Are you happy with your HR20/21?

[jbrasure]

I'm just curious what percentage of people like their HR20/21 DVRs

[inkahauts]

I love all 5 of mine, and my folks love all 4 of their's....

[krock918316]

Too bad you didn't have a "Very Happy" option. That would be my choice!

[jal]

Even now the Hr2x's have bugs. On my HR20, when I pull up the guide, I see sort of an "Active" screen behind the guide which won't go away and makes the guide difficult to read. On my other HR20, it has a "handshake" problem with my SONY LCD. Whenever I leave it on an MPEG 2 channel and turn the tv off, there's no volume when I power up unless I switch to an MPEG 4 channel, then back to an MPEG 2 channel. More important to me is that the HR2Xs lack the TIVO features I truly enjoyed (dual live buffers, suggestions, etc.). So, if Liberty chose to reengage TIVO, I'd be very happy.

[Michael D'Angelo]

I am very happy with my 3 HR20's and an HR21. I personally believe they are the best DVR's I have ever used and I was a very long time TiVo user (Series 2 stand alone, SD DIRECTV TiVo, and HD DIRECTV TiVo HR10-250).

I was so mad when DIRECTV decided to go away from TiVo to their own DVR's. I must say after getting my first two HR20's back in September 2006 I was glad they did after using them for a couple of weeks even with all the problems we had when the units first released.

Since than I have like they HR20/21's more and more with every update just about.

[hdtvfan0001]

Have 2 HR20-700's and 1 HR21-200 - all work very well and provide excellent HD DVR recording and playback service.

[randyk47]

We've had our HR20 since last September and haven't had any problems with it. This is our first DVR and so far it's always recorded and played back our shows. That's what we got it for and it works great for our purposes.

[bsboggs]

I wouldn't say I'm happy...There are issues frequently discussed, ranted about (KUID, record series limit, etc.) that I REALLY hope to see addressed. That said, I plan (for the immediate future) to stick with it.

[ccr1958]

i am happy...but a few bugs need to be worked
out for me to be real happy....

[flogduh]

Not happy until DTV delivers DLB and fixes the vast majority of the standard functionality bugs i.e. blank recordings, incomplete recordings, one button skip to tick and slow motion. Then I'll be happy.....

[cody21]

Bugs Bugs Bugs .... The move to MPEG4 has been a fiasco and they can't seem to get the Audio Sync and electronic "stuttering" fixed --- regardless of where in the chain the problems are .... Never had these issues with the HR10-250

[SpunkyJones]

I've only had mine for a couple of weeks, but I miss some of the functionality of the Directivo, like the DLB, sorting the playlist alphabetically, and I've had a couple of audio glitches already. That being said, I'll give the HR20 I have another month before I have a real verdict, maybe once I get use to it all will be ok.

[mhayes70]

I love my 2 HR20's and 1 HR21.

[Maruuk]

I've had six of them now, and they all completely suck. From major system failures to an endless series of audio and video glitches that continue to this moment. I expect this type of quality from a Chinese-built children's toy, not from a major high-end hardware producer.

Directv products remind me of 1970-2000 General Motors' vehicles: designed by bean counters and engineered by correspondence course dropouts, all the while offering their exasperated customers phalanxes of moonlighting Qwickee Stop clerks for CSRs.

And as if the hardware/software wasn't bad enough, the strategic planning folks even bait-and-switch their customers with the decontented HR21 with no notice or even a path to reconciliation with OTA capability. Then when the firestorm of protest reached near class action lawsuit stage, they finally relent by shipping out waves of UNFIXED still-broken "refurbished" HR20s to buy time for the AM21. They sent me four of them. A cynical and insulting move to say the least.

If the AM21 works and updates can fix some of these brutal audio and video glitches, maybe later this year things will start to stabilize. But they still have no plans to give us a dedicated slo-mo, and that major design flaw alone personifies the whole D* mindset: WE'RE FAKIN IT, HOPE YOU DON'T NOTICE!

[SubSlr08]

After 5 or 6 RBR and a software download, my refurbished unit - HR20-100 - seems to have settled into the 'normal' mode, i.e. just some audio stutter & glitches, loss of audio sync on FF or Rew. But after the first 3 movies I recorded showed blank and disappeared after a reset, I was very upset. . . I still miss my TIVO units both SD and HR-10, but am adapting.
My biggest gripe now is the dumb GUIDE - showing only 90 minutes for each channel. . . might be great for a receiver, but not for a DVR. TIVO could be set up with channels on the left, and about the next 6 hours of shows on the right. Real simple to set up a nights worth of recordings. I guess I'm gonna have to resubscribe to the 'paper' guide magazine I'd let lapse. . . or continue to miss programs.

[Spanky_Partain]

Hard to compare it fairly since it's the only DVR that I have ever had. But I did say that I like it.

[majikmarker]

I voted no...last two weeks while out of town, my HR20-100 locked up early in the week and therefore missed all scheduled recordings after that. Was happy with it for the past year but now I have little confidence that it will work consistantly while I am away.

[LOBO2999]

Chinese-built children's toy, LOL. Thanks for the laugh , I was thinking these where done by a group of rodeo clowns that have been hit one too many times.

[mvaneps]

I am sort of happy. The 50 SL really gets in my craw and I find it a major reason I can't say that I am totally happy with the unit.

I have 2 and have had several problems with one of them. Sound behind the video, can't find satellite #2 when signal strength is strong, recording shows that have no sound at all. These have all been pretty much 1 time problems. I went through the issues with DTV and I think it might have boiled down to a loose connection so I am keeping my fingers crossed that my troubles are over.

On a smaller note, one thing I find really noticeable switching from a TIVO unit is that when you are done watching a recorded show or for some reason stop in the middle and go back to the list of recorded shows I wish that the show you were watching would be selected as the default. Instead it always goes back to the top of the list. 9 times out of 10 I still want to do something with the show I am watching and have to scroll down. Really a small issue but I would like it if it were different.

[NoOTA]

No. Still have a DTivo and it works where the HR21 doesn't. That simple, the tivo is like a toaster: it just sits there and quietly does its job correctly day in and day out. No audio skips or video stutters on Tivo. PLUS tivo had features that were usable that D* just won't seem to give us (DLB work around is just that: a cluggy work around.)

Sure the tivo was slower to sort and add things to the to-do list, but again IT ALWAYS WORKED AND SHOWED AUDIO AND VIDEO WITHOUT STUTTERS or SYNC PROBLEMS. Now for 2 years I'm paying $10/month more for a $199 box I don't own that doesn't work as reliably as the Dtivo.

Bottom line: guy at work has Dtivo SD and bought a HD tv. I couldn't recommend him "upgrading" to an HR2x right now because friends don't do that to friends. Meaning it doesn't work right enough of the time (same percent as tivo. Sorry tivo set the standard, so it CAN be done.) But Dishnet doesn't have the number for HD channels yet, even if I think their current DVRs are more stable. I recommended staying with SD DTivo, hoping that sometime SOON a software release will make the HR2x more stable wrt audio/video stutters and sync.

Would be interesting to see how many of the happy people never had a tivo, so they don't know what they are missing.

Also, I don't think D* EVER swapped out DTivo recievers at the rate HR2x boxes are swapped. 2 weeks with HR2x and I'm on my second unit. Had same problems with audio, so it is probably a SOFTWARE problem. All this shipping of replacement units seems really stupid and costly, as the problems are probably software at this point. Or are the units such pieces of hardware junk that they very that much from unit to unit? Seems unlikely in this day of digital electronics.

I just want stable recording and playback before I worry about the cool new features that I could have like video sharing from PC or VOD. Don't care about that if the base functions are close to %100.

[davring]

No. Still have a DTivo and it works where the HR21 doesn't. That simple, the tivo is like a toaster: it just sits there and quietly does its job correctly day in and day out. No audio skips or video stutters on Tivo. PLUS tivo had features that were usable that D* just won't seem to give us (DLB work around is just that: a cluggy work around.)

Sure the tivo was slower to sort and add things to the to-do list, but again IT ALWAYS WORKED AND SHOWED AUDIO AND VIDEO WITHOUT STUTTERS or SYNC PROBLEMS. Now for 2 years I'm paying $10/month more for a $199 box I don't own that doesn't work as reliably as the Dtivo.

Bottom line: guy at work has Dtivo SD and bought a HD tv. I couldn't recommend him "upgrading" to an HR2x right now because friends don't do that to friends. Meaning it doesn't work right enough of the time (same percent as tivo. Sorry tivo set the standard, so it CAN be done.) But Dishnet doesn't have the number for HD channels yet, even if I think their current DVRs are more stable. I recommended staying with SD DTivo, hoping that sometime SOON a software release will make the HR2x more stable wrt audio/video stutters and sync.

Would be interesting to see how many of the happy people never had a tivo, so they don't know what they are missing.

Also, I don't think D* EVER swapped out DTivo recievers at the rate HR2x boxes are swapped. 2 weeks with HR2x and I'm on my second unit. Had same problems with audio, so it is probably a SOFTWARE problem. All this shipping of replacement units seems really stupid and costly, as the problems are probably software at this point. Or are the units such pieces of hardware junk that they very that much from unit to unit? Seems unlikely in this day of digital electronics.

I just want stable recording and playback before I worry about the cool new features that I could have like video sharing from PC or VOD. Don't care about that if the base functions are close to %100.



Had Tivo's, been there done that. They can't compare to the new HR series for convenience and ease of use. I am sorry you have had reliablity problems, not many people really do. Too bad your friend will miss out.

[dbronstein]

Would be interesting to see how many of the happy people never had a tivo, so they don't know what they are missing.

I had a DTivo (still have it) and I'm very happy with my HR20. It's never missed a recording and it has some features that I wanted that the DTivo doesn't have, like PIG and start from beginning of recordings. It's not perfect, but neither was the DTivo. I've had four different brands of DVRs (Replay, Dish, DTivo and HR20) and the first generation Replay still had the best UI. I never understood the Tivo hype - I don't think the UI is anything special and the other DVRs I've had are/were just as reliable.

[dbronstein]

I've only had mine for a couple of weeks, but I miss some of the functionality of the Directivo, like the DLB, sorting the playlist alphabetically, and I've had a couple of audio glitches already. That being said, I'll give the HR20 I have another month before I have a real verdict, maybe once I get use to it all will be ok.

You can sort the playlist alphabetically on the HR20. On the playlist, hit the yellow button then select the option to change the order of the playlist or whatever it's called.

[rudeney]

I think your poll needs a 5-step selection. The binary yes/no could be misleading. I voted yes simply because I am more than 50% satisfied. If you had a 5-point scale, I’d have voted a 4. I believe the HR2x still needs some work, but I am happier having it than not having an HD DVR.

[davidjplatt]

I have been pleasantly surprised with my HR20-100s (2). Being a DVR user since the SAT-T60 was first released and having two SD TiVos and then getting 2 HR10-250 TiVos, I have been surprised that I don't dislike the HR20s.

Yes - DLB should be there, Channels I Receive should restrict channels that get recorded, OTA scan should be there so I could get the subchannels and the SL should not be restricted to 50.

Additionally, DirecTV should have a feature like Dish so that an external USB hard drive could be used to archive shows.

But all in all, I'm happy. I haven't had the lockup problems and missed recordings that a lot of people talk about - I think part of that is having the CE software most of the time - bugs that exist in the National Release seem to be not at evident in the CE releases.

[Hoxxx]

I'm just curious what percentage of people like their HR20/21 DVRs


The audio sync issues drive me crazy. some days okay some days not okay. and it isn't just one or 2 channels its all the HD's

[SpunkyJones]

You can sort the playlist alphabetically on the HR20. On the playlist, hit the yellow button then select the option to change the order of the playlist or whatever it's called.

Yes, but its not permanent. I don't want to have to manually sort my playlist every time I open it up.

[John in Georgia]

I'm just curious what percentage of people like their HR20/21 DVRs

I'm happy with both of mine.

[Maruuk]

Tivos were incredibly well-made and well designed. Had three and never a single problem. And HELLOOOO McFLYYYY: THEY HAD A DEDICATED SLO-MO BUTTON!!!

Which worked beautifully I might add. The instant you touched it you went seamlessly into perfect slo-mo, and could slew in either direction.

Clearly the HRxx design engineers were on magic mushrooms the day they thought up the PUSH-HOLD-AND-WAIT.....AND-WAIT.........AND-WAIT....slo-mo scheme. "Like time is so...relative, man! Let the slo-mo come when it wants to come. Whoaaaa..."

[Radio Enginerd]

Love my HR20-700 and my HR21-200 as well.

[Charles Munroe]

I am enjoying my HR20 but it
is not as reliable as my Tivo Series 3.

I use the QAM tuner and Basic cable
to record my local Atlanta Stations more
often than the HR20. WSB-DT on DirecTv
has been very bad this last week!

Also, watching a recording while recording
two other channels has caused bad recordings.

[Carl Spock]

Pretty subjective. I'm happy with a glass of beer.

Voted yes.

[LlamaLarry]

Very happy with both of mine and was totally happy with the 3 HR10's they replaced. I play with my dad's HR21 a few times a week and I think it is good too (although I had to get him to download a CE to stop a lockup problem he was having).

I have the 3 HR10's sitting in a stack in my foyer so I can harvest the 500GB drives I put in there. I have no interest in returning to them and losing the MPEG4 HD.

[cadet502]

Had to vote NO on this. If there had been more choices, or a percentage, I would say 4 out of 5 or possibly 9 out of 10. But until they fix the Series Link Bug, I cannot say I am happy. It is a shame that I have to baby sit my ToDo list on a daily basis to manage my series links.




.

[bidger]

Tivos were incredibly well-made and well designed. Had three and never a single problem. And HELLOOOO McFLYYYY: THEY HAD A DEDICATED SLO-MO BUTTON!!!

I'd much rather have a dedicated 30 second jump button since I use that daily. Slo-mo I only use during the NFL Season.

[Maruuk]

Of course, Tivo had the 30 second jump too. To a real year-round sports fan, a dedicated, well-executed slo-mo button is indispensable. And the bane of refs everywhere. The current D* slo-mo system is literally useless. The only viable alternative is to PAUSE and then bang the crap out of the FF button to advance one frame at a time. And you can't slew backwards at all. This was clearly designed by a woman who hates men. We should retaliate by designing a toilet seat that only goes down via a button you have to hold in for 15-30 seconds.

[osultan]

I have 3 HR20s--one from their initial release. Over that time, they have been almost 100% bulletproof on the DVR front. In fact, I just started having a problem with one show that stops 20 min early (Ultimate Fighter), but I am guessing that is a guide issue, since that is the only issue I have ever encountered.

I'll dock the HR20 half-a-point for the audio sync that randomly pops up and goes away of its own accord.

I was a DTV/Tivo owner since the combo units first went on sale and I do not miss Tivo.

[Maruuk]

Must not be a sports fan.

[1995hoo]

I voted "No." I was generally happy until recently. The audio bug in mid-March where it sounded sort of like a stuck record or a tape that got eaten by the cassette player bugged the crap out of me, but it was solved easily enough by backing up 30 seconds and watching buffered programming. In the past four days, however, I've started getting massive 771 errors on the HD channels on my HR21 in the family room, and it happens at random on all channels on either tuner. Never had a problem until the past three days. Today, with thunderstorms, I could let it go and blame the weather, but the past three days were all sunny and beautiful. Something's buggy somewhere, and having my receiver go blank on the HD channels (whilst still working on the low-def channels) bugs the **** out of me. Watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs in low-def is not acceptable when I'm allegedly paying DirecTV for HD service.

[dbronstein]

Yes, but its not permanent. I don't want to have to manually sort my playlist every time I open it up.

I wasn't aware it doesn't stick - I never use it.

[Game Fan]

I have two HR20-700's and I'm pleased with them. I also had the HR10-250 Tivo and I liked it too. Neither are perfect and I don't expect a perfect DVR anytime in the future.

[Maruuk]

I don't think anyone in here expects a perfect one. How about one that performs basic functions without serious glitches and can do slo-mo.

[RDH416]

If Lexington KY had local HD delivered by satellite rather than OTA, we would likely be very happy as we've had no significant problems with satellite delivered signal. The OTA tuners on our HR20-100 do not function well and consequently we get continual picture pixilation and audio drop problems. (We know its the HR's tuners because we've hooked a tv's digital tuner directly to the OTA antenna cable and get no such problems.)

[mopzo]

Very pleased with mine. Only glitch is that the REC light is on all the time. I reset, the light is out. But after the next recording the light comes on, stays on, until the next reset Just annoying.

[RCoop]

Ok first post, let the flaming begin. LOL Been a Lurker for about 18 months. Been watching since its beginning. Never had a tivo or subscribed to cable. Yes I know, lived a sheltered life. Work work work, Grown thru the ranks and finally decided their must be more to life then ABC, CBS and NBC. 3 HR 21-700 and with no background of other units have nothing to compare them to./ Wife complains occasionally but no big deal. So sorry can't rip em a new one!!!

[mightythor88]

Not happy until DTV delivers DLB and fixes the vast majority of the standard functionality bugs i.e. blank recordings, incomplete recordings, one button skip to tick and slow motion. Then I'll be happy.....
+1

[DogLover]

Yes, but its not permanent. I don't want to have to manually sort my playlist every time I open it up.

There is a workaround for this. Do a Keyword search for the term IAMANEDGECUTTER. It will return no shows. then from the front panel of the receiver (not the remote) press the MENU and the INFO buttons at the same time. A menu will come up that will allow you to make your desired playlist sort the default.

This can be found along with many other tips in the this (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=72648) post.

[bidger]

Of course, Tivo had the 30 second jump too.

Actually, TiVo doesn't. You can program the skip-to-tick button to be a 30 second jump button with the Select-Play-Select-3-0-Select sequence while playing a recorded show, but it's not enabled by default.

[Rakul]

Other than a reboot every 6 months or so for my HR20-700 I love all 3 of mine.

[Stuart Sweet]

Three HR2x receivers in operation, the oldest since Dec. 06, and all are making me as happy as a piece of consumer electronics can.

[sobiloff]

My HR20's not as reliable as either of the TiVo units I had. The HR20 gives me occasional 771 errors and records blank shows, and just recently it decided it didn't want to load the program guide data any longer. Resets every couple of days usually fix the problem, but it's hugely annoying.

I voted "no."

[bluedogok]

Not enough options on the poll.

I was very happy with my HR20-700 from when I got it Oct. 2006 until Feb 13 when 0x1fe was installed, it was dead solid that whole time but now it is pretty much a piece of junk. I can only use it as a tuner and it still messes up at times, if you try pausing, RW/FF or playing anything recorded it is junk.

[ironwood]

My advice to anybody who doesnt like it - replace with basic receiver and you will be a very happy camper :)

[DCSholtis]

Completely satisfied with my HR20-700. Never had a problem with it at all. Yes I had a HD TIVO prior to switching to the current box.

[bluedogok]

My advice to anybody who doesnt like it - replace with basic receiver and you will be a very happy camper :)
I just want the thing to work like it did prior to the 0x1fe "update", it was great before then with no issues. I had maybe 5 RBR in the previous 1.5 years, I have had that many this weekend and some were the unit rebooting itself. I just want my old unit back.....

[JACKIEGAGA]

I have a HR21 and a HR20 and I am very happy with both of them. And that is after a long time using TIVO

[upmichigan]

All I can say is every month I cannot record programs, audio stutter, freeze issues...will result in a dvr service credit. I have not recorded anything in over a week. I hate Directv! I have missed so many of my programs and they could care aless. May 15th I will call for my monthly credit for dvr service which will be the third one. Im sure you fine beta testers will roll out some more flawed software for us. There is no problem with my signal, wiring, the multiswitch, or the lnb...or the receiver. The problem is Directv! I won't recommend you to anybody anymore. I got several referrals on my account and most of them want out and hate me for this. Price increases of late really reflect what greedy *******s Directv are. Your tech support needs a clue. The price increases would not even have come into play if Directv quit wasting money in shipping replacement junk and multiple service calls only to be in the same boat as you were in the beginning. Wake up DIRECTV and at least acknowledge the problem lies with you...and then do something to fix issues of late. Two months now of problems and you do nothing about it at all!!!!!

[upmichigan]

oh ya you peoples that will chime in on how you have no issues...ya right!

[LlamaLarry]

Yes, but its not permanent. I don't want to have to manually sort my playlist every time I open it up.Unless I am misunderstanding you, there certainly is a way to sticky the default sort order. Might be a good time to do reread the DVR Tips and Tricks (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=747592) document and thread.

[n3ntj]

HR20-700 here. Voted Yes.

[jimb726]

Crap I voted wrong, i thought the poll asked if I were unhappy so i said no. I am totally happy with both of my HR20's.

[spartanstew]

I like all 3 of my units and that's after being a Tivo fanatic for over 6 years.

oh ya you peoples that will chime in on how you have no issues...ya right!

Why would we lie?

I've had no significant problems on my units since I've owned them. My HR20 wouldn't power on once, but a RBR fixed it and it hasn't happened since. I haven't missed any recordings, don't experience many lip synch issues (no more than I had with tivo anyway), no blank recordings and no partial recordings.

If I had problems I'd post them so it could be worked on. Why wouldn't I?


PS. I've also had 3 great installs and haven't had any problems the few times I've contacted CSR's.

[rminsk]

I have a simple test which it has not passed yet. If it can go one month without any user intervention and record all the programs I want without missing one, a short recording, or freezes I will be happy. Right now only my DirecTiVos and MythTV box has passed that test.

[Maruuk]

Add to all of the above that D* is now systematically rescinding core value to HRxx owners such as forcing us to watch a PPV within 24 hours and limiting customer support hours, etc. Longing for the good old days when we had UNLIMITED viewing time and (gasp!) BUILT-IN HD OTA TUNERS! Welcome to the Brave New World of Liberty TV.

Less is not more. It is, as we can plainly see, less. And all the while as the features and options shrink, the fees keep going up. Give us Liberty, and give us death (of our customer freedoms).

[GreatPig]

I guess I'm satisfied compared to the alternative - SD TV, but a built in OTA tuner would be nice (my HR20 fried itself and I had a HR21 forced upon me).

I miss my TiVo, though. I keep it in the closet hoping that the TV fairy will show up one day and magically make the world a better place (either that or a pro sports team in Dallas will win a championship before I die).

[quarky42]

I didn't vote because I'd have to say no, but later on probably yes... As long as D* keeps coming out with updates that fix bugs and add new features I will be happy enough... once they fix enough bugs I may be even happier than that.

[SteveHas]

The first month (December 2006) was rough, but I love my HR20-700s now.
Don't miss my Tivos a bit.

[jes]

I was happy enough with our HR20-100 to get a 2nd one... :D They are usually running the CE releases. There is some functionality I'm not happy with, but there is no such thing as a modern sophisticated piece of electronic equipment that will please everybody... ;)

[glennb]

oh ya you peoples that will chime in on how you have no issues...ya right!

I don't have any issues.

Seriously, no issues.

Maybe you can come over and point out my DVR issues sometime.
:rolleyes:

[Moocher]

I have a simple test which it has not passed yet. If it can go one month without any user intervention and record all the programs I want without missing one, a short recording, or freezes I will be happy. Right now only my DirecTiVos and MythTV box has passed that test.

I can't remember the last time I had one of these issues. Months and months and months.

Mooch

[Moocher]

Add to all of the above that D* is now systematically rescinding core value to HRxx owners such as forcing us to watch a PPV within 24 hours and limiting customer support hours, etc. Longing for the good old days when we had UNLIMITED viewing time and (gasp!) BUILT-IN HD OTA TUNERS! Welcome to the Brave New World of Liberty TV.

Less is not more. It is, as we can plainly see, less. And all the while as the features and options shrink, the fees keep going up. Give us Liberty, and give us death (of our customer freedoms).

Please separate the MPAAs issue (24 hours that D* had no choice about) with those from D*.

Mooch

[DougWare]

I love mine, but it does have it's little issues.

A couple of times, after playing media from my media server...I can't play VOD or recorded programs. It just shows a gray screen.

I posted an issue just a little bit ago with screen formatting, but thay may not be the receiver.

The only other issue I've had is it seems slow moving through the guide and recorded programs list.

This is all coming from someone who migrated from T*C and had a SA 8300HD box.

[Maruuk]

Anything that affects customers' experience with their HRxx is relevant. Expecting customers to delineate between one of D* vendor issues whether it's the MPAA or Jones Electronics is immaterial to their ultimate satisfaction with the product. And if D* customers vote with their wallets re the outrageous 24 hour rule, it's D* that will take the financial hit. And if that forces D* to blowback to the MPAA and force a change back to freedom of viewing, good for us all.

And all of it relates directly back to "are we happy with our HRxx's?" since alternatives are available.

[flogduh]

The first month (December 2006) was rough, but I love my HR20-700s now.
Don't miss my Tivos a bit.

Steve - wait until your beloved Bills get into a playoff game and your HR20 stops recording the game before the Bills stage their come from behind win. Then let's see how much you "don't" miss your Tivo.

Oh, wait, Bills - Playoffs - come from behind win??? Pardon me for my ignorance ;) (Dolphins fan here!)

Seriously, this has happened to me during every Sharks playoff game in the first round..:nono:

[CopyCat]

Starting to feel like a BETA tester for the HR20-700 and HR20-100. It would be interesting to see if the HR21 folks are happier than the HR20 folks.

[JonD]

At first I was bummed after I gave up my HR-250 because the Tivo software is just so user friendly. But now I'm loving all of the extra features of the HR21. Media sharing, VOD, caller ID on screen, and of course all of the extra HD channels.

I do still miss the thumbs up Tivo feature where it records random shows that you like if there is extra space. Sometimes I'm in the mood to watch an episode of Seinfield, but if I had a season pass, my DVR would be doing nothing but recording Seinfield all day long, since it comes on about 4 times a day. Why can't D copy this feature? Does Tivo have a patten on it or something?

Overall I'm happy with the HR21 but still miss my Tivo.

[islesfan]

I'm a convert. I used to HATE the HR20, but now I wouldn't even consider giving it up!

[qprhooligan]

Voted No. There are just too many bugs still in these things. I had to do another reset just 2 days ago when my guide lost all HD info. Last time I had to do a reset the thing lost all SD info from the guide. I hate the audio sync issues. Every now and then I press a button on the remote and the machine balks and it takes like 30 seconds to respond. I set the rec up to record my shows on season pass and for no reason it will just stop recording them. I am not totally unhappy with the rec but there are so many little bugs I can't say I am happy with it. I had Dtivo before and I loved it. I wish they made a HD Tivo unit I could buy.

[JonD]

Unless I am misunderstanding you, there certainly is a way to sticky the default sort order. Might be a good time to do reread the DVR Tips and Tricks document and thread.

HOLY CRAP!!! I just found out my remote was an RF remote all along. That's awesome.

[smiddy]

I have both a HR20-700 and HR21-200. Good stuff to me!

[allenn]

I have an HR20 and HR21, and I think they both suck! I prefer my HR10-250 and TIVO, but what choice do I have? Cable? That is not a choice for me.

[PlanoBill]

I just switched two weeks ago from an HR10 I have had since mid 2005, and for which I paid $1,000 as one of the early adaptors, and I loved it.

With that being said, the HR20 is working great. I quickly installed an eSata 1TB drive (Calvary) and it worked first time. It is hooked to the web and I have downloaded VOD junk (that service could use some content a semi-conscious viewer would watch - not an HR 20 problem of course) and set up recordings from my office.

It is probably my fading memory, but I swear the picture is better, even on the OTAs.

Only problem is I can't get the local OTA HD ABC channel for some reason. Came in fine on the HR10, but only registers 35% on the HR20. Unfortunately that is my most watched channel. We get it over the Sat, but with the spring storms here in Texas, there will be nights that won't work.

Net net - I think the HR20 is better solution for my needs than the HR10. I love it. Its almost got me liking DirecTV, inspite of their weak customer support.

[SirDave]

I have a simple test which it has not passed yet. If it can go one month without any user intervention and record all the programs I want without missing one, a short recording, or freezes I will be happy. Right now only my DirecTiVos and MythTV box has passed that test.

Bingo! That's all I ask for too. Still a pipe-dream with the -100. :(
I'll add Vista Media Center too. Still doing OTA and finally getting consistency from my H20-100 connected to the Vista machine.

Gotta say no. Very close to switching....
Double recording everything still.....Would like to trust the HR20-100, but I can't.
'Cancelled by User'..... Home theater is in the attic, no kids, cats can't go up there so I can't blame them. I've check the storage areas for a stowaway. Not fun hearing the wife complain about missed recordings. It also missed both Final Four games, now that really ticked me off. Anyone try to watch the replays of the games on a PC? 320x240 playback. Not fun.

[billsharpe]

Need a third choice -- sometimes...

So I passed on voting.

[hasan]

Am I "terminally happy". No...that means I think the box is finished.

I voted "yes" because I am very happy with the progress and current status of all 3 of my HD-DVRs. There is more to be done, but that doesn't make me "unhappy".

Interestingly, I did an actual poll about a year ago...and the numbers have stayed almost the same 80% or more are at least "satisfied"...in my poll it turned out that around 85% were at least satisfied and only about 9% were dissatisfied. (My poll had 5 choices on a Lickert scale)

None of this survey stuff is research grade, but the one thing that has held constant is that the vast majority of those responding (an admittedly non-random sample), are in some way pleased with their investment.

[dbronstein]

Only problem is I can't get the local OTA HD ABC channel for some reason. Came in fine on the HR10, but only registers 35% on the HR20. Unfortunately that is my most watched channel. We get it over the Sat, but with the spring storms here in Texas, there will be nights that won't work.

Yeah, the OTA tuner isn't very good. There are a bunch of OTA channels that my TV picks up that the HR-20 doesn't. The HD signals aren't very strong in Denver yet, so I'm hoping when they get the new transmitters going that I'll be able to pick up more of them.

[Cobra]

I was not happy with my hr20s, but since I received my hr21-200, it has performed flawlessly, cant wait for the am21

[burnt_soul]

I have three HR20's (one -700, two -100's). I am so happy to be rid of my HR10! The HR20's are far more reliable for me (three resets in 6 months, vs every other week on the HR10), the UI is head and shoulders above the TiVo, the responsiveness makes the box actually usable... My wife even loves it, and she is a big critic of techy stuff!

A friend of mine recently got the HD TiVo on Comcast. I was interested to play with it, but after using it, I realized just how much MORE I like the HR20. When he went on and on with the litany of problems he had trying to get his cablecards working, I knew I made the right choice by trying the HR20 instead of jumping ship to cable.

Maybe my HR10 had bad hardware. Maybe my hard drive was failing. Any number of things could have been wrong. But that would not explain the fact that the TiVo added almost no features between 1999 and 2007, or that it was so painfully slow with simple things like reordering season passes. (It took up to 20 minutes to change the show priority! And during that time you got to stare at a green screen, you couldn't even watch TV!)

I used to be a long-time TiVo lover (got my first one in 1999) and thought nothing would ever beat it. But the HR20 changed my mind completely.

[lflorack]

I was a long-time two-Tivo user and they were both rock solid. Good unit's. I was nervous about moving away from them but to be honest, the two HR20's I have now (a 100 and a 700) have been extremely reliable as well. Some of the features took some getting ued to and some of the bugs we've had to move through were annoying. But overall, I'm more than happy with the D* units. Maybe if I cared about DLB, I'd have a different opinion. But I don't, so I don't. :)

Everything else has been very good.

[lflorack]

I have a simple test which it has not passed yet. If it can go one month without any user intervention and record all the programs I want without missing one, a short recording, or freezes I will be happy. Right now only my DirecTiVos and MythTV box has passed that test.

Interesting. Sorry to hear about your issues but I've had my two HR20's for well over a year now and neither have ever had any of those problems. I'm not diminishing your experience -- just commenting on how different our experiences have been.

[dbronstein]

Interesting. Sorry to hear about your issues but I've had my two HR20's for well over a year now and neither have ever had any of those problems. I'm not diminishing your experience -- just commenting on how different our experiences have been.

This is why it's so hard for D* to fix the problems - they aren't consistent. Obviously some people are having significant problems with their boxes missing recordings while they are working great for others of us. In order to fix software problems, you have to be able to consistently reproduce the problem. And by "consistently", I mean "I do X, Y, and Z and then a blank recording happens every time." If the blank recording only happens 10% of the time after you do X, Y, and Z, then it's really hard for the developers to fix.

[Maruuk]

My HR21 just keeps getting worse and worse. On :30 skip the audio gets spikey and mangled immediately after the skip, and if you try to do any kind of tricky navigation with the FF/RW controls half the time it freezes, then executes all the commands later at once. A complete piece of junk from the components to the assembly to the firmware running it.

No wonder D* can't fix anything via firmware upgrades: the units are so wildly inconsistent in their quality there is no one universal issue, just millions of individual hardware component meltdowns across the country.

The fix is to build a quality product in the first place.