I was a E* customer, 501, 508 and 811 (downgraded from a 6K) and was #5 on a waiting list for a 921, I wanted a HD PVR. However, the 811 was a disappointment and if E* couldn't do that right what would the 921 look like? The HD Tivo was announced and I liked the idea of two OTA ATSC tuners so I jumped ship back in February and just got my HR10-250 today. So far the only problem I've seen is the missing logo's, I'd like to have them back but E* never had them and I survived So I guess you could say I purchased it based on experience with the SD Tivo's, the two ATSC tuners and total frustration with E*.
I was going to get a 921 but it sounded like a HUGE dissapointment. Also having only 1 ATSC tuner was a turnoff. I heard for the most part the TiVo's are rock solid and so far my HR10-250 is working great.
I've had a first generation stand alone Sony SR-2000 Tivo for over 2-1/2 years now, and I am completely satisfied. Back then, the Lifetime Membership was only $199. I paid $325 for the Tivo, but got a $100 Rebate. Cruthfield ran a 15% off offer, so I took it.
It was the ebst investment that I ever made. I have OTA and Dish. I've tried DirecTV Hughes receivers, Dish 2700's, 3900's, 4900's, 501's and 508's, but now use a cheap obsolete 2800. It doesn't matter. The Tivo guide is better.
I've had a few software glitches in the past 2-1/2 years, but I've been completely satisfied with the stand alone Tivo.
The stand alone would be the only one that I would buy.
Like others, I defected from E*. When the 811 was offered for $149-$199, E* wouldn't sell it to me for less than $399 because I was a home plan customer (I was steamed then, but now realize how lucky I was). I said adios and switched to D* with the intention of getting the HD-Tivo as soon as practicable. (Shortly after, E*started offering the 811 to home plan customers for $99. Luckily, I'd already signed with D*.)
I've found the SD-Tivo to be a good product (and better than my 501, except for the rigamarole required to see the "time remaining" on a Tivo recording).
Now, my HD-Tivo is enroute from CC (available much earlier than I planned), and D* has given me a substantial credit on my account.
I got my HD-compatible big screen back in 2001 about a month after buying my house, and then got the DirecTV service two months later. Fell in love with the TiVo and heard that it was supposedly coming out for HD sometime soon, and at the time the HD boxes were expensive, so I decided to wait for the HD TiVo. Didn't realize it would take three years, but I stubbornly kept waiting because I only have one HDTV and I didn't want to buy a box that would be rendered superfluous.
The specific function that ultimately led me away from Dish to D* is the two OTA ATSC tuners. The majority of the HD I will watch is network programming and I have to have the ability to record two OTA programs at once.
The other reason is the TIVO aspect. I'm tired of double checking my shows on a daily basis with the Dish PVR to make sure that the shows haven't moved time slots or whether the length of the shows changed. With my 721, I scheduled my programs on a daily basis because the timer based recording was too much of a hassle (something was always wrong).
Will I need 4 Coax cables from a mutliswitch to my HD10-250 to be able to take advantage of this? Thanks!!
Tusk said:
The specific function that ultimately led me away from Dish to D* is the two OTA ATSC tuners. The majority of the HD I will watch is network programming and I have to have the ability to record two OTA programs at once.
The other reason is the TIVO aspect. I'm tired of double checking my shows on a daily basis with the Dish PVR to make sure that the shows haven't moved time slots or whether the length of the shows changed. With my 721, I scheduled my programs on a daily basis because the timer based recording was too much of a hassle (something was always wrong).
For OTA ATSC channels all you need is one coax from your OTA antenna, there's a splitter internal to the box. For D* if you have only one coax you can use only one tuner for DBS but it will work. Best connection is two coax from the dish multiswitch so both DBS tuners function and one from your OTA antenna for ATSC.
I defected from DISH. There were a lot of ancillary reasons, but the biggest, in order, were: 1) YES, 2) Charlie's arrogance, as manifested in his attitude toward providing programming and the new $5 fee for PVR functionality when it was so dismal as compared to the industry standard (Tivo).
I was an early adopter on the Dish-501 and was patient through all the bugs and consequent software upgrades. It ended up being a pretty usable piece of consumer equipment. I got my 921 in January and expected the same, so its deficiencies were not a big factor. If DISH had matched the competition (all the cable providers and DirecTV) by providing YES, I would have waited-out the 921 problems. Dishwire was never important to me, but it is another fiasco indicative of their product marketing deception.
I just think that Charlie is being deceptive and using the customers as pawns in his negotiating tactics with the programmers. It sounds so noble to say he his fighting for reasonable carriage prices/agreements; but the bottom-line is that the competition is somehow able to deliver the programming without month-to-month brinksmanship that actually turns off channels (ref: Viacom), threatens to turn off channels (ref: Turner), or never offers a major channel (ref: YES). When the merger was imminent, Charlie told unhappy DISH customers to subscribe to DirecTV. And he seems to have found that there were minimal defections, so he has decided on a strategy to offer an inferior product in the calculation that his market share will not be impacted.
Hence, when I got the call for an HR10-250, I did not hesitate. After an 8-year relationship with DISH, I had had enough. This is my first Tivo and first DirecTV experience. Other than the UHF remote, which I can workaround, I can't see any benefit to DISH. Just look at the 921 Support Forum (great job, Mark!) and compare it to the HR10-250 Support Forum. True Tivo functionality makes the $5 DVR fee palatable, whereas I choked on the DISH fee.
I would add the SD picture quality on DTV is considerably better than dish. I was suprised by that fact.
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
DBSTalk Forum
3.6M posts
111.9K members
Since 2001
A forum community dedicated to digital bit streaming enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about programming, content, and reception, home theaters, displays, models, styles, satellites, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!