# Hardware Shortage



## mrb627 (Jan 8, 2006)

My install has been cancelled for tomorrow. It seems that there are no HD DVR's left in the Southest. I'm bumming.


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

Sad but true.


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## Renard (Jun 21, 2007)

So what's the point for Directv to run some ads and you can't even subscribe to it, because of HD DVR shortage. Very good experience for first customers. It seems to me that the shortage is getting worse and worse, and it's been that way for months.


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## Joe Diver (Oct 12, 2006)

I guess I got really lucky then. I called Monday and got installed Thursday to switch from Dish.

My installer was 2 hours late (no big deal for me) and said they were slammed. Orders were coming in like crazy with people switching from Dish.


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## convem24 (Mar 11, 2007)

As per my varied experience over the last 5 years when Directv offers up a new HD-DVR model or newer technology like WH-HDDVR the supply is always less than the demand. Eventually (I know this doesn't help) Directv will get enough HR24s. We are a definitely a instant gratification society.


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## johns70 (May 2, 2010)

www.solidsignal.com has HR24s in stock if you want to go that route. :allthumbs

I wonder why www.solidsignal.com isn't effected by this "HD DVR shortage" ?


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## mdavej (Jan 31, 2007)

mrb627 said:


> My install has been cancelled for tomorrow. It seems that there are no HD DVR's left in the Southest. I'm bumming.


They should at least have the one I returned when I cancelled the other day and switched to Dish.


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## narcolept (Mar 1, 2007)

mdavej said:


> They should at least have the one I returned when I cancelled the other day and switched to Dish.


:nono2::nono2::nono2::nono2:


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

Business is booming. The Dish channels disputes are probably helping drive business. Lots of new DirecTV customers these days, I am sure.


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## Manctech (Jul 5, 2010)

All depends on the area you live in. The Charlotte NC market is pretty well stocked with equipment for the time being.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

mdavej said:


> They should at least have the one I returned when I cancelled the other day and switched to Dish.


Why would you Switch to Dish with all of their problems going on???


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

D* should have at least 2 HR20-700s as I returned these as defective in the past 2 weeks for audio dropouts when watching rewound programming.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

richierich said:


> Why would you Switch to Dish with all of their problems going on???


He doesn't watch those channels, and wanted full integration with the Logitech box?

Just one possibility.


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## mdavej (Jan 31, 2007)

dpeters11 said:


> He doesn't watch those channels, and wanted full integration with the Logitech box?
> 
> Just one possibility.


You got it. Plus AMC, BBCA, Cooking, DIY, G4, Hist Intl, HLN, ID, Lifetime Movie, Nat Geo Wild, TCM, and about 20 others. Those trump the temporary loss of FX and Nat Geo. Fox will eventually try to extort D* too. In the meantime I've finally got all the HD I've been waiting for.

I'm very happy I made the switch, in spite of Dish's current problems.


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## Newshawk (Sep 3, 2004)

Renard said:


> So what's the point for Directv to run some ads and you can't even subscribe to it, because of HD DVR shortage. Very good experience for first customers. It seems to me that the shortage is getting worse and worse, and it's been that way for months.


In many cases, the contracts for the advertisements are written months before the ads appear. Who knew 3-4 months ago the HD receiver shortage would be so severe right now?


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## johns70 (May 2, 2010)

n3ntj said:


> D* should have at least 2 HR20-700s as I returned these as defective in the past 2 weeks for audio dropouts when watching rewound programming.


The HR20-700s are the oldest generation DIRECTV(non-TiVo) HD DVRs they have, and they can't be used with MRV. I suspect they'll be putting them on the recycle pile.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

johns70 said:


> The HR20-700s are the oldest generation DIRECTV(non-TiVo) HD DVRs they have, and they can't be used with MRV. I suspect they'll be putting them on the recycle pile.


HR20s both -100 & -700s absolutely can be used with MRV.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

johns70 said:


> The HR20-700s are the oldest generation DIRECTV(non-TiVo) HD DVRs they have, and they can't be used with MRV. I suspect they'll be putting them on the recycle pile.


Tell that to my perfectly operating MRV'd HR20-700.

They can recycle the 20-700s here. Short of the new 24 series, they are the best of the available units.

You could be more mistaken in your comments, but not much. <vbg>


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## narcolept (Mar 1, 2007)

:backtotop

Don't see how any of this has anything to do with the OP venting about his install being cancelled?


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

johns70 said:


> I wonder why www.solidsignal.com isn't effected by this "HD DVR shortage" ?


Retailers always get only the latest equipment, and get priority over other lines of business, as they are the main source of NEW customers.


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## Stevies3 (Jul 22, 2004)

Confirmed as per "Undercover Boss". Shortage at many distribution centers...... That show was fun to watch.


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## dclaryjr (Mar 11, 2007)

mdavej said:


> You got it. Plus AMC, BBCA, Cooking, DIY, G4, Hist Intl, HLN, ID, Lifetime Movie, Nat Geo Wild, TCM, and about 20 others.


I just traded all of those in for ESPNU in HD!


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## SomeRandomIdiot (Jan 7, 2009)

Stevies3 said:


> Confirmed as per "Undercover Boss". Shortage at many distribution centers...... That show was fun to watch.


Actually, consider that the program was taped many months ago.

They had equipment shortages then - and the CEO said on camera "to get the equipment regardless of what it costs".

So much for follow through.


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## JoeTheDragon (Jul 21, 2008)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> Actually, consider that the program was taped many months ago.
> 
> They had equipment shortages then - and the CEO said on camera "to get the equipment regardless of what it costs".
> 
> So much for follow through.


Well having the equipment for big boost not that long after the ST needs may not be that easy and the big need may being bigger in the area that lost there FSN's!


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## grog (Jul 3, 2007)

My install is scheduled for this Friday.

Still on schedule! 

FYI: Just dropped Dish as well! 



Joe Diver said:


> I guess I got really lucky then. I called Monday and got installed Thursday to switch from Dish.
> 
> My installer was 2 hours late (no big deal for me) and said they were slammed. Orders were coming in like crazy with people switching from Dish.


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## ejjames (Oct 3, 2006)

I got a kick on "Undercover Boss" that the dish install was being mounted next to an E* dish.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> Actually, consider that the program was taped many months ago.
> 
> They had equipment shortages then - and the CEO said on camera "to get the equipment regardless of what it costs".
> 
> So much for follow through.


Must have been filmed around June as White stated he has been with the company for around 6 months on the show and he took over Jan 1st.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> Actually, consider that the program was taped many months ago.
> 
> They had equipment shortages then - and the CEO said on camera "to get the equipment regardless of what it costs".
> 
> So much for follow through.


May not be DirecTV's fault. Receiver manufacturers may be having difficulties meeting demand (parts shortages, back orders, ect.).


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## mrb627 (Jan 8, 2006)

One of the funny things about this situation is that I got a recorded confirmation message two hours before the recorded cancellation message. When I called the 800 number that was provided, the operator rescheduled my install for this Thursday but said that there are no guarantees that the equipment will be available then either.

I would think www.DirecTv.com would be a higher source of subscribers than retailers.
Perhaps it is because you have to buy the equipment at the retailer so they get preference.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Newshawk said:


> Who knew 3-4 months ago the HD receiver shortage would be so severe right now?


Anyone who knew that the HR24 would be noticeably faster than its predecessors.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> Stevies3 said:
> 
> 
> > Confirmed as per "Undercover Boss". Shortage at many distribution centers...... That show was fun to watch.
> ...


From too many years in the consumer electronics industry, I can tell you it takes 9 months to receive ramped up production from the Far East after you've made the decision to go for it. My prediction is DirecTV will have HR24s coming out of their ears in February.



harsh said:


> Newshawk said:
> 
> 
> > Who knew 3-4 months ago the HD receiver shortage would be so severe right now?
> ...


I'm sure in hindsight there are suits at DirecTV who'd agree with you, *harsh*. But that's hindsight. At the time, I'd bet setting up three different companies to make the HR24 seemed like that would be enough to those same suits.

But no doubt the low predictions for the sales of the HR24, H24 and MRV parts in general were incredibly dumb decisions by DirecTV. They can't be let off the hook this easily.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> Actually, consider that the program was taped many months ago.
> 
> They had equipment shortages then - and the CEO said on camera "to get the equipment regardless of what it costs".
> 
> So much for follow through.


It's too early to judge that. As many of us have discussed earlier, if you're DirecTV, you can't just make a phone call and have 50% more inventory show up next week. The equipment is manufactured in the East by other companies who make a lot of other stuff for other companies. To increase output by, say, 40%, they may have to open up a whole additional line or two, which may have to wait until that line is free from a previous contract, or may require construction. Then the product has to be packaged and shipped, go through Customs, and finally be delivered to Long Beach for distribution to the rest of the country. It can take 6-9 months, sometimes longer, for a big order increase to actually make it to the warehouse.

Also, remember that because of the switchover to the H24/HR24, all of the old production lines had to be converted, taking production capabilities off-line for a while.

If things get better a few months from now, that will be a result of Mike White making changes...


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## EW800 (Oct 2, 2010)

I am making the jump from Dish Network over to DirecTV, with the install taking place on the 17th.  Looking forward to the change. 

Although I placed the order a few days ago (through Costco for the $180 Costco Card Rebate), I called DirecTV a few minutes ago to see if there was anything that I can do to increase the chances of getting HR24's and H24's. I pretty much knew the answer to this based on all the messages that I have read here, but thought that I would give it a try anyway. As expected, I was told that there is no way to know in advance what equipment an installer will bring, but because I signed up for "Whole Home", that increases the chances. 

The main point for this message is that the phone rep did inform me unsolicited that the nationwide shortage of HD24's and H24's probably would not help the chances of the install tech arriving with these.  The phone rep went on to say that they are getting "flooded" with calls from folks jumping ship from DishNetowrk becasue of the Fox issue. He said that so far through his shift, he had already received roughly 15 calls from people converting from Dish. Yikes! 

I am looking forward to the DirecTV experience!


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

ejjames said:


> I got a kick on "Undercover Boss" that the dish install was being mounted next to an E* dish.


Well my suspicion is that the segments to be aired were either in consultation with the CEO or am I to believe that they only did one install that whole day?

MY suspicious nature thinks that the CEO's being portrayed have some input into what makes it to the it to air versus what makes it to the cutting room floor. One install two support calls, One or two stock picks?


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

harsh said:


> Anyone who knew that the HR24 would be noticeably faster than its predecessors.


I was told that the HR24 was not any faster than earlier units.. I was going to get one but decided not to when several posts on here told me otherwise.


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## azarby (Dec 15, 2006)

BattleZone said:


> It's too early to judge that. As many of us have discussed earlier, if you're DirecTV, you can't just make a phone call and have 50% more inventory show up next week. The equipment is manufactured in the East by other companies who make a lot of other stuff for other companies. To increase output by, say, 40%, they may have to open up a whole additional line or two, which may have to wait until that line is free from a previous contract, or may require construction. Then the product has to be packaged and shipped, go through Customs, and finally be delivered to Long Beach for distribution to the rest of the country. It can take 6-9 months, sometimes longer, for a big order increase to actually make it to the warehouse.
> 
> Also, remember that because of the switchover to the H24/HR24, all of the old production lines had to be converted, taking production capabilities off-line for a while.
> 
> If things get better a few months from now, that will be a result of Mike White making changes...


It could be worse than that. I know that some electronic components have 16-20 weeks of lead time. Even if they had a line available, thy may not have the parts to assemble.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

n3ntj said:


> I was told that the HR24 was not any faster than earlier units.. I was going to get one but decided not to when several posts on here told me otherwise.


It's noticeably faster than my HR23-700 but only minimally faster than my HR20-700


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Carl Spock said:


> I'm sure in hindsight there are suits at DirecTV who'd agree with you, *harsh*. But that's hindsight. At the time, I'd bet setting up three different companies to make the HR24 seemed like that would be enough to those same suits.


Are we talking about the same suits that had watched HD equipment grow to a point where over half of the new customers had some sort of HD equipment?

Can you remember an earlier time when DIRECTV didn't have three manufacturers cranking out product before that happened?

There's little excuse if you have an even nodding familiarity with algebra for underestimating the demand. Calculus is not required.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Xsabresx said:


> It's noticeably faster than my HR23-700 but only minimally faster than my HR20-700


Any improvement, however small, was enough to cause a flood.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

harsh said:


> Are we talking about the same suits that had watched HD equipment grow to a point where over half of the new customers had some sort of HD equipment?
> 
> Can you remember an earlier time when DIRECTV didn't have three manufacturers cranking out product before that happened?
> 
> There's little excuse if you have an even nodding familiarity with algebra for underestimating the demand. Calculus is not required.


HR20s, only -100 & -700
HR22s, only -100
HR23s, only -700s

H20s, only -100 & -600
H21s, only -100 & -200
H23s, only -600s

The only one that had 3 or more mfgs at the same time was the HR21s -100, -200, -700s.

So yeah I can remember a time when they didn't have 3 or more companies putting out boxes. It was a majority of the past 4.5 years.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

narcolept said:


> :backtotop
> 
> Don't see how any of this has anything to do with the OP venting about his install being cancelled?


Sure it does. The reason for the canceled install was a receiver shortage. :grin:



johns70 said:


> www.solidsignal.com has HR24s in stock if you want to go that route. :allthumbs
> 
> I wonder why www.solidsignal.com isn't effected by this "HD DVR shortage" ?


I suspect the rate that retailers sell them is so much smaller the rate they go through DirecTV's supply chain.

This a complete and total guess but I'll bet more receivers go through DirecTV's supply chain in a month than SolidSignal sees in a year.

Plus with the push for Whole Home service last spring I bet DirecTV has gone through them faster than usual...or not. :grin:

Mike


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

harsh said:


> There's little excuse if you have an even nodding familiarity with algebra for underestimating the demand.


The two easiest positions from which to criticize are (1) after the fact, and (2) from the outside. But then, you are well familiar with both.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

Carl Spock said:


> The two easiest positions from which to criticize are (1) after the fact, and (2) from the outside. But then, you are well familiar with both.


:rolling:


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

n3ntj said:


> I was told that the HR24 was not any faster than earlier units.. I was going to get one but decided not to when several posts on here told me otherwise.


It is alot Faster particularly the Guide!!!

Channel Changing is not any faster but that is because of the needed HDMI Handshake and not the HR24s Processor which is Faster with More RAM!!!

A completely different chipset than before.

I love all 3 of mine with the exception of the Audio/Video changing occasionally from Digital to Analog and then back to Digital but Directv will eventually fix that software issue if I live long enough to see it!!! :lol:


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

RobertE said:


> So yeah I can remember a time when they didn't have 3 or more companies putting out boxes. It was a majority of the past 4.5 years.


Seems like you're not allowing for overlap in production. After all, most of the changes prior to the HR24 weren't all that radical and even that may have had significant overlap with the other manufacturer's HR23s.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Carl Spock said:


> The two easiest positions from which to criticize are (1) after the fact, and (2) from the outside. But then, you are well familiar with both.


Most of us are looking at it after the fact and from the outside when it comes to business decisions at DIRECTV.

It is folly to assume/assert that a service subscription or being a stockholder confers otherwise unavailable omniscience or foresight.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

harsh, you miss the point.

If you go back to my post that started this exchange, you will see that I, too, think DirecTV messed up with low sales estimates over the past 6 months, calling these "incredibly dumb decisions". But the broader point of that post is that I understand why they made them.

You, on the other hand, question these same folks' competence and even their basic understanding of algebra.

The difference is I didn't denegrade people's intelligence or good will. Instead, I implied and will admit here, given the same information, I might well have made the same bonehead decisions.

It's called empathy, harsh. I've got it. You don't.


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

I ordered an additional HD receiver (non-DVR) Sunday and Fed-Ex shows it arriving tomorrow. It shipped from California. I am hoping for a H24, since I have MRV, but will post the results tomorrow.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

harsh said:


> Seems like you're not allowing for overlap in production. After all, most of the changes prior to the HR24 weren't all that radical and even that may have had significant overlap with the other manufacturer's HR23s.


Uh...no. :nono2:

There was very little if any overlap between the 20/21/22/23 production. The most overlap was seen on the 22/23s, but not much. During the transitions it was not uncommon for us to be out for several weeks at a time, then to only get a small shipment of refurbs.

Seems like again, you have no clue as to what you are talking about.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

MysteryMan said:


> May not be DirecTV's fault. Receiver manufacturers may be having difficulties meeting demand (parts shortages, back orders, ect.).


Cell phones are the same way right now. Most chip manufacturers are being very stingy with how many they produce. They don't want something to happen and end up sitting on a bunch of chips. I'm not saying the chips are causing the delay but in all sorts of manufacturing right now things are slower to come to delivery than in previous years.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

RobertE said:


> During the transitions it was not uncommon for us to be out for several weeks at a time, then to only get a small shipment of refurbs.


Seems like you're equating your experience with distribution directly with factory production. Is that logical?


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

harsh said:


> Seems like you're equating your experience with distribution directly with factory production. Is that logical?


Seems like you're equating your (lack of) knowledge with DirecTv history and hardware with real world scenarios. Is that logical?


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

RobertE said:


> Seems like you're equating your (lack of) knowledge with DirecTv history and hardware with real world scenarios. Is that logical?


+1


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## TDK1044 (Apr 8, 2010)

mrb627 said:


> One of the funny things about this situation is that I got a recorded confirmation message two hours before the recorded cancellation message. When I called the 800 number that was provided, the operator rescheduled my install for this Thursday but said that there are no guarantees that the equipment will be available then either.
> 
> I would think www.DirecTv.com would be a higher source of subscribers than retailers.
> Perhaps it is because you have to buy the equipment at the retailer so they get preference.


So did your install happen?


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## EW800 (Oct 2, 2010)

Has anyone heard how widespread the shortage is? I am scheduled for an install this Sunday (17th) with *hopefully* two HR24's and two H24's.... 

I called DTV a couple of days ago and was told that there is indeed a significant hardware shortage, but that there was no way to tell if I would be impacted. The phone rep said that because I ordered the WholeHome package that I had a "good chance" of getting HR24's and H24's, but then reminded me again about the hardware shortage.


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## azarby (Dec 15, 2006)

EW800 said:


> Has anyone heard how widespread the shortage is? I am scheduled for an install this Sunday (17th) with *hopefully* two HR24's and two H24's....
> 
> I called DTV a couple of days ago and was told that there is indeed a significant hardware shortage, but that there was no way to tell if I would be impacted. The phone rep said that because I ordered the WholeHome package that I had a "good chance" of getting HR24's and H24's, but then reminded me again about the hardware shortage.


Well the shortage is not everywhere. I have a friend here in Phoenix who needed a dish relocation because they couldn't get a stable mount where it was. The installer then found that the HR20 and a standard def recorder were having problems, so he just went out to the truck and brought in a new HR24 and R15 with no questoins asked. My friends said that he had several of them on the truck.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

EW800 said:


> Has anyone heard how widespread the shortage is? I am scheduled for an install this Sunday (17th) with *hopefully* two HR24's and two H24's....
> 
> I called DTV a couple of days ago and was told that there is indeed a significant hardware shortage, but that there was no way to tell if I would be impacted. The phone rep said that because I ordered the WholeHome package that I had a "good chance" of getting HR24's and H24's, but then reminded me again about the hardware shortage.


It's nationwide, but semi-random, but improving.

The only thing getting whole home is going to do is guarantee that either model of the H20 won't be installed. Other than that, its whatever that location has on hand.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

azarby said:


> Well the shortage is not everywhere.


The shortage IS everywhere. It's nationwide. One anecdote doesn't change that. The installer did exactly what he was supposed to do. Your friend was just lucky that his appointment was on a day that his local office still had equipment. On another day, he might have been SOL.


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## grog (Jul 3, 2007)

Well my install was scheduled for this morning between 8AM and 12PM.

So about 9 I got a call. The truck will be there is 1/2 hour.. is this ok? 

About 1/2 hour later a DirecTV truck pulled up. 

All the equipment was brand new from sealed boxes.

I had requested new HR24's and I got two HR24-200 HD-DVR's and two H24-200 HD-Receivers. 

The Dish satellite is off the roof. The two VIP622's are ready to ship back to the mother ship and the 311 is in a rack in my storage cabinet. 

Called Dish and told them... CANCEL! When they started the 'we will have the channels back' speech I simply said the Dish was already off the roof and DirecTV equipment has been installed and is working.

When asked why I was leaving Dish the answer was simple. Channels are removed that we want to see all too often and without lowering the price we pay for the service.

Also the VIP622's would freeze randomly; sometimes as many as 5 or more times each day. So power-cycling the receivers was a normal everyday exercise.

My wife and 85 year-old mother-in-law love the new setup. They have learned how to get to their stations and use the remote. They like the new equipment so far better than what they had before and we all agree the picture is richer and more vibrant.

The only thing that did not go as expected was the lack of DECA in the install. Was not on the work order so I would have to call back in to get the feature.

Added my two external 1TB ESATA drives to the mix and now we have a good amount of space to record!

So we are all happy here!


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

I ordered a HD receiver (non-DVR) upgrade last Sunday and received a H24-500 on Wednesday. Manufacturer date was 09/10/10.


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## Joe Diver (Oct 12, 2006)

grog said:


> So we are all happy here!


YAY!!


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