[deecee98]

Well after having the HR20 for about 10 days (and upgrade from TiVo Series 2, non HD) i finally got the question last night "...i cant believe you are happy with this - with all the problems with it....why did we switch to this receiver, cant we go back to our TiVo....

SO, with that said - the main problems/annoyances we have seen are:

1) Starting a program and into it - it freezes, which becomes a bigger problem when we start a show for our kids

2) playing a show & then all of a sudden the picture is fine HOWEVER no audio

3) of course the MLB issue, i had it set to record the playoffs and when DirecTV updated the guide my games were lost

4) dual buffers - wont even go there

i definitely see how great this receiver/DVR can be once the kinks are worked out - i usually wait after a new product is released for this very reason....i asked for a TiVo HD DVR 10-250, but they no longer carry them

Are the above "issues" just bugs that are being worked on ? any advice will be helpful! - thanks!

 

[Earl Bonovich]

#1) Yes
#2) Yes
#3) Not sure when, but it will
#4) It has dual tuners, just not dual buffers.... and it is a possibility, but won't be here for a while.

 

[deecee98]

#1) Yes
#2) Yes
#3) Not sure when, but it will
#4) It has dual tuners, just not dual buffers.... and it is a possibility, but won't be here for a while.

thanks - i meant dual buffers

 

[joejhawk]

I feel your pain, I finally had to unhook my HR20s and go back to the cable (Brighthouse) HD DVR for my wife. I have faith that it will be better, but right now it's just not usable.

Issues:
1. freezing during playback
2. picture breakup and pixilization on MPEG 4 broadcasts (ABC especially)
3. Dual buffers
4. Closed captioning

I am going to have to suspend my D* service if it is not fixed soon, it's too expensive to keep cable and D* but I gotta go with what works.

 

[patsrule316]

I feel your pain, I finally had to unhook my HR20s and go back to the cable (Brighthouse) HD DVR for my wife. I have faith that it will be better, but right now it's just not usable.

Issues:
1. freezing during playback
2. picture breakup and pixilization on MPEG 4 broadcasts (ABC especially)
3. Dual buffers
4. Closed captioning

I am going to have to suspend my D* service if it is not fixed soon, it's too expensive to keep cable and D* but I gotta go with what works.

I am getting picture breakup/ pixilization on our ABC mpeg4 station as well. They come in spurts for about 30 to 60 seconds, occuring about every 30 minutes or so. So far, my wife hasn't asked why we got the HR20, though. The unit has a lot more features than our cable HD DVR had, and we got the dish and receiver for free with free install. Our cable bill dropped ove 50 bucks a month (digital service, HDTV/DVR fees, HBO) , and directv only went up 27 (HD package, leased receiver fee, HBO, no new dvr fee since we already had an SD tivo from directv).

 

[bonscott87]

Why unhook the DirecTivo? Keep both going until you trust the HR20 fully and/or the bugs are worked out. In the meantime you get 4 tuners and can make sure critical programs are recorded on the Tivo just in case.

I don't get why people keep deactivating their only other DVR.

 

[mdubchy]

Why unhook the DirecTivo? Keep both going until you trust the HR20 fully and/or the bugs are worked out. In the meantime you get 4 tuners and can make sure critical programs are recorded on the Tivo just in case.

I don't get why people keep deactivating their only other DVR.

Since when did TV become critical ?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Since when did TV become critical ?

Sometime in the 80's

 

[bonscott87]

Since when did TV become critical ?

It's critical if your wife misses CSI!

 

[walters]

Well, it used to be called "must-see TV" or "appointment TV". It was generally pretty easy to make sure you were in front of a TV at the correct time if you wanted to see it.

Then DVRs came along, and it became "must-record TV". Some of us have trusted a machine for about six years now to do this, so much so that I don't know or care when or what channel some of my "must-record" shows are. However, I'd be pissed if I sat down to watch one and it was partial, froze during playback, or just simply didn't record for some unknown reason.

 

[joejhawk]

Why unhook the DirecTivo? Keep both going until you trust the HR20 fully and/or the bugs are worked out. In the meantime you get 4 tuners and can make sure critical programs are recorded on the Tivo just in case.

I don't get why people keep deactivating their only other DVR.

I unhooked mine to stop my wife from complaining about it. She was using it and it was fine for most things but her favorite shows are mostly on ABC which was creating the problem. I do have it hooked up again, but it is secondary because it is not reliable enough to be primary.

 

[lbostons]

This is a great thread, I know that I feel more pressure about the receiver if my wife starts to notice or complain about it. Overall, my wife has been extremely patient with the receiver and me b/c I chose to switch both receivers to the HR20. I think that the only real issues we have had are #1 above and the lip sync issues. But is lip sync an mpeg4 or HR20 issue? It was so bad for Grey's Anatomy last week I commented to my wife that I felt like we were watching a cheesy Asian martial arts movie!

I personally think that I can see light at the end of the tunnel and these issues will dissipate over time.

lbostons

 

[wakajawaka]

It's critical if your wife misses CSI!

No, It's Dancing with the Stars. If she misses it I'm dead. :eek2:

Plus TV became "critical" when my son was born 4 1/2 years ago.

 

[jkc120]

I'm getting crap from my wife daily on the HR20. I commonly hear "why do we need HD anyway?" or "why does it do that all the time?" (referring to it pixelating big time or the audio cutting out).

I can live with the pixelation occasionally, and I think this is a known problem and is being addressed by replacing the mpeg4 equipment on the directv side.

However, MY beef (and my wife has complained about this too) is the complete lockups of the HR20. At least 4-5 times now, we will be watching a show and the playback will just freeze. If I rewind or pause, I can delete the show, but if I let it play for a while or try to FFWD through it, the box locks up. It happens at the same time in the show each time. I've also had it lock up when I go to play a show from the MyVOD menu.

So, in the middle of recording one of our shows, it locks up and requires a reset which:

a) deletes the program guide data (they really need to make the guide data persistent or put it on NVM)

b) means I miss 10 minutes of the show it's recording since it takes FOREVER to boot up.

c) I'm sure it's not good for the unit to be forcefully resetting it all the time, at least not for the hard disk.

To me, these are fatal issues that need to be resolved ASAP. A DVR is, afterall, supposed to record without issue. I simply do not feel comfortable with the HR20 or trust it to record stuff properly. Thankfully I have my R10 in the bedroom recording duplicates of the shows in the (likely) event that the HR20 craps itself.

 

[tstarn]

No, It's Dancing with the Stars. If she misses it I'm dead. :eek2:

Plus TV became "critical" when my son was born 4 1/2 years ago.

Just glad to see I'm not alone. Misery loves company, I guess. In my case, it's ER and Grey's Anatomy for my wife and daughter; football for me. It's funny to see both the HR-20's amber light and the R10's red light always working in unison, recording the same shows. It's like some sort of weird video parallel universe. The problem really arises when you get 30 minutes into a recorded show (like ER) on the HR-20, and the sound drops out or the picture breaks up (if it doesn't freeze at the start). Then, it's over to the R10.

This may sound nuts, but I just bought an extra R10 and an older Hughes Directv w/Tivo receiver ($50) from ebay so my wife has a good backup supply of Tivo replacements with D*. I don't have much faith in the HR-20 based on R15 forum problems a year after launch. We'll see.

 

[tstarn]

I'm getting crap from my wife daily on the HR20. I commonly hear "why do we need HD anyway?" or "why does it do that all the time?" (referring to it pixelating big time or the audio cutting out).

I can live with the pixelation occasionally, and I think this is a known problem and is being addressed by replacing the mpeg4 equipment on the directv side.

However, MY beef (and my wife has complained about this too) is the complete lockups of the HR20. At least 4-5 times now, we will be watching a show and the playback will just freeze. If I rewind or pause, I can delete the show, but if I let it play for a while or try to FFWD through it, the box locks up. It happens at the same time in the show each time. I've also had it lock up when I go to play a show from the MyVOD menu.

So, in the middle of recording one of our shows, it locks up and requires a reset which:

a) deletes the program guide data (they really need to make the guide data persistent or put it on NVM)

b) means I miss 10 minutes of the show it's recording since it takes FOREVER to boot up.

c) I'm sure it's not good for the unit to be forcefully resetting it all the time, at least not for the hard disk.

To me, these are fatal issues that need to be resolved ASAP. A DVR is, afterall, supposed to record without issue. I simply do not feel comfortable with the HR20 or trust it to record stuff properly. Thankfully I have my R10 in the bedroom recording duplicates of the shows in the (likely) event that the HR20 craps itself.

Agree completely.

But be careful complaining about the HR-20 on this forum, because I've done it many times so far (for exactly the reasons you outlined), and sooner or later, you'll be chastized for being a whiner who doesn't realize how good you have it because D* has given you this brilliant new piece of hardware.

 

[WANDERER]

Just glad to see I'm not alone. Misery loves company, I guess. In my case, it's ER and Grey's Anatomy for my wife and daughter; football for me. It's funny to see both the HR-20's amber light and the R10's red light always working in unison, recording the same shows. It's like some sort of weird video parallel universe. The problem really arises when you get 30 minutes into a recorded show (like ER) on the HR-20, and the sound drops out or the picture breaks up (if it doesn't freeze at the start). Then, it's over to the R10.

This may sound nuts, but I just bought an extra R10 and an older Hughes Directv w/Tivo receiver ($50) from ebay so my wife has a good backup supply of Tivo replacements with D*. I don't have much faith in the HR-20 based on R15 forum problems a year after launch. We'll see.

Well - I'm now known as the guy who threw his P.O.S. in the trash - then pulled it back out.

I have to admit a couple of things. Since OxD8 my unit has worked flawlessly.

In addition I have noticed the last week or so that all our local MPEG4 stations are now crystal damn clear - beautiful HD with NO macroblocking or low bitrate problems. Stunning PQ and finally what I've been waiting for. If this is a good example of the MPEG4 future then I can't wait.

Aside - now that the local MPEG4's look so damn good - I don't care about OTA.

GEEEEEE - suppose that might be part of D*'s plan?????

 

[jkc120]

Agree completely.

But be careful complaining about the HR-20 on this forum, because I've done it many times so far (for exactly the reasons you outlined), and sooner or later, you'll be chastized for being a whiner who doesn't realize how good you have it because D* has given you this brilliant new piece of hardware.

Well, people can call me a whiner all the want, but the reality of the situation is, the HR20 has issues. I can understand this, and I'm being patient waiting for fixes. However, it gets difficult to be patient when my wife is complaining nightly about the new unit. :/

There are legitimate issues with the HR20, and I just hope D* is aware of them and fixing them. For those out there with the "freeze" at the start of the program complaining about that, I would HAPPILY live with that if it were the only problem. But a complete lockup of the box, coupled with the loss of the guide data and 10 minutes of the show(s) being recorded is just absurd.

 

[jkc120]

Aside - now that the local MPEG4's look so damn good - I don't care about OTA.

GEEEEEE - suppose that might be part of D*'s plan?????

Cool, glad they are fixing the MPEG4 feeds I hope they do the Sacramento area soon.

 

[Marcia_Brady]

This isn't a very reassuring thread. I thought that they had the majority of these bugs worked out?

But be careful complaining about the HR-20 on this forum, because I've done it many times so far (for exactly the reasons you outlined), and sooner or later, you'll be chastized for being a whiner who doesn't realize how good you have it because D* has given you this brilliant new piece of hardware.

If it doesn't work properly, you have the RIGHT to complain about it.