[Dood]

I should have known better. I had been a DirecTV customer before, for 5 years. I switched to Dish Network and was happy, but got an "offer you can't refuse" from DirecTV.

I am now stuck with the exact same crappy DVRs that made me leave in the first place. Slow.... Slow.... Slow..... Changing channels, moving between menus....

I delete a program from the menu and it can take 12-15 seconds to return to the previous menu.

Amazing how time does not heal old wounds. In fact, I think their DVRs are worse now than when I left 5 years ago.

Now it looks like I will have to pay $300 to get out of my contract (I have 16 months left) This is what happens when you go sniffing the grass on the other side.

Me is dumb.

 

[studechip]

To each his own. Sorry it didn't work out for you.

 

[Mike Bertelson]

I should have known better. I had been a DirecTV customer before, for 5 years. I switched to Dish Network and was happy, but got an "offer you can't refuse" from DirecTV.

I am now stuck with the exact same crappy DVRs that made me leave in the first place. Slow.... Slow.... Slow..... Changing channels, moving between menus....

I delete a program from the menu and it can take 12-15 seconds to return to the previous menu.

Amazing how time does not heal old wounds. In fact, I think their DVRs are worse now than when I left 5 years ago.

Now it looks like I will have to pay $300 to get out of my contract (I have 16 months left) This is what happens when you go sniffing the grass on the other side.

Me is dumb.

May I ask which DVR you have? 12-15 seconds is way too long. I have three DVRs, all different models, and I don't have to wait more than 3-5 seconds to go from deleting a program to returning to the Playlist. IMHO, 12-15 seconds is abnormally long. Has it been that way since you got the DVRs or is this something that started recently?

Mike

 

[wilbur_the_goose]

Amen - The only D* DVR that took that long was my oooold HR10-250.

 

[TDK1044]

I'm afraid I can't relate to any of the points you make. I have three HR24 DVRs and Whole Home DVR, and I find the DVRs to be much more responsive than the older model DVRs.

My channel changing is two to three seconds, and the the new GUI is fast on my boxes. Deleting a recorded event takes about 5 seconds.

I can't help feeling that you have some kind of local issue.

 

[MysteryMan]

To each his own. Sorry it didn't work out for you.

+1......Maybe DISH's "Big Mike McCaffery"" will buy out the OP's contract if he returns.

 

[drill]

Really? I have an HR20, and two HR22's. ALL of them exhibit this exact same problem. If I am watching a recorded program and get to the end of it, the delete or keep window pops up. If I delete it, it will take at least 15 seconds before the receiver will accept ANY cmd from the remote. i have tried both IR and RF, that doesn't matter.

And it isn't just my receivers. I have a friend with DirectTV ... he has an HR20 and an HR23. same problem. so I don't believe it is my setup.

This dead-time-after-delete is different from the other slowness issues that the receivers have. they will all at times be non-responsive for 5-10 seconds randomly. and then at other times respond as normal. but even when they do respond "normally", I wouldn't call it fast. I would call it barely-acceptable slow. I have had several different direct HR* receivers over the past 5 or 6 years, and all of them have been barely-acceptable slow (never had an HR24 or HR34 though).

I miss the speed of the old Sony DirecTV receivers from the mid 90's. those things were FAST.

 

[Mike Greer]

From all the threads and users complaining about the 'speed' since the HDGUI that was supposed to 'speed' things up I think we're safe in assuming we are not alone.:lol:

 

[usnret]

Pay the $300 and go back. It will be cheaper than staying with DTV for the rest of the contract won't it??

 

[bobvick1983]

I have none of these problems at all on any of my receivers, HR34, two HR24's and a HR21PRO. Even the HR21PRO is snappy with the HD GUI, for me anyway.

 

[mattpex]

I have an HR22 and it is a complete dog. So slow to change channels, at times up 20 seconds to respond to remote input. The worst part is sometimes it works perfect, fast as a non dvr receiver.

 

[Dood]

I have the HR21/200.

Let me also state I was VERY unhappy they gave me this POS to start with. I knew when they did the install last fall that this DVR was junk. I called them to request a better DVR and was told pretty much "you get what you get".

Someone mentioned taking the $300 hit as I was contemplating, and it may not be so bad on the bottom line because I would be saving $20 a month on programming going back to Dish Network.

 

[Richard]

HR22-100 here, when it is recording shows and you try to do other things, it will just stop responding at times, it is very frustrating, but not much you can do.

HR24 is much snappier, though not as much since the HD GUI, it was much quicker before.

 

[Richierich]

Pay the $300 and go back. It will be cheaper than staying with DTV for the rest of the contract won't it??

Not cheaper if the Next National Release of Software finally fixes the problem and I have been assured by someone I Trust that they have finally got a handle on this problem.

 

[AlanSaysYo]

Not cheaper if the Next National Release of Software finally fixes the problem and I have been assured by someone I Trust that they have finally got a handle on this problem.

Tell them to assure you of the release date and then tell us what it is.

I also have a HR20 but am fortunate enough to have a responsive unit. My HR20 is faster than my HR23. I suppose there could be a correlation between responsiveness and the dinky size of the hard drive (but that doesn't explain why other HR20s are apparently so slow).

 

[Richierich]

Tell them to assure you of the release date and then tell us what it is.

I asked him and he said "SOON"!!!

 

[jimbo56]

I'm surprised as a new customer you were given old equipment. I thought that new installs were generally given the latest equipment, while the current customers are given refurbs as replacements for defective equipment. My understanding is that the HR24s are actually pretty responsive. Maybe if you threaten to cancel, retention can have one shipped to you (I'm assuming retention has greater latitude in determining what equipment will get sent).

I can say from my own experience how frustrating the slowness of the older DVRs is. Although I'm not crazy about my FiOS DVR (would much rather have DirecTV's GUI), I am happy with its lightning fast response compared to my old HR22.

Good luck.

 

[CoolGui]

I miss the Dish DVRs too... no idea how their current offerings are, however.

 

[Carl Spock]

Dood, hang in there for now. Were you around when the HR20 was first introduced? I got mine a few months after that but still, for the first year and a half, regarding software updates, it was one step forward and two steps back. But every now and then there was a five steps forward update to the HR20. You could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We are in a similar situation now. The HD GUI was a huge update. Fallout must be expected. If I was you, I'd give DirecTV a chance to see if they can figure this out, hanging around for not just this next planned update but the one after that.

I have a HR20-700 and a HR-23. While the HR-23 does get quirky at times, I just stop pressing buttons for a few seconds and once its operation returns, everything works at a leisurely pace.

Other times my HR-23 is lightning quick working the Guide.

I wouldn't change right now. Think of your current situation as a marriage on the rocks. Divorces are messy and expensive. Sleeping on the couch for a few weeks is a lot cheaper.

 

[Davenlr]

I was just reading the Tivo forum, checking out the 4 tuner Elite. Seems they are having issues with that box as well, requiring people to unplug/replug the cablecard daily, losing channels, unauthorized channels in their package, inability to tune some channels that their Premiers and HD have no problems with.

I think sometimes it would just be better to hold these new boxes until they were ready for primetime.