[DeweySat]

Is there a table somewhere that shows a comparison between the various HD DVR's?

 

[matt]

HR20 - 300 or 320 GB drive, OTA tuners are built in, BBCs required for non-SWM HD, uses external DECA.
HR21 - 320 GB drive, no internal OTA tuners, BBCs required for non-SWM HD, uses external DECA.
HR22 - 500 GB drive, no internal OTA tuners, BBCs required for non-SWM HD, uses external DECA.
HR23 - 500 GB drive, no internal OTA tuners, BBCs not required for any setup, uses external DECA.
HR24 - 500 GB drive, no internal OTA tuners, BBCs required for non-SWM HD, built in DECA.

 

[DeweySat]

Thanks. Just what I needed. My HR-22-100 failed today, and DirecTV is sending me another unit. I assume it will be refurbished, but I will be very unhappy if I get an HR20 or HR21. Especially when I had to pay for a new DVR (I realize that it is leased.) The CSR said he couldn't predict what I would get.

 

[Davenlr]

I would rather have a HR20 than any of the others (except the 24). Its the second fastest DVR they have...and has OTA built in to boot.

 

[DeweySat]

OTA is not important as we don't have any. It would be nice if they sent me a new HR24! That would make me a happy camper.

 

[NR4P]

In all liklihood, you will get a HR21-HR23.

HR20's are set up for a 1:1 HR20 exchange for OTA users if the account shows OTA.
HR24's are set up for 1:1 HR24 exchange. They hold these back for this.

If you don't mind the 2 yr commitment, go out and shop a leased HR24 at the best price you can find. Once you have it, if it fails, you should get another. When mine failed I did.

 

[DeweySat]

Thinking back, I probably should have just found a new HR-24 to replace the dead HR-22. The main reason I don't want an HR-21 is the HD capacity. We record only in HD, so drive capacity is important. I guess I could have just replaced the drive in the HR-22, but the error code of 14-925 could indicate something more than just the drive.

 

[CCarncross]

If drive capacity is important, the 1st thing you should be doing is adding a larger external drive. If the drive acts up, you can quickly and easily replace it yourself, and if it hasnt completely failed, copy all your shows over the new drive and not lose anything...

 

[DeweySat]

The 500GB drive in the HR22-100 has been adequate for our needs. We actually have two HR22's on the same TV. It would be preferable to just replace the dead drive in the HR22 with another, perhaps larger drive. I have read through the threads about replacing an internal drive, but they seem to be oriented toward keeping everything from the original drive. That's not possible in my case. Is replacing the internal drive with a new drive (starting over) as simple as just taking one out and putting another in? I don't want to fool with using a computer running Linux like we had to do with the old Tivo's.

 

[P Smith]

simple: need preserve recording - use Linux; not - drop new drive into or as eSATA with no precautions ( we spent years for discuss it here )...

 

[DeweySat]

Good to know. Thanks.

 

[DeweySat]

Well, the replacement HR-22 came today, and I am not a happy camper. It's all beat up on the back, and the color looks like it was painted with a can of auto primer. They didn't even bother to clean out the dirt behind the access panels. The one I am sending back is a glossy black like a piano. Apparently, the refurbishment folks just did the bare minimum to get it working without bothering about the cosmetics. I have bought a lot of refurbished equipment, and ALL of it looked like new. I guess it's not a priority with DirecTV.

I sent them an e-mail asking if my 16 years with the company didn't warrant getting a new HR-24 at a good discount from the current $200. I don't mind paying to get something new instead of someone's cast-off. Really bummed today.

 

[spartanstew]

Thanks. Just what I needed. My HR-22-100 failed today, and DirecTV is sending me another unit. I assume it will be refurbished, but I will be very unhappy if I get an HR20 or HR21. Especially when I had to pay for a new DVR (I realize that it is leased.) The CSR said he couldn't predict what I would get.

How much did you have to pay and why?

 

[DeweySat]

I paid about $185 to Costco. This was a second unit. The one installed by DirecTV in 2008 was free.

 

[DeweySat]

Here's the latest in the saga. I wrote to D* asking if, because I was a 16 year customer, they could give me a discount on a new HR-24. They essentially blew me off with the usual tripe about how leasing works, and how their "refurbished" units are returned to "like new" condition. Sure they are.

About 10 minutes after sending a reply to their message, what do you know, the other DVR failed with a receiver identification problem. Coincidence? I don't think so. I am really ready to dump D* and go back to cable.

 

[DeweySat]

I called the D* CSR, and my one and only DVR had been deactivated about an hour ago. He reactivated it without explanation. This is getting to be too much.

 

[liquidctv]

>I would rather have a HR20 than any of the others (except the 24). Its the second fastest DVR they have...and has OTA built in to boot.

The HR20-700 is a tough box...it switches channels extremely fast (almost blindingly so), but I've had problems with swm-16.


>About 10 minutes after sending a reply to their message, what do you know, the other DVR failed

>I called the D* CSR, and my one and only DVR had been deactivated about an hour ago.

So do you have 1 dvr or two?

If you want a particular model, call DirecTV and have them mail it to you. Have a technician install it privately, or install it yourself.

If you have a technician bring you a box, he is subject to the rules of, "Bring the crappy old boxes to the old customers."

Since this is a swap, you should be able to do it yourself. Just have them mail what you want.

 

[P Smith]

...
If you have a technician bring you a box, he is subject to the rules of, "Bring the crappy old boxes to the old customers."
...

It's encourage me to say "kick the old installer out your house with his old box"

 

[DeweySat]

I had two DVR's until last Tuesday when one of them went into DVR heaven. It was the shipped replacement that started me on this path. Last night we were down to the one DVR still working. They decided to deactivate it without my knowledge. When I called, the CSR reactivated it right away, and couldn't explain why someone had deactivated it.

I tried to rejuvinate the failed HR22 today by getting a new WD My Book AV in an attempt to bypass the internal drive. Didn't work. The HR22 kept trying to use the internal drive with repeated 14-925 failures. I then plugged the My Book into the good HR22 and it worked fine, except for losing everything recorded as expected. I'm back to its internal drive for now. I'll either use the My Book after we get some of the stuff off the DVR, or use it for backup on my computer. Nice unit, but at $130 its a tad expensive for an external 1TB SATA drive. I guess the eSATA interface adds to the cost.

When I wrote to D* about my problems, I told them I wanted to buy an HR24, and would return the crappy replacement they sent. My request to buy a new unit was completely ignored.

At this point I think I will wait until both the failed HR22 and the replacement HR22 have been returned and accounted for. When the dust settles I will attempt again to buy a new HR24.

 

[liquidctv]

>I told them I wanted to buy an HR24, and would return the crappy replacement they sent. My request to buy a new unit was completely ignored.

My understanding is that D* will mail out whatever box you ask for.

This is how customers get new boxes, when technicians bring them old ones.

I don't have any experience with esata. I'm glad that it works.