General ?'s about DVR's

[Blackz06]

After reading these forums for sometime, I've come to the realization that for some people DVR's are a sore subject. Ala, this model rules all...no way, can't touch this one.

I'm pretty new to the whole DVR thing, having the HR-20-700, my first DVR, since April. Moving from a the VCR from the 80's-90's, I must say DVR's are one of the best CE inventions ever. Anyway, I love my DVR, records everything I ask, plays it when I ask, FF when I ask, 30 second skip, you know the whole deal.

Since it does everything I ask of it, What am I missing? How much better are these other DVR's? Without starting a hole blown out comparison thread what other features are available with these other DVR's?


Edit - P.S. What's with all the +1's after some posts?

[phat78boy]

Tivo's are a little more reliable and have a couple features that the HR20 doesn't. That being said, I haven't had any problems with my HR20 regarding reliablity. I understand the biggest missing feature, DLB, but try to judge the HR20 on its own merits. I personally am very satisfied with HR20 and know it will only get better. Tivo has had a big head start.

[Blackz06]

What's DLB?

[phat78boy]

What's DLB?

Dual live buffers. Meaning you can switch between two live shows at the same time.

[Doug Brott]

DLB is Dual Live Buffers .. and my post should have been simply "+1" as I was beat to the punch.

There is a tendency for folks to just use a "+1" to indicate agreement with something that someone else said. Basically it means "ditto."

[veryoldschool]

+1 is a simple agreement to a previous post.

There are the Mac fans and then there are the Windows users.
There are Fords & there are Chevys
There are Tivo fans and there are "other" DVRs
It's human nature to like one over the other.
That's where horse racing came from.

[Doug Brott]

Oh, and Blackz06, if you are happy with your HR20, then don't feel like the grass is greener on the other side. Many folks grew fond of a lot of the features available on TiVo. Personally, I've come to enjoy the HR20 more than the TiVo, so not everyone is created equal.

[rynberg]

Since the HR20 is the only DVR that will get you HD with D*TV, I suggest you stop worrying and researching what other DVRs can do. It will not help you at all. :)

I'm the same as you, the HR20 is my first DVR, so I don't have the Tivo bias or prelearning that many have. I think the HR20 is great, not perfect, but it works well for me.

[mtnagel]

There is a tendency for folks to just use a "+1" to indicate agreement with something that someone else said. Basically it means "ditto."+1

:D

[Blackz06]

Dual live buffers. Meaning you can switch between two live shows at the same time.

Thanks for all the quick responses. Can I get a clearer explanation please? So at the same time is it like a PiP?

[phat78boy]

Thanks for all the quick responses. Can I get a clearer explanation please? So at the same time is it like a PiP?

While watching show A, you can press pause and switch to show B. When show B goes to commercial, you press pause and go back to show A. Both shows are kept in buffer, DLB.

The HR20 will stop buffering show A, even if paused, when you switch to show B.

[silk1234]

dual live buffer

=

the tivo unit would allow you to switch between to live shows and keep all dvr functionality in other words if you were watching 2 football games at the same time and game one is in commercial you could switch to game two and rewind back to see what you had missed. the new dvrs from directv will not let you rewind on the new channel.

for you others dlb is a part of the the full tivo software, directv is only running tivo light. get used to it, tivo owns the software and since there is some bad blodd between the companies do not look for the full software version on directv dvrs in the near future.

[veryoldschool]

Sorry but:
Dual live buffer is for watching something that you need to watch two of at the same time to enjoy.
Most used during football season when you wait 10 min for two min of action.
If you record what you want to watch you won't miss DLB.

[Blackz06]

If you record what you want to watch you won't miss DLB.

I also do this too. Just press record if I change stations, and just resume when I get back. But, DLB does sounds like a great feature to have. Thanks again guys.

[Doug Brott]

True, you can just record two things and simulate the old DLB from TiVo. In addition, if you find yourself rarely watching live TV, then DLB will be meaningless. The 'L' in DLB is "Live" and the purpose of DVR is to (R)ecord.

Bottom line .. The grass is really green these days ..

[Tom Robertson]

True, you can just record two things and simulate the old DLB from TiVo. In addition, if you find yourself rarely watching live TV, then DLB will be meaningless. The 'L' in DLB is "Live" and the purpose of DVR is to (R)ecord.

Bottom line .. The grass is really green these days ..
Doug, Doug, Doug. You are genius, but I guess even geniuses can miss somethings. :)

DLB is very well simulated at all with dual recordings for a couple of key reasons:
1) I typically anchor on tuner on the game I'm WATCHING and surf other games I'm just watching on the other tuner. Dual recordings doesn't cut that at all.
2) DLB returns me to either caught up to live or pause, depending on how I left that tuner. Dual recordings restarts me at the beginning of the other recording if I left it at live or somewhere else entirely. But not what I'm looking for
3) Dual recordings takes A LOT of disk space. Ouch.

All that said, this only applies to a frugal person, of which I am no longer. I now have enough LCD computer monitors and DVRs that football Sunday is Packers on big screen and other games on the monitors, currently TPOP (Twin Picture outside picture.) :) Tho, one of the driving DVRs is a DLB HR10... :D

Cheers,
Tom

[raott]

The 'L' in DLB is "Live" and the purpose of DVR is to (R)ecord.



My DVR doubles as a receiver, on which I also watch live TV as I suspect the bulk of other D* subscribers do as well.

[veryoldschool]

Doug, Doug, Doug. You are genius, but I guess even geniuses can miss somethings. :)

DLB is very well simulated at all with dual recordings for a couple of key reasons:
1) I typically anchor on tuner on the game I'm WATCHING and surf other games I'm just watching on the other tuner. Dual recordings doesn't cut that at all.
2) DLB returns me to either caught up to live or pause, depending on how I left that tuner. Dual recordings restarts me at the beginning of the other recording if I left it at live or somewhere else entirely. But not what I'm looking for
3) Dual recordings takes A LOT of disk space. Ouch.

All that said, this only applies to a frugal person, of which I am no longer. I now have enough LCD computer monitors and DVRs that football Sunday is Packers on big screen and other games on the monitors, currently TPOP (Twin Picture outside picture.) :) Tho, one of the driving DVRs is a DLB HR10... :D

Cheers,
Tom
me thinks there is an "n't" missing there:
DLB isn't very well simulated at all

[hilmar2k]

for you others dlb is a part of the the full tivo software, directv is only running tivo light. get used to it, tivo owns the software and since there is some bad blodd between the companies do not look for the full software version on directv dvrs in the near future.

I disagree with you assesment that the HR20 is running "Tivo light". The fact is, it isn't running "Tivo" anything. It is 100% completely unrelated to Tivo. It would be like calling a Lexus a "Mercedes light" because it has a somewhat different feature set. In fact, maybe Tivo is an "HR20 light". There are, after all, some features that the HR20 has that Tivo doesn't. ;)