# HR2X vs. TiVo: A comparison



## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

With analog television broadcasts gone, and HDTVs cheaper than ever, the amount of available high definition programming has exploded and many channel providers have their own Digital Video Recorders which store both standard and high-def shows. But all HD-DVRs are not created equal, as I've recently learned.

In November, when I switched from DirecTV to Verizon FiOS, I wasn't willing to limit myself to the 20 or so hours of HD recording that the FiOS DVR currently allows you to save. DirecTV's HD-DVRs had spoiled me, so I needed to invest in a better HD-DVR that would work on FiOS's service. I ordered a couple HD-TiVos, one with a terabyte of space.

Mind you, this wasn't my first time working with a TiVo. Four years ago, when I wanted my first HD-DVR, research led me to invest in DIRECTV's and TiVo's joint HD-TiVo (the HR10-250 or HD-DirecTiVo). I shelled out $900 for one unit (this was before DirecTV leased its receivers) that allowed me to timeshift a small amount of HD programming-but this was when there wasn't much HD to watch.

The HR10 was consistent, if slow, and often required at least one reboot a week. HD DVR technology was new and I was tolerant, and rarely did I miss recording a show. When I heard DIRECTV was moving away from TiVos to create their own DVRs, I wasn't very enthusiastic but decided to give their recorder a try. As an early adopter, I was impressed with the hardware (that particular HR20-700 still works)--but the software was another matter.

There were problems with the HR20, and many people complained through DBSTalk.com. We were told that our concerns were being addressed, and over time I found this to be true except in the one area most important to me: closed captioning. My brother is deaf, and without captioning working, the DVR just wasn't of much use in my home. I became a squeaky wheel on this point, and others at DBSTalk were supportive of my efforts, adding their squeaks to mine.

DIRECTV-amazingly-listened to our cries. Within a couple of weeks closed captioning took a giant leap forward in quality. There were still problems as time went on, but each time I and others detailed the issues, DIRECTV diligently went about fixing them.

Once the HR20's vast majority of problems had been retired, DIRECTV began adding new features. The HR2x series (as it was refined into HR21, HR22, and HR23 models) has become a leader in HD DVRs. In the early days, many of us used to compare it to the HR10 and its HD TiVo-y goodness. I came to DIRECTV especially to be able to use the HD-TiVo&#8230; but I ended up staying for the HR2x. It was just that good.

Having been spoiled by my two HR20s (up to 50 hours HD recording thanks to MPEG4 compression) and my HR21, with its 1TB eSATA drive, I had to get TiVo's HDXL with its increased storage.

Because both the HR2x and the TiVo-HDs have improved over the years, I found myself comparing them again, but in reverse: where I used to ask if my HR2x was as good as a TiVo, I'm now forced to ask if my TiVo is as good as DIRECTV's HD-DVRs. I'd become very used to the HR2x series. DIRECTV built them to be robust with features and shortcuts. Would TiVo stack up?

After two months using TiVo again, here are my thoughts comparing and contrasting the two platforms.

*COST*: My new TiVos cost me $715. DIRECTV leases their DVRs with a small upfront cost (usually $99 I believe), so on this point I guess the HR2x wins. But since TiVo works with FiOS thanks to cable card technology, an ability the HR2x doesn't have, cost wasn't really the prime considerations. My HR2x's would have been useless on FiOS. Because FiOS is a bit cheaper, I'm saving a couple bucks a month, even with having to pay TiVo $23 a month for two DVRs on their service. (DIRECTV also has monthly fees, but they're cheaper than TiVo's by far.) I have to say DIRECTV probably wins the cost battle also because you rent their DVRs and should they go bad, they are replaced. If my TiVos need service once the warranty expires, I'll have to have them repaired or replaced on my own dime. _ADVANTAGE: DIRECTV_

*SEASON PASSES/SERIES LINKS*: Remembering how the TiVo works wasn't difficult. I even set up my Season Passes (called Series Links on the HR2x) before FiOS was installed, thanks to the Internet connectivity of the DVR. I put them on my home network, selected which cable service I'd be using, and downloaded the guide info. I then was able to use the TiVo itself - or their application for my BlackBerry - to search for and set Season Passes. Here's one of the places where there are tradeoffs. With DIRECTV I can't set up Series Link via my smart phone or the internet. (I can remotely set up a one-time recording, but not a Series Link.) Points go to TiVo for their integration with both the Internet and smartphones. And yet, DIRECTV also needs a point or two in their favor where Season Passes/Series Links are concerned, because they allow you to set certain defaults that are very convenient. Every time I set up a pass on TiVo, I have to choose that I want First Run only, all episodes saved, and so on. With the HR2x, I can tell set my default choices and every new Series Link uses those defaults. That would have been a time saver on my TiVos, but it wasn't an option. The winner of the Season Pass/Series Link war depends on which you need more-a way to set them from the internet, or default settings. I liked setting up Season Passes a bit more with my Blackberry Storm2, so I think TiVo edges out the HR2x slightly for me in that area, but just slightly. _ADVANTAGE: TiVo_

*PICTURE IN GRAPHICS/MENU: * My TiVo doesn't show me either buffering tuner while changing system settings or searching for shows. Because of the Picture in Menu/Picture in Graphics ability of the HR2x series, this made setting up recordings or browsing my to-do list or recordings list a bit nicer. TiVo takes you into their menu system and while it continues to record what you were watching, you cannot see or hear it until you're finished. With their guide, you can still hear the show you're watching, but it's mostly blocked by your guide, so here the HR2x wins. I know that some people don't like picture in graphics. I support it being an option you can turn off, but I miss it. TiVo really should implement a configuration choice where you could have a little tuner window show up in the menus. _ADVANTAGE: DIRECTV_

*ON DEMAND APPLICATIONS: *Both DIRECTV and FiOS have robust On Demand offerings, but with TiVo I am unable to take advantage of FiOS On Demand. TiVo does have its own On Demand service, and I took advantage of it even before FiOS was even installed. I activated both TiVos on my Netflix account and was able to stream both TV shows and movies within about 10 minutes of hooking up the DVRs. The Netflix application in particular is awesome, and this is something missing on the HR2x series. I have a PC on my network running PlayOn (for which I paid $40) which DOES stream Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and various other online entertainment streams to compliant media boxes (including the HR2x series). The quality, however, while good, isn't as nice as the built in TiVo app for Netflix. I can't stream Hulu to my TiVo, however (I can still watch it via PlayOn to my PS3), and so here's a place where both the HR2x and the TiVo could improve by each taking some ideas from the other. DIRECTV should make a deal with Netflix, Blockbuster, YouTube and Amazon.com OnDemand as TiVo has. And TiVo should get their system to work with PlayOn. Really, DIRECTV is lagging behind on the broadband integration of their DVRs in many ways. Perhaps they should make a deal with MediaMall (the makers of PlayOn). So, points to TiVo for being aggressive in their deals with other companies and forward thinking internet abilities, and half a point to DIRECTV for making the HR2x more open to 3rd party streams like PlayOn. _ ADVANTAGE: TiVo_

*DRIVE EXPANSION: *The TiVo-HD allows you to use an eSATA drive to add space of up to 1TB, but plug and play seems limited to the Western Digital "My DVR Expander" which is somewhat pricey (and from some reviews I've read, can be of sketchy reliability). While this supplements whatever internal drive there is, should it fail you will lose anything recorded since you added the drive because new recordings will span both the internal and external drives. The HR2x DVRs allow for external expansion as well, but has no limitations on the type and size of eSATA drives you can add. They will REPLACE the internal drive, however, forgoing its use for the external drive. (Not really a big deal, to be honest, since the HR2x doesn't yet come with a 1TB internal drive.) While I appreciate that the TiVo has this ability, I think DIRECTV has an edge here because their system is more hassle-free if you wish to expand. (TiVo can be forced to use non-WD My DVR Expander drives, but you'll have to be a geek-or hire one-to open up the TiVo, which breaks your warranty.) _ADVANTAGE: DIRECTV_

*OVER THE AIR RECORDING: *Like the HD-TiVo, the HR20 has built-in ATSC tuners. Later models in the HR2x series allow for this via an external appliance you can buy (which actually has a slightly more receptive tuner than the one built into the HR20). Configuring my OTA antenna was easy on both the HR2x and the TiVo-HD, and they were even in number of digital channels received. _ADVANTAGE: DRAW_

*CHANNEL GUIDE AND ADS: *The TiVo offers two guide styles. One is the familiar grid we see across most DVR brands, and one is a specialized TiVo guide that is less graphical but holds more information. You can somewhat easily switch between them. The HR2x series has a single-channel listing, which can be found by pressing INFO on the channel name, but it's not as intuitive as the TiVo Guide. Limiting myself to the slower grid-style guides, both are a bit sluggish (the HR2x guide being a bit slower to appear and the TiVo grid guide being a bit slower to page through). The TiVo gets an extra point for having its special, less graphically intensive guide, but the HR2x gets kudos for its picture-in-graphics. While the HR2x guide has "guide spam" (ads), the TiVo has "menu spam" as well as "pause spam." In the "TiVo Central" menu there's usually an ad or two, and when you pause a show you can often see an ad to click on, if you wish. I actually don't find the ads to be distracting, and I am in favor of companies making deals that save me money. If Best Buy is paying for ads that keep TiVo afloat, it's one less service increase I have to bear. _ADVANTAGE: DRAW_

*PICTURE AND AUDIO QUALITY: *This is a tough one since DIRECTV and FiOS are different services and the quality of their feeds can determine the quality of recordings. In order to be as fair as possible, I'm only comparing recordings I've made from over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts. While it's difficult to know for certain, I think the picture quality of the HR20's OTA recordings was slightly better. Mostly, I think recording quality is pretty much the same and it may be too subjective to know for sure. That said, audio quality is another matter. I've noticed some audio sync issues on the TiVo via HDMI that have been reset by turning the TV on and off, and I've noticed some optical audio dropouts on my Living Room TiVo. If I go back a few seconds to see if it's part of the recording, it's not. It's not happening with enough frequency to call it a hassle, but I can't ignore that it has happened. When it happened on my HR2x it always seemed related to the recording (in that it was repeatable to a specific moment in the recorded stream). Admittedly, I may need to configure my Onkyo receiver somewhat differently for the TiVo. Time will tell. _ADVANTAGE: DIRECTV_

*CUSTOMIZATION*: One of the nicer things about the HR2x is that it has become so tailored to the DIRECTV customer base and so customizable by the end user. If I didn't want to see the SD duplicates of HD channels, I could configure that in a menu. If I want to force a show to be formatted to 1080i, I can do that by pushing the Format button on the remote until I see it set like that. This is where I have begun to miss my HR2x DVRs-they're very easy to adapt to specific habits. For example, they allow me to have a list of favorite channels appear on screen by using "UP" on the remote. I can then assign nine channels for easy navigation by simply highlighting their logo and hitting select. On my TiVo, I must know and enter in the channel number I want. Is that a big deal? Not really, and in fact it's the same number of button presses either way. It's just that the TiVo isn't as slick.

Other little things I miss from my HR2x:

·[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]The ability to quickly return to a recorded show I was watching. I could hit EXIT while watching a recording, which would return me to live TV, and then hit PREVIOUS to pop right back into my recording. It takes an extra step to do that on the TiVo.

·[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]The ability to enter text using my keypad using the "triple tap" method (like texting on a cell phone.) Why TiVo doesn't have this mystifies me.

·[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]If I'm recording a show and decide to stop the recording, the HR2x asks me if I want to keep what was recorded. Usually I don't. With the TiVo you tell it to stop and then can go back and tell it to delete it, but the HR2x asks you if you want to do both at once. Convenient.

Of course, one reason the HR2x boxes are so customized is that they need only work with DIRECTV. The TiVo needs to work on a variety of cable cards supporting service providers. And I can imagine the TiVo engineers don't have the wide beta-testing base that DIRECTV enjoys with the DBSTalk CE community. TiVo should make more use of the TiVoCommunity forums (as it seems they have begun to with their beta test of a new TiVo search function). In any case, while I can't blame TiVo for not being as customizable, I have to give the nod to the HR2x in this area. _ADVANTAGE: DIRECTV_

*SKIPPING/SLIPPING COMMERCIALS*: The HR2x series has a 30-second SLIP feature that I liked. I could skim by a commercial in about 2 seconds. If I wanted to go back and watch the ad (which I often did), I could. This can be configured into a 30-second skip via a hidden code. The TiVo has no 30-second slip, but can-also with a hidden code-be configured to use one of the remote buttons as a 30-second skip. Do I miss the slip? Not really. Whereas the HR2x allows you to string a series of slips together, the TiVo skips instantly so you can hover for a moment and see if there's something on the screen worth watching. I'd consider this a toss-up, with a fraction of a point in DIRECTV's favor for having the slip function auto-programmed out of the box. TiVo only scans forward until you enable the skip function with a code. _ADVANTAGE: DIRECTV_

*DUAL LIVE BUFFERS:* TiVo has always had "Dual Live Buffers." Because there are two (or more, if you include OTA) tuners in the TiVo, the system records both tuners to its buffer, going back 30 minutes. This makes it easy to slide from tuner to tuner and if you missed something on one channel, you can go back (up to 30 minutes) and catch it. The HR2x series has a 90 minute buffer on whatever tuner you're on at the moment, and you can initialize a buffer on your other tuner with the few presses on the remote. The buffers are longer than those of the TiVo, so it's now a question as to which one is better at this point. I'm not sure, since the TiVo has both buffers always running but only for 30 minutes, and the HR2x has one always on for 90 minutes and the other can be used on demand. I think DIRECTV has the edge here, depending on your needs. I will admit I miss the 90 minute buffer. I found I used it more than the dual live buffers. This one may seem controversial, but I award&#8230; _ADVANTAGE: DIRECTV_

*MULTI-ROOM VIEWING:* Multi-room viewing (MRV) has been on the TiVo for some time, and this is something DIRECTV will be implementing in the future. I've had a chance to see the HR2x's MRV in beta version, and the two methods work a little differently. I suspect TiVo's system will be easier, depending on how big a drive you have in each TiVo, but DIRECTV is not finished with its MRV and so it's difficult to make a final determination. Here's how it works on a TiVo: If I want to watch a show on my living room TV that was recorded on my Bedroom TiVo, I select the "Bedroom DVR" in my Now Playing List and initiate a transfer to the Living Room DVR. After a few moments I can begin watching the program. It's as if my Bedroom DVR is a Video On Demand source. When the transfer is finished, I have a copy of the program on both DVRs, and I can queue more shows for transfer (though only one will copy at a time). DIRECTV's MRV beta seems to work a bit differently, essentially giving you a giant DVR with a master playlist. You can delete shows across your networked DVRs, and watch fairly instantly, the show streaming from one DVR to another. With DIRECTV, you can also set up rules which don't allow shows to be shared or deleted across your DVRs. TiVo allows you to prevent shows from being shared, but I don't see a way to delete anything on one DVR if I'm accessing another.) I'm not sure it's fair for me to really compare the two systems. DIRECTV's MRV isn't quite finished and the version I've seen is still being tweaked (thought was working quite impressively). I'll call this one a tie, though-again-I think the HR2x is generally more configurable. _ADVANTAGE: DRAW_

*SPEED:* I was okay with giving up my HR10 was because it was painfully slow and the new HR20 was most decidedly not. Well, as DIRECTV added on more bells and whistles, the HR2x has also slowed down a bit (though not nearly as bad as the HR10 was).[S1] The TiVo-HD is more responsive to commands, though it has some lag time as well, depending on what you're doing. One may notice it less because the TiVo asks you to "Please Wait" while the HR2x generally does not. There are a few things that are slower on the TiVo, but not many. _ADVANTAGE: TiVo _

*CLOSED CAPTIONING: * TiVo is still excellent when it comes to Closed Captioning, but again, while DIRECTV customized to allow people to turn it off or on easily (three button presses), TiVo requires several steps to do so. Closed Captioning is always on in my house, so that's not a big deal, but I know a lot of people at DBSTalk begged for and received a quick on/off for captions. It's something that TiVo could easily implement, I'd guess, but I'm not a programmer and perhaps one of the things that have slowed down the HR2x series is all this customization. I leave that for brighter minds to ponder. _ADVANTAGE: DIRECTV_

*FAST FORWARD: *The TiVo has three fast-forward speeds. The HR2x has four. On the TiVo, however, you can still read closed captions at double speed (the slowest fast-forward), You cannot on the DIRECTV DVR. I admit while I use that, most people wouldn't. _ADVANTAGE: DIRECTV_

*UNDELETE:* This is an awesome TiVo feature that I've used already and surely would have liked on my HR2x. There's a folder of "Recently Deleted" shows where, should I accidently erase a show I didn't mean to (and I have, and I do, and I will again), I can quickly undelete it. This is something that if DIRECTV isn't working on yet, they should. _ADVANTAGE: TiVo_

*FINAL THOUGHTS*: After two months away from my HR2x and back with TiVo, these are just my initial musings. As I fill my hard drive with shows and Season Passes, I'm sure some impressions will change. I think I'll be happy using TiVo again, but there are certainly some HR2x functions I'll miss, and I would have happily ported my DIRECTV DVRs to FiOS, if they had cable card support ability.

The DIRECTV DVRs have come a long way in a relatively short time because the DIRECTV engineers LISTEN to their customer base. I'd be surprised if the TiVo engineers were as involved with the needs and desires of their end users, but I encourage them to learn something from their DIRECTV brethren. And, considering their renewed relationship, perhaps TiVo and DIRECTV might consider a collaboration between their respective DVR engineers. Most assuredly, the end result would be ADVANTAGE: Consumers.

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*UPDATE: *

*Season Pass / Series Link*: It has been mentioned by a few people that the limit on the HR2x to 50 Series Links should be noted. So noted. I don't have more than 50, so it never bothered me. As well, this is less of an issue with MRV around the corner, I should think. You can have more than 50 SP's on the TiVo-HD, but I would think this would be a speed drag on the system. Again, I have about 44 or so SP's, so it never bothered me.

*OTA Tuners*: It was noted, rightfully, that the TiVo-HD scans for available OTA channels whereas the HR2x is limited to the channels it lists in two DMAs you select. That IS a limitation I'd not considered (since I got all the channels I was looking for on both units) and that should give TiVo a slight edge here.

*Internet/Smart Phone Integration*: I was informed that with the DIRECTV iPhone app, you CAN set Series Links, as well on DIRECTV.COM. And that other smart phone apps are in development/testing. That being the case, it may push things a bit more DIRECTV's way on that topic.

*On Demand Applications*: Having thought about this one, and seen various private and public comments about this, it should be noted that a good reason why DIRECTV doesn't partner with NETFLIX and other such companies is that those services directly compete with DIRECTV's own offerings. That said, because DIRECTV has joined the DLNA specification group, playing Netflix and others via a third party software on a home network would satisfy many of the same TiVo features

*External Hard Drive Limitations*: I didn't comment on this mainly because, to me, most users aren't going to fill what they CAN add to these systems, so while it may matter to a small few, I just can't fill my 1TB drive enough to worry, as yet, about 2TB being a limitation. I also wonder if there's a DVR-rated drive larger than is allowed anyway.

*RECORD BUTTON*: I'd forgotten about DIRECTV's slick feature where in the guide you hit R once to record the episode, twice to record the series, or again to undo that. It really is an awesome feature, and plays into the way the HR2x is just highly customized.

*1080i/1080p*: The TiVo-HD is limited to 1080i, and the HR2x can do 1080p. I didn't include this because I can't tell the difference between the two. 

*Turning off/on CC*: Someone pointed out the easier way to turn CC on and off. I'd not noticed it. It's about the same as DIRECTV's method. Bravo.

Please note, anything I didn't point out is because these are mostly my musings from PERSONAL use, and is not an attempt to compare all possible features of the two DVR types. As always, your mileage may vary.

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_
Special thanks to Stuart Sweet for his editing and suggestions. Without his superior comments and thoughts, this article would have been sincerely lacking._


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## xzi (Sep 18, 2007)

> With DIRECTV I can't set up Series Link via my smart phone or the internet. (I can remotely set up a one-time recording, but not a Series Link.)


Yes, you can. You get "Record Once" or "Record Series" when you search by Title & Description.


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

xzi, that must be something new since I last tried the online scheduling, which HAS been some time. And I can't test it now, so I take your word for that. That said, TiVo's online scheduling still is very slick, and detailed, and highly integrated. It's pretty awesome and polished.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

xzi said:


> Yes, you can. You get "Record Once" or "Record Series" when you search by Title & Description.


I just tried via the website...you can't "Record Series."


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

Capmeister said:


> *FINAL THOUGHTS*: After two months away from my HR2x and back with TiVo, these are just my initial musings. As I fill my hard drive with shows and Season Passes, I'm sure some impressions will change. I think I'll be happy using TiVo again, but there are certainly some HR2x functions I'll miss, and I would have happily ported my DIRECTV DVRs to FiOS, if they had cable card support ability.
> 
> The DIRECTV DVRs have come a long way in a relatively short time because the DIRECTV engineers LISTEN to their customer base. I'd be surprised if the TiVo engineers were as involved with the needs and desires of their end users, but I encourage them to learn something from their DIRECTV brethren. And, considering their renewed relationship, perhaps TiVo and DIRECTV might consider a collaboration between their respective DVR engineers. Most assuredly, the end result would be ADVANTAGE: Consumers.
> 
> ...


Very well thought-out and balanced evaluation. I would however have to give the over-the-air features to TiVo since it actually scans for digital signals, rather than relying on data provided. It found my local PBS, but never gave any programming info. The HR20 denies its existence. Other than that I find a lot of things I prefer that the HR20 does. I know the space remaining rather than rely on the 3rd party app TiVo requires. I will say though, if you aren't afraid to root around in the TiVo, those third party apps like pyTiVo and kmttg take it to another level.

Suffice to say I'm an enthusiast of DVR capabilities, not one particular platform. I started with TiVo, but I can see things other platforms offer and think, "Why can't TiVo do that?".

ETA: Seeing the "HR23: Matte or Glossy finish poll?" makes me want to ask, do you prefer one or the other from a cosmetic perspective? The TiVo S3 definitely looked slick, the TiVo HD...not so much. As I stated in the poll, I wish I could have the performance of the HR20 in the HR21's shell since it's glossy.


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## xzi (Sep 18, 2007)

sigma1914 said:


> I just tried via the website...you can't "Record Series."


Look again. It's also there when using m.directv.com as well.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

xzi said:


> Look again. It's also there when using m.directv.com as well.


I totally missed that...my bad.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

The HR2X has a Limitation of 2 TB of Recording Capacity due to the Kernel Limitation which could be increased but hasn't yet.

The HR2X has no Clear Key but you can clear using the Exit Key but if you do it too late in a Recording it takes you out of the Recording and back to Live TV and then you have to go back to the Playlist and find your recording and start all over again from where it paused the recording upon exiting. Advantage: TIVO

Season Passes versus Series Links: TIVO does not have the Limitation of 50 Entries for their Season Passes as does the HR2X with a limitation of 50 Series Link Entries. 

Also, Directv does not give you the ability to Edit your Smart Search Argument if you made a mistake or want to add or change something. You have to Delete it and start all over which is dumb. Advantage: TIVO

Now, Capmeister, add these notes to your documentation and you will be closer to publishing your magazine article.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Capmeister,

You must be a writer or something.  Very well thought out and well constructed comparison. And like a great review, doesn't just tell thumbs up--it explains why you ranked things as you did--so we can all decide how we might weight things. 

Thank you for your awesome work on CC with DIRECTV. Thank you for this thread.

Now hurry back to DIRECTV, ASAP. 

Cheers,
Tom


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Tom Robertson said:


> Capmeister,
> 
> You must be a writer or something. Thank you for your awesome work on CC with DIRECTV. Thank you for this thread.
> 
> ...


He is either a Columnist/Writer or he works for Directv.

If you don't explain why you voted the way you do then you lack credibility. You must document why you feel the way you do so the reader understands what he is trying to convey.

P.S. Capmeister, can you get me the New MPEG-4 DIRECTIVO DVR to test. I promise I will do a great writeup for you. :lol:


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

richierich said:


> He is either a Columnist/Writer or he works for Directv.
> 
> P.S. Capmeister, can you get me the New MPEG-4 DIRECTIVO DVR to test. I promise I will do a great writeup for you. :lol:


I knew I should 'splain my comment.

Capmeister is an author of several Star Trek books, webisodes, etc.

Cheers,
Tom


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Well, he did a Great Writeup and I just want to help him tweak a couple of facts and issues so it makes for a better article.

And you can tell he is a writer as he has an organized construct.


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## kevinturcotte (Dec 19, 2006)

I GREATLY miss the wishlist feature of the Tivo!!! Not the auto-record, I don't use those, but the Wishlist feature itself. For instance, how am I going to know when Avatar is finally available on the movie channels (Not PPV)? I don't want to do an auto-record for it. If I search for it now on the the HR2x, it's not going to find it, and I'm NOT going to remember I want to watch it when it finally shows up. That's why I REALLY miss the Wishlist feature. Just go in, create a non auto-record wishlist for Avatar, or any other movie currently in theaters, then once a week, go in and do a a "Search All", and when they show up, it tells me.


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## David MacLeod (Jan 29, 2008)

very nice write up, thank you.


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

I'm not looking to publish this anywhere, I was just looking to discuss it with my friends here at DBSTalk.  As for editing it, I will do that once others have commented fully, otherwise I'd have edited the part about series link recordings via web three times now. 

But I'll edit it just for the sake of having it be accurate. Also, people are thinking of things I didn't notice because I don't use them (wishlists, series links over 50, etc.)


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## njblackberry (Dec 29, 2007)

Thank you for the excellent writeup - a friend of ours is agonizing (literally) over switching from SD to HD because his wife is in love with the Tivo interface. He has HD TVs all over his house (and DirecTV service) but won't switch to HD. This is a very fair and objective comparison. He may just end up waiting for the next generation Tivo for DirecTV HD. Pity as he is a huge sports fan.


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## xzi (Sep 18, 2007)

richierich said:


> Also, Directv does not give you the ability to Edit your Series Link if you made a mistake or want to add or change something. You have to Delete it and start all over which is dumb. Advantage: TIVO


What do you mean by this? From Series Manager > Series Options I can change everything about a Series Link except which show it's going to record which would be a new Series Link regardless.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I meant Smart Search Argument. I amended my post but after typing in a long entry and then hitting Enter you find you misspelled the argument or you need to enter something else or delete something from argument you have to delete it or start over, unless you discover it early on and use the Back Arrow Button to backspace.


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## Aztec Pilot (Oct 11, 2007)

Thanks, That was a very well reasoned comparison. I am not anxiously awaiting the new DirecTivo!


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

I would love an undelete feature again. You don't need it often, but when you do it is very handy.


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

njblackberry said:


> Thank you for the excellent writeup - a friend of ours is agonizing (literally) over switching from SD to HD because his wife is in love with the Tivo interface. He has HD TVs all over his house (and DirecTV service) but won't switch to HD. This is a very fair and objective comparison. He may just end up waiting for the next generation Tivo for DirecTV HD. Pity as he is a huge sports fan.


Honestly, I wouldn't wait for the new DIRECTiVo. Get some HR2x units--they're cheaper and really have most features. I'd say the biggest thing they don't have is undelete. If he doesn't use that a lot, go for the change.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Capmeister said:


> But I'll edit it just for the sake of having it be accurate. Also, people are thinking of things I didn't notice because I don't use them (wishlists, series links over 50, etc.)


It is a Great Article or Writeup and with a few tweaks it will be a great tool for discussion with others I know who are in between the two as I was a couple of years ago.

I was a TIVOHOLIC but now that Directv has enhanced their HR2X DVRs I am very pleased with them with a couple of exceptions that I hope get added soon. The Undelete Function would be great as well as adding more Series Links and ability to Edit Search Arguments.

I will be really interested to see what the New Directivo will contain and will buy one as soon as it is available just to test it out and see the differences in that and the new HR24.


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## Scott Kocourek (Jun 13, 2009)

Cap,

Nice write up. It is nice to see someone give a nice comparison.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Cap...you fanboy kool-aide drinker! j/k!  

It was very well written.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

Not sure where you would want to add this but the tap R once to record is standard on both but the tap 2 times to series link or 3 times to cancel is something I'd miss a lot.


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

Shades228 said:


> Not sure where you would want to add this but the tap R once to record is standard on both but the tap 2 times to series link or 3 times to cancel is something I'd miss a lot.


Absolutely.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Shades228 said:


> Not sure where you would want to add this but the tap R once to record is standard on both but the tap 2 times to series link or 3 times to cancel is something I'd miss a lot.


That is a sweet feature. It is little things like that which make me love the DirecTV DVRs UI in comparison to the old DirecTivo.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

Can't remember but I don't think with Tivo you could delete shows in the list you had to go into each and delete. The Double Dash is something I'd miss too if Tivo doesn't have that feature.


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## ziggy29 (Nov 18, 2004)

bidger said:


> Very well thought-out and balanced evaluation. I would however have to give the over-the-air features to TiVo since it actually scans for digital signals, rather than relying on data provided. It found my local PBS, but never gave any programming info. The HR20 denies its existence.


YES. We get OTA through the tuner on our HR20, and the lack of a channel scan to find new channels and subchannels is *extremely* annoying. Our ABC affiliate just launched a new subchannel and we're at the mercy of it being placed into the channel guide. Very, very bad implementation.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

There's an email address you can email to request them to update it, for tribune media, if you search for it.


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## TomCat (Aug 31, 2002)

Capmeister said:


> ...The DIRECTV DVRs have come a long way in a relatively short time because the DIRECTV engineers LISTEN to their customer base. I'd be surprised if the TiVo engineers were as involved with the needs and desires of their end users, but I encourage them to learn something from their DIRECTV brethren. And, considering their renewed relationship, perhaps TiVo and DIRECTV might consider a collaboration between their respective DVR engineers. Most assuredly, the end result would be ADVANTAGE: Consumers...[/I]


 Well, Cap, I was all set to savage you (not really :grin for writing this article about two years too late (it is, after all, pretty much a rehash of what all of us had already gleaned before then); and it sounds most suspiciously like you might be a compulsive serial article writer that might be out of a job yet just can't kick the habit. And, I'm not sure at this point that we all need to be subjected, unsolicited, to what is already obvious by now to many of us one more time.

But we should all cut you a total break, specifically, because of the quote above. Readers can safely disregard the redundant report altogether, but I could not agree more with your editorial stance taken at the end, and this is a position I have been supporting by crying out in the wilderness to apparently deaf ears for a very long time, so it is good to see that someone actually agrees with me about that. You did kind of bury the lead, tho.

But thanks sincerely for contributing, and keep posting.

Don't forget, DTV swallowed the Replay technology as well, which also bodes well for the future of DTV DVRs.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Two years too late? Maybe, maybe not. I know that Capmeister has an interesting perspective, having had TiVo, then giving it up, and then having it again.


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## Ken_F (Jan 13, 2003)

Shades228 said:


> Can't remember but I don't think with Tivo you could delete shows in the list you had to go into each and delete. The Double Dash is something I'd miss too if Tivo doesn't have that feature.


TiVo added single-click delete and folder delete when they added the "Recently Deleted" (undelete) feature. I believe that feature found its way to DirecTiVos about 1.5 years ago.



Capmeister said:


> But I'll edit it just for the sake of having it be accurate. Also, people are thinking of things I didn't notice because I don't use them (wishlists, series links over 50, etc.)


Wishlists represent one of the most powerful record features available on any DVR. I would suggest you take a minute or two to learn how that feature can be used to automate recording of the non-series programs you watch every year.

For more information on what you can do with wishlists, see this FAQ. For some examples with instructions, refer to the TiVo Tips section.


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## tralfaz (Nov 1, 2009)

Ken_F said:


> Wishlists represent one of most powerful record features available on any DVR. I would suggest you take a minute or two to learn how that feature can be used to automate recording of the non-series programs you watch every year.


For some. I had tivo's for 5 years and never used wishlists, even though I was well aware of what they were and what they were for.


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## Ken_F (Jan 13, 2003)

tralfaz said:


> For some. I had tivo's for 5 years and never used wishlists, even though I was well aware of what they were and what they were for.


I don't know when you last used wishlists, but TiVo completely revamped the functionality in their 9.1 software for standalones. I haven't used a HR10 lately, so I don't whether it got those features. I know the older DirecTiVos didn't.


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## tralfaz (Nov 1, 2009)

Ken_F said:


> I don't know when you last used wishlists, but TiVo completely revamped the functionality in their 9.1 software for standalones. I haven't used a HR10 lately, so I don't whether it got those features. I know the older DirecTiVos didn't.


I never used wishlists. Never saw the need, regardless of the functionality.


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

*Capmeister* thanks for a well thought-out review. I don't think it is two years too late, and will be even more timely when/if the new DirecTV HD Tivo is released. I'll probably stay with my HR2x's unless DirecTV wants me to field test a new DirecTV HD Tivo.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Cap's writeup is very good. We differ a bit on choices here and there but as I consistently use my HR2x's and an HD Tivo for Comcast, I agree with his information for the vast majority of it.

I do find my HR20-700 much faster and less balky than my Tivo but I find my HR21-100 far worse than the Tivo, so the HR platform seems to matter not just the software.

One thing about CC on the Tivo. It is not that bad to turn on and off. Bring up the info banner, slide down to the CC icon (4 down arrows) and select. You have to clear the banner or wait for it to clear but it works pretty quickly. From your writeup, Cap, I am thinking you are going deep into the menus to get to it. The HR is 3 to 4 button clicks and the Tivo is 6 to 7 but the 5 to 6 are pretty easy as they are mostly the same button over and over again.

The big thing I miss from the old HR10 days on the Tivo is that the down arrow no longer toggles the dual buffers. The independent buffers on the HR2x are much better than the Tivo buffers in terms of channel changes and using the down arrow. The only thing the Tivo has on the HR2x in that regard is that it is always on, but then again, I find the few times that that is important to me to be minimal, especially since it is 30 minutes and not 90. The HR2x implementation wins on channel selection and length of buffer over the Tivo (as well as the actual key implementation, which Tivo went backward on).

Overall, while the HD Tivo is a step up from the HR10 in speed and functions, I find myself far more comfortable with the HR2x series in terms of usefulness and ergonomics. Neither is perfect but the Tivo feels clunky to me. Old.


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

Ken_F said:


> Wishlists represent one of the most powerful record features available on any DVR. I would suggest you take a minute or two to learn how that feature can be used to automate recording of the non-series programs you watch every year.
> 
> For more information on what you can do with wishlists, see this FAQ. For some examples with instructions, refer to the TiVo Tips section.


I know all about it, and know how to use it. I just don't.  I know what is on TV, and know what I wish to record.

Also, let me say I was not attempting to write a manual or compare EVERY feature on both DVR systems. I was merely giving MY personal impressions/thoughts as an end user who went to DirecTV for the TiVo, and stayed because of the HR2x, and now has returned to TiVo mainly because DirecTV's DVRs are limited to DirecTV. 

As for my being an article writer who is out of a job (as someone, not you, however, humorously suggested)... nope, sorry. I'm a systems admin by day, and have authored several books. While I have a degree in journalism, I've not had a newspaper column in years.


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

tonyd79 said:


> One thing about CC on the Tivo. It is not that bad to turn on and off. Bring up the info banner, slide down to the CC icon (4 down arrows) and select. You have to clear the banner or wait for it to clear but it works pretty quickly. From your writeup, Cap, I am thinking you are going deep into the menus to get to it. The HR is 3 to 4 button clicks and the Tivo is 6 to 7 but the 5 to 6 are pretty easy as they are mostly the same button over and over again.


Ah, I didn't know that! Awesome!!!



> The big thing I miss from the old HR10 days on the Tivo is that the down arrow no longer toggles the dual buffers.


I noticed that, but they merely switched it to the LIVE TV button. Hit it for one buffer, hit it again for the other buffer.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Capmeister said:


> Also, let me say I was not attempting to write a manual or compare EVERY feature on both DVR systems. I was merely giving MY personal impressions/thoughts as an end user who went to DirecTV for the TiVo, and stayed because of the HR2x, and now has returned to TiVo mainly because DirecTV's DVRs are limited to DirecTV.


As I've said recently in the TiVo thread, how one uses a DVR is dependent upon one's thoughts about it. I enjoyed reading your comparison, and found myself agreeing with some, but disagreeing with others. Though I won't comment on every disagreement or agreement since you have clearly stated that it's your own *PERSONAL* comparison, there is a few I wish to comment on:


*OVER THE AIR RECORDING:* You state that both boxes were even in the number of OTA channels received, but that's really dependent upon where you live. As with every location, the HR2x allows you to receive guide data for OTA channels from 2 DMAs. The TiVo Series 3 (and I'm sure the HD XL) allows you to receive channels dependent upon your zip code, so at my location, I can receive guide data for channels from around 8 different DMAs. Though I can't receive many of the channels the TiVo Series 3 offers guide data for in my location, I can receive many of them that I can't get guide data for via DirecTV.

*CUSTOMIZATION*: Yes, you can get rid of SD duplicates on the HR2x with one change in the menu, but you can't get rid of channels that you don't want on the HR2x like you can the TiVo.

*SPEED:* Kudos to awarding this to TiVo! I too have found TiVo to be consistently faster than both my HR23/HR20. The only areas where I have found the TiVo to be consistently slower is on the GRID Guide and on the Season Pass Manager. Both are much faster on the stand-alones compared to the HR10-250, but still much slower than the HR2xs.

As I said, I agree and disagree with several of your points and outcomes, but I found the write-up to be well-written regardless of my disagreements. That being said, I do have two small criticisms about it.

One being the thread title. I really think it should have been named "*HR2x Vs. TiVo: A Personal Comparison*"... since, again, you have been clear that it's your own personal comparison, and not an in-depth comparison.

Two is the fact that I would have liked to have seen a comment in it that you didn't go over every feature, but rather the ones important to you... since you've already noticed several people chiming in with things missing from your review (Wishlists, Series Link limit).

~Alan


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## Ken_F (Jan 13, 2003)

Capmeister said:


> Ah, I didn't know that! [about closed captions] Awesome!!!


Since you weren't familiar with that feature, you may want a refresher on what else is new (link).

Your comparison is good, but a little late for a potential reason (link) not mentioned by other posters. That design refresh appears imminent.



Capmeister said:


> I know all about it, and know how to use it. I just don't.  I know what is on TV, and know what I wish to record.


People once said the same thing about season passes, i.e.



> I don't need some "season pass" to find new episodes of my favorite shows for me. I can find new episodes just as easily by looking at the guide or the TV schedule.


We still see similar comments from those with DVD recorders and other timer-based recorders. Of course, anyone who has actually used a modern DVR for any length of time knows that isn't true. These users are speaking out of ignorance; they don't see the same value in the feature, because they've not spent any serious time with it.

Many still see wishlists as some sort of category recording feature, because it had limited utility outside that in its DirecTiVo implementation. That older implementation did not always produce the desired results. The current TivoHD implementation makes it more of a custom season pass. You tell the DVR what specific event or what specific team you want it to record and that's what it does, eliminating the need to check schedules. For sports fans, it's the only practical way to catch every broadcast of one's favorite MLB, NBA, NHL, or NCAA team. Good luck catching all 162 MLB or all 82 NHL games without it.

The DirecTV DVR has similar autorecord-by-search capability, but the current implementation is far more complicated and confusing to setup. If I belabor the point, it is only because I think this is one of the more significant differences between the two DVRs, and because DirecTV makes a serious effort to attract the type of consumers (i.e. sports fans) that find value in the ability to easily record all new games with their favorite pro and college teams, without unwanted programs like repeats, duplicates, classics, talk shows, and highlight shows.


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

Alan Gordon said:


> One being the thread title. I really think it should have been named "*HR2x Vs. TiVo: A Personal Comparison*"... since, again, you have been clear that it's your own personal comparison, and not an in-depth comparison.


I'm pretty sure I said that it was my thoughts comparing the two systems. I didn't know I needed to do that in the title. 

People are taking this far more seriously than I expected.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Capmeister said:


> I'm pretty sure I said that it was my thoughts comparing the two systems. I didn't know I needed to do that in the title.
> 
> People are taking this far more seriously than I expected.


Yeah, we're a tough crowd here at DBSTALK.COM and I have found out that you can't be Thin Skinned around here but there are some pretty sharp guys that hang out here and I learn something new everyday from some very knowledgeable guys who are technically very savvy.

A Great Article though and it just needs some tweaking to be a very good article for those to read who want to know the differences so they can decide which way to go.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Capmeister said:


> I'm pretty sure I said that it was my thoughts comparing the two systems. I didn't know I needed to do that in the title.


While it's obvious that anyone who does a review for a product is using their own opinions, you gloss over features that you don't care much about... as stated by you in other threads. This is understandable, but their isn't really a disclaimer other than perhaps you saying that those "are just my initial musings".

I just felt that the difference in thread title would help to more accurately reflect *your (generally) excellent post*.



Capmeister said:


> People are taking this far more seriously than I expected.


I guess I'm passionate about it, because I've used both a TiVo Series 3 and a HR2x for the last several years, and when I'm using the TiVo, I miss certain features on the HR2x, but when I'm using the HR2x, I miss features on the TiVo.

You spent time on several things about the systems that meant a lot to you, but mean very little to me about the respective systems... which is understandable, but when I think of comparisons, I tend to think of one that takes ALL the features into account, and not just ones that focus on features important to the writer. Because of that, I felt that the title was a little misleading, and thought I'd mentioned it.

No disrespect was intended (heck, I have a lot of respect for your efforts on behalf of CC), and I have repeatedly expressed how great I think the post was, I just felt that I should express my opinion on it... which should be taken in the complimentary manner in which I intended it (that's seriously all I have to complain about?). 

~Alan


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

Ken_F said:


> For more information on what you can do with wishlists, see this FAQ. For some examples with instructions, refer to the TiVo Tips section.





Capmeister said:


> I know all about it, and know how to use it. I just don't.  I know what is on TV, and know what I wish to record.


Exactly how I feel about it. I did have some Wishlists set on the DSR-6000, but it never felt that "must have" to me. I do have an Auto Record set up on the HR20: "Mystery Science Theater 3000". If it ever were to return, I figure I'd get a heads up before that though. I'm not averse to handling all the recordings since I used a VCR prior to DVR. Where most folks would have "12:00" flashing on theirs, the clock and timers were set on mine and it's primary use was for recording TV, not viewing pre-recorded tapes.

I know there are folks that find "TiVo Suggestions" and Wishlists a godsend, but those folks have to deal with the fact that if you use "Suggestions", TiVo wants to record continually and that can lead to the phenomenon of "DVR guilt", where the user is unable to keep up with the recordings and they eventually get deleted unwatched. Yes, I'm aware TiVo Suggestions are deleted first. Like I say, it's a terrific feature for some, not for me.


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

Alan Gordon said:


> No disrespect was intended (heck, I have a lot of respect for your efforts on behalf of CC), and I have repeatedly expressed how great I think the post was, I just felt that I should express my opinion on it... which should be taken in the complimentary manner in which I intended it (that's seriously all I have to complain about?).
> 
> ~Alan


Oh, no disrespect was felt, either.  Note the smiley faces. Also, there's a reason this was posted in a forum where people can reply, comment, add their two cents, etc. It was meant to inspire discussion.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

How do you leave out a Slo-mo comparison? The most critical feature to anybody who watches sports. D* units essentially HAVE no slo-mo. The insane hold-and-wait-and-wait-and-wait until the system decides when it will kick in slo-mo system is worthless. Tivo PWNS D* in this critical dept.

I've owned many D* HD DVRs. They were and are all very consistent in their input response. Dead slow or none. No updates have ever affected this sluggish input response in any way. It's just how they are. It always feels like it's on the verge of or in some buffer overload. Very flaky.

Every Tivo I've ever owned had instant button-push response. Accurate, instant, effective. I'm appalled by D*'s sloppy tech. I used to bang the Tivo :30 jump 6 straight times like a machine gun, and it would instantly pop me back at the beginning of the next segment, assuming 3 minutes of ads. Try that with the D* units. OMG. They'll just as likely jump you straight to the end of the show, one of their favorite nasty bugs which has ruined _many_ a sports program and an evening for me! Buggy as all hell. Toy tech fit for toddlers.

Bring on Tivo! They actually get that when you find the exact spot where Ryane Clowe dekes the goalie out of his jockstrap, you need A BUTTON to push to INSTANTLY start the SLO-MO. Like every single VCR ever made has always had. Now Ryane Clowe wears a helmet because he plays hockey. I suspect the guys who designed the D* DVRs all wore helmets for a vastly different reason. Hopefully when the Tivo comes out, they can all go back to designing the Stars Wars ABM system. It doesn't really matter if those buttons work or not.


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## CJTE (Sep 18, 2007)

Maruuk said:


> How do you leave out a Slo-mo comparison? The most critical feature to anybody who watches sports. D* units essentially HAVE no slo-mo. The insane hold-and-wait-and-wait-and-wait until the system decides when it will kick in slo-mo system is worthless. Tivo PWNS D* in this critical dept.
> 
> I've owned many D* HD DVRs. They were and are all very consistent in their input response. Dead slow or none. No updates have ever affected this sluggish input response in any way. It's just how they are. It always feels like it's on the verge of or in some buffer overload. Very flaky.
> 
> Every Tivo I've ever owned had instant button-push response. Accurate, instant, effective. I'm appalled by D*'s sloppy tech. Bring on Tivo!


Because it was the OPs personal comparison...
There are plenty of things that were 'left out'.

Looks like you've already done your own personal comparison too


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

Way more than I bargained for in the D* dept. They kept shipping me bad HD units, and I kept testing them for 10 hours, then shipping them back. Took months. Such fun!

Point is, Slo-mo is an extremely glaring shortcoming for the D* HD-DVRs. And I would think it would rank very high on anyone's comparo list who enjoys sports. But to each his own.

I only pray that the Tivo software/hardware isn't contaminated with D* tech!


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## Bruce M. (Oct 31, 2009)

I was one of those guys who waited forever to switch to a DTV DVR, because of two reasons--I liked the TIVO UI and I kept reading disasterous things about the DTV HD DVRs' stability.

I finally bit the bullet recently, and so far, so good. Button response is not as good as the DirectTivo, but it's livable. Like others, I like some features of each system, and dislike others.

But one thing I absolutely agree on with Maruuk is the slo-mo. As a sports fan, I'm horrified by DirectTV's version of it. Virtually unusable. A real bummer. It needs one button, instant response. If Tivo can do it, so can DTV.


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

I sometimes watch sports, but leave the slo-mo stuff to the show itself and don't even remember the last time I used slo-mo.  This is how it's impossible to cover every feature... I don't USE every feature, and didn't have DIRECTV and FiOS at the same time. So everything I say about the HR2x is two months old and from memory.


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

Capmeister said:


> I sometimes watch sports, but leave the slo-mo stuff to the show itself and don't even remember the last time I used slo-mo.


Usually the broadcaster covers that for me, often from several angles that I don't have access to, but I will say it could be better. However, the 30 sec. slip is much better than blind skip when watching the NFL. If it's Peyton Manning, Brady, or Favre (all notorious quick snap QBs), I can hit play in the middle of a slip and not miss the action.


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

I did some updates to the original post.  I didn't include everything talked about in the thread, because...well the thread still exists.


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## tralfaz (Nov 1, 2009)

Maruuk said:


> How do you leave out a Slo-mo comparison? The most critical feature to anybody who watches sports.


I watch as much sports as anybody and have never used slo-mo (with tivo or current DVR's). Any play that I think I need to see in slo-mo is shown 4 or 5 times by the station.


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## Bruce M. (Oct 31, 2009)

Not my experience at all. In football, for example, there are many plays each game which the networks or commentators do not choose for slo-mo, yet are great to watch for individual match-ups, etc. Or, they will show slo mo of one angle, when I want to see another. With a good slo-mo feature, I can select my own plays, and the angle I want, to review. I used it all the time with Tivo. Can't use it at all with DTV.


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## Brennok (Dec 23, 2005)

Capmeister said:


> *CUSTOMIZATION*: One of the nicer things about the HR2x is that it has become so tailored to the DIRECTV customer base and so customizable by the end user. If I didn't want to see the SD duplicates of HD channels, I could configure that in a menu.


Just in case you weren't aware , you can also do this with Tivo under Messages & Settings-> Settings-> Channels-> Channel List. Also if you hit live tv while you are in this menu it will take you obviously to live tv if you want to double check a channel. If you hit left, to clear the banner if it is still up, and left again, it brings you right back into the same master channel list so you can keep removing or adding favorites.



Capmeister said:


> If I want to force a show to be formatted to 1080i, I can do that by pushing the Format button on the remote until I see it set like that. This is where I have begun to miss my HR2x DVRs-they're very easy to adapt to specific habits. For example, they allow me to have a list of favorite channels appear on screen by using "UP" on the remote. I can then assign nine channels for easy navigation by simply highlighting their logo and hitting select. On my TiVo, I must know and enter in the channel number I want. Is that a big deal? Not really, and in fact it's the same number of button presses either way. It's just that the TiVo isn't as slick.


In that same menu you can also hit thumbs up to add a checkmark to any channel you want to mark as a favorite. By doing so this now allows you to use the guide option of only showing favorite channels or only searching favorite channels when recording by title or channel or time.



Capmeister said:


> *CLOSED CAPTIONING: * TiVo is still excellent when it comes to Closed Captioning, but again, while DIRECTV customized to allow people to turn it off or on easily (three button presses), TiVo requires several steps to do so. Closed Captioning is always on in my house, so that's not a big deal, but I know a lot of people at DBSTalk begged for and received a quick on/off for captions. _ADVANTAGE: DIRECTV_


I believe someone touched on this but on Tivo this can also be turned on by hitting right to bring up the banner and hitting down 2 times and then select during playback of a recording or 4 times and select during live tv.



Capmeister said:


> ---------
> *UPDATE: *
> 
> *Season Pass / Series Link*: It has been mentioned by a few people that the limit on the HR2x to 50 Series Links should be noted. So noted. I don't have more than 50, so it never bothered me. As well, this is less of an issue with MRV around the corner, I should think. You can have more than 50 SP's on the TiVo-HD, but I would think this would be a speed drag on the system. Again, I have about 44 or so SP's, so it never bothered me.


Just a FYI. I have 180 season passes currently on one Tivo HD with no slowdown.

Nice comparison. Some of the points I would have given Tivo but many of those are preference. For example for me Tivos have always been about recording what I want to watch later and not about trickplay during livetv. As a result things like picture in picture and picture in guide, don't interest me and since I almost always have two shows recording I don't want to be spoiled by seeing parts of a show I plan to watch later.

For me I always felt the control on the fast forwarding was tighter on the Tivo. I find the same thing now even with using my Xbox 360 which has 4 speeds as a Media Center extender. I love the extender but I prefer the Tivo playback but then again I have been using Tivos in some form since 2000. I have also never liked using the 30 second skip and always preferred skimming the commercials so definitely personal preference.

Tivo also used to have a default record season pass setting back on the series 2 and I don't know why they removed it for the series 3. I noticed this when I made the switch back to the Tivo HD from the DirecTivo.

MRV could definitely be better which the 360/Windows 7 Media Center has spoiled me with the streaming, but since it is a limitation of the older broadcom chip from what I understand this isn't something that will be improved until new hardware rolls out.

I don't know if you have Windows 7 but I would love to read your take on Windows 7 Media Center vs Tivo vs HR2X especially with the cable card tuners coming out.


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## Tony Chick (Aug 24, 2006)

Something I miss from TiVo is the better Actor/Director database. My wife's uncle was in lots of old TV shows and the TiVo's database knew about him so we could record them all, the HR2x does not.

I also preferred TiVo's Fast-forward, the fact that hitting Play from the slowest speed did NOT jump back while the higher speeds did.


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

Brennok said:


> Just in case you weren't aware , you can also do this with Tivo under Messages & Settings-> Settings-> Channels-> Channel List. Also if you hit live tv while you are in this menu it will take you obviously to live tv if you want to double check a channel. If you hit left, to clear the banner if it is still up, and left again, it brings you right back into the same master channel list so you can keep removing or adding favorites.


Yes, I can manually remove each duplicate, but on DirecTV I can just tell it if the HD channel exists, I don't want to see the SD one and it's all done for me.

(This is part of how D* has an advantage by only working with one channel listing whereas each TiVo works with whatever cable provider you have. In the DirecTV line up, A&E's HD and SD are the same number to the end user. On my FiOS system, channel 17 may be Fox and 517 FoxHD.)


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