In order to get more HD, bit the bullet and ordered DTV. The installer came and was going to give me two HR20's on my order. I knew enough that I suspicioned that the 20 would be older and likely less storage so I stalled and the tech, (nice guy), said he would get back with me when a new shipment came in.

I understand 20 has analog tuner but not an issue for me. Is there a good side by side comparison somewhere? I'm assuming the HR23 would be better for my purposes but it's hard to pierce through and determine what is what. I will have two DVR's and two standard boxes. I've ordered remote extenders from X10 to grab signal from one of the boxes to coax and radio remote from additional locations, (5,6,7 etc.) - good price bytheway -$24.95 for a universal remote and a radio sender receiver.

I was very paranoid that the lease might drop some tired iron on me and so far it seems this may be the case. Maybe I should buy my own second unit? I have to pay $199 for the second lease and then $4.99 per month. Can I save money by buying a new unit? Thanks in advance for help...

DirecTV does not allow customers to "own" the HR21/HR22/HR23. All units are leased.


The HR20 was the original DirecTV PLUS HD DVR with a dual-decoder design. It cost DirecTV about $450 to manufacture.


The HR21 uses a new, more integrated single-chip SoC to cut costs; it also eliminated the built-in ATSC (OTA) tuners, moving them to an optional $50-$60 AM21 add-on. This cost DirecTV about $250 to manufacture.


The HR22 is a version of the HR21 with more component cost reductions and a larger hard drive (500GB vs 300-320GB on HR20 and HR21).


The HR23 is an updated version of the HR22 with SWM capability, which eliminates the need for an external SWM device to support both tuners with a single cable.

If it were me, I would opt for the HR20. This unit was discontinued quite some time ago, so they are not that easy to find new (at the same price). With the HR20, you get the built-in OTA tuners, plus the older dual-chip design which offers more memory bandwidth than the newer, more integrated CPU in the HR21/HR22/HR23; this extra memory bandwidth provides somewhat better menu and guide performance.

The obvious disadvantage to the HR20 is the comparatively limited capacity (300-320GB vs 500GB on HR22 and HR23). However, on each of HR2x models, you can connect your own external eSATA drive and the DVR will use that instead of the internal drive. Many opt to add a 1TB external drive like this one (http://www.google.com/search?q=Fantom+Drives+GreenDrive+1TB+External) for about $100.

I have several e-sata drives hanging around - one is a terabyte, so I guess the storage might not be a huge issue. I've seen posts indicating better picture quality with newer units. I've also seen complaints that the newer units don't respond to commands as well as the HR20, (your point).

I have a Hava Titanium HD, (similar in function to Slingbox), connected to the composite output from the Comcast box while TV fed from HDMI - meaning both outputs live simulataneously. It works quite nicely as a media server - my PS3 sees it no problem. I also have two machines with Media Center that I may play with. Are all iterations of the HR created equal as far as outputs and ethernet? I saw that one has two ethernets and must confess I'm not real sure what the ethernet does for Directv, (speculate that network stuff that would come down cable with Comcast may come through ethernet)?

If I want to backfeed into the remnants of my old coax network in order to drive tv's in non-box areas, do all units have coax output or only the standard boxes?

I have several e-sata drives hanging around - one is a terabyte, so I guess the storage might not be a huge issue. I've seen posts indicating better picture quality with newer units. I've also seen complaints that the newer units don't respond to commands as well as the HR20, (your point).

I have a Hava Titanium HD, (similar in function to Slingbox), connected to the composite output from the Comcast box while TV fed from HDMI - meaning both outputs live simulataneously. It works quite nicely as a media server - my PS3 sees it no problem. I also have two machines with Media Center that I may play with. Are all iterations of the HR created equal as far as outputs and ethernet? I saw that one has two ethernets and must confess I'm not real sure what the ethernet does for Directv, (speculate that network stuff that would come down cable with Comcast may come through ethernet)?

If I want to backfeed into the remnants of my old coax network in order to drive tv's in non-box areas, do all units have coax output or only the standard boxes?

None of the DirecTV DVRs have a coax (channel 3 or 4) output. Again, probably a cost saving move. However, all have at least two sets of composite (A/V) outputs, which you can connect to an inexpensive RF modulator.
My HR23-700 runs cooler than my HR20-600, and does not need external BBCs, which have been a reliability issue for some. Also, the video quality appears a bit better, and the audio levels are hotter and more comparable to other line level devices.

bfdtv - Your statement on the features on the HR23 are not accurate since all HR2x DVR's support SWM in the same manner. One wire in and the 8 SWM channels are directed to the two DTV tuners.

PJ