HR20-700 No longer available?

[tribbens]

I FINALLY got my HD-DVR installed today, but the installer only had the HR21-700 in the truck. I explained that I ordered and paid for the HR20-700. He told me they were told to return their current inventory of HR20's to D* and were told to no longer install them. Anybody else have this told to them?

The next question is, do I try to get the HR20 or is the HR21 a better piece of equipment. The installer told me that D* is working on broadcasting local channels in HD "sooner than later", in which case, the lack of OTA recording is a mute point. Any input is appreciated!

TR
Boise, ID

[Earl Bonovich]

The HR20's are in very low supply right now...
They are still being produced..

The HR21's are in much larger supply, as they were building stock over the last few months while waiting for it's release.

And yes... DirecTV is going to be aggressively expanding their HD LiL's offering both in new markets, and extended existing markets.

There will be an OTA solution from DirecTV in the future.

[narrod]

The HR20's are in very low supply right now...
They are still being produced..

The HR21's are in much larger supply, as they were building stock over the last few months while waiting for it's release.

And yes... DirecTV is going to be aggressively expanding their HD LiL's offering both in new markets, and extended existing markets.

There will be an OTA solution from DirecTV in the future.

I think it is great that they are expanding Local HD reach. I'm not happy about there potentially being no OTA capability. While living in Los Angeles I never lost
the signal is 6 years. Living in Louisville, rain fade is a real problem. We lose the signal quite often. We never lose the OTA signal. Sounds like a step backwards.
I can connect directly to the TV but that means a loss of recording capability.

[goober22]

D* does not supply my locals at all (yet) so I ordered 2 HR20s but HR21 were sent instead. I refused those and they reshipped me 2 HR20s but they had to ship from another warehouse as the closest 2 were out of HR20s.

My guess is D* was planning on having more, if not all, locals up in HD by now but fell behind a bit with the launch delays.

[sshams95]

The OP states his installer said he was told to return their HR20's in favor of he HR21. Doesn't sound like they are in low supply, but instead, forcing people to get the HR21, even when the HR20 is requested.

[Dr. Booda]

I FINALLY got my HD-DVR installed today, but the installer only had the HR21-700 in the truck. I explained that I ordered and paid for the HR20-700. He told me they were told to return their current inventory of HR20's to D* and were told to no longer install them. Anybody else have this told to them?

The next question is, do I try to get the HR20 or is the HR21 a better piece of equipment. The installer told me that D* is working on broadcasting local channels in HD "sooner than later", in which case, the lack of OTA recording is a mute point. Any input is appreciated!

TR
Boise, ID

First off :welcome_s!

In my opinion the HR20 was and still is a poorly engineered box. In the pressure to get something out in the market over a year ago, the development of the unit was not completed and has been undergoing an extended Beta trial period ever since. The software has progressed immensely since the initial release (thanks to many CE'ers around DBSTalk), but there are fundamental hardware issues that continue (failed tuners, drives, etc.)

The HR21 is probably the box that D* intended to make in the first place, but ran out of time. I have been lucky (or unlucky) enough to have tried numerous variants of the HR20-700, the HR20-100, and now the HR21-700 over the last year. Things have improved, and my latest HR21 hasn't skipped a beat since I received it a week ago. I can only hope that the end is near for this HR saga and that the quality of the hardware will soon be equivalent to the quality of the programming that D* offers.

[tribbens]

Thanks for the replies and input - it sound like I should stick with the HR21 and wait for the OTA rcording solution. I have been lurking and will now participate in this great forum.

[akula169]

Great... and I just spent the afternoon running an OTA cable under my house to the media cabinet in preparation for the HR20 that was to be installed this Thursday.

Sooner better be much sooner. I guess I'll just have to re-run the antenna drop directly to the TV so I don't feel it was such a waste of my time...

Silly CSR rep. "Oh yeah, that shouldn't be a problem. I'll just add it to the installer notes right here." At least he could have told me the truth.

[Stuart Sweet]

I just read a thread where someone claimed the HR20-100 was being recalled.

It just makes more sense that they are pulling them all to make sure that they go to people who really want or need them.

[gcisko]

I just read a thread where someone claimed the HR20-100 was being recalled.

It just makes more sense that they are pulling them all to make sure that they go to people who really want or need them.

Sure if that were actually the case. However more and more threads like this are popping up with people asking for HR20's, only to be given HR21's. And then you get the "oh there is noting wrong, everything is still fine with the HR20".

Right...

[Lord Vader]

And yes... DirecTV is going to be aggressively expanding their HD LiL's offering both in new markets, and extended existing markets.

How so, Earl?

[AllThumbs]

D* seems to be in transition and not all employees are synced up to equipment available in the field. Last week an HR21 was installed after requesting an HR20. D* gave me free locals for 6 months to see how I liked it. D* has my local PBS in SD only. I hated not having OTA stations. I called wanting an exchange or money back. "Sorry... no refunds or exchanges". All this after being a loyal D* subscriber for over 10 yrs. So, I bought an HR20 from another source and will have to send the HR21 back as it is "leased". I'm out about $250 through this experience. So, be careful when requesting an HR20 as D* only has the HR21s to install.

[islander66]

I would go for the HR20. You can always send it back if it goes wrong. Mine hasn't.

I had a HR20 700 that was too loud, and called in and begged for a HR20 100.

[GCanada]

I've got an hr20-700 down in the theater. I'm waiting for the hr21 to become more main stream and I'll order it for the upstairs but just swap them around. The black will match a lot better down in the theater room. Plus where I am at we get all our locals in HD so no need for ota. Still need to figuire out what to do with these two hr10-250 I have sitting around.

[allenn]

I requested and HR20 twice, and I got two HR21's. Sent one back to D*. D* credited me enough to purchase an HR20, but I can't find one locally. So I guess I end up with a no cost HR21. I want OTA because D* does not have local sub-channels like 11-2 which is NBC Weather Plus in our market.

[Milominderbinder2]

I requested and HR20 twice, and I got two HR21's. Sent one back to D*. D* credited me enough to purchase an HR20, but I can't find one locally. So I guess I end up with a no cost HR21. I want OTA because D* does not have local sub-channels like 11-2 which is NBC Weather Plus in our market.eBay.

- Craig

[dreadlk]

I was at Costco 2 days ago and they had a shelf full of HR20-700's. Costco usually buys out defunct stock so maybe that's where all the HR20-700 have gone to.

[ncshawng]

There will be an OTA solution from DirecTV in the future.

So, are you saying that if a local station has four or five digital channels, D* plans to have an alternative way to supply subscribers with the signals?

[Tom Robertson]

The official word is that the HR20-700 is being transitioned to the HR21-700. There is still stock in various locations nationwide, but there clearly might be some shortages.

The HR20-100 is still being manufactured as fast as they can make them. :)

Cheers,
Tom

[Tom Robertson]

So, are you saying that if a local station has four or five digital channels, D* plans to have an alternative way to supply subscribers with the signals?
There will be a solution for receiving (and recording) OTA channels.

If I were to guess, I suspect the OTA solution for the HR21 won't be seen until the HR21 is caught up to the HR20s in features. No sense in maintaining a widely divergent software stream at this point.

Cheers,
Tom