Quit debating: ATSC OTA ETA, HR20 ship date and more...

[bpayne]

I was waiting for this to be posted by someone else, but seeing all the posts decrying the lack of OTA functionality, I just couldn't take it anymore.

Activation of the OTA tuners is slated for a patch scheduled to go out on 3 October. Granted, DirecTV's track record of releasing patches according to their internal timelines is not the best- so let's just say 2nd or 3rd week of October to be safe. I could state the reasons I've been told they're shipping the HR20 with the ATSC tuners deactivated but you wouldn't believe it if I did.

Ship Date
HR20s will begin shipping for installation August 28. I've heard this enough over the previous weeks that I feel quite comfortable with this date. This is when they ship not necessarily when they're going to be installed. If you have an HD-DVR INSTALL or UPGRADEscheduled for August 29 or later, you'll most likely get the HR20 installed. If you have any questions whether or not you're going to receive the HR20 or an HR10-250, or even if there are going to be enough inventory for either product, don't call DirecTV. DirecTV can't guarantee anything as far what model of what receiver is going to be installed. I hear reports of customers once or twice a month who are request a technician to bring out a Hughes or RCA receiver on a new install.
If you really want to know the specifics of what is going to be installed, contact the HSP or MSP who is performing your install or upgrade. Be careful with that though because these offices are not designed to be bombarded by customer inquiries and you may have to ask a couple of different people before you get an accurate answer.

If you get an HR10-250 installed and you wanted an HR20, don't get ticked off at your installer. He or She has no control over what the logistics chain stocks his/her warehouse with.

Live Buffers

No one will probably believe this, but I'll give it a go anyway. Apparently DirecTV is well aware of how many subs want this feature. Sad to say, they also view this feature as a niche feature and it is a low priority- but it is possible. That's not saying that they won't do it or that they will do it. Let's just say, I put the over/under on live buffers by Jan 1. BTW, if someone posts "OMG, Live buffers can't be done because the HR20 only has "X" decoders/tuners/incompatible software" or that "tivo has patented live buffering" you're obviously better connected then I am and I should seriously question why I spend so much time on here.

RF antenna for the R-15

No one has asked about this forever but just in case... mid-october.


6.3 HR10-250

Mid-october. This may get moved up or pushed back though- but not because it isn't ready. October is looking like a pretty busy month and the feeling is that this may be just one more thing DirecTV has to support and react to and that it might steal technical resources away other rollouts.

Slimline

They haven't started full manufacturing of the dish yet... I'm being told they will start shipping 6 weeks from now. I can't say what the slated monthly production would have to be but let's just say that no one at WNC/Wistron is taking any vacation at the moment.





There, I feel better- I hope you do to.

[lbostons]

Thank you for the information bpayne, it is much appreciated.

[Earl Bonovich]

I learned a long time ago... that "exact" calendar dates are rarely hit exactly on. But October is roughly the same time frame I was told.

Ship Date.... other areas are already receiving them as of today, so Late August/Early September is not that far out of the question.

Live Buffers... they most certainly have heard and seen the posting volume... They have taken notice.

6.3 for the HR10... that is a little later then I have been told... but as of last night... DirecTV is still waiting for the latest (and hopefully last) build of the software from TiVo before a reollout

Slimline... That also corresponds to the email I got today...

[walters]

I could state the reasons I've been told they're shipping the HR20 with the ATSC tuners deactivated but you wouldn't believe it if I did.

Try me.

[Indiana627]

I could state the reasons I've been told they're shipping the HR20 with the ATSC tuners deactivated but you wouldn't believe it if I did.
Try me too.

[pdawg17]

I could state the reasons I've been told they're shipping the HR20 with the ATSC tuners deactivated but you wouldn't believe it if I did.

Me too...I'd love to hear it even if I don't believe you...

[dan8379]

Ship Date.... other areas are already receiving them as of today, so Late August/Early September is not that far out of the question.



Earl, I've tried reading through the threads and couldn't find this.....what other areas have started receiving them? Maybe you could start a thread for sightings outside of LA?

[Earl Bonovich]

Earl, I've tried reading through the threads and couldn't find this.....what other areas have started receiving them? Maybe you could start a thread for sightings outside of LA?

There are other ares outside the LA DMA (like San Fran for example).
Also there has been someone in Denver that has stated his installation is set for this week as well.

[Que]

I could state the reasons I've been told they're shipping the HR20 with the ATSC tuners deactivated but you wouldn't believe it if I did.

I bet he doesn't know :D :P

Please tell! Why even SAY that to these people without tell us?

[net17]

Does anyone know when retail stores in Los Angeles will be receiving these?

[Herdfan]

I could state the reasons I've been told they're shipping the HR20 with the ATSC tuners deactivated but you wouldn't believe it if I did.

Slimline

They haven't started full manufacturing of the dish yet... I'm being told they will start shipping 6 weeks from now.
You we'd believe. If a CSR told us, then we would be skeptical.:D

Any word on the activation of the FTM. Does the slimline fit into this timeframe? ie is the dish side of the FTM built into the slimline?

[tonyd79]

Live Buffers... they most certainly have heard and seen the posting volume... They have taken notice.


This would be great news. These kind of "marketing" decisions make me wonder what kind of customer research companies like D* do.

[JoeSchueller]

This is all great info. Count me among the people wanting to hear why they'd possibly go w/ the ATSC tuners disabled.

I'm very excited to hear 6.3 may actually be on the way. I've been very solidly in the doubters camp that we'd ever see a HR10 software upgrade. I guess this will be the true test. It is going to be PIG, CallerID, native resolution, mix channel opertaion, and HR20's speed versus dual buffers, wishlists, and the HR10's (hopefully) newfound speed.

I guess we have to take it on faith that 6.3 delivers speed and D* delivers ATSC for this to be a fair shoot-out, but it should be interesting. Right now, I'm still coming down on the side of the HR20. Only time will tell.

[MikeW]

I haven't seen this question asked...but once the ATSC tuners are on, what configurations of recordings/viewings will be allowed?

i.e. Will you be able to record 1 OTA, 1 SAT and watch live OTA Record 2 OTA and watch live Sat or even record 3 programs at a time?

[Earl Bonovich]

2 Records max

-) 1 Sat
-) 1 OTA
-) 1 Sat & 1 OTA
-) 2 Sats
-) 2 OTAs

[rodwslc]

There are other ares outside the LA DMA (like San Fran for example).
Also there has been someone in Denver that has stated his installation is set for this week as well.

I don't mean to be nit-picky but...

I have only found 2 people in these forums who have said that they have ORDERED an HR20. One in Denver with a install date of Sept. 5 and one in Fremont California who was to have his HR20 installed yesterday (8/22). I have yet to see someone who has actually had a HR20 installed who is NOT in the LA area.

So again, not to be nit-picky but what other areas have started receiving HR20s that are outside of the LA Area?:)

[drawnad]

Count me among the "I'd love to hear it" crowd re: OTA

[bpayne]

Originally Posted by bpayne
I could state the reasons I've been told they're shipping the HR20 with the ATSC tuners deactivated but you wouldn't believe it if I did.


Me too...I'd love to hear it even if I don't believe you...


I reread what I wrote and realized I left out something that would have made more sense...

The reasons I have been told that they did not ship the HR20 w/enabled ATSC tuners I'm not sure *I* believe. If it seems weird to me, I couldn't imagine what everyone else thinks.

*My* best guess is that DTV originally aimed for a mid-October national release. Internally, there was pressure from the marketing guys to release early in time for football season. Engineering says, we've disabled the ATSC tuners [as well as some other features] so that it was easier for us to beta test... marketing wins and the rollout goes out in time for opening kick off.

The actual reasons I've been given resemble the same ones for 6.3.

[Herdfan]

*My* best guess is that DTV originally aimed for a mid-October national release. Internally, there was pressure from the marketing guys to release early in time for football season. Engineering says, we've disabled the ATSC tuners [as well as some other features] so that it was easier for us to beta test... marketing wins and the rollout goes out in time for opening kick off.
The only non-believable part of this is that marketing actually discussed this with the engineers.:eek2: I can't remember offhand, but there was a very talked about gaffe where marketing sent out flyers announcing a new feature or channel or something, yet engineering had not yet given the go ahead. I actually felt somewhat sorry for the CSR's during that.

And I would guess that the internal pressure from marketing is a result of pressure from higher ups who are tired of watching sub numbers dwindle and the media bashing D* for delays.

[bpayne]

The part about marketing is what I think actually occurred. The comment about it being delayed for same reasons as 6.3 was what I was told.

[walters]

2 Records max

-) 1 Sat
-) 1 OTA
-) 1 Sat & 1 OTA
-) 2 Sats
-) 2 OTAs

You seem more certain than before. Have you gotten confirmation from your contact that the manual is definitely wrong? Also, is it absolutely never going to support three (or even all four) of the onboard tuners at once?

Don't get me wrong. Aside from the typo in the manual, nobody ever promised anything like this, and no provider (aside from an absurd POC) offers anything like this. But still, it seems possible, and it would be really cool (I've had three-way conflicts before, and they generally only happen with locals).

[Earl Bonovich]

The part about marketing is what I think actually occurred. The comment about it being delayed for same reasons as 6.3 was what I was told.

6.3 is delayed because DirecTV hasn't gotten a requested update to the code from TiVo yet.

As for "media pressure".. Mid August is what I reported back in June/July... before the media started their "HR20 has been delayed stuff".......

Honestly... I just think they didn't have all the OTA pieces working 100%, and didn't want to release it unless they have significant confidence in it.

Just like when the DTivos where released with only 1 SAT tuner enabled...

And granted that the initial target audience is one that has SAT based Locals available... the lack of OTA being enabled at launch was a feasable alternative then letting the unit sit in the warehouses for another two months.

[Earl Bonovich]

You seem more certain than before. Have you gotten confirmation from your contact that the manual is definitely wrong? Also, is it absolutely never going to support three (or even all four) of the onboard tuners at once?


Yes, I had an 30-45 minute conversation with my contact last night...
And the unit is only going to do 2.


Don't get me wrong. Aside from the typo in the manual, nobody ever promised anything like this, and no provider (aside from an absurd POC) offers anything like this. But still, it seems possible, and it would be really cool (I've had three-way conflicts before, and they generally only happen with locals).

It would be cool... but I really don't see it happening on this particular platform.

[walters]

That's a shame. They could smoke everyone with a feature like that. Moore's Law says we should have had that years ago.

[crimsonblake]

Your software timeline for 6.3 seems to be correct.

I just called customer service just to see what they'd say when I asked for the HR20. I was told "It says here the HR20 won't be available for you until after the software download on October 9"

[stim]

Don't get me wrong. Aside from the typo in the manual, nobody ever promised anything like this, and no provider (aside from an absurd POC) offers anything like this. But still, it seems possible, and it would be really cool (I've had three-way conflicts before, and they generally only happen with locals).

I think that the Dish vip 622 HD DVR can record 2 sat and 1 ota at once.

[walters]

I think that the Dish vip 622 HD DVR can record 2 sat and 1 ota at once.

Not from everything I just read after reading your post. But, man, they sure made that stuff confusing. I'm not even sure what the thing can do, based on single/dual/recordplus/ :confused:

[harsh]

Not from everything I just read after reading your post.The Dish Network ViP622 can indeed record from all three tuners simultaneously (it has only one ATSC tuner). It is notable that at release, it only supported two simultaneous recordings. Hopefully the door is not closed on recording a third (or fourth???) program simultaneously on the HR20.

[vrmerlin]

I was told explicitly that I would receive an HR20 when I called on 8/17. When the installers arrived today (after two missed dates), they had an HR10, which I turned down (to avoid being charged $399 twice). I was a bit furious, because I was told very specifically I could get the HR20 "since I was in California", even though I didn't live in L.A. So, I have a new dish, but no HD yet. :-( At this point, I have no idea how to proceed... call Directv again? Wait for it to appear at BB? Sigh...



I don't mean to be nit-picky but...

I have only found 2 people in these forums who have said that they have ORDERED an HR20. One in Denver with a install date of Sept. 5 and one in Fremont California who was to have his HR20 installed yesterday (8/22). I have yet to see someone who has actually had a HR20 installed who is NOT in the LA area.

So again, not to be nit-picky but what other areas have started receiving HR20s that are outside of the LA Area?:)

[Jeremy W]

I was told "It says here the HR20 won't be available for you until after the software download on October 9"
I assume you're in a market with no MPEG4 locals available?