[cmkratt]

I need some advice and I'm hoping Earl and others in the know can comment on this. D* sent me an HR20 as a replacment for my HR10-250 when I complained about the audio dropout problem and a channel lockup problem I was having on my HR10-250 after the 6.3 software upgrade. I received the HR20 about 2 weeks ago, but I've held off on activating it because I was waiting for OTA to be activated. Now I'm thinking about activating it, but I'm worried about all the other bugs the HR20 seems to have (reboots, missed recordings, etc).

I need to go ahead and make a decision pretty soon because D* will charge me for the unit if I don't return the old one. I can live with my HR10-250 problems, and I don't need the MPEG4 channels because I can get everything OTA right now. But I would like to go with the HR20 if the bugs will be worked out soon so I'll have the newest technology.

Any suggestions?

 

[RobertSeattle]

My HR10-250 keeps on having bogus "overheating" issues (even after is has been on for 5 minutes so it is bogus) so although I specifically requested a replacement HR10-250, the top notch product support people at D* sent me a HR20. So after the HR10-250 shut down for the Nth time yesterday and the fact that OTA is now on, I decided to open up the HR20 and attempted to install it. After 3 hours of total wasted evening, D* is now going to send me another HR20.

Basically, if you win the Lotto and get a good HR20, you'll be fine, but if you get one of the XX% defective ones you are in for a miserable experience.

I've had my HR20 for a few weeks now and no one at DirecTV has yet to contact me why I haven't sent back my HR10-250. I will, once I get a truly working HD+DVR+OTA machine working.

 

[bonscott87]

Why choose? Use both!

 

[DblD_Indy]

Just say NO! If they hook you for two more years. Take plenty of time to understand what you are loosing when you upgrade. Mostly everything you might like with the TIVO features in the HR10-250.

IMO - I would make them fix the HR-10 rather than replace it.

 

[harsh]

I received the HR20 about 2 weeks ago, but I've held off on activating it because I was waiting for OTA to be activated.

You either need to activate it, or send it back. If you don't activate within 30 days, they may charge you $150. Here's the verbiage from the lease addendum:

FAILURE TO ACTIVATE ALL THE DIRECTV SYSTEM EQUIPMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EQUIPMENT LEASE ADDENDUM MAY RESULT IN A CHARGE OF $150 PER RECEIVER NOT ACTIVATED.

If it were me, I'd activate it as it will likely cost a whole lot more than the $5/month if you upgrade when your ready.

 

[Knon2000]

My HR10-250 keeps on having bogus "overheating" issues (even after is has been on for 5 minutes so it is bogus) so although I specifically requested a replacement HR10-250, the top notch product support people at D* sent me a HR20. So after the HR10-250 shut down for the Nth time yesterday and the fact that OTA is now on, I decided to open up the HR20 and attempted to install it. After 3 hours of total wasted evening, D* is now going to send me another HR20.

Basically, if you win the Lotto and get a good HR20, you'll be fine, but if you get one of the XX% defective ones you are in for a miserable experience.

I've had my HR20 for a few weeks now and no one at DirecTV has yet to contact me why I haven't sent back my HR10-250. I will, once I get a truly working HD+DVR+OTA machine working.

You need to send one or the other back soon, otherwise you will get charged the maximum (I think 400) for the receiver on your next billing cycle. I have not had it happen to me, but I am certain that they would charge for the receiver.

 

[RobertSeattle]

The paperwork I got with the the HR20 said they could charge $1000 for an unreturned machine! In regards to the "lease agreement" - I certainly haven't signed anything so I wonder how valid all this "Two year" stuff is if you get a lawyer involved.

Personally, I'd like to charge D* $150/Hour for all the wasted time I spent on H15 and H20's in the past 3 months. Then they could charge me the $1000 and I'd still be WAY ahead...

 

[harsh]

The paperwork I got with the the HR20 said they could charge $1000 for an unreturned machine! In regards to the "lease agreement" - I certainly haven't signed anything so I wonder how valid all this "Two year" stuff is if you get a lawyer involved.

By accepting the offer of an HR20, you pretty much "signed" all the paperwork they need. You don't have to put your written signature the contracts in order for them to be binding.

I highly recommend you read the subscriber agreement and the lease addendum (including all the fine print) so that you aren't surprised.

 

[Jeremy W]

Move up to the HR20, or dump DirecTV. The HR10 is a dead-end product.

 

[Tom Robertson]

Move up to the HR20, or dump DirecTV. The HR10 is a dead-end product.

Dead end, I suppose. And even obsolete--as obsolete as the 6 year old PC I still use for websurfing and word processing.

Yes, someday D* might render the HR10 totally useless if they change the data stream. But it will have 3 good years at least of fine OTA and SD programming via Sat. And some HD for awhile longer yet.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Jeremy W]

I imagine that the HR10 will continue "working" for quite a long while. But it won't be receiving any of the new HD channels coming next year, and it will be losing the ones it does have fairly quickly. So like you said, it'll be good for SD and OTA only. I can't imagine many people would be satisfied with that, but it's their choice.

 

[biotron2000]

I was just sent an HR20 to correct a problem with OTA reception on my HR10...I guess they eliminated the problem, all right.
I can deal with the fact that I won't have my OTA channels for another week or so, even though I'm 2 hours north of Los Angeles; what I can't deal with is not being able to switch tuners while watching. I can not believe this box is considered an "upgrade" to the HR10. I'll be sending the HR20 back on Monday. I'd rather deal with my original problem than beta test new hardware.

Patrick McNeal

 

[cbearnm]

For $5/month, I would be tempted to have them both activated (which I currently do), if they were to allow you to do so. It's worth a call. Either choice leaves you with less than you want. If they insist, I would lean toward sending the HR20 back, but then, the OTA tuners are important to me.

I prefer the TiVo interface of the HR10, but the interactive feature of the HR20 have value as well. I agree with Tibber, you are not dead ended with the HR10. D* will support that as long as they can. I intend of keeping mine until they absolutely stop sending the data.

 

[Jeremy W]

I agree with Tibber, you are not dead ended with the HR10.

Tibber agreed with me, you are at a dead end with the HR10. It's not going to be getting any more updates, nor will it be getting any of the new HD channels coming next year. It will just be losing the ones it has. That's the definition of a dead end product, you can't really argue about that.

 

[bidger]

Tibber agreed with me, you are at a dead end with the HR10. It's not going to be getting any more updates

Actually, I saw a thread started by Earl B. @ TCF that there would be an update for the HR10. I don't believe any new features would be enable, but it's supposed to fix HD OTA audio dropouts.

But, I agree with cbearnm, for $5/mo. I have both active and see no reason to pick one or the other because, as it stands right now, I have uses for both.

 

[mnassour]

Move up to the HR20, or dump DirecTV. The HR10 is a dead-end product.

...that works. I think the status of the so-called replacement has been well documented in this forum.

If you want to beta-test for Murdoch or Malone, though, go for it!

 

[Dusty]

Is the HR10 also leased? If so, I'll spend $5 more to activate both. Forget about what others on this fourms experience it. Decide for yourself what you want to keep. I did that in September and I only deactivated my HR10 in the end of November when we practically only used HR20.

If the HR10 is not leased, I will insist for a replacement of HR10 if it is still under warranty of replacement plan. You can always lease a new HR20, but the owned machine is hard to come by.

 

[FastEddie]

I have a "owned" HR10 and I'm having problems with the picture jittering as well as the other 6.3 problems,and D* sent me a HR20 and agreed to have the 5lnb installed for free. I have an extended warranty from Magnolia Hi-Fi whare I bought it and they said if I bring it to them to repair and it cant be fixed the will refund me what i paid for it. ($580) if it turns out to be anything more than a hard drive (they can't get replacement parts other than a hard drive). I think this may be my way out of a bad HR10