[Pakratt]

I currently have 2 HR 20-700's and am interested in upgrading. I do not need nor do I want the Whole Home feature or internet capabilities. I would prefer to have the HR 34 because it is the latest HR with the additional recording space.
I would also replace the other HR20 with the HR24. Will DTV allow just getting the HR34 without Whole Home? I had dish problems a few months ago and they replaced the dish with SWM. I have been with DTV for 10 years and currently out of contract. I would like to get some kind of a deal from DTV on the HR34 and in order to be sure of getting the HR24 I would be willing to buy it from Solid Signal. I have Fios,Dish,and Cable alternatives but I have been very happy with DTV.

 

[dpeters11]

If you just want the hard drive space, not the 5 tuners etc you can also get the 24 and add an external drive. You can hook up a 2 TB drive, the 34 comes with 1.

 

[damondlt]

I'm sure you can, the Whole home charge is only $3, so I don't see what your really saving by not having it active. I'll be more then happy to pay $3 extra so my recording can be accessed from any room.

As far as a Deal on HR 34, well step 1 would be call Directv and find out!

No one here can tell you for sure if or what deal your entitled to.

 

[Pakratt]

Senior citizen here. Don't know how to hookup an external HD. Is it easy to learn? Would be willing to try. Where can I get info on how to do it?

 

[Shades228]

Senior citizen here. Don't know how to hookup an external HD. Is it easy to learn? Would be willing to try. Where can I get info on how to do it?

Before the other senior citizen's of the board jump in here about using your age as a reason to not know something I'll save you some grief.

You can use an external e-sata HD enclosure and up to a 2TB drive. Last I saw the WD EARS drives were the most popular there is a EARX but I'm not sure that the DVR's will use the advanced functions. Don't get too hung up on speed as most people prefer 5400 RPM drives due to heat and noise reduction. If you get a 7200 drive make sure you get an enclosure with a cooling system.

For non cooled I would use:

http://www.amazon.com/Antec-MX-1-SATA-3-5-Inch-Enclosure/dp/B000NZVR3Q

For a cooled one I would use

http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-A...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1340574702&sr=1-23

 

[dpeters11]

Keep one thing in mind though. An external drive is still tied to that DVR. If the DVR dies, you lose your recordings even if the external drive is fine.

If you do it, I would also recommend recording one thing on the internal drive, something you'd never record (my NBC airs Babar as an example.) If your DVR reboots and doesn't pick up the drive (which can happen), you can get freaked out thinking everything is gone. If you have a clue that it's seeing the internal drive, it can alleviate some anxiety.

The external drive completely replaces the internal.

 

[directv newb]

i just had my hr-34 install today on just my big screen, no whole home service

 

[Bill Broderick]

Senior citizen here. Don't know how to hookup an external HD. Is it easy to learn? Would be willing to try. Where can I get info on how to do it?

Hooking up an external Hard Drive is extremely easy. Start by taking a look a the eSATA-DIRECTV recommended list thread to help you decide which hard drive you want to purchase. Then choose your enclosure. I went with the Antec (which actually is a cooled enclosure) that Shades228 linked to in his post.

To install the drive into the enclosure, you just open the enclosure with 4 screws, slide the drive in place and then close the enclosure with the same screws. Then it's just a matter or connecting the enclosure to the back of the DVR with the eSATA cable that's included with the enclosure, plugging the enclosure into a power outlet and resetting the DVR so it restarts and recognizes the new hard drive.

The downside to adding an external hard drive to a DVR is that you will lose access to the recordings that are on the internal hard drive. As far as the DVR is concerned, the external hard drive replaces the internal hard drive, it doesn't add to it. So, if you want to watch programming that's already been recorded, you need to disconnect the external drive and reset the DVR, so it "sees" the internal drive again.

 

[EyeRonik1]

Me too. It works great. I push my DVR hard, like it's a TiVo and not a fancy VCR. I have 55 wishlists and the HR-34 is usually recording on at least 3 tuners and often all 5 and it's great.

 

[Flyinglow]

Directv is killing me. Just got off of the phone with retention. I wanted to get the HR34 without whole home thus negating the need for the cinema connection kit. I was told that the HR34 without whole home is only offered to new members. Finally talked retention into seeing it my way only to be fed a bunch of crap about their computer not allowing them to bypass the whole home charge for my account.

Does this ring true to anybody else or do I just keep talking to incompetent service reps?

 

[Stuart Sweet]

Actually I think they're right. I think their computers still require whole home to be put on new HR34 installs.

 

[Flyinglow]

What's the work around? I'm thinking cancelling and then reactivating as a new customer.

 

[lacubs]

i just had i 1 HR34 installed last Sunday but on your email Upgrade Order Confirmation they still call it DIRECTV® HMC HD DVR

 

[dpeters11]

i just had i 1 HR34 installed last Sunday but on your email Upgrade Order Confirmation they still call it DIRECTV® HMC HD DVR

Right, they can't call it an HD DVR, or else you might get an HR21.

I wonder if you order from a reseller like Solid Signal, if DirecTV would then activate without whole home. Of course at that point, there are no deals.

 

[davring]

I can't see why anyone wouldn't want whole home up and connecting all your receivers. It's the best $3.00 ever spent.

 

[spartanstew]

I can't see why anyone wouldn't want whole home up and connecting all your receivers. It's the best $3.00 ever spent.

Our neighbors have one TV in the living room where they (husband and wife) watch all of their shows.

Their kids have a TV in their game room where they watch all of their shows.

They have no need for whole home.

In actuality, we don't have much need for whole home either. My wife and I watch 95% of our shows in the living room. My wife watches the TV in our bedroom in the morning while she's getting ready. I very, very rarely watch TV in the bedroom.

Our kids watch TV in a couple of different rooms, but each room has a DVR and all the SL's are duplicated, so they don't have much need for it either.

But we have it anyway.

 

[davring]

It's useful for us in a couple of ways. I have only one HR w/OTA, which can be shared if needed and its very helpful spreading the recording load.

 

[dpeters11]

I can't see why anyone wouldn't want whole home up and connecting all your receivers. It's the best $3.00 ever spent.

I have a 34 in the living room and an h25 in the bedroom, it's not used often. I used whole home more before i got the 34, when I had two DVRs, though at one point both were in the same room, just didn't have to switch between them. It's a bit ironic that since getting the home media center, my need for whole home decreased significantly.

 

[Flyinglow]

Whole home install----fee
Media Connect Kit----fee
Monthly Service for something I very rarely will use----fee

The prinicpal of the matter is I am a 5+ year customer that has never taken or asked for an additional benefit. The one time they have something I want and am willing to pay for they can't bypass it because the computer won't allow them too. I hope the computer lets them leave work tonight.