# DirecTV HR10-250 HD Tivo Obsolete?



## imccubbin (Jan 2, 2006)

Hello,
I have a quetion for those of you out there who are learned in the subject. I currently subscribe to DirecTV and have a standard stand alone series 2 TiVo DVR. I was considering upgrading my existing TiVo unit to the Hugues HR10-250 HD DVR so I can get HD programming in the near future and be able to record one channel and watch another. BUT from my understanding, (something I read online somwhere), DirecTv has desolved there partnership with TiVo in favor of comming out with there own DVR equipment. What is worse is the fact that supposedly, DirecTv will boadcast its HD programming in a signal format (MPEG4) which the Hughes HR10-250 cannot decode into HD. I sent an e-mail to Driectv asking about this. All I got was a form letter that said that DirecTv will continue to suport the DirecTv DVR with TiVo and standalone DVR with TiVo service, but they did not mention wheather or not you can use the HR10-250 to recieve HD signals now or in the future. 
Ivar


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## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

The HR10-250 HD DVR will continue to receive and record all of DirecTV's standard and HiDef MPEG2 channels, which should be around for a few more years. It will also receive and record your local over-the-air HDTV channels forever. 

What it won't be able to do is receive the new DirecTV MPEG4 local HDTV channels, which are gradually rolling out across the country in major cities during 2006 and 2007. But this should only be an issue for you if you cannot receive your local HDTV channels with an antenna. 

And, if you decide you want to replace your dish and HR10-250 when those channels become available in your area, DirecTV has stated that they will offer attractive upgrade/replacement programs for older equipment.


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## chrpai (Nov 1, 2005)

I would describe it more as a dead-end product then an obsolete product. For example where the 6.2 upgrade for this box?


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

The 6.2 upgrade is on DirecTV's shelf, where it is likely to stay.


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## chudel (May 10, 2005)

This brings up a question I hadn't considered. Could I get the HR10-250 HD and unsubscribe the Satellite locals in favor of OTA HD locals? Ie: Can you order "Total Choice" (no locals) + "HD" package? 

PS: When will DirecTV throw in an XM receiver a la Dish/Sirrius' promo?


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

chudel said:


> This brings up a question I hadn't considered. Could I get the HR10-250 HD and unsubscribe the Satellite locals in favor of OTA HD locals? Ie: Can you order "Total Choice" (no locals) + "HD" package?
> 
> PS: When will DirecTV throw in an XM receiver a la Dish/Sirrius' promo?


Sure... There would be no reason why you can't.
But... You will then lose SAT locals on ALL your recievers (if you have more then one)

XM Promotion.... Probably in the works, since XM is basically giving away their Roady2 unit all the time now.


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## chudel (May 10, 2005)

Thanks Earl!

Soooo, what is the cheapest that I can get in to the HR10-250 HD for? I see they sell at weaknees for $579 less $200 DirecTV discount. Which is still a little steep. 

Thanks,
Chris.

PS: These are really, really unhackable, right? So I'd be giving up the MRV,HMO options of my current DTivo?


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

The R10's are really unhackable, unless you are willing to do some hardware surgery to the unit.

The HR10-250s can be "consumer-aided" to do aditional things.

$499 is about the best I have been seing for the HR10-250, as DTV is starting to be a lot less "giving" with the credits.


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## jcricket (Sep 11, 2002)

I think "dead-end" is a good way to describe it. And "unsupported" might be a good addition. At this point, given what I've read about the R15 software base that will be used for the HR20 MPG4 DVR, I'm pretty much open to switching to the cablecard Tivo should it be at least as good as the current HD Tivo from DirecTV.

Pretty sad that while standalone DVRs (Tivo, MythTV, XP Media Edition) have all seen tons of advances (UI, functionality, networking, MRV, to-go), satellite + cable DVRs are moving backwards.


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## tambrose (Jan 4, 2006)

Does anyone on this post use Vonage? I have been unable to make an outbound call on my R10 DVR and I callled Directv and he suggested I buy the new R15 which doesn't have to make an outbound call? any thoughts?


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

See your other post. I don't know if the R15's modem is more tolerant of VoIP than the TiVo's is. I use Vonage but I have my TiVos disconnected from the phone line.


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## imccubbin (Jan 2, 2006)

Thanks for your replys. I am still very disappointed that DriecTv has decided to try to come out with their own DVRs instead of keeping their partnership with TiVo. I have tried one of those cheap TiVo knock offs at a friends house and they don't hold a candle to the real thing. Most of the ones I have seen are just hard drive based VCRs, not much else. Other than the fact that DirecTv wants to try to get ALL of your TV dollars, I don't see why they can't keep TiVo. If companies like Comcast or Knowledgy come out with Tivo based DVR's, I will drop DirecTv. Someone posted something about a TiVo cable card. What exactly is this?
Ivar


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## richardeholder (Jul 2, 2003)

tambrose said:


> Does anyone on this post use Vonage? I have been unable to make an outbound call on my R10 DVR and I callled Directv and he suggested I buy the new R15 which doesn't have to make an outbound call? any thoughts?


I switched to Vonage and had the same trouble. Tried a number of options including calling a NY or AZ number, but they all failed until I picked up a couple of DSL filters from Radio Shack. Slapped those on the lines and presto it worked.


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## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

jcricket said:


> Pretty sad that while standalone DVRs (Tivo, MythTV, XP Media Edition) have all seen tons of advances (UI, functionality, networking, MRV, to-go), satellite + cable DVRs are moving backwards.


It is a lot easier to provide customer support for all those cool features you mention when you don't have 12 million customers. DirecTV and the Cable companies know better than to start acting like a startup with a few hundred thousand customers.

Do you really think DirecTV's mindless CSR's could handle the questions they would get if they enabled networking or MRV? When DirecTV agrees to add a feature it must be a feature that will directly increase sales without unduely increasing support costs.

It's unfair to compare the features that Myth or Tivo SA units offer with the features DirecTV offers.


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## bcronin (Dec 29, 2001)

litzdog911 said:


> The HR10-250 HD DVR will continue to receive and record all of DirecTV's standard and HiDef MPEG2 channels, which should be around for a few more years. It will also receive and record your local over-the-air HDTV channels forever.
> 
> What it won't be able to do is receive the new DirecTV MPEG4 local HDTV channels, which are gradually rolling out across the country in major cities during 2006 and 2007. But this should only be an issue for you if you cannot receive your local HDTV channels with an antenna.
> 
> And, if you decide you want to replace your dish and HR10-250 when those channels become available in your area, DirecTV has stated that they will offer attractive upgrade/replacement programs for older equipment.


Are the NY metro HD locals already MPEG4? If so, then I presume that me getting an HR10-250 now would be a mistake?


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## bcronin (Dec 29, 2001)

imccubbin said:


> Thanks for your replys. I am still very disappointed that DriecTv has decided to try to come out with their own DVRs instead of keeping their partnership with TiVo. I have tried one of those cheap TiVo knock offs at a friends house and they don't hold a candle to the real thing. Most of the ones I have seen are just hard drive based VCRs, not much else. Other than the fact that DirecTv wants to try to get ALL of your TV dollars, I don't see why they can't keep TiVo. If companies like Comcast or Knowledgy come out with Tivo based DVR's, I will drop DirecTv. Someone posted something about a TiVo cable card. What exactly is this?
> Ivar


I heard a rumor that CableVision was planning to test market a dual-tuner cablecard TiVo-software based DVR. Although I have been with DirecTv over 10 years and have quite a bit of loyalty to the platform, the lack of some of the nicer TiVo refinements (such as dual buffers) in the DTV DVR software is a real show stopper for me. I'd *almost* rather forego HD altogether just so I could keep the superior TiVo features of my two SD DVR's. If CableVision offered a dual-tuner TiVo-based HD DVR, I'd have a very tough decision. I don't exactly consider CableVision a good company to have to deal with, but if DirecTv can't deliver equivalent functionality in their "new" HD DVR's that I've been enjoying for years, then I'd probably make the switch (although I'd obviously prefer to not to have to).


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## Tutman (May 8, 2002)

I have 2 R10's and vonage. A year ago when I got the R10's I had absolutely no problems dialing over vonage to activate them. No filters, no special codes, just plugged them in and they worked right away. Since the activation, neither unit has been plugged into vonage and has not made a call in 343 days. I get the daily nag screen, but that is it. I was told by customer retention when I got the R10's that they would not work unless continuously connected to a phone line. I didn't believe them. I don't have unlimited vonage, so I don't want DirecTV wasting my minutes.


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## jcricket (Sep 11, 2002)

> If CableVision offered a dual-tuner TiVo-based HD DVR, I'd have a very tough decision. I don't exactly consider CableVision a good company to have to deal with, but if DirecTv can't deliver equivalent functionality in their "new" HD DVR's that I've been enjoying for years, then I'd probably make the switch (although I'd obviously prefer to not to have to).


That's exactly where I am (except I'm in Comcast territory). I don't have any problems with DirecTV (per se), just with what they've (not) done with the Tivos they released and what they're doing with their new DVRs.

If the HR20 still has the same basic flaws as the R15, there's little chance of me moving to that platform. I'll look around elsewhere, and if there's another Tivo box from someone that can record HD, I'll go there.


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

I love my HR-10 250. I will keep it until it no longer works. I get my locals OTA which is where most of the HD content is, I can't see a compressed signal coming off the satelite as being better that OTA. As for the other channels they look fine with the MPEG-2 compression, vs when they will be slightly better compressed. 
If it turns out that this new DVR blows and the Tivo service is discontinued before my 2 year contract is up and I refuse to purchase a new one, I wonder if I will be out of my contract?


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## toricred (Mar 9, 2004)

ebonovic said:


> The R10's are really unhackable, unless you are willing to do some hardware surgery to the unit.
> 
> The HR10-250s can be "consumer-aided" to do aditional things.
> 
> $499 is about the best I have been seing for the HR10-250, as DTV is starting to be a lot less "giving" with the credits.


The HR10-250s can't add the MRV option, but can do several things. I currently have one with 550GB of disk space that can be seen on the network and you can telnet and ftp to it. I'm currently selling it since I decided I couldn't live without MRV.


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## kjohnson913 (Feb 8, 2006)

As far as I know and have been told by DirecTV, they will give you a new HR20-250 and the new dish and install for free when the new one is available if you have bought the HR10-250 so it shouldn't be a problem. What I don't know and am hoping someone can answer is:

I want to be able to have access to HD DVR programming in two rooms, with the least amount of effort....meaning cabling or setting up two season passes on everything and having to delete stuff on the one that I dont happen to watch it on, etc.. I would rather not have to buy another $500.00 DVR if I dont have to.

Can this be done? What are my options?

What is HMO/MRV?

What is all this talk about hacking the unit and unhackable etc. Why would I want to hack into my unit? Is there stuff that I could be doing that I dont know about, that I might actually want to do? If I hack into it, can it be made to perform faster? The speed sucks on the HR-10-250. The hard drive size is fine.


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## pudge44 (Dec 5, 2002)

kjohnson913 said:


> I want to be able to have access to HD DVR programming in two rooms, with the least amount of effort....meaning cabling or setting up two season passes on everything and having to delete stuff on the one that I dont happen to watch it on, etc.. I would rather not have to buy another $500.00 DVR if I dont have to.


You can do this by wiring the HR10-250 to two different TVs. It's a bit more complicated because the HR10 does not have an RG6 output -- only component, composite, S-Video and HDMI. Further complicating matters, the unit will NOT output on both HDMI and component at the same time. You could use HDMI to one TV, and S-Video/RCA audio cables to a second set. Those cables are available in long lengths for very reasonable prices from monoprice.com. You won't get HD on the second set that way, however, since you'll be limited to S-video quality output. Another option would be to purchase an HDMI switcher (also available from monoprice.com) and a second HDMI cable for your other tv. You could then use wireless remote extenders to allow you to use your Tivo remote in either room.

I don't know a whole lot about HDMI switchers, but search on it in the HD tivo forum and you'll find plenty of info.

This setup would only allow you to watch one set or the other (with the HDMI switcher) or the same thing on both sets at the same time (using s-video).

Hope this helps.


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