have autorecord searches, much like wish lists, with more flexible searching than TiVo. 30-second slip is standard, you can change this to skip (slip is VERY fast forward)
There is a comparison chart over at dbstalk.com. Start here.


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## plottster (Jan 30, 2003)

marktd said:


> I'm sure all of these questions have been asked and answered, probably over and over again, in the past but since this thread is here...
> 
> I'm also considering upgrading to HD - I have the TV's but have just been putting of actually upgrading the service for several reasons (in large part due to not wanting to give up TiVO - for example, I use dual-live-buffers all the time and would really hate to give that up. I also have a family member who isn't keen, to say the least, on learning a new interface). Although I've had DirecTV for 10 years now, I'm well out of contract and will be deciding between staying with DirecTV or switching to Comcast. Anyway, I have several questions:
> 
> ...


I just upgraded to an HR-23 yesterday and can offer my opinion on a few things. I'm not a videophile by any means so take everything with the proper amount of salt.

-For anyone hesitant to give up Tivo for the new HR2x series...don't be. I was very reluctant to change myself. And I did keep my two legacy Tivos (an HR10-250 and an old HDV2) as well so I haven't completely cut the cord. But so far I'm very happy with the way the HR-23 operates.

-PQ is just as good on the 23 as it is on the HR10 IMHO. But then I just got a new Panny plasma so it'd be hard to make any HD content look bad. Again, not being as discerning as many here, it looks great to me. I'm getting locals from my OTA antenna on the 250 and thru AM-21 on the 23 and both look fantastic to me.

-I'm pretty sure you can still play recorded stuff off your Tivos after deactivation. Obviously no recording though.

-I'm leasing the new HD DVR but I own the legacy ones. Those more knowledgable can address what D* may or may not do for you.

-The new slimline dish and Zinwell multiswitch came with my upgrade at no charge. So did the DVR, although only on lease.

-I haven't used mine enough yet to know if it has the exact equivalent of wishlists. You can search by title, name etc though. Yes, it does have 30 second skip.

-It seems that the DR2xs will do pretty much everything the Tivo did, maybe in slightly different ways. But again, I haven't used it enough to give a complete answer. I didn't really use the DLB that much so it's not as big a deal for me as it seems to be for others.

I'll just say that for someone who was so hesitant to make the switch I'm very happy with the 23 and what it'll do. Now I've scheduled quite a few recordings/series so we'll see if they all take. I may have a different answer for you if not.


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## shibby191 (Dec 24, 2007)

DBSTalk is the best place for info on the HD DVRs from DirecTV.



marktd said:


> [*]How good is DirecTV's HD quality - 1080i that is so compressed that it looks like SD isn't really what I'm looking for. For example, how does a 1080i local OTA compare to the same station on DirecTV?


It is full resolution HD. What they are doing with MPEG4 is vastly better then the old MPEG2 stations. In most markets the HD locals look nearly identical to OTA.



> [*] Who owns DirecTV equipment these days (i.e., me or them)? Is it leased or sold? Is there any chance that they will give me an HD DVR as a retention incentive since I've been out of contract for years?


DirecTV has been doing leasing for about 4 years now. Many people have gotten HD upgrades for free, simply need to call to see what deal you can get.



> [*] If DirecTV introduces an HD TiVo later this year will I be able to swap out the DirecTV DVR for a Tivo or will I have to also "buy" the TiVo?


I would highly doubt there would be any free swaps,. Also note that Tivo said at the Citi conference that they hope to have it ready by next year. That would be 2010. Most have been estimating early to mid 2010 anyway since when has Tivo (or DirecTV) ever delivered anything on time. And honestly there really isn't much info at all on it. DirecTV hasn't said a single thing about it other then a small press release last summer.



> [*] Am I understanding correctly that they will give me the new antenna when I upgrade to HD, but that I will have to "buy" the DVR? What about a new multiswitch, does DirecTV provide that or will I have to buy one?


HD upgrades are free and include whatever you need (new dish, multiswitch, etc). You'll need to wheel and deal on the HD DVR.



> [*] I (obviously) haven't been following this, but does the DirecTV DVR have an equivalent to wish-lists?


You can do saved searches and autorecord searches. And in many ways they are more powerful then the Tivo wishlists with the boolean operators. But if you were a huge power user of wishlists then you may not be able to replicate all that you did on the HR2x. Just depends on what you did.



> How about 30-second skip?


Yes, there is a 30 second skip or slip, whichever you want to use.



> [*] Besides DLB, what else is the DirecTV DVR missing compared to the TiVo? What does the DirecTV DVR have that the TiVO doesn't?


I'd refer you to the extensive comparison FAQs at DBSTalk. But other then the Tivo UI, DLB, power user wishlists and the Tivo guide I can't really think of anything off the top of my head that the DirecTV DVRs don't have. Things they have over the Tivo are also a decent list such as disk space indicator, caller ID, Media Share, VOD, Interactive capability, "smart" recording of back to back shows on the same channel (only takes up 1 tuner vs. 2 on the Tivo) and more. Again, go do some extensive searches at DBSTalk.

Here is an FAQ post to get you started (check the Tivo survivor's guide): http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=76617

Overall the HD DVR from DirecTV is just fine and works just fine. If you go into it with an open mind you'll be fine. But if you just can't give up the Tivo UI then I'd suggest you check out your cable options and get a Tivo HD unit vs. going with a 2 year commitment to DirecTV.


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## vman (Feb 9, 2001)

Not to hijack, but one additional question - we are redoing our living room soon and are curious - when we upgrade to the HD dish, how many wires do we need coming into the house? Is it still 2 satellite, plus maybe 1 OTA antenna, which all go into a multiswitch?


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## rlj5242 (Dec 20, 2000)

Four from the satellite to the switch. The switch is able to handle 6 satellite connections in case you need additional dishes for foreign programming. OTA signals are not handled by the switch. You will need separate runs from the antenna to your TV's.

-Robert


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## vman (Feb 9, 2001)

Ouch! Where do we get this mutiswitch? (my current one is a 3x8, which apparently won't work!) How many outputs does it have? Do we still run two cables from multiswitch to each receiver for satellite signals (plus one OTA antenna cable), or are there more cable runs to the receivers?


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## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

if you need it they will include the multiswitch for free with the dish.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

The standard one they give you is a "5x8". You will need two cables just as with TiVo if you're using a multiswitch. If you have no "legacy" receivers left you can purchase a "Single Wire Multiswitch" (SWM) module from SolidSignal or similar and then run just one cable into the house, splitting it as needed, with one feed to the HR2X DVRs.


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## mccoady (Dec 8, 2002)

Since I started this thread I'll go ahead and ask it here. I mentioned I used the RF out of my Direct Tivo and was informed that neither the upcoming HD Direct Tivo or or the current Direct TV HD receivers have this feature.

I'm assuming the newer HD receivers still have analog A/V outs that can be used at the same time as component or HDMI so I guess my options to be able to get a signal to an upstairs bedroom tv (using RF out for this now) are:

A. Buy a 50' A/V cable from Monoprice to run from the HD receiver's analog outs to the upstair's tv.

B. Buy a RF Modulator and use the coax cable already ran and currently using.

Which would be the better signal I'm just looking to equal the signal quality I get now? 

Just curious is the current RF Out of my Direct Tivo outputting a mono or stereo audio signal?


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

Your assumption is incorrect. All outputs are active.

Your DTiVo is putting out mono audio on the RF jack. I don't know of any consumer devices with stereo modulators.

You should consider wireless signal relays - "Rabbit" is one brand name but there are others.


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## mccoady (Dec 8, 2002)

Steve the "Rabbit" you are talking about is that like the Leapfrog LF-30S wireless?

Are you saying running A/V cables or using a CE Labs 1001ST Stereo RF modulator wouldn't be as good as going wireless?


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

Yes, a Leapfrog would be similar. It's certainly easier to go wireless than to run a 50' cable. It won't be any better than running a cable in terms of picture and sound quality. It all depends on what you want.


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## mccoady (Dec 8, 2002)

Okay thanks it sounds like whether I use wireless, run analog A/V cables or use a CE Labs 1001ST RF modular the video quality should be about the same as I have now but with the added benefit of stereo audio. I suppose the only potential problem I could have
with wireless is all the cordless phones I have all over the house.

I can't seem to find anything on the "Rabbit" wireless you mentioned.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

Hmm - thought that was the name. Maybe not.


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## mccoady (Dec 8, 2002)

I've been doing alot of reading over at DBSTalk the last several days and I can't figure out why so many have become D*TV dvr fans (even some former Tivo owners) with so many shortcomings. I realize the draw of the HRxx HD DVRs is because well HD is HD and I too would very much like to have HD over Sat. The problem is their dvr's leave out so many everyday features (I call staples) that make using a dvr essential, to me anyway. I know how one uses a dvr makes a difference in how important a particular feature might be but so far it seems D*TV just doesn't get what makes a good dvr. 

I would have thought since D*TV basically started from scratch with their dvr's they would have taken say 80-90% what Tivo does right (patents withstanding) and refined it from there adding their own personal touches. It almost seems though that every good thing Tivo did they ignored just to be different. I think their one-touch record and easier setup of Season Passes would be nice for example. 

Here is what I consider very important features left out of their dvr's and until D*TV incorporates most of these it would be hard for me to switch over:

1. DLB - I consider this a big deal while others may not and their work-around doesn't cut it for me.

2. Tivo List guide - I know I'm probably in the minority here on this and that D*TV might not be able to do it but this is so much easier to use. I'm semi-retired so I'm always scanning channels to see what on and I can go through the channels so much faster seeing several hours ahead on each channel it just makes so much more sense than a grid guide. Every once in awhile I'll change over to the gride guide and I hate it. This would probably be the biggest adjustment for me (using D*TV dvr) having to go to a grid guide even though I may eventually be forced to.

3. 50 Season Passes - I still can't figure out why there's a limit I have way over 50 now.

4. Randomly slow functions: Some people complain about this and others say it's not an issue so I don't know what to make of this.

5. Audio/Video issues: Have read some have complained about skip issues.

6. Search Functions: Have read it's not as good as Tivo. I like to put in searches for sporting events (basketball/football games etc.) and also like to search for movies. It would be nice to exclude PPV movies in that search although I don't remember if Tivo search does that or not.

7. Favorite/Channels I receive: I couldn't find anywhere if D*TV dvr's left this out but I read somewhere someone said they were working on "Favorites" so not sure. I always use my Tivo set to Favorites.

8. External Hard Drive: I can't figure out why they would disable the internal drive when drive space is a priorty when recording HD. My series 2 of course doesn't even offer this but my son's Tivo HD does not disable the internal drive.

9. Can Retrieve deleted items: Okay I'm not sure on this but I love that feature with Tivo even though we went years without it.

Feel free to correct me if D*TV dvr's do include some of the above but can't say I'm happy with the ones I know for sure they left out. I don't understand why though the above all couldn't be incorporated (maybe not list guide) and they would have a near perfect HD dvr. It also looks like a long wait for the new D*TV Tivo so that's not a good thing for someone wanting HD Sat now.


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## shibby191 (Dec 24, 2007)

mccoady said:


> I've been doing alot of reading over at DBSTalk the last several days and I can't figure out why so many have become D*TV dvr fans (even some former Tivo owners) with so many shortcomings. I realize the draw of the HRxx HD DVRs is because well HD is HD and I too would very much like to have HD over Sat. The problem is their dvr's leave out so many everyday features (I call staples) that make using a dvr essential, to me anyway. I know how one uses a dvr makes a difference in how important a particular feature might be but so far it seems D*TV just doesn't get what makes a good dvr.


As you say it's really to each individual. I've had various Tivo's since 2000 but just a few weeks ago finally deactivated my last DirecTivo. Frankly it was because both the wife and I have gotten so used to the HR2x DVRs over the past 2 years that it drove us nuts to try to use the Tivo interface.



> 1. DLB - I consider this a big deal while others may not and their work-around doesn't cut it for me.


Nope, it's not there unfortunately. Doesn't effect me at all since I rarely watch live TV. Even during Sunday Ticket I still do what I used to do back in the day, record "my team" on one tuner and surf the games on the other tuner. So for me at least I didn't lose anything with no DLB. Again, just the way I use it.



> 2. Tivo List guide - I know I'm probably in the minority here on this and that D*TV might not be able to do it but this is so much easier to use. I'm semi-retired so I'm always scanning channels to see what on and I can go through the channels so much faster seeing several hours ahead on each channel it just makes so much more sense than a grid guide. Every once in awhile I'll change over to the gride guide and I hate it. This would probably be the biggest adjustment for me (using D*TV dvr) having to go to a grid guide even though I may eventually be forced to.


This was probably my biggest change as well. I don't miss it at all frankly since again, I don't watch Live TV so I could frankly not care what the guide looks like. Here is a tip though on the HR2x: Pull up the guide to say HBO, left arrow to highlight the channel number and hit the info button. Within a couple seconds the entire guide for the next 2 weeks for HBO is on screen similar to the Tivo guide. One touch record a dozen movies in less then a minutes. Left arrow takes you back to the guide. Arrow down to HBO2, hit Info, rinse and repeat. Basically I could set dozens of movies to record in just a minute or two. Not the same, but may help.



> 3. 50 Season Passes - I still can't figure out why there's a limit I have way over 50 now.


The only explanation that has been rumored to be true is that it's a limitation in the database structure they are using. Once you get much over 50 the box really slows down. Tivo actually has a similar problem in that it *really* can slow down if you have a lot of season passes. Only difference is that Tivo lets you deal with it.



> 4. Randomly slow functions: Some people complain about this and others say it's not an issue so I don't know what to make of this.


That's a hard one. I think some can be IR issues with the remote. Could be a bad box. I do know the HR21's can be slower then the HR20's for whatever reason. But no matter how slow it is, it's way faster then any DirecTivo I've ever owned. Overall personally I've had very little problems with slowness.



> 5. Audio/Video issues: Have read some have complained about skip issues.


Don't know about that one personally. Never had an issue over 2 and a half years. If you're talking about the 30sec skip then I can't comment as I never use it (and never did on Tivo either).



> 6. Search Functions: Have read it's not as good as Tivo. I like to put in searches for sporting events (basketball/football games etc.) and also like to search for movies. It would be nice to exclude PPV movies in that search although I don't remember if Tivo search does that or not.


While not as easy to set up as a Tivo wishlist the Autorecord search on the HR2x's are very powerful and in some cases better then a wishlist. For example you could create one for Actor Brad Pitt and limit the search to just the movie channels in the 500s. You can't limit a Tivo wishlist by channel, last I knew. I've got one for my favorite sports team that picks up all pre-game shows and all live games and only on a certain range of channels. There is a large thread on DBSTalk on how to use the boolean search terms and where you can ask how to best construct a search. It would be nice if DirecTV would put a GUI over it but it is very powerful once you figure it out.



> 7. Favorite/Channels I receive: I couldn't find anywhere if D*TV dvr's left this out but I read somewhere someone said they were working on "Favorites" so not sure. I always use my Tivo set to Favorites.


Yes, you can have 2 custom favorite lists. The issue is with the "channels I receive" built in favorite list which you can't edit. There are a few channels that will show up that you don't receive, although they are working on making it better and you can post for DirecTV which channels are wrong. But if you use your own custom favorite list then this is a non-issue for the most part. Searching though may pull something up on a channel you don't receive, but by limiting what channel range to search can help alleviate that issue.



> 8. External Hard Drive: I can't figure out why they would disable the internal drive when drive space is a priorty when recording HD. My series 2 of course doesn't even offer this but my son's Tivo HD does not disable the internal drive.


Don't know. External drives are still something they don't officially support. They basically activated it early on and we're on our own. If you plan to use one I'd suggest just getting one right away that way you never use the Internal and won't have programs "stuck" on it.



> I don't understand why though the above all couldn't be incorporated (maybe not list guide) and they would have a near perfect HD dvr. It also looks like a long wait for the new D*TV Tivo so that's not a good thing for someone wanting HD Sat now.


Who knows, just whatever priorities they had. The DirecTV DVRs also have many features that the Tivo's don't have at all so it's a 2 way street. So a lot of it is just what your past experience is, how open a mind you have, how set in your ways you are or if there is a missing feature that is key that you can't live without.

Good luck.


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## mccoady (Dec 8, 2002)

> Here is a tip though on the HR2x: Pull up the guide to say HBO, left arrow to highlight the channel number and hit the info button. Within a couple seconds the entire guide for the next 2 weeks for HBO is on screen similar to the Tivo guide. One touch record a dozen movies in less then a minutes. Left arrow takes you back to the guide. Arrow down to HBO2, hit Info, rinse and repeat. Basically I could set dozens of movies to record in just a minute or two. Not the same, but may help.


I hadn't had this feature explained to me before so I suppose it is somewhat of a compromise from the Tivo List guide and might be something I could work with.



> The only explanation that has been rumored to be true is that it's a limitation in the database structure they are using. Once you get much over 50 the box really slows down.


I wonder if this is something that D*TV is actually trying to fix or if they even think it's a problem?



> But no matter how slow it is, it's way faster then any DirecTivo I've ever owned. Overall personally I've had very little problems with slowness.


Okay now that is nice to know.

I believe the audio/video issues had to do with video glitches and audio dropping out and, or lip-synching problems.

Since it's not actually supported I wonder if the external drive not disabling the internal one will ever be addressed. What is the recording capacity with HD programs does the HR22 or HR23 provide?

Can you retrieve deleted programs?


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## shibby191 (Dec 24, 2007)

mccoady said:


> I wonder if this is something that D*TV is actually trying to fix or if they even think it's a problem?


Got me. Since they've never addressed it either it's not technically possible without breaking something or it's not something they get a lot of complaints about and thus not "worth" it to them to try to up it. I'd probably go with the latter since most users aren't power users like many on this forum. Even myself, as much TV as we watch, we only have about 30. But to be honest, it's just all speculation.



> I believe the audio/video issues had to do with video glitches and audio dropping out and, or lip-synching problems.


I've never had a problem that wasn't the problem with the station. In particular local stations. When I see the same problem on OTA thru the TV then it's not a problem with the DVR. 
Some "cable" stations also have issues from time to time but then even people on cable see it.

Having said that, I rarely if ever see any lip sync issues and when I do it's on a local and also seen OTA. But again, just me.



> What is the recording capacity with HD programs does the HR22 or HR23 provide?


It's double, 100 hours of HD I believe. the HR22 and 23 have larger hard drives then the HR20 or 21.



> Can you retrieve deleted programs?


No. I think that's only a very recent feature of Tivo's.


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