# Need quick advice (R10 or "real" TiVo hooked to D*)



## coolbreeze (Dec 20, 2005)

I have been going back and forth with my decision here....I presently have a D* Series 2 DirecTivo in my living room, and basic cable hooked into a regular TiVo in my bedroom. I am very unhappy with the picture quality of the Cable/TiVo combo, and have a decision to make.

Should I get an R10, and add it to my bedroom. (There is one left at my local Best Buy...tempting).

Or, would it be better to keep the 40-hr TiVo and just run DirecTV through it (using my existing RCA DirecTV receiver)? I do like the functionality of the TiVo unit (wireless, Tivo2Go, etc).

EDIT: So how is the interaction between the TiVo and a standalone DirecTV receiver? Is it "transparent?"

The latter would be more expensive ($5 additional receiver fee plus $12.95 monthly TiVo charge) but the main benefit is I wouldn't have to sign a contract with DirecTV (right?). Right now, I am out of contract. Surely adding a standalone reciever won't tie me to a new contract.....

Any advice is welcomed.


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## ZildjianB (Oct 11, 2003)

I am currently using a SA Series2 w/Lifetime service with a DTV D11 receiver via the TiVo's IR blasters. This system is actually working very quickly for me despite the IR blasters bad rep.

For older DTV receivers, I believe you could use a Serial connection from the TiVo to the receiver, which is very quick and reliable compared to the IR Blasters. You'd have to check on what cable you'd need for your specific model, but I believe the 'TiVo Home Control Cable with RJ-14' is the most common (see weaknees.com or another retailer).

The benefit of the R10 would be the dual tuners, but you would be losing a lot of more advanced TiVo features.


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

Since you already have a DirecTV DVR and know how it looks, I'd get the R10 to replace your SA TiVo/cable combination. 

Do you have plans of dropping DirecTV? Saving the $12.95/month and gaining another tuner makes this a no brainer IMO. If you replace the regular DirecTV receiver with the new R10 you won't have any additional mirroring charge. And the DVR fee you pay now covers all DVRs on your account. 

If you use the SA with a DirecTV receiver, you can still have channel changing problems.


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## coolbreeze (Dec 20, 2005)

JimSpence said:


> Since you already have a DirecTV DVR and know how it looks, I'd get the R10 to replace your SA TiVo/cable combination.
> 
> Do you have plans of dropping DirecTV? Saving the $12.95/month and gaining another tuner makes this a no brainer IMO. If you replace the regular DirecTV receiver with the new R10 you won't have any additional mirroring charge. And the DVR fee you pay now covers all DVRs on your account.
> 
> If you use the SA with a DirecTV receiver, you can still have channel changing problems.


Thanks Jim. Well, I don't have any plans to leave DirecTV, but I just don't like the idea of a 2-yr contract. I mean, it will be 1 week from 2008 before my contract expires. Who knows what the choices will be from now until then (cable card, etc?).

I only have one receiver active on my account, so I am assuming adding another room (D10 receiver I own) won't require me to sign any committment, right?

I'm just torn here becuase I like the fact that the Tivo will continue to be updated, and the fact that the R10 will stay at 6.2 and will not receive any more updates makes me mad.

Also, I have a 3-LNB oval dish...using two of those coax connections with my DirectTivo in my living room (DVR80). It works great, but only leaves one connection left (in my bedroom)....so the dual tuner idea won't provide any benefit to me since I only have one free LNB, right?


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## ZildjianB (Oct 11, 2003)

coolbreeze said:


> Thanks Jim. Well, I don't have any plans to leave DirecTV, but I just don't like the idea of a 2-yr contract. I mean, it will be 1 week from 2008 before my contract expires. Who knows what the choices will be from now until then (cable card, etc?).
> 
> I only have one receiver active on my account, so I am assuming adding another room (D10 receiver I own) won't require me to sign any committment, right?
> 
> ...


You will be perfectly fine using three LNBs and two R10s with dual tuners if you have a multiswitch on the system. Take a look at the sticky at the top of the forum (LNB, Multiswitch, and DirecTV Signal FAQ's) for more on how this works. Adding another R10 to your account should not extend your contract with DTV unless you use their DVR rebate (if I remember things correctly). Like I said before, if you want the more advanced TiVo features, stick with the SA Series2 TiVo (expect Cable Card units next year). If you want a solid DTV DVR w/dual tuners get the R10 and look into a multiswitch.


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## pjbassguy (Dec 23, 2005)

Ok, Take it from an installer for DTV - the R15 is a real POS, I have TIVO in my home, and after looking at the product (You would NOT believe how many fail upon initial installation!) and trying to tell the customer that expected to get a TIVO that the R15 is a good product - is the worst thing I have to do! It is more cumberson than a TV and it gets the customers rather confused. The ONLY advantage is that you do NOT need a phone line connected to the unit to activate it!

IF you are having problems with the R15, Unplug it and as soon as the welcome screen fires up, enter the following code "0 2 4 6 8" this should take care of the problems.


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## coolbreeze (Dec 20, 2005)

pjbassguy said:


> Ok, Take it from an installer for DTV - the R15 is a real POS, I have TIVO in my home, and after looking at the product (You would NOT believe how many fail upon initial installation!) and trying to tell the customer that expected to get a TIVO that the R15 is a good product - is the worst thing I have to do! It is more cumberson than a TV and it gets the customers rather confused. The ONLY advantage is that you do NOT need a phone line connected to the unit to activate it!
> 
> IF you are having problems with the R15, Unplug it and as soon as the welcome screen fires up, enter the following code "0 2 4 6 8" this should take care of the problems.


? I am not referring to the R15...I've been there and done that. Me no likey.

I was asking about the R10 and SA 40-hr Tivo....


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## rick31621 (Jun 20, 2004)

I agree, the R15 is a POS. I replaced it with an additional R10.
Run don't walk and grab another R10.
I'm operating 2 R10s right now.
I have 1 in the master B/R and it's nice and quiet.


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## nrc (Nov 17, 1999)

pjbassguy said:


> Ok, Take it from an installer for DTV - the R15 is a real POS, I have TIVO in my home, and after looking at the product (You would NOT believe how many fail upon initial installation!) and trying to tell the customer that expected to get a TIVO that the R15 is a good product - is the worst thing I have to do!


I thought that part of DirecTV's deal with TiVo was that if a customer specifically asks for TiVo they still have to provide TiVo until the contract is up in 2007. Maybe you should suggest that customers call up DirecTV and ask for a real DirecTV DVR *with Tivo*.

Has anyone tried this?


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## rick31621 (Jun 20, 2004)

D* won't guarantee which receiver you will get.
I recommend just purchasing it at CC or BB and file for the $100 rebate.
If you're a old timer, 5+ years, call Retention and ask for a credit so you can go out and buy one from the local retailer. 
I haven't paid for a new receiver in years!


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## coolbreeze (Dec 20, 2005)

Ahh, just got the LAST one at the Best Buy here. Everyone else is out of the R10, so it may be safe to say I got the last DirecTivo in my city!  

Now, when it rang up, I didn't have to give any personal info, and paid with cash.

So my question is this: When I call DirecTV to activate, I will just say I bought it from a friend, to avoid the 2-yr commitment (obviously I won't file for the $100 rebate). I think this is perfectly ok to do, since I don't want the rebate.

I mean, what if I really did get this R10 off of eBay? I sure don't think D* would hold me to a 2-yr contract if that's the case. Besides, what does it matter?

I just feel it's wise to pay $100 for the unit, since the cancellation fee is $300. If you read between the lines, you may see that I am looking forward to the cable card technology, and don't want to be tied down to DirecTV.

BTW, yesterday Best Buy had at least 20 R15's....tonight there were none. I was very surprised to see they R10 sitting there (was with the HD boxes...no tag anywhere). :up: There were several people milling around the D* display, talking about TiVo. Needless to say I promptly grabbed the last R10 and hauled.....


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## purwater (Aug 25, 2005)

I think that when you call to activate the R10 they will see it's a new unit and automatically put you on a 2 year commitment. I was considering picking up a spare R10 myself. A local Wal Mart has 3 unopened ones just lying on the shelf. If I knew they wouldn't take my info I'd buy it and store it for when one of my units die. I tried Tivo years ago and to be honest didn't like it at all. I had a Replay TV and it was a lot better for my tastes. When I made the switch to Directv a few months ago I still wasn't completely happy with my Directivos, but now I love them and hate to ever lose them. After a couple of years with Dish Network's lousy DVRs it's great to never worry about missing a recording. The R15 feels way too much like the Dish DVRs for me to feel confident in them right now.


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## SeattleCarl (Nov 11, 2005)

As far as a contract extension, if you add a new receiver, you get a one year contract. If you add a dvr or hd receiver, you get a 2 year contract.
-
You can avoid the time requirement when you cancel sooner by returning the equipment to DirecTV. Otherwise you pay the penalty for early termination.
-
You shouldn't get a contract extension of you re-add a receiver or dvr you previously had on your account. However, you might have to spend some time on the phone to get around it, as I think their system adds the contract term automatically when you activate a receiver or dvr.
-
Carl


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## coolbreeze (Dec 20, 2005)

Purwater, thanks for the info. I agree about the R15...my parents have a Dish DVR, and that thing is a nightmare. The constantly call me asking why it isn't working. I even tried the R15 and didn't care for it.

Well, when I activated my R10 tonight, I specifically asked the lady if I would be signed up for ANY commitment b/c I was activating an "additional" receiver. Her reply: NO SIR, NO COMMITMENT IS REQUIRED. After activation, I checked my account on D*.com, now there is a new "Annual Commitment" on My Account.

I guess I got the wool pulled over my eyes. She explictly told me I didn't need a contract. I was without a contract before the R10 activation, now I'm tied to some sort of contract. Time to call them back and get an explanition.....


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

That one or two year committment will pass very quickly. 

It seems that the computer system was smarter than the CSR. 

You could still try the customer retention department to see if you could get some credits.


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

coolbreeze said:


> BTW, yesterday Best Buy had at least 20 R15's....tonight there were none. I was very surprised to see they R10 sitting there (was with the HD boxes...no tag anywhere). :up: There were several people milling around the D* display, talking about TiVo. Needless to say I promptly grabbed the last R10 and hauled.....


What isn't funny about the "R15" being missing, is that many of those people who bought the R15, likely thought that they where getting a TiVo. Now that is SAD!

BTW, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and if by chance you do not celebrate Christmas, then Happy Holidays.


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

SeattleCarl said:


> As far as a contract extension, if you add a new receiver, you get a one year contract. If you add a dvr or hd receiver, you get a 2 year contract.
> -
> You can avoid the time requirement when you cancel sooner by returning the equipment to DirecTV. Otherwise you pay the penalty for early termination.
> -
> ...


Earlier this year I added back in one of my old Sony (A65 I believe) receivers so we could use it at a TV next to the threadmill, and no additional committment was added to my bill. Of course the A65 was added in 2002 whne it was new and then removed in 2004 and then re-added again in 2005.

BTW, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and if by chance you do not celebrate Christmas, then Happy Holidays.


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## netposer (Jul 23, 2004)

I ordered a 3-room system (1 DVR, and 2 reg rec.) from DirecTV yesterday and the CSR told me it's only a 1 yr commitment and only a $150 cancellation fee pro-rated at $12.50 per month.

She was the 10th person I spoke with over a few days of calls.

9 calls before her no one at DirecTV could tell me which DVR I would get from the local installer. But this CSR put me on hold for less than 2 mins and came back with "R10". I really didn't think she new the difference between DVR's but said that was what the inventory on the 'computer' said. She also told me the other CSR's were being lazy in not finding out which DVR the local installer would give me.

So I'll know Saturday (Jan 7) which one I will get....


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## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

tbeckner said:


> What isn't funny about the "R15" being missing, is that many of those people who bought the R15, likely thought that they where getting a TiVo. Now that is SAD!
> 
> BTW, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and if by chance you do not celebrate Christmas, then Happy Holidays.


Keep in mind that the general public refers to any DVR as a Tivo. It doesn't mean they actually thought they were buying a real Tivo and will be unhappy with the R15.

What is really sad is that after installing it and using it, they will go to work and tell everyone how much they love their new Tivo!


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## john-duncan-yoyo (Oct 13, 2004)

JimSpence said:


> That one or two year committment will pass very quickly.
> 
> It seems that the computer system was smarter than the CSR.
> 
> You could still try the customer retention department to see if you could get some credits.


Don't they tape these things if there is a dispute? It's always for training purposes according to the message.


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