# R-15 going to be able to DirecTV on Demand (DOD/VOD)?



## bdowell (Mar 4, 2003)

Will the R15 be able to do DirecTV on Demand (DOD/VOD) in the future? I'm aware that DOD is 'in testing' on the HR20, but haven't followed the R15 that closely. I'm mostly checking on this as I just helped my in-laws get (or they will be getting) an R15 to replace the non-DVR standard receiver they have been using.

Not having checked the R15's that thoroughly, I am not sure if they have network jacks on them, and if they'd be able to do DirecTV on Demand at all.

Thanks in advance for helping to educate me here.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

I know of no plans to include the R15 to DoD

The R15 has no network jacks.


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## Rhoq (Apr 27, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> I know of no plans to include the R15 to DoD
> 
> The R15 has no network jacks.


What about the "On Demand" content that will be pushed via satellite or has that been nixed in favor of it all being delivered through the internet?


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## manhole (Jun 9, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> I know of no plans to include the R15 to DoD
> 
> The R15 has no network jacks.


From what we have seen so far, the R16 will have no network jack as well 

I don't understand why DirecTV would not want to include DoD on the R16.


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## SDizzle (Jan 1, 2007)

Why limit DOD to just the HDDVR??


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## morbid_fun (Jan 16, 2007)

SDizzle said:


> Why limit DOD to just the HDDVR??


Exactly my opinion/question too. Of all things, that gets me alittle upset that std dvr owners are excluded.


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## Gunnyman (Jul 25, 2003)

wow we have a taste of what DirectiVo owners feel like when the latest cool feature of TiVo software gets denied to us. 
oh well. At least I know that feeling isn't platform dependent.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I don't really have a "big picture" answer for you, but I think that the R15 just wasn't planned as an On Demand receiver and the HR20 was. I don't know why that decision was made since almost all of the content is SD at this point.


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## bdowell (Mar 4, 2003)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I don't really have a "big picture" answer for you, but I think that the R15 just wasn't planned as an On Demand receiver and the HR20 was. I don't know why that decision was made since almost all of the content is SD at this point.


That's a big part of why I was thinking that the R15 would be able to do DOD. It just seems natural that with so much of the content in SD that it would make sense to have that content available to R15 users.

No network port would sure seem to mean it won't happen though.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

You are correct. Without a network port, On Demand is impossible. It's possible that the original spec for the R15 didn't include a network port, possibly because it was designed by NDS during the "previous regime".


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## manhole (Jun 9, 2006)

Stuart Sweet said:


> You are correct. Without a network port, On Demand is impossible. It's possible that the original spec for the R15 didn't include a network port, possibly because it was designed by NDS during the "previous regime".


If that's the case, then why does the R16 not have a network port either (from what we've seen so far)?


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## miksmi21 (Jan 19, 2007)

Is it possible that they'll fire up some USB port and allow USB to Ethernet dongles or something like that?


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## robertpil (Aug 17, 2006)

manhole said:


> From what we have seen so far, the R16 will have no network jack as well
> 
> I don't understand why DirecTV would not want to include DoD on the R16.


R16 ? Do you know something I don't or was that a typo ?


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

robertpil said:


> R16 ? Do you know something I don't or was that a typo ?


At least one or two vendors have posted some advanced information, and are taking advanced orders, on the R16. DirecTV has not yet announced it.

From the information available, it appears to be pretty much functionally identical to the R15, except it is expected to be SWM compatible (based on how the satellite inputs are labelled in photos).

Carl


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## mikewolf13 (Jan 31, 2006)

Stuart Sweet said:


> You are correct. Without a network port, On Demand is impossible. It's possible that the original spec for the R15 didn't include a network port, possibly because it was designed by NDS during the "previous regime".


a) why restrict 60Gb on HD if no on demand planned?

b) wouldn't D* give NDS requirments for what they design?


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## manhole (Jun 9, 2006)

mikewolf13 said:


> a) why restrict 60Gb on HD if no on demand planned?
> 
> b) wouldn't D* give NDS requirments for what they design?


There is no evidence that the hard drive is restricted to 60GB on this unit. It states in the documents available today that it is a 100-hour recorder, so it will likely have at least a 120GB hard drive (or more if they reserve part of it for satellite vod).

We do not yet know that this box is made by NDS. I would be willing to bet that it is not made by NDS.


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## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

I just don't understand why D* doesn't make just 1 DVR the HR20 and upgrade everyone to it and let it be optional if you want HD access or not. It would still record lots of SD stuff and allow access to local digital O.T.A. sub stations. And it would have to be cheaper to have 1 tech group and any simplification would help CSRs.


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## dmurphy (Sep 28, 2006)

dodge boy said:


> I just don't understand why D* doesn't make just 1 DVR the HR20 and upgrade everyone to it and let it be optional if you want HD access or not. It would still record lots of SD stuff and allow access to local digital O.T.A. sub stations. And it would have to be cheaper to have 1 tech group and any simplification would help CSRs.


Cost. The MPEG4 chips are expensive. The large hard disk is expensive. The HDMI connector is expensive.

There's lots of components in the HR20 that aren't needed in a "standard-def" DVR, and they all drive up the bottom line.

Remember, even if it's an extra $5 in materials, times the 4m+ subscribers with DVRs, that's a LOT of money. Keep in mind that's SUBSCRIBERS with DVRs, not necessarily the number of DVRs (I have 6 of them, but count as 1 subscriber.)


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## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

I just wonder what it costs to support two different platforms..... including wages and benefits for duplicate positions that could be downsized ie. cut.


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## dmurphy (Sep 28, 2006)

dodge boy said:


> I just wonder what it costs to support two different platforms..... including wages and benefits for duplicate positions that could be downsized ie. cut.


I'm sure it's a lot less than the tens of millions in my theoretical hardware differential cost. (Which, BTW, is way off - just the cost difference between the 160gb and 320gb disk drives in the R15/HR20 respectively is more than that.)

And your insight also leads us to the reasoning behind a "common" user interface - that's why the D1x, H2x, R15, HR2x series receivers all have the same "look & feel" - it makes training a lot easier.

It also reduces customer confusion when they move from one receiver to another. The remote interface is the same, the on-screen interface is the same, whether they use any of those receivers listed above. Sure, they all have nuances, but the core functionality is the same no matter what.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

manhole said:


> There is no evidence that the hard drive is restricted to 60GB on this unit. It states in the documents available today that it is a 100-hour recorder, so it will likely have at least a 120GB hard drive (or more if they reserve part of it for satellite vod).
> 
> We do not yet know that this box is made by NDS. I would be willing to bet that it is not made by NDS.


First, the 60GB is a separate area of the hard drive that DirecTV can use for showcases, or pushed content you don't have a choice over. The total drive size is 160GB, 60GB of which is reserved for DirecTV use, 100 GB which is available to the user for recordings.

The R15 is NDS. This thread is about the R15 and DOD/VOD, not the R16.


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## mikewolf13 (Jan 31, 2006)

dmurphy said:


> Cost. The MPEG4 chips are expensive. The large hard disk is expensive. The HDMI connector is expensive.
> 
> There's lots of components in the HR20 that aren't needed in a "standard-def" DVR, and they all drive up the bottom line.
> 
> Remember, even if it's an extra $5 in materials, times the 4m+ subscribers with DVRs, that's a LOT of money. Keep in mind that's SUBSCRIBERS with DVRs, not necessarily the number of DVRs (I have 6 of them, but count as 1 subscriber.)


If it's a $200 difference in sale price then even if it's $100 in extra materials then they should offer 1 solution...if it's loser to the $5 you site (only hypothetical , i know) then they are fools.


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## dmurphy (Sep 28, 2006)

mikewolf13 said:


> If it's a $200 difference in sale price then even if it's $100 in extra materials then they should offer 1 solution...if it's loser to the $5 you site (only hypothetical , i know) then they are fools.


Huh?

As I mentioned above, let's assume there are 4 million DVR subscribers out there. There are probably more than that - at least more DVR's than that, but let's stick with 4m.

If there is a $100 material cost difference, that would be an extra $400 million dollars in your proposal.

Even at $5 differential (it's more than that, for sure), that's $20m in costs.

I don't know ANY business that wouldn't want to save $20m. I work for a Fortune 50 company, and believe me, $20m is a lot of money to us too.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I don't really have a "big picture" answer for you, but I think that the R15 just wasn't planned as an On Demand receiver and the HR20 was.


The R15 was indeed designed around VOD. VOD was initially announced on October 5th, 2004; months before the R15 was released! Here's a USA Today article about the R15 from late November 2004: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2004-11-29-dvr_x.htm

The R15 concept was a crushing blow to TiVo as DirectTiVo receivers represented a majority of TiVo's installed base.

As pointed out, the R15 isn't suitable for DOD as it has no Ethernet port (and the USB port support seems to be limited to serial communications for home theater).


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## MikeR (Oct 6, 2006)

R15 was developed around the push VOD model. Didn't the My Playlist used to be My VOD??


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## mikewolf13 (Jan 31, 2006)

dmurphy said:


> Huh?
> 
> As I mentioned above, let's assume there are 4 million DVR subscribers out there. There are probably more than that - at least more DVR's than that, but let's stick with 4m.
> 
> ...


But if the retail price is $299 instead of $99..you would have increased revenue of $800MM if you sold those same 4million units....


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