# DishPVR vs. DirecTivo



## z_corey_z (Jul 29, 2002)

I am trying to decide between the Dish 721 and one of the DirecTivo receivers. I currently use a Tivo standalone (SVR-2000) with cable, and I am happy with Tivo. Is there anyone who can tell me the major differences between the two? I am mainly interested in the 721's PVR interface and how it stacks up. I haven't been able to find posts talking about Tivo's season pass and what the 721 uses that is similar (if anything). Opinions?


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## James_F (Apr 23, 2002)

Can you even find a DirecTivo? I love mine, but you might want to wait until the fall when the Series 2 come out. If you are used to TIVO now, you might not like the way the 721 handles things. But then again, some of the things are done better on a 721. Only reading about the 721 online, I would assume that they are about equal in features with the 721 comming out on top with most of them. Who knows what the DirecTivo Series 2 will bring to the table...


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## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

The 721 records shows by time-slot only. The Directivo and Ultimatetv record by title. If a station pre-empts a show, the D*Tivo and UTV will follow the show and record it whenever it is on, the 721 will still record the original time-slot. The UTV calls this Auto-Record, and the D*Tivo calls it Season Pass. Scott's review thread shows many pictures of the 721 user interface and the UTV website www.ultimatetv.com has pictures of the UTV user interface. Not sure where to find the D*Tivo user interface pictures.

The main advantage with the 721 is the size of the hard drive (120GB). Both D*Tivo and UTV are upgradeable (hacked) and RCA has a UTV with a 80GB unit available. I upgraded one of my UTVs to a 120GB HD and now can record up to 105 hours. My total cost for that unit was $39 for the UTV, and $123 for the HD. I also pay a $9.95 fee to UTV for the service each month. The 721 doesn't have a monthly fee, but the price is $549. You'd need to determine which is a better value for you. DirecTivo has a $9.95 monthly fee or a $249 lifetime fee. Whichever route you go, you'll love the dual-tuners and the quality of the recordings. Good luck.


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