I really wanted a black DVR

[Vcook]

I was really hoping I'd get a black hd-dvr with my most recent DirecTV order, but alas they sent me another silver HR-20. Since this is going in my equipment rack with all black components I had to do something. I had a friend of mine that does vinyl work wrap the faceplate with matte black vinyl. Came out great, and no waranttee or lease concerns for me! I just did the faceplate since you wont see the rest once I rack it. Just thought I'd share for those looking for ideas.

here it is on top of the silver hr-20 in my living room

http://www.cjvcook.com/images/basement/blackhr20.jpg

[r0b0tic]

Looks great. Good job. :)

[jheda]

great idea!

[dtrell]

cant see the resolution lights...

[Grentz]

Great idea, looks good from the pic!

cant see the resolution lights...

If necessary you could make holes for them, most probably do not really need them though.

[Doug Brott]

Very interesting .. nice job.

[fullcourt81]

It will go in the bedroom and will match the glossy black furniture. I don't need it for awhile, but when I do it might get interesting as I try to track one down.

[bobnielsen]

Both the HR21-200 and HR21-700 are glossy black (I would have prefered flat). You can probably find one at Costco, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.

[JackBikes]

I had a HR21 installed last month and it's black, which is ok. The trouble is it looks like it was painted with a spray can and it has a scratch across one part. Must be a rebuild. I guess when the lights are low, I can't tell and it works fine which is what it should do.

[mikek]

OMG! You broke your lease agreement!!!!!!!!!!!

[tooloud10]

Am I the only guy that couldn't care less what color his DVR is?:nono2:

[Sharkie_Fan]

Am I the only guy that couldn't care less what color his DVR is?:nono2:

Could be... ;)

Though sometimes I think I'm the ONLY one here who REALLY wants my DVR to be (stay) silver. Except for my AV Receiver, which is a black Sony and slowly dying soon to be replaced by something silver, all my other componants are silver. A black DVR would just be out of place in my setup!

[Samurai]

Am I the only guy that couldn't care less what color his DVR is?:nono2:

Yes.

[spartanstew]

Am I the only guy that couldn't care less what color his DVR is?:nono2:

Well, there's degress of caring. Is it a deal breaker of some kind? No. If given a choice, would I prefer a certain color? Yes.

I have the following components in my living room low boy:

HR21
HR21
Cavalry 1TB external HD
Sony Receiver
Pio Elite DVD player
Sony VCR
Klipsch Center Channel
Channel Plus Modulator
Belkin UPS

Everything listed is Black and I think it looks pretty nice together.


By contrast, I have the following in my home theater upright rack:

Pio Elite Receiver
Sony DVD changer
HD DVD Player
Monster Power Center
Sony VCR
Monoprice HDMI Switcher
HR20

Everything listed is Black EXCEPT the HR20. Since the HT is in complete darkness about 95% of the time it isn't as big of a deal, but when the lights are on, it sticks out like a sore thumb inside the all black rack.

[Lee L]

Of course, many people have really nice racks in one corner of a home theater. I can see it looking out of place to have one silver component in a stack of black ones in a black rack.

[TheRatPatrol]

Does anyone remember the history when it comes to electronic colors?

[Mike Bertelson]

Am I the only guy that couldn't care less what color his DVR is?:nono2:

I don't either.

I suppose if I had everything in a rack instead of spread out I might care.

Mike

[Vcook]

It's going in a mid atlantic rack, with black blanks for the open areas and black custom face plates for non rack mountable gear. The silver would have stood out a lot, and this was an easy fix. As for the resolution lights, I've never bothered to reference them on the HR20 in my living room so I doubt I'll start now. I suppose I could just exacto out the vinyl over the lights if I really wanted to know.

I would have preferred to just get a glossy black hr21 but this is what directv sent, hard to complain for $85 shipped.

[Hansen]

It's going in a mid atlantic rack, with black blanks for the open areas and black custom face plates for non rack mountable gear. The silver would have stood out a lot, and this was an easy fix. As for the resolution lights, I've never bothered to reference them on the HR20 in my living room so I doubt I'll start now. I suppose I could just exacto out the vinyl over the lights if I really wanted to know.

I would have preferred to just get a glossy black hr21 but this is what directv sent, hard to complain for $85 shipped.


Nice job.

Do the doors for the access card and front usb port open, or did you have to go over them with the vinyl to prevent the edges of the vinyl on the doors from peeling back over time?

[txtommy]

Am I the only guy that couldn't care less what color his DVR is?:nono2:

No. Silver or black is fine. I suppose if they sent me a fluorescent orange or chartreuse I might complain.

My only real concern is how well it works.

[tcusta00]

No. Silver or black is fine. I suppose if they sent me a fluorescent orange or chartreuse I might complain.

My only real concern is how well it works.

I could care less what color it is, as long as it's black. Or black. :grin:

[Grentz]

Does anyone remember the history when it comes to electronic colors?

Well in recent years (last 10 years or so) it went from Black --> Silver --> Black

Personally I like black, much more professional looking. My whole setup was black, then turned silver (TV, DVD Player, Tivo Receiver) and now is turning black again with the HR21 replacing the Silver Tivo. Now to just replace the TV :lol:

Silver is more distracting in my opinion, black disappears much more.

My stereo is all black, but it is in a closed cabinet so you cannot see it (the other components are out on shelves).

[glennb]

Am I the only guy that couldn't care less what color his DVR is?:nono2:

It doesn't matter to me. My TV is black, my old VCR sitting there covered with dust is black, my DVD player is silver, and my DVR is silver.

I was over at my nieghbor's house the other day to check out her rack.
Pretty nice.

[spaldingclan]

i wish i had a silver one just so that I would own a hr20....I still need the OTA

[Vcook]

Nice job.

Do the doors for the access card and front usb port open, or did you have to go over them with the vinyl to prevent the edges of the vinyl on the doors from peeling back over time?

both doors open still, I had it wrapped before I put the access card in so that was kind of a necessisity. :lol:

[GCanada]

Now that I think back on things. It does look like every couple years components switch back and fourth between black and silver. I'm back on all black.

[DBSNewbie]

It's going in a mid atlantic rack, with black blanks for the open areas and black custom face plates for non rack mountable gear. The silver would have stood out a lot, and this was an easy fix. As for the resolution lights, I've never bothered to reference them on the HR20 in my living room so I doubt I'll start now. I suppose I could just exacto out the vinyl over the lights if I really wanted to know.

I would have preferred to just get a glossy black hr21 but this is what directv sent, hard to complain for $85 shipped.

Having Silver Components in a Middle Atlantic Rack does make them stand out, but the way that the custom faceplates fit precisely around the front face of the component, the color becomes less of an issue because (in my opinion) the "neatness" of the installation is the first thing you notice.

Here's how the my HR20's look in a Middle Atlantic Rack with the custom faceplates:

[Jim85IROC]

I have an NAD AV Reciver, which is a flat-graphite color that absolutely nothing has any hope of matching anyway. That being said, I think the gloss black on my HR-21 makes it look incredibly cheap. I would have preferred a satin black if I was in a position to have anything to say about it.

So now I have a flat-graphite AV receiver, a silver DVD player, and a gloss black DVR.

[timb2112]

Am I the only guy that couldn't care less what color his DVR is?:nono2:

I do because I have nice gear and want it to match.....

[yanksno1]

It'd be real nice if decalgirl (which their skins look real nice, and I hear they are too) or skinit made some decal skins for these and other TV receivers. That'd solve a lot of peoples problems.

[rudeney]

Does anyone remember the history when it comes to electronic colors?

Yeah, it seems to work like automotive designs. It’s all designed to get people to notice a difference in new products vs. what they have so they will be more inclined to buy replacements. My biggest beef of the moment isn’t over color, but the fact that almost every new flat-screen TV has a shiny “piano black” trim surrounding it. We just bought a new Panasonic 50” plasma and while the screen has a nice matte anti-glare finish like the LCD’s, the trim surround reflects light like crazy!

[Lee L]

It'd be real nice if decalgirl (which their skins look real nice, and I hear they are too) or skinit made some decal skins for these and other TV receivers. That'd solve a lot of peoples problems.

Have you contacted them to see if they might? I will say that I took a picture of my dog checking the TV out the other day and realized that with my Black Yamaha receiver, the HR10-250, the HR20 both in silver, plus the Xbox 360 in white, it does look kind of disjointed. I know I can get a black faceplate for the 360 (or at least hget a white one and paint it) and I can paint my HR10-250 all day long, but of course, the HR20 is leased, so now I am thinking of doing something like the OP did.


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/sherifftruman/100_3394.jpg