# HR20 vs HR 21, HR 22, HR23 and HR24-whats the diff? what to do?



## disneyfun1 (Jun 29, 2007)

what is the difference between all the models? i have an hr 20-700 in my bedroom and living room, Kids have an hr21 and hr22 in their rooms, we have been on whole home for a while using direct connect internet wire into each one from the router. 

Wanted to upgrade my hr20 in the living room to the new hr24, mainly for looks but hopefully functionality as mine gets slow a lot as most of them do, and to just have new equip. 

ordered a new one from DTV, they mailed me an HR21, Called back, they said to try and get the HR24 they promised, have a tech come out. He just left, but only had HR22 on his truck. he called his boss and i guess the boss has some so he may come back later today he said if they send him, or i reschedule. 

Should i just keep what i have-the hr20, or upgrade and hold out for the hr24, or just take any model they have?


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

This thread will give you in-depth information on each of the DVRs:
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=117744

In summary though, the HR20 and HR21 have 320GB HDDs compared to the HR23 and HR24, which have 500GB HDDs. There is no HR22. The HR23 has wide band converters built-in so if you have a legacy setup (2 cables to a DVR to use both tuners), you don't need the BBC adapters. The HR24 has DECA built-in, so if you are using DECA for Whole Home, you don't need an external DECA. The HR24 is also the fastest of the receivers and in my case responds significantly quicker than my other DVR.

- Merg


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

The Merg said:


> This thread will give you in-depth information on each of the DVRs:
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=117744
> 
> In summary though, the HR20 and HR21 have 320GB HDDs compared to the HR23 and HR24, which have 500GB HDDs. *There is no HR22*. The HR23 has wide band converters built-in so if you have a legacy setup (2 cables to a DVR to use both tuners), you don't need the BBC adapters. The HR24 has DECA built-in, so if you are using DECA for Whole Home, you don't need an external DECA. The HR24 is also the fastest of the receivers and in my case responds significantly quicker than my other DVR.
> ...


There are two HR22s, the HR22-100 and the rarely seen HR22-200.

Rich


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## disneyfun1 (Jun 29, 2007)

the tech just came back and installed an HR24-500 in place of one of my HR20-700's. So far seems to be nice. Have to wait for guide to download to get my season passes back in. We plugged in the ethernet wire and have the whole home working as before. he stated there is a new way to do, which would require him to put in a new multi-switch and do some other things to all the hd-dvr's we have, but i said if it works hard wired to the internet, we can leave it that way and it does. He had an issue with it receiving signal on a transponder and could not continue, so he adjusted the dish which did not fix it so he replaced the LNB and it worked fine after that, so i guess that solved another issue i had and didnt know about. 

Will this box not go to 1080p unless its a 1080p program? we have a 1080p tv and my harman-kardon receiver upgrades the signal to 1080p as well, but the box only lights up to 1080i, even though when i test it, it says it will receive that signal. 

any other tricks i need to know about with this new box?


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

None of the receivers will convert 1080i to 1080p. Most/all 1080p TVs can do that internally, I think. Some On-Demand programming is in 1080p, but not broadcasts.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

In case it matters, I believe it's the HR24-500 that uses a different colorspace than the others. Some have had to make adjustments to their calibration for it. It uses RGB, the others use YCrCb.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

"Rich" said:


> There are two HR22s, the HR22-100 and the rarely seen HR22-200.
> 
> Rich


I think I was thinking of the H22 when I typed that. 

The HR22 has a 500GB HDD.

- Merg


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

The Merg said:


> I think I was thinking of the H22 when I typed that.
> 
> The HR22 has a 500GB HDD.
> 
> - Merg


Finally, a mistake.... :lol:

Rich


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

"Rich" said:


> Finally, a mistake.... :lol:
> 
> Rich


Shhhh.... 

- Merg


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

The Merg said:


> Shhhh....
> 
> - Merg


I was stunned, I had begun to think you were omnipotent..... :lol:

Rich


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Rich said:


> There are two HR22s, the HR22-100 and the rarely seen HR22-200.
> 
> Rich


Rarely seen is an understatement. I'm not sure anyone's actually seen one outside the lab


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Stuart Sweet said:


> Rarely seen is an understatement. I'm not sure anyone's actually seen one outside the lab


Can't really trust my memory, but I think I have read a couple posts by members who had one.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Rich said:


> Can't really trust my memory, but I think I have read a couple posts by members who had one.
> 
> Rich


*LGM2007* has one.

Didn't look any farther...too lazy.

Rich


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## miesque1127 (Jul 21, 2012)

Just got WHS and On Demand.

I have 2 HR 21 DVRs, and they brought me a HR-24 for the back room. Tat TV is rarely used, would you suggest I use the HR-24 in a room that gets more use??

Is it ok for me to disconnect and swap the DVRs without screwing anything up??


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

miesque1127 said:


> Just got WHS and On Demand.
> 
> I have 2 HR 21 DVRs, and they brought me a HR-24 for the back room. Tat TV is rarely used, would you suggest I use the HR-24 in a room that gets more use??
> 
> Is it ok for me to disconnect and swap the DVRs without screwing anything up??


You should be able to swap without any issues. You should keep the HR21 and its DECA together when moving it (the HR24 does not need a DECA).


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## djr5899 (Sep 24, 2007)

Is there any information on this site about the HR22-100? I just got a 2nd HD TV in my home, and they sent me an HR22-100 to replace my SD DVR.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

"djr5899" said:


> Is there any information on this site about the HR22-100? I just got a 2nd HD TV in my home, and they sent me an HR22-100 to replace my SD DVR.


Same as the HR22s mentioned in this thread. For this model, the -100 is irrelevant other than differentiating manufacturer. Bigger hard drive than your 20, no OTA, has 3D support.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

djr5899 said:


> Is there any information on this site about the HR22-100? I just got a 2nd HD TV in my home, and they sent me an HR22-100 to replace my SD DVR.


This might be the closest: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=121332

The only difference is you have the 500 GB drive.


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## Scott Kocourek (Jun 13, 2009)

The Tips & Resources forum has a ton of documents that explain the DIRECTV equipment and services.


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## SomeRandomIdiot (Jan 7, 2009)

dpeters11 said:


> In case it matters, I believe it's the HR24-500 that uses a different colorspace than the others. Some have had to make adjustments to their calibration for it. It uses RGB, the others use YCrCb.


Is there a thread with a list of colorspace for each of the Directv DVRs?

It makes no sense that the HR24 would have RGB (which is analog) colorspace. This would also defeat what they have tried to do on the 3D Channels making sure the equipment is 3D Compatiable (in fact, I do not believe the 3D SbS units will even accept analog).

Perhaps you are thinking about the HR20s having a different colorspace (RGB Analog) and that is why they could not work with 3D?

You might remember the first Computer Video Cards that had DVI output usually also had a DVI to RGB adapter. Thats why those worked - because the RGB coming out of the early Video Cards was Analog and using RGB colorspace. As most of the HDMI outputs are now digital and using Digital YPbPr Colorspace (either 4:2:2 or 4:4:4), thats why an RGB adapter will get you nothing on the newer units.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

No, its the HR24-500 that has RGB colorspace. All the rest have YCrCb. RGB colorspace isnt to be confused with the analog RGB outputs.

Y′CbCr is not an absolute color space; rather, it is a way of encoding RGB information. The actual color displayed depends on the actual RGB primaries used to display the signal. Therefore a value expressed as Y′CbCr is predictable only if standard RGB primary chromaticities are used.

An RGB color space is any additive color space based on the RGB color model. A particular RGB color space is defined by the three chromaticities of the red, green, and blue additive primaries, and can produce any chromaticity that is the triangle defined by those primary colors.

They both produce the same results, but I believe the RGB colorspace in digital has a black level higher than 0, so YCrCb might be able to produce a few more colors? Not sure on that. Most of my higher end video equipment uses YCrCb, but the cheaper stuff (FTA satellite receiver for example) also uses RGB. My video processor converts it all to YCrCb before sending it to the monitor.

As for the video cards, there are two signals present, DVId and DVIa on the same connector. One is analog, one digital. If you had a straight DVI-D video card, the DVI to RGB adapters would not work on them.


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## Diana C (Mar 30, 2007)

To put it more simply, in digital video, each reproducable color has a unique numerical value (size being determined by sampling depth, usually 24 or 32 bits). The difference between RGB and YCrCb is that slightly different colors are assigned to a given value. Hence, to insure most accurate reproduction, a display needs a different calibration for RGB than for YCrCb.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Titan25 said:


> To put it more simply, in digital video, each reproducable color has a unique numerical value (size being determined by sampling depth, usually 24 or 32 bits). The difference between RGB and YCrCb is that slightly different colors are assigned to a given value. Hence, to insure most accurate reproduction, a display needs a different calibration for RGB than for YCrCb.


Most noticeable is/are the black levels.


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## SomeRandomIdiot (Jan 7, 2009)

veryoldschool said:


> Most noticeable is/are the black levels.


That is PC v Video (232 v 255) determining what number = 0 and what number = 100.

Still makes ZERO sense that the newer HR24 would have the older RGB output. I am going to borrow my neighbor's this weekend and test the output.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> That is PC v Video (232 v 255) determining what number = 0 and what number = 100.
> 
> Still makes ZERO sense that the newer HR24 would have the older RGB output. I am going to borrow my neighbor's this weekend and test the output.


It's only the HR24-*500*


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

disneyfun1 said:


> what is the difference between all the models? i have an hr 20-700 in my bedroom and living room, Kids have an hr21 and hr22 in their rooms, we have been on whole home for a while using direct connect internet wire into each one from the router.
> 
> Wanted to upgrade my hr20 in the living room to the new hr24, mainly for looks but hopefully functionality as mine gets slow a lot as most of them do, and to just have new equip.
> 
> ...


I like this link for comparing the DVR models.
http://hr20.dbstalk.com/docs/DVR FAQ.pdf


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

jimmie57 said:


> I like this link for comparing the DVR models.
> http://hr20.dbstalk.com/docs/DVR FAQ.pdf


Perhaps we can make this simpler: The 20-700 was/is a fine DVR. The 21 series, including the 22s and the 23s are not nearly as good or reliable or quick as the 20-700 has become. But the 20-700s are old and they're starting to fail. My opinion is that D* should have refined the 20-700s and not introduced the 21 series at all. Just my opinion, but it's based on my experiences with the 21 series.

Now we have the 24s, and they are really good, but will they stand up over time as well as the 20-700s have? Nobody knows. If D* had stuck with the 20-700 and kept refining it, then introduced the 24s, that would have been better than making us cope with the dreadfully slow, undependable 21 series. I think the 21-700 was far and away the best of the 21 series and I turned all my 21-700s in in favor of 20-700s that I bought on eBay. Now I'm doing the same thing, swapping my 20-700s for 24s.

Clearer?

Rich


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## Volare (Sep 17, 2012)

So I've had my current HR21-700 for about 3 years and suffering with perpetual nearly full hard drive. I called DTV to see about getting a new model with hopefully more HD capacity. They sent me a refurb HR21-100. It was free but required me to sign a new 24 month contract- that doesn't occur until I active the new box. So I guess I'm sending it back. I guess I have to continue to play this game until they send a HR22-23-24?


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Volare said:


> So I've had my current HR21-700 for about 3 years and suffering with perpetual nearly full hard drive. I called DTV to see about getting a new model with hopefully more HD capacity. They sent me a refurb HR21-100. It was free but required me to sign a new 24 month contract- that doesn't occur until I active the new box. So I guess I'm sending it back. I guess I have to continue to play this game until they send a HR22-23-24?


If you have been suffering from full disk syndrome for that long do you really think that going to a 500GB hard drive is really going to fix anything? I wouldnt suggest anything less than 1TB.....I highly suggest using your own external setup.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

Volare said:


> *So I've had my current HR21-700 for about 3 years and suffering with perpetual nearly full hard drive.* I called DTV to see about getting a new model with hopefully more HD capacity. They sent me a refurb HR21-100. It was free but required me to sign a new 24 month contract- that doesn't occur until I active the new box. So I guess I'm sending it back. I guess I have to continue to play this game until they send a HR22-23-24?


I hope you are aware that the recordings can not be transferred to the replacement receiver.
To keep those, you have to add an external drive as expressed by the previous posters. This gets you more storage space and keeps the existing recordings on the internal hard drive. When you remove the external drive you can watch the ones you have recorded already.

I have read several times that filling up the drive slows the DVR down quite a bit. It sounds reasonable. I know that on my PC my pictures folder take a long time to fully load all my pictures and other folders load instantly.


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## Volare (Sep 17, 2012)

I had a 1 Tb external that worked for about 9 months, until the DTV receiver decided that there was an error in the disk and refused to work with it any longer. Lost a lot of shows and ~ $150 in that exchange. BTW, this external now functions perfectly as a backup for my laptop with no errors of any type noted on multiple diagnostics. I don't see any point in adding another external given the fickle nature of DTV's diagnostics. But I can see value in a free upgrade from 300 to 500 mb, if I can get one of the above listed receivers.

I am aware that the existing shows on one receiver cannot be transferred. I timed my upgrade to happen before the fall TV schedule gets into full swing as right now the items filling my receiver can be replaced easily enough.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Volare said:


> So I've had my current HR21-700 for about 3 years and suffering with perpetual nearly full hard drive. I called DTV to see about getting a new model with hopefully more HD capacity. They sent me a refurb HR21-100. It was free but required me to sign a new 24 month contract- that doesn't occur until I active the new box. So I guess I'm sending it back. I guess I have to continue to play this game until they send a HR22-23-24?


Don't expect any difference with the 22s or the 23. Go for the 24s. Sooner or later, they'll send you one.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Volare said:


> I had a 1 Tb external that worked for about 9 months, until the DTV receiver decided that there was an error in the disk and refused to work with it any longer. Lost a lot of shows and ~ $150 in that exchange. BTW, this external now functions perfectly as a backup for my laptop with no errors of any type noted on multiple diagnostics. I don't see any point in adding another external given the fickle nature of DTV's diagnostics. But I can see value in a free upgrade from 300 to 500 mb, if I can get one of the above listed receivers.


If you were using an "all-in-one" eSATA, the HDD probably wasn't bad and could have been recovered and used in one of the external devices we recommend. In any case, the external devices are the weakest links in the chain and should always be checked first.



> I am aware that the existing shows on one receiver cannot be transferred. I timed my upgrade to happen before the fall TV schedule gets into full swing as right now the items filling my receiver can be replaced easily enough.


This is the time to get a 2TB drive, put it in a Thermaltake docking station and you'll have plenty of room. Other folks on the forum use enclosures, but I only use the TT docks. Either choice will work.

Rich


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## Racer88 (Sep 13, 2006)

In a nutshell. HR20 good, HR24 better, all the rest are problematic junk(especially 21's)


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Racer88 said:


> In a nutshell. HR20 good, HR24 better, all the rest are problematic junk(especially 21's)


No problems with any of the 21's I have here. The "junk" ones are the 23's.


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