Is there a definitive answer yet?

I've got four of them, and have resisted the upgrade itch because of the expense involved, and the lack of the Tivo interface.

However, I keep seeing threads where D* has called and offered upgrades, and my father-in-law has done this (He hates the new box, and has re-installed his HR10-250, mostly because the tech did a half-fast job.)

Anyway, I'm willing to wait them out and assume that they will upgrade me for free sometime before they transition to MPEG-4.

Anyone have an idea when that might be? (I'm in Atlanta, if that matters.)

Thanks!

Boat anchor? Not for a while. SD programming will be MPEG2 for a while.

Unable to record HD? I predict by the end of the year.

Well, for me, if it won't record HD it is functionally a boat anchor.

I take it that D* hs not officially announced a transition date away from MPEG4 for HD?

Well, for me, if it won't record HD it is functionally a boat anchor.

I take it that D* hs not officially announced a transition date away from MPEG4 for HD?

I assume you mean away from MPEG-2, and to MPEG-4 AVC; it sounds like there's nothing exact, but they seem to be indicating to customers that MPEG-2 HD content will go away sometime this year. So, sometime within the next 9 months. :) Most likely, anyway.

I had DirecTV call me last week and offer to change everything to the new 5-LNB system for free, provided I continue service with them for two years.

In the message they said that in order to watch any of the NFL games in HD this upcoming season, I would need to upgrade, so that probably gives you a btter timeframe of when they will make the switch and render your hardware to the boat anchor heap.

Thanks guys!