# HR21 Pro Release...



## pauper (Aug 22, 2007)

Any one know when the HR21 Pro will be released?


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## say-what (Dec 14, 2006)

Ummm, not soon.... 

There is no anticipated release of this product.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=114958&highlight=hr21+pro

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=114588&highlight=hr21+pro


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Much sooner then you think.

Pictures and more details of the unit later tonight.

Think the HR21... but on steroids.


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## say-what (Dec 14, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Much sooner then you think.
> 
> Pictures and more details of the unit later tonight.
> 
> Think the HR21... but on steroids.


Ok, then soon. :grin:


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Think the HR21... but on steroids.


Don't try to record baseball games.


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## ATARI (May 10, 2007)

A HR21 Pro CES announcement I am guesssing...


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Carl Spock said:


> Don't try to record baseball games.


You can, you just have to go on 60 Minutes afterwards and claim that your HR21 Pro only took B12.


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## pauper (Aug 22, 2007)

tonyd79 said:


> You can, you just have to go on 60 Minutes afterwards and claim that your HR21 Pro only took B12.


Or that you had "NO IDEA"... Thanks Guys!


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## forecheck (Jun 13, 2002)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Think the HR21... but on steroids.


So it will come in two colors, clear or cream?


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## dpfaunts (Oct 17, 2006)

Carl Spock said:


> Don't try to record baseball games.


I'm sure the HR21 Pro will deny any steroid usage and say its just a plain old HR21


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## Goober (Jun 24, 2007)

dpfaunts said:


> I'm sure the HR21 Pro will deny any steroid usage and say its just a plain old HR21


Should any stats it accrues include an asterisk?


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

HR21 pro will is manufactured by Samsung and will be available in February/March timeframe, according to the booth people.

Pix to follow,
Tom


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## pauper (Aug 22, 2007)

Tom Robertson said:


> HR21 pro will is manufactured by Samsung and will be available in February/March timeframe, according to the booth people.
> 
> Pix to follow,
> Tom


Thanks Tom..>Can't wait...Did they happen to mention possible pricing at all?


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Yes, thru the high-end shops, you should see the price at $599 (plus the obligatory $.99) 

We very likely won't see this at BB, CC, or even BB&B... 

Cheers,
Tom


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## ATARI (May 10, 2007)

ATARI said:


> A HR21 Pro CES announcement I am guesssing...


And I was right.


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## Spanky_Partain (Dec 7, 2006)

Tom Robertson said:


> Yes, thru the high-end shops, you should see the price at $599 (plus the obligatory $.99)
> 
> We very likely won't see this at BB, CC, or even BB&B...
> 
> ...


Guess we will have to warn Tfed to look at other newspaper flyers when necessary. 

I will assume that this is a lease price.


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## Elephanthead (Feb 3, 2007)

600 bucks for the right to lease mpeg 4 scaled to 1080p, yikes. I am going back to laserdiscs.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Elephanthead said:


> 600 bucks for the right to lease mpeg 4 scaled to 1080p, yikes. I am going back to laserdiscs.


The PRO doesn't do 1080p


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## akron05 (Dec 14, 2005)

Tom Robertson said:


> HR21 pro will is manufactured by Samsung and will be available in February/March timeframe, according to the booth people.
> 
> Pix to follow,
> Tom


What does "pro" do that the regular one doesn't?


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## PoitNarf (Aug 19, 2006)

akron05 said:


> What does "pro" do that the regular one doesn't?


It takes more money from your wallet up front.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

akron05 said:


> What does "pro" do that the regular one doesn't?


Functionally.... It is expected to be exactly the same.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

akron05 said:


> What does "pro" do that the regular one doesn't?


From what I've read, the S/W is the same, but has a new type of optical HDMI output that allows for 50-100 foot cable runs and it can be rack-mounted. It's basically geared towards professional home theater installations. /steve


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

According to Samsung, the optical HDMI extender will run 400M (about 1,200ft) if one believes the spec. You might be able to run even a bit farther. 

Cheers,
Tom


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## mikela (Jan 8, 2008)

Any new news on the HR21-Pro? Any release dates? Anything??


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

mikela said:


> Any new news on the HR21-Pro? Any release dates? Anything??


No, nothing yet.


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## mikela (Jan 8, 2008)

Earl Bonovich said:


> No, nothing yet.


Thanks Earl,
A couple of months ago i read somewhere that it was to be released in March. Do you think thats a possibility? I'm starting to wonder of it will ever go into production.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Oh it most definently will be a production unit.

As for that time frame as a possibility... It is possible...
But until I have some more definitives....


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

It will be truely interesting to see the final production unit, both inside and out....if its a Samsung unit, I'm hoping it will contain some of the same fine elements shown in the recently-released HR21-200 - good inside layout and ventillation, as well as hard drive anti-vibration design.


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## 4yanx (Jan 17, 2008)

I am scheduled for an HR21 on Thursday. I told the installer that I was open to taking a PRO if they were looking for beta testers! :lol:


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## mikela (Jan 8, 2008)

I just learned about SWM. If the HR21-Pro has this (Single Wire Multiswitch) it will be capable of recording four channels at the same time while watching something that has already been recorded?


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## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

mikela said:


> I just learned about SWM. If the HR21-Pro has this (Single Wire Multiswitch) it will be capable of recording four channels at the same time while watching something that has already been recorded?


no, record 2 and watch one previously recorded


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## SteveEJ (May 30, 2007)

But why would I want to run 1200 feet to change a channel? Exercise!!:lol:



Tom Robertson said:


> According to Samsung, the optical HDMI extender will run 400M (about 1,200ft) if one believes the spec. You might be able to run even a bit farther.
> 
> Cheers,
> Tom


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## bgshapiro (Jan 30, 2008)

The HR21 Pros are being advertised at Value Electronics with a projected delivery date of 2/25/08. There is a pdf link on their website that suggests that the machines WILL NOT output 1080p. If that is the case, other than the optical HDMI which I think has a limited audience, it is nothing more than a HR 21 with a big hard drive. Not worth the extra $$.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

As has been discussed in the release thread, the custom home installation market will love the new features. It is not designed for people looking for a better HR21.

The only feature I remember missing was a remote control input jack. I don't think it has this but I can't find the release thread right now. Does anybody remember if it had one?


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## mikela (Jan 8, 2008)

Carl Spock said:


> As has been discussed in the release thread, the custom home installation market will love the new features. It is not designed for people looking for a better HR21.
> 
> The only feature I remember missing was a remote control input jack. I don't think it has this but I can't find the release thread right now. Does anybody remember if it had one?


If my HR21-Pro is enclosed in my metal rack in my basement how effective will the fr remote be? And is it posible to increase it's performance? Extend the antenna some how maybe??


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

bgshapiro, welcome to the forums! :welcome_s

General answers:
The HR21-pro has an RS-232 port for remote control purposes.
It does not do 1080p.
The HDMI optical extender system is spec'ed for 400m and comes with a dongle for the TV end. I do not know if it comes with fiber.

And mikela, good question about RF in an all metal rack. It does not have an external RF port. I do not have any knowledge about the RF performance.

Cheers,
Tom


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

Thanks, Tom. I should have been more specific about IR control. A RS-232 jack is OK but what I was looking for was an 3.5mm jack (aka 1/8" jack) so you could plug an IR repeater directly into it. It would eliminate sticking an IR flasher on the front panel.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Carl Spock said:


> Thanks, Tom. I should have been more specific about IR control. A RS-232 jack is OK but what I was looking for was an 3.5mm jack (aka 1/8" jack) so you could plug an IR repeater directly into it. It would eliminate sticking an IR flasher on the front panel.


Don't most of those IR repeaters work on proprietary coding?


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Some updates,

The HR21pro has an IR in port.
and does not ship with fibre.

I believe I was mistaken about the fibre optic dongle being included. Trying to double check that one.

Anyone excited yet? 

Cheers,
Tom


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## bgshapiro (Jan 30, 2008)

Tom Robertson said:


> bgshapiro, welcome to the forums! :welcome_s
> 
> General answers:
> The HR21-pro has an RS-232 port for remote control purposes.
> ...


Thanks Tom-I was coming to that conclusion. A shame. A 1080P receiver would be worth the upgrade. By the way-Love your Packer logo- I was born and raised in Green Bay !


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

bgshapiro said:


> Thanks Tom-I was coming to that conclusion. A shame. A 1080P receiver would be worth the upgrade. By the way-Love your Packer logo- I was born and raised in Green Bay !


But with no 1080p being broadcasted now... or anytime in the near future... what would the purpose of having it on there be?

As for the Packer logo.... what are they doing this weekend?
Same thing as the Bears....


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Earl Bonovich said:


> But with no 1080p being broadcasted now... or anytime in the near future... what would the purpose of having it on there be?
> 
> As for the Packer logo.... what are they doing this weekend?
> Same thing as the Bears....


Ooooo that's rough......it's also equally cold there today in Chicago and Green Bay (Milwaukee was 6 below with 40 below wind chills when I left there this morning). :lol:

Having 1080p certainly future-proofs things once stations and networks migrate to 1080p, but as you correctly pointed out...that's years away.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Earl Bonovich said:


> But with no 1080p being broadcasted now... or anytime in the near future... what would the purpose of having it on there be?
> 
> As for the Packer logo.... what are they doing this weekend?
> Same thing as the Bears....


Yup, same thing as the Bears have been doing all month...

There will be countless 1080p broadcast opportunities... so few I can't count less... 

Cheers,
Tom


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

The only reason I would have seen to implement 1080P output would be if Directv was planing on making 1080P content available via DOD, as a way to compete with HD DVD or, more realistically Blu-Ray... Come to think of it.. Why did they leave 1080 P off any product that is HD and DOD capable?


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Don't most of those IR repeaters work on proprietary coding?


Not for what I want. Take the most popular IR company around - Xantech. If you take a typical Xantech connecting block,










normally you'd just plug an IR emitter










into the block and stick it on the front of the piece.










But it looks ugly and has problems. DirecTV pieces are notorious for having very sensitive IR receivers in them and being overloaded by stick-on flashers. Often you have to place the emitter just right to get it to work.

If you were using a Yamaha receiver (and there are many other companies that would work the same - I just use Yamaha as I know them the best and they are very common), you could instead take a 3.5 mm mono (or stereo) cable










and run it from the connecting block to a jack on the back of your receiver.










Some companies use a closed architecture system to link their components together. I'm not talking about that. More companies are like Yamaha, with an open architecture. Their remote repeater interface is designed to work with anybody's components. Electrically, their jack in the back works the same as flashing the front panel. Proprietary code issues don't come into play as the output of the connecting block is already at a frequency and with a language that the Yamaha can understand. Remember, an emitter is just a LED. It's about as basic as things get.

It would have been nice if the HR21 Pro had a similar jack on the back of it.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

Carl Spock said:


> It would be nice if DirecTV receivers, especially the HR21 Pro, had a similar jack on the back of them.


It looks like Tom says the HR21 Pro *does* have an IR port ...


Tom Robertson said:


> Some updates,
> 
> * The HR21pro has an IR in port.*
> and does not ship with fibre.
> ...


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## jaguar325 (Jan 2, 2006)

Carl Spock said:


> Not for what I want. Take the most popular IR company around - Xantech. If you take a typical Xantech connecting block,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My wish is that the TV manufacturers would build universal IR (input and output) into their receivers since the TV is the one component that will always have exposure to the room. Instead, we have to set up some kind of receiver on/near the TV to cover the rest of our equipment. My new Mits LCD has RS232 jacks for IR but their tech support said it's only for input.

Are you feeding IR signal from your connector block to your Yammy then, from its output, feeding IR to your HR20? I never thought about doing that.. it might clean up the inside of my cabinet a bit. I looked at the manual for one of my receivers (an older RX-V800) and it talks about the whole 2nd room story but that has always had more to do with a master/slave receiver relationship, which I have never used. What I didn't pick-up on was the idea of using the IR in/out as an IR passing device.

Thanks,

-Big K

p.s. what is that DTV box on your post?


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

I have done this for a living. The pictures are just ones I got of the Internet. Because of this, I can't answer your questions specifically. I have set up systems many times this way, though, using the IR jacks on the back of electronics.

As to whether the Yamaha could be used as a pass through, I've never tried that. It would be worth a try. One caveat is that you have to be careful in hooking multiple IR flashers together. They have to be in series, not parallel, and since diodes only pass electricity one way, they have to be wired just right. While I certainly have spliced multiple flashers together over the years, I have learned the hard way that the safest way is to home run everything. Xantech makes a connecting block for big systems with multiple outputs. You can also get flashers that Y out to two LEDs from one jack. That alone usually solves the problem on big systems.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Drew2k said:


> It looks like Tom says the HR21 Pro *does* have an IR port ...


Yup, I said that. 

The fibre optic dongle does not ship with the pro but will be a separate kit.

Cheers,
Tom


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

^ My mistake, then. Apologies all around. I missed your second post and Drew's reply. I just saw where you said it had an RS-232 connector.

This is neither the first time nor will it be the last time I look foolish on the Internet. That's what I get for waking up in the middle of the night and trying to make a coherent post.

I'm wearing gear from the Packer Pro Shop today, Tom. Will you forgive me?


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Your posts were far more informative in the general than the small error of detail. You are forgiven for that which you never needed to be forgiven.

Thanks for the informative posts!

Tom


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## DTV TiVo Dealer (Sep 27, 2003)

bgshapiro said:


> The HR21 Pros are being advertised at Value Electronics with a projected delivery date of 2/25/08. There is a pdf link on their website that suggests that the machines WILL NOT output 1080p. If that is the case, other than the optical HDMI which I think has a limited audience, it is nothing more than a HR 21 with a big hard drive. Not worth the extra $$.


Don't forget the MediaShare, whole house networking of video, audio and still images from any networked PC and or all of your recorded content on the HR21pro so you can distributed content to any TV and PC on the MediaShare network. This is a very cool and useful feature.

The Optical HDMI connection is very helpful and RS232 bi-directional control capability, for more advanced applications and unlimited custom installation flexibility.

The optical HDMI helps in two ways, first you can run optical HDMI up to 200 meters so the HD DVR can be connected to the TV over long distances. Second, is the value of the very thin optical HDMI cable so the wire can be easily concealed by slipping it into the side of moldings.

Rack mountable and double sized recording storage makes this a custom home theater server a must have when high-end system integration is required or just to add the whole house PC and DVR distribution to the beef up the usage of an average home.

-Robert


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## mikela (Jan 8, 2008)

Tom Robertson said:


> Some updates,
> 
> The HR21pro has an IR in port.
> and does not ship with fibre.
> ...


I do not see an IR port and the hrpro pdf from "d" does not list it. Earl can you help shed some light onthis? Thanks guys..


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

DTV TiVo Dealer said:


> Don't forget the MediaShare, whole house networking of video, audio and still images from any networked PC and or all of your recorded content on the HR21pro so you can distributed content to any TV and PC on the MediaShare network. This is a very cool and useful feature.
> 
> The Optical HDMI connection is very helpful and RS232 bi-directional control capability, for more advanced applications and unlimited custom installation flexibility.
> 
> ...


Robert, I was just reading about the concealability of the fibre on Owlink's website. It can be painted, taped, tucked, glued, etc. Perfect for a projector situation. 

One small correction, the Owlink technology (co-invented with Samsung?) is good for 400m! 

Alas, the pre-made fibre is not cheap yet. To make the thin fibre strong, they have a kevlar layer; 100' (~30m) is $200. 150' is $300. At circuitcity no less. 

Cheers,
Tom


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## CrestronPro (Nov 25, 2007)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Don't most of those IR repeaters work on proprietary coding?


Some do, but a lot of them are actually the same coding as the IR stream, simply with the carier frequency stripped off.

I agree with Carl Spock it would be nice to have, although most of the times I will probably end up using the RS232 port with the Pro.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

mikela said:


> I do not see an IR port and the hrpro pdf from "d" does not list it. Earl can you help shed some light onthis? Thanks guys..


Agreed, here. The .pdf handed out at the CE Show didn't show a IR input jack. Tom, was this a late addition to the product? It isn't unusual for change to be made and the preliminary lit to be wrong for CES.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Carl Spock said:


> Agreed, here. The .pdf handed out at the CE Show didn't show a IR input jack. Tom, was this a late addition to the product? It isn't unusual for change to be made and the preliminary lit to be wrong for CES.


I know the models at CES have the IR port, I have the pix. 

Until now, I didn't think they were any better than the pix already posted, so didn't take the time to prep them. I'll try to get something up soon.

Cheers,
Tom


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

I also know that DIRECTV listened to some base of high end installers. Perhaps made some adjustments along the way?

Cheers,
Tom


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## bgshapiro (Jan 30, 2008)

Earl Bonovich said:


> But with no 1080p being broadcasted now... or anytime in the near future... what would the purpose of having it on there be?
> 
> As for the Packer logo.... what are they doing this weekend?
> Same thing as the Bears....


Earl:

True on the broadcast 1080p, but that is coming sooner than later and I thought if this receiver was going to be so high end, that it would have a decent chip for upscaling to 1080p. And as they say in Green Bay-"The Bears STILL Suck !"


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## bgshapiro (Jan 30, 2008)

DTV TiVo Dealer said:


> Don't forget the MediaShare, whole house networking of video, audio and still images from any networked PC and or all of your recorded content on the HR21pro so you can distributed content to any TV and PC on the MediaShare network. This is a very cool and useful feature.
> 
> The Optical HDMI connection is very helpful and RS232 bi-directional control capability, for more advanced applications and unlimited custom installation flexibility.
> 
> ...


Had not thought about that-

2 Questions-

Does it work on a Mac network (most of such setups do not)?

Can you move shows over your LAN between one HR21 to another HR21 (much like the TIVO cable units)?


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

bgshapiro said:


> Earl:
> 
> True on the broadcast 1080p, but that is coming sooner than later


Sooner than later? I doubt that. You won't see broadcast 1080p for many years.

Carl


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

Tom Robertson said:


> I know the models at CES have the IR port, I have the pix.


Thanks, Tom, for the confirmation. I bet you're right that it was added along the way. It is one of those things that would come up in a peer review panel.


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## bwaldron (Oct 24, 2005)

bgshapiro said:


> True on the broadcast 1080p, but that is coming sooner than later and I thought if this receiver was going to be so high end, that it would have a decent chip for upscaling to 1080p.


Why? The 1080p display itself has that functionality built in...and if we're talking high-end equipment, likely of very good quality.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

We likely won't see 1080p broadcast on OTA or cable for a very long time, is my guess. Too much invested in 1080 equipment all around. Who would broadcast a signal only 10% of the market could receive?

Answer, someone who broadcast specifically to that 10% market outside the current distribution channels. XstreamHD is building a whole infrastructure for 1080p. That would be were we see 1080p before the end of the decade. Possibly before the end of the year if things go well.

Sure at some point 1080p hardware would be cheaper to put in a set top box than 1080i, 10 years after that, you might see some 1080p hit the homes via the existing cable or satellite providers.

Cheers,
Tom


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## DTV TiVo Dealer (Sep 27, 2003)

DTV TiVo Dealer said:


> Don't forget the MediaShare, whole house networking of video, audio and still images from any networked PC and or all of your recorded content on the HR21pro so you can distributed content to any TV and PC on the MediaShare network. This is a very cool and useful feature.
> 
> The Optical HDMI connection is very helpful and RS232 bi-directional control capability, for more advanced applications and unlimited custom installation flexibility.
> 
> ...





bgshapiro said:


> Had not thought about that-
> 
> 2 Questions-
> 
> ...


Yes to question #2 and I don't know about the compatibility to Mac, but I think we'll OK as it just runs on the network.

We're getting close to the launch so we'll see reviews soon.

-Robert


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## mikela (Jan 8, 2008)

DTV TiVo Dealer said:


> Yes to question #2 and I don't know about the compatibility to Mac, but I think we'll OK as it just runs on the network.
> 
> We're getting close to the launch so we'll see reviews soon.
> 
> -Robert


Hi Robert,

You say we are getting close to the launch date. Do you have news w don't? Any time frame? I need MRV now...Thanks


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

mikela said:


> Hi Robert,
> 
> You say we are getting close to the launch date. Do you have news w don't? Any time frame? I need MRV now...Thanks


Robert is not referring to MRV release, but to the HR21Pro


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## WilliamC (Jun 18, 2006)

inkahauts said:


> The only reason I would have seen to implement 1080P output would be if Directv was planing on making 1080P content available via DOD, as a way to compete with HD DVD or, more realistically Blu-Ray... Come to think of it.. Why did they leave 1080 P off any product that is HD and DOD capable?


One word: bandwidth


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

WilliamC said:


> One word: bandwidth


As for why it is not in the hardware?

Cost vs Usage.... if it isn't going to be used any time soon... why incure the cost to include the higher end components just to include a feature that won't be used.


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## mikela (Jan 8, 2008)

Anybody have any new news on MRV or the HR21-Pro?


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

mikela said:


> Anybody have any new news on MRV or the HR21-Pro?


If so, this would be the place to learn about it.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

yes. on both.


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## DTV TiVo Dealer (Sep 27, 2003)

Just got an update and our first allocation of HR21pros is shipping early next week!

-Robert


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

Thanks Robert!

Any info on retail price?


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## mikela (Jan 8, 2008)

Price and accessories for the HDMI optical connection.


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## DTV TiVo Dealer (Sep 27, 2003)

We put together our own OWLink/DIRECTV HR21 PRO optical kits with 30' feet of optical wire and the receiver w/very high quality HDMI 1.3 cable. We have optical wire up to 500' available.

So for we shipped over 40 units and had very excellent feed-back on the build quality and overall operation and enhanced features.

-Robert


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

DTV TiVo Dealer said:


> So for we shipped over 40 units and had very excellent feed-back on the build quality and overall operation and enhanced features.
> 
> -Robert


Based on my inside and outside look at its cousin, the HR21-200, I am not surprised at your comments on the build quality.

I was very impressed in the HR21-200 internal subtle design and construction improvements in that unit (such as the fan below the hard drive). It was nice to see those carry over into the HR21Pro.


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