Older DVR with Tivo?

[Nodes of Ranvier]

I was thinking of adding an older Direct TV HD DVR with tivo(HR10-250). I'm sort of a newbie when it comes to satellite tv. Can I simply purchase one from a third party and then call and activate it? Also, I'm sure I'd need to run a second line for the 2nd tuner? What about the Tivo service, do you have to pay for tivo and the DVR fee(5.99) to DTV?
I want to get into the DVR game, but Tivo user friendly interface seems like the way to go. Are the newer or current HD DVR's any better, less buggy, etc??

[carl6]

If you add an HR10-250 you will NOT be able to get any of the satellite fed HD channels from DirecTV, you will only get local OTA channels. All of the HD channels now use mepg4 encoding which the Tivo DVRs are not capable of doing.

The HR2x series of DVR (HR20, HR21, etc.) are the only DVRs that are capable of receiving all of the mpeg4 HD channels. They are very stable and reliable DVRs, but as you note they have a totally different user interface than Tivo units. You can read thousands of posts on these forums, as well as others, about Tivo versus DirecTV - but the bottom line is if you want DirecTV HD, you don't have a choice (yet - a new Tivo HD DVR will be available late next year).

Carl

[Nodes of Ranvier]

Thanks for clearing that up. Now I feel like a real newbie. Well, there goes that idea, HAHA. No wonder you can get a HR10 on ebay for $30.

[davidjplatt]

The HR10-250 can still receive the HD channels from 70 to 99. I have two of them and they still get HBO, SHO, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, UHD, HD Net and HD Net Movies.

The HD TiVo will not received MPEG-4 signals until the new TiVo unit comes out next year.

[Johnnie5000]

The HR10-250 can still receive the HD channels from 70 to 99. I have two of them and they still get HBO, SHO, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, UHD, HD Net and HD Net Movies.

The HD TiVo will not received MPEG-4 signals until the new TiVo unit comes out next year.

Those will be offline by mid-March too.

I am looking forward to the MP4 Tivo's though. If you have to have a Tivo, wait till the new one comes out. If the Tivo software isn't that important, go with a HR21 or better yet a HR22.

[Grentz]

Those will be offline by mid-March too.

I am looking forward to the MP4 Tivo's though. If you have to have a Tivo, wait till the new one comes out. If the Tivo software isn't that important, go with a HR21 or better yet a HR22.

...or possibly even much sooner then March.

[Johnnie5000]

...or possibly even much sooner then March.

Some of them will, yes. The official schedule (can't remember where i saw it but it was a Tivo forum) calls for the last mpeg2 HD channel to go dark around mid-March.

[Grentz]

Some of them will, yes. The official schedule (can't remember where i saw it but it was a Tivo forum) calls for the last mpeg2 HD channel to go dark around mid-March.

I am interested since to my knowledge (could be wrong, but I dont remember seeing it) we have never seen a schedule here on DBSTalk speaking of an exact timeline of when they will go dark. I would have thought it would show up around here as well with all the people we have in close contact with Directv, but you never know.

If you can find it make sure to post it cause I am sure many around here would be interested to see it.