# Whats So Wrong With Direct's DVR's?



## crookedcarrot (Sep 28, 2007)

I've heard a lot about how Dish's DVR's are superior to Direct's? I was just wondering in what way? How are they different? I want to make sure that I'm not going to be thoroughly disappointed if I ever switched.


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## ssmith10pn (Jul 6, 2005)

I have both and I'm struggling with the Direct.
It's like going from TiVo to Dish. They do all the same things just different. Except Direct doesn't do as much. No PIP, No details of original air time and more than I can list.

I got a few questions answered here:
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=123597


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## teslafan1971 (Jun 21, 2007)

Not sure bout PIP but direct DVDR'S does have original air time as in the original date it aired


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

I have DirecTV but I've worked some with Dish.

Dish's guide is definitely better although Direct is trying to catch up. They aren't nearly there yet. With the next national release of software, at least some shows will have their first airing date.

In general, I found Dish's human engineering is better. The remote is more intuitive. Dish's menus are too deep, requiring too many steps to get to where I wanted to go, but maybe I'm just more used to DirecTV's. Still, Dish has thought more about the folks who are using their machines, and have done a better job of designing their hardware for them.

DirecTV doesn't offer a two room mode on their DVRs but supposedly just down the road is a whole house viewing capability that will send the DVR's signal to multiple rooms over an Ethernet connection. Now just down the road means sometime in the next year.

The picture quality seems very similar between the two. Maybe, just maybe, DirecTV's MPEG4 HD broadcasts, which are all of the new ones, look better than Dish's.

If you have OTA capability, DirecTV allows you to record two OTA stations at once, as opposed to Dish's one, although you can only record any two things at any given time, be they satellite or OTS, as opposed to three on a Dish DVR.

A disadvantage to a DirecTV DVR is you have to have two RG-6 lines run to it. DirecTV has been promising SWM nationally for a year and it is available for consumers in test markets. It is just now available for sale, at quite a high price, nationally. Supposedly their multi-dwelling customers - apartment houses and condos - are eating up all the hardware. SWM has taken all too long to roll out to the general public. My understanding is SWM is common with Dish.

The one thing I hate about Dish's DVRs is you have one choice of resolution output. If you are using it in HD, you set the DVR's output to 1080i and it steps up all broadcasts to that resolution. Well, OK, but I don't want my DVR to be an upscaler. I want it to put out the program's native resolution, be it 480i, 720p or 1080i, and send it to the TV. My TV has a great upscaler in it. The Dish one-resolution-fits-all kills the advantages of 720p.

DirecTV's DVRs biggest disadvantage is also their biggest strength: they are technologically better. When they were first released two years ago, DirecTV's DVRs were horse pitute. I wouldn't have owned one even if you gave me free service. But every 2-3 months, DirecTV updates the software, adding stability and features. They are taking an incremental approach to improving their DVRs and it shows. The last national software release added a single live buffer (it still keeps loading into the buffer the last station you were on even when it's turned off). Now this is good and bad. The last national software release was also quite buggy, and I blame it on the new single live buffer, although the next version seems to have fixed most of that. On Demand through an Ethernet connection and a cable/DSL modem is just coming out of beta testing. Remote booking is now available. Have Internet access on your cell phone? You can schedule your DVR to record a show from there. Microsoft is now testing a DirecTV hardware/software solution that will allow video file sharing off your computer. That should be out by the end of the year. They are really pushing the technology.

This constant updating does cause problems in stability. DirecTV's DVRs are definitely more buggy than Dish's. I finally bit on one of DirecTV's DVRs last September, trusting they were mature enough technologically. I was pleasantly surprised. I had very few problems, none serious, up to the release of the last national software. I have had problems since February, when it was released, with audio drop outs and one of my satellite tuners showing zero signal strength. I also had a few picture freezes and blank screens. A reboot always solved these problems, but why should I have to reboot my DVR? These problems are unacceptable to me and it seems like these will all go away with the next national release, which will be out in a few weeks if not sooner. I will be grateful to get back to a reliable DVR. Mine was before and I assume it will be again. DirecTV really stubbed its toe with this last national release.

And I don't have to tell you about DirecTV's clear advantage in the number of HD stations offered. As the new DirecTV11 satellite comes on line in September (hopefully Dish's AMC-14 is salvageable), they will have the capability of 1500 HD broadcasts nationally. I might even get my locals in HD and I'm in DMA #127.

Put it in a nutshell: Dish's DVRs are easier to use and offer more good human features. DirecTV's offer better technology, which while it can sometimes cause problems in recording and watching TV, offers more capabilities now and a better future.

I hope this helps.


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## crookedcarrot (Sep 28, 2007)

That helps a lot! Thanks- I'm not so wary of switching now.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

You're welcome. 

And re-reading the original questions up thread, yes, DirecTV doesn't have PIP. I don't expect they will offer it any time in the reasonable future but who knows?


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

If D* would add PiP with dual turner swap. I would jump over. 
For Ease of Use E* wins out. It doesn't take to much to learn D*, but nephews were over yesterday, 6 and 7 yrs old. Picked up the remote and were able with no help to change the station, so they could watch Zack and Cody(down right the WORSE SHOW ON TV). They were really happy that I could pause thier show, check out Speed real quick, and come back to thier show, and they didn't miss a thing.

Right now my dream is for D* and E* to merge, E* supplies the Hardware, and D* handles all channel contracts.


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## hdthebest (Sep 10, 2007)

ssmith10pn said:


> I have both and I'm struggling with the Direct.
> It's like going from TiVo to Dish. They do all the same things just different. Except Direct doesn't do as much. No PIP, No details of original air time and more than I can list.
> 
> I got a few questions answered here:
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=123597


They just did a softward update and it now gives original air time with the DVR


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

teslafan1971 said:


> Not sure bout PIP but direct DVDR'S does have original air time as in the original date it aired


That just happened on the HR21-700's yesterday. Before that, it was a pretty sparse listing.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

From posts that I've seen you won't see PiP in the HR20/21 because the hardware chipsets can't support it. As for the dual live buffer (tuner swap) while it's not the greatest way to do it you can record both programs and then swap between both of them, as I said not a great way to do it but a work around hoping that D* does add it one of these days.


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

GrumpyBear said:


> If D* would add PiP with dual turner swap. I would jump over.
> For Ease of Use E* wins out. It doesn't take to much to learn D*, but nephews were over yesterday, 6 and 7 yrs old. Picked up the remote and were able with no help to change the station, so they could watch Zack and Cody(down right the WORSE SHOW ON TV). They were really happy that I could pause thier show, check out Speed real quick, and come back to thier show, and they didn't miss a thing.
> 
> Right now my dream is for D* and E* to merge, E* supplies the Hardware, and D* handles all channel contracts.


A merger will not happen. They tried once.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

Oh, I know a merger is HIGHLY unlikely. Grantd XM and Sirius had to try mulitple times as well, so you never know.......

 
FCC (no ranting) would be more of an issue, than anything else. 
I still think there is more going on between E* and ATT than we know about, and holding somethings up, with contract language.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

GrumpyBear said:


> If D* would add PiP with dual turner swap. I would jump over.


I understand you like and use PIP, but as a feature, it has proven unpopular industry-wide. Look at televisions. Virtually all better ones offered PIP maybe 10 years ago. Now you rarely find it. I don't know why it has proven unpopular but it has. You obviously don't agree but I understand why DirecTV doesn't offer it. It's not a demand item anymore.

Hell, I still play phonograph records.



RAD said:


> As for the dual live buffer (tuner swap) while it's not the greatest way to do it you can record both programs and then swap between both of them, as I said not a great way to do it but a work around hoping that D* does add it one of these days.


With the single live buffer now in the DVRs, you only have to record one of them. It's a lot easier to implement. It also allows you to channel surf the second channel.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

Carl Spock said:


> I understand you like and use PIP, but as a feature, it has proven unpopular industry-wide. Look at televisions. Virtually all better ones offered PIP maybe 10 years ago. Now you rarely find it. I don't know why it has proven unpopular but it has. You obviously don't agree but I understand why DirecTV doesn't offer it. It's not a demand item anymore.
> 
> Hell, I still play phonograph records.
> 
> With the single live buffer now in the DVRs, you only have to record one of them. It's a lot easier to implement. It also allows you to channel surf the second channel.


Its not the PiP that I use or enjoy, its the swap. Even that wouldn't be very useful, without the pause feature. I find the PiP button a pain, and wish they would locate it somewhere else on the remote. Granted I know of some E* users that prefer to use the 622 ande 722 without the feature at all and instead power 2 tv's off of one reciever.

I do like the idea that you can use a D* box to be a media Center, something E* is missing and the fact that E* wants to charge you to add an external drive is rude too. Granted with E* you can you both your internal Drive, with an external box set up archive, with D* once you add the external HD you lose the interanl HD, that doesn't make any sense.


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## ssmith10pn (Jul 6, 2005)

I do like the native res option of Direct. But when your in native it takes so darn to sync up when you change channels. Surfing is painful.


Where can I find the release notes on the firmware roll outs?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

ssmith10pn said:


> I do like the native res option of Direct. But when your in native it takes so darn to sync up when you change channels. Surfing is painful.
> 
> Where can I find the release notes on the firmware roll outs?


In the firmware forum.
http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=110


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## outbackpaul (Feb 9, 2006)

I just switched from Direct to Dish. I had the R15 and the guide was terribly slow as compared to Dish. Guide information was extremely lacking information. I got " no information available" a lot. There series link never worked right. It also lacks dual output.


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## grooves12 (Oct 27, 2005)

Carl Spock said:


> I understand you like and use PIP, but as a feature, it has proven unpopular industry-wide. Look at televisions. Virtually all better ones offered PIP maybe 10 years ago. Now you rarely find it. I don't know why it has proven unpopular but it has. You obviously don't agree but I understand why DirecTV doesn't offer it. It's not a demand item anymore.


The reason it is not included in TV's is not because people don't like or want the feature... it is because for 99% of TV users they are using an external tuner, which makes the PIP built-in to a TV's tuners useless. So, why would TV manufacturers spend additional $$$ that makes their TV's more expensive than the competition, when they know that their end-user is most likely going to plug in a cable/satellite/Tivo box to use as their tuner anyways.

This is the same reason why for a while it was nearly impossible to find an HDTV with a tuner in the TV AT ALL. If it wasn't for the FCC mandating that a certain percentage of TV's include digital tuners, I don't think anyone would even be manufacturing them.


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## lukin4u (Apr 13, 2007)

they are slow and not as versitile as the vip622

imo


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

Agreed about Dish's DVRs operating more quickly and snappier.


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## tfederov (Nov 18, 2005)

For what it's worth, check out my sig. Did a bunch of work trying to create a non bias comparison.


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## jamieh1 (May 1, 2003)

ssmith10pn said:


> I have both and I'm struggling with the Direct.
> It's like going from TiVo to Dish. They do all the same things just different. Except Direct doesn't do as much. No PIP, No details of original air time and more than I can list.
> 
> I got a few questions answered here:
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=123597


Directv's HR20 has ORIINAL AIR DATE, ACTORS, DIRECTORS, ETC


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## ssmith10pn (Jul 6, 2005)

tfederov said:


> For what it's worth, check out my sig. Did a bunch of work trying to create a non bias comparison.





> with ATSC add-on AM21


How did you get your hands on one?


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## jamieh1 (May 1, 2003)

I have a Directv R15-500 SD DVR and 2 HR20-700 HDDVRs and I have know issues with them, all shows record, no bugs.

I mainlu use the HD DVR, dont need a phone line, it uses the broadband connecton, love the Directv on Demand service, lots of channels, all free except directv ppv on demand 1000s of titles. HD on demand shows.

You can record 2 channels at once and even a On Demand channel at the same time, giving you 3 recordings at once.
Love the NATIVE resolution option, changes with the channel.

Interactive

Best of all it gets me all the 95+ MPEG4 HD channels.
Also OTA digital broadcast.
Colored channels logos on the channel info banner, not just call sign letters like on Dish.
New beta software updates every Friday and Saturday, Directv keeps the software updates current.


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## tfederov (Nov 18, 2005)

ssmith10pn said:


> How did you get your hands on one?


I participate in the CE program, posted my setup and got picked to test it.


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## Kman68 (Jan 24, 2008)

If you have Dish DVR or Tivo, you will notice two software flaws with Direc's DVR. Search and Auto record do not work well. The problem stems from the inability to customize lists of channels. Yes, you can create a custom list, but Search and Auto record default to an overly inclusive hard coded "Channels I get" list. This list includes every channel in Direc's line up: all International, Sports and Movie Packages, all PPV, abc-e, abc-w, cbs-e, cbs-w... Search for a program will result in hits for many channels you do not and can not get. If you set up an Auto record, the DVR will record from channels you do not or can not get. The "Channels I get" list can not be overridden by Parental Controls. If you block a channel, programs from blocked channels will be displayed as "information unavailable" as was previously mentioned.

The HR20/21 in short, manual recording takes forever and Auto record does not work. If you do not require Search or Auto record, it is a great HD receiver.


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## ssmith10pn (Jul 6, 2005)

I just noticed on Direct if you rewind live TV you can't hit the record button like you can on Dish.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

Sure you can, as long as you are within the live buffer. I just tried it on my DirecTV HR20-700.

I have Fox News on in the background. I rewound five minutes or so and then hit record. It is now saving this whole hour's worth of news.


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## tfederov (Nov 18, 2005)

ssmith10pn said:


> I just noticed on Direct if you rewind live TV you can't hit the record button like you can on Dish.





Carl Spock said:


> Sure you can, as long as you are within the live buffer. I just tried it on my DirecTV HR20-700.
> 
> I have Fox News on in the background. I rewound five minutes or so and then hit record. It is now saving this whole hour's worth of news.


I think you could even do that with the HR10-250.


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## Hound (Mar 20, 2005)

I have had two D* HR-21-700s since January 19 and I have an E* 722 and 622.
I do not think that the average mainstream sub will notice much difference between the two. Yes, D* software is a little slower and does not have PIP. But
I have never used PIP on E* in over four years. When I get home from work, the
D* DVRs have recorded everything that I scheduled. Never missed yet. That is all the average person is going to notice.

The 95 HD channels did not get me to D* and I do not watch sci fi HD or sci fi SD.
D* got MSG HD and MSG+ HD before E*. E* lost MLB EI. MLB EI on D* is awesome.
There are four feeds for many games. The home and away SD and home and away HD feed. Cox channel four is showing 152 HD Padres games and D* MLB EI HD is providing every one. Amazing to see channel four HD. Watching Dodgers/Padres right now. 

The D* DVR remote has one function E* does not have. The red yellow and green
buttons allow you to access the live game box score superimposed on the screen.
Unbelieveable. It also gives a menu choice where you can access the latest up to
date league standings and league leaders in various statistical categories while watching the game. The E* DVRs do not do this for any sport.


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## ibooksrule (Feb 16, 2003)

Dish DVR is so much better. Who cares that you can see the sports scores or whatever. I mean i have never understood why you cant wait 5 minutes to see it. Most people have internet anyway and can look up that way. 

Dish DVR allows me 3 recordings at once. And during the regular season ( now that writers strike is gone) i need this. I sometimes am recording off of 3 networks at once. 1 OTA and 2 sat. Or sometimes 2 networks and 1 sat channel such as sci-fi or ABC fam or something.

Dish DVr is more intutave. It works like i would think something should work. Directv DVR are slow. clunky and they use the same crappy interface that they came out with on the D10 years ago. They havent really updated much yes minor things but Directv should never had quit allowing all the different MANUF to make their hardware. I use to install D* and i liked it when people could choose which they wanted. If you prefered the sony interface you could get it or RCA or Hughes. You also had customization options within each brand. usually you could change menu colors and a few other things. Also when they dropped Tivo their DVRS really got bad. Tivos are nice but in some ways i prefer the Dish DVR. I like the menu system much better in Dish then in Direct. You can also when navigating the menus in dish you can just type the number instead of having to arrow up and down. 

Dish remote is much easier for use. They dont give the same remote to you no matter what you have. Directv no matter which receiver you get you always get the same remote and its not the simplest to use.

I will never go back to D* no matter how many HD channels they get. Sooner or later dish will have them. Dish has had more HD for a long time while D* sat there looking stupid now dish is lagging a little but i bet by year end everyone will be the same.

go to best buy sometime and you should be able to see a D* DVR and try it out. You will see the menu is slower and just everything about it is clumsy and seems cheap. To me it seems they took no time in developing it all they did was take the software for the D10 when they came out and just added a few options for DVR rather then rewriting the software.

As far as the native menu function. I didnt like it because it slowed everything down really slow. And sometimes on some channels when they would go from an HD show to a non HD commercial it would go blank for a minute as it swtiched. Plus i have a nice 1080P Hd tv. I have tried the native function in D* and even switching to 480 in the dish for non HD channels and then looking at it in 1080 and i dont see any difference. But maybe others do.


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## Christopher Gould (Jan 14, 2007)

crookedcarrot said:


> I've heard a lot about how Dish's DVR's are superior to Direct's? I was just wondering in what way? How are they different? I want to make sure that I'm not going to be thoroughly disappointed if I ever switched.


D* has only been the bussiness of making there own recievers for the last few years (use to outsource). E* has been making there own for the last 10-12 years. E* use to make very buggy boxes. Even there nondvr recievers use to have bugs. There worst was the Dishplayer. All in all D* has not done a bad job in learning to make recievers. D* is getting past the learning curve.


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## crashHD (Mar 1, 2008)

GrumpyBear said:


> Right now my dream is for D* and E* to merge, E* supplies the Hardware, and D* handles all channel contracts.


Their services are priced near the upper limits of "reasonable" right now. It's a market that needs more aggressive competitors, not less.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

Hound said:


> I have had two D* HR-21-700s since January 19 and I have an E* 722 and 622.
> I do not think that the average mainstream sub will notice much difference between the two. Yes, D* software is a little slower and does not have PIP. But
> I have never used PIP on E* in over four years. When I get home from work, the
> D* DVRs have recorded everything that I scheduled. Never missed yet. That is all the average person is going to notice.
> ...


I think the average user will see a difference. D* user interface for programming is NOT very intuitive, nephews were over on Friday ages 6 an 7, and they commented to there dad, why is there remote so hard? Took them all of 2 minutes how to use the remote and switch the TV to Zack and Cody, and were really happy that I was able to pause there show during commerical to swap over to Speed and Catch up on Qualifing news and the Weather Channel as I had to work outside on Saturday, and they never missed a second of thier show(Granted its one of the WORSE shows on TV, but then I am not under 10 anymore). It was also, back in December when the Family and I went over to a friends to compare systems, before jumping over to D*, after an hr of showing us how things work, and what the D* couldn't do, the family said we can WAIT on the new HD channels. Granted I was able to get my new Denon system in compensation, so everybody was happy.
We can always argue about PiP, I prefer to say Swap with dual tuner with 1hr buffer. Dual tuner Swap, is the most requested feature on the D* DVR wishlist. Today was a perfect example, Heinken Cup Quarterfinals and Race at Texas. Watched the Rugby match's, paused them to jump over to the Race every so often, even able rewind the race, so catch a few things about the race, jumped back to the Rugby match finished off and tuned in back live to the race. I love my Nascar, some Races are to long to watch from begining to end, and all the while recording the Lacrosse for my Daughter. The idea of changing the channel while surfing to go back and LOSE an hrs worth of buffer is crazy, when you don't have to. Most people channel surf, and the idea of being able to surf on one tuner, and keep watching on the other tuner and not miss anything is a GREAT feature, you should really try using, if your not. I also travel alot, and prefer having Autotune feature vs having to record everything. Some shows I want to watch if I am home, and being gone for a week, I could end up with filled up DVR of shows I didn't want recorded.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

crashHD said:


> Their services are priced near the upper limits of "reasonable" right now. It's a market that needs more aggressive competitors, not less.


Cable will always keep them in check price wise. Granted FIOS, AT&T and other services are growing as well, this may or may not help, but adds to more competition.

I know somepeople worry that since they can't get cable in thier area that the Sat Companies will price them out, only flaw with that, is for Dish and Direct to gain real market share, and GROW thier business, they have to be competive with Cable, FIOS and other physical Market spaces, as that is where most of the viewing population is at, there is NOT enough viewers in areas that can't get Cable, FIOS or something along those lines to keep either company Profitable. Direct and Dish spend most of thier advertising dollars comparing themselves to and beating up on Cable Companies. The Cable companies have spent lots of PAC money conviencing the FCC and Fearful people that the Sat companies will take advantage of a Market they can't reach, when in Truth, the Cable companies do NOT want more competition in Markets they feel are thiers, as this will effect thier bottom line as they would lose customers to choice.


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## Hound (Mar 20, 2005)

Grumpybear I do not agree. The average visitor to this board will see a difference,
but the average sub does not use swap and do all that stuff. Believe it or not my kids prefer the Verizon Motorola DVR, remote and software to E* or D*. They think it is easier. The D* software is just as intuitive as the E* software. It takes time to get used to anything that is new to you. 

Most people do not record three things at once, but I do sometimes. However I use two TVs most of the time and multiple DVRs. I have two TVs side by side in my main viewing areas. But for the average person, recording two shows at once will suffice.

The box scores, league standings, league leaders on the TV screen while watching the game is a big deal. I no longer have to look it up on my computer.
You can use your computer as a DVR as well, but I would rather use D*, E* or Verizon.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

Hound said:


> Grumpybear I do not agree. The average visitor to this board will see a difference,
> but the average sub does not use swap and do all that stuff. Believe it or not my kids prefer the Verizon Motorola DVR, remote and software to E* or D*. They think it is easier. The D* software is just as intuitive as the E* software. It takes time to get used to anything that is new to you.
> 
> Most people do not record three things at once, but I do sometimes. However I use two TVs most of the time and multiple DVRs. I have two TVs side by side in my main viewing areas. But for the average person, recording two shows at once will suffice.
> ...


Ah Avg user to this board, could be different all together. I meant the avg joe type user. I only recorded 1 show today, 2 games worth, but only 1 show, I was able to watch 2 different ones, while recording the 3rd, the idea of having 2 HDTV's side by side isn't my thing.

I may feel differently about the box scores if I cared about about baseball, but baseball is a sport that could go on Strike tomorrow and I could careless. Like I said we can disagree about the Swap, and dual tuners, its all about prefernce's, and not everybody has the same preferences. Dual tuners swap is is the #1 requested feature on the D* DVR wishlist, so more than a few users out there use it and even more want it, and autotune is right up there with it, so I would have to disagree that the avg user doesn't use it.
I thank you for keeping this on the subject while we are at it, to many times I have seen posts like this get into FLAMEBOY arena and not mean anything to anybody out there down the road.


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## AlbertZeroK (Jan 28, 2006)

I think one of the advantages of the DirecTV DVR's is the pricing over Dish. If you have one DVR, this likely isn't an issue, but when you have 8 or 9 like I do, with DirecTV you pay one DVR fee. With Dish, I believe you pay an additional fee for each DVR.

Also, I can say moving from TIVO to HR2x platform took some getting use to, and with the exception of being able to move from program to program with the channel up and down in a group, I actually think the HR2x is far superior, like double tab dash deletes a program, play a whole group of programs (I can play 5 dorra episodes back to back by hitting play on the dorra group.)

I do wish the expansion features of the dish recievers were available on DirecTV.

And yes, the HR20 was pitaful to begin with, but has now been VERY reliable for us in our house for over a year!


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## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

Hound said:


> Most people do not record three things at once, but I do sometimes.


It's funny, I never had a DVR before I got E* and figured I wouldn't use it that much. Now that I do have it I have found quite a few times that I wish I had 4 tuners so I could record 3 while watching a 4th.


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## Hound (Mar 20, 2005)

Hobbytalk, I am way over the top compared to my friends and people I work with. I assume many people who post here are a little out of the ordinary when it comes to DVRs, HD, etc. I know of no one like me. I also never used a DVR before I got my first E* DVR about five years ago.

Grumpybear, side by side TVs only works for multiple sports events. Too distracting for movies or scripted shows. I like watching the hockey game and basketball game or two basketball, hockey or baseball games or the golf tournament and baseball game, etc. Actually works pretty good. Then I do not need swap. Here in central NJ, we have three baseball, four hockey and three basketball teams plus the other 27 teams on MLB EI, NBA LP and NHL CI. There is a lot of HD sports content for two TVs.


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## ssmith10pn (Jul 6, 2005)

Carl Spock said:


> Sure you can, as long as you are within the live buffer. I just tried it on my DirecTV HR20-700.
> 
> I have Fox News on in the background. I rewound five minutes or so and then hit record. It is now saving this whole hour's worth of news.


I must be doing something wrong.
I tuned into the speed channel before I went to church in case I was late getting home. sure enough we went to lunch after church and when I got home the cup race had already started on Fox and F1 was on Speed. I rewound as far back as I could to get track side. Once I rewound the entire buffer I pushed the record button multiple times and nothing happened.


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## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

Hound said:


> Hobbytalk, I am way over the top compared to my friends and people I work with. I assume many people who post here are a little out of the ordinary when it comes to DVRs, HD, etc. I know of no one like me. I also never used a DVR before I got my first E* DVR about five years ago.


What I was pointing out was that even new users of a DVR can easily want to record more the 2 programs at a time. Mondays are most problematic for me as I want to watch Dancing With The Stars, House and Antiques Roadshow. If a movie happens to be set to record at that same time, I'm out of timers. Luckily I have an OTA antenna so I can use all the tuners. I then watch those programs on the other days when there is nothing on that I want to watch. I would suspect this issues come up more often then you think.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

One thing I noticed is if you rewind the buffer back and it goes to a prior program then what's on now it won't record, but if it's the same as the current then it will.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

I assume you are discussing a problem with DirecTV's receiver?
Probably should make that clear since you're discussing it in a DISH Network forum.

The 622 works fine for this ... even if the program EPG has changed. Just select RECORD with the manual stop option after rewinding. If you have not gone back into the previous program you can "record until end of program" from the point you have rewound to.

Or you can do as I do and just set a timer for the program ... I have four set, one for ESPN, one for ESPN2, one for ABC and one for FOX - all set for NASCAR. Everything I want records each week. (I don't record Speed. My choice.)


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

Hound said:


> Hobbytalk, I am way over the top compared to my friends and people I work with. I assume many people who post here are a little out of the ordinary when it comes to DVRs, HD, etc. I know of no one like me. I also never used a DVR before I got my first E* DVR about five years ago.
> 
> Grumpybear, side by side TVs only works for multiple sports events. Too distracting for movies or scripted shows. I like watching the hockey game and basketball game or two basketball, hockey or baseball games or the golf tournament and baseball game, etc. Actually works pretty good. Then I do not need swap. Here in central NJ, we have three baseball, four hockey and three basketball teams plus the other 27 teams on MLB EI, NBA LP and NHL CI. There is a lot of HD sports content for two TVs.


With the right sports package there is TONS of HD CONTENT on D*, and one of the way around the issue of the D* DVR's for me, is using 2 of them for the front room attached to my Hometheater unit, and pause swap that way, to accomplish what I do with 1 E* DVR, and with the way D* prices them, it wont cost me anymore to do it either. I have given that lots of thought to it, but no changes for me until just before the college football season starts either way. Heck I could almost live without Autotune that way as well, and if they could just changed how they do season pass D* it would be even better.
Granted it would be really cool and easier to use, if I could have 2 E* DVR's with D* Sports packages, just think of 4 dual tuners with Swap enabled, I could get even more accomplished, different Rant.


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## msalvail (Sep 19, 2003)

crookedcarrot said:


> I've heard a lot about how Dish's DVR's are superior to Direct's? I was just wondering in what way? How are they different? I want to make sure that I'm not going to be thoroughly disappointed if I ever switched.


I have a Dish 622 and also a Directv H21 (for MLB EI) The DISH DVR is worlds better than the HR21. The menus are horrendous, navigating is horrible and you can only connect 1 TV to it unless you want to watch the same thing on the 2nd tv. While I know that D has more HD channels right now than E, I wouldn't have D for the 6 months of the year except we are baseball fans. I suspend the account as soon as the season is over and I get the smallest package on D that they allow and pay the 9.99 extra for HD.

I love the 622; we have 2 of them serving 4 tvs.
I turn on the HR21 only when there is a game I want to watch. Don't even get me started on the other D, I think it's the R-15? that we have in the bedroom.


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## Hound (Mar 20, 2005)

Here is an observation about DVRs. When I first signed up with E*, I got a free SD DVR. I never used 
it and when I got my first HD satellite receiver from E*. I gave the DVR to the installer because the HD box was replacing the DVR 
in my theatre. Well my kids were very mad about
it. I did not understand. Evetually I got a 921 which made my kids happier. Now I also have both Verizon and Comcast 
HD on demand. So a lot of shows that I used to DVR, I no longer record. So there is not as much a need to record three shows at once. But the thing that has changed is my kids no longer use the DVR. They only use on demand. I have to explain to my daughter how to record a sports event when I am at work and forget to set it up. My kids don't watch satellite. Only Verizon and Comcast. Now all my kids have ipods and I dio not think that I will ever get an ipod.


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## texaswolf (Oct 18, 2007)

Carl Spock said:


> Microsoft is now testing a DirecTV hardware/software solution that will allow video file sharing off your computer. That should be out by the end of the year. They are really pushing the technology.


Do you know if this is going to be like the PS3, where you can stream music, video and pics to it from your computer ....except via your DVR?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

texaswolf said:


> Do you know if this is going to be like the PS3, where you can stream music, video and pics to it from your computer ....except via your DVR?


Actually...

all that functionality allready exists on the DirecTV DVR via it's media share functions.

The Microsoft product that he is referring to... is actually to ADD a DirecTV tuner to the PC.... controlled by the PC.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

Thank you, Earl, for straightening that out. I was wrong.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Is there some place one can get a full, accurate review of the features and functionality of DirecTV's top-of-the-line HD DVR? What I'm seeing here is information I didn't find in one place.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

Review, no. The only review I've ever seen is on CNET and it is over a year old. With software updates since then, it is not the same machine. They really need to do a new review.

Features, yes. tfederov has done an excellent comparison between the DirecTV and Dish DVRs, available here.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Carl Spock said:


> Review, no. The only review I've ever seen is on CNET and it is over a year old. With software updates since then, it is not the same machine. They really need to do a new review.
> 
> Features, yes. tfederov has done an excellent comparison between the DirecTV and Dish DVRs, available here.


Thanks!


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