Just installed a Directv H20 STB.

I don't see a thread dedicated to the quirks of this STB so...


Right off, after activation, a software down load to version 000A occurred. Prior was 0160.

The Guide seems to not have any configuration option for style/color/transparency etc.

The Guide alway starts with a filter option rather than showing the guide. I couldn't figure away to stop that so to get to the guide it's alway two key presses. I hope I've just missed something major here.

The System test does not work. It says testing and goes to 99% then starts over again and never shows any results.

I don't see any easy way to change favorite/custom channel list directly from guide (or remote) so every time it's more clicks into the menu.

Also the channel info banner seems to stay after I switch to the channel, even though I have it set to 2 second dismissal.


I hope I've missed something major in the user interface interaction setup...

I just hooked up an H20 I got from CC online this evening. I see those quirks, except I haven't tried the system test other than setup, and have some others to note.
When setting up a custom channel list, there are points while scrolling through local OTA channels to add/subtract where the list of available channels just disappears. I found I have to manually enter a channel number to get the list back. Until I did that, I would press several buttons trying to get somwhere else and the box would lockup and then reboot.
I wonder if it is related to another quirk, in which the analog locals from Houston on D* show as being unavailable when tuned to. They show up in the guide with program info, but won't come in. What's really confusing is some programs even have the HD tag next to them, even though they can't be HD on the current satellite channels. I haven't called D* yet to see if that can be fixed.
I also set the banner time to 2 seconds, and it seems to go with that if you change channels using the channel up/down button. It may be if you use the guide, or tune directly to go to a channel the banner stays longer. I'll have to play with it some more to see just when that's the case.
Otherwise the H20 seems to be a pretty decent receiver so far. The OTA tuner seems to be pretty sensitive, picking up several channels reliably that the HD-Tivo seems to have issue with.

I installed 2 H-20s yesterday and, so far, all seems ok. I have not, as yet, went into menu very far. But the image on the screen seems very nice. When there is an image in foreground it begins to stand out from background, more so, if the background is blurred. this gives a very pleasing dementional image on the screen. Sensitively (compared with Zenith HD520) seems about the same to, maybe, a little better. Again, only 1 day with receiver, and that is not enough to get a total feeling about receiver. Summing up, I would say this H-20 seems 'very good' with a few 'excellent' points. I will discover a few flaws soon, I expect. But, main thing is image on the screen., and that is very pleasing, good color, contrast, and resolution.
Bottom line, so far, so good!

I also set the banner time to 2 seconds, and it seems to go with that if you change channels using the channel up/down button. It may be if you use the guide, or tune directly to go to a channel the banner stays longer. .

Seems to be related to how the channel is tuned.
If I tune from the guide and the "more info" is hilighted the banner does not dismiss. If the "more info" is not displayed the banner dismisses in the time I have set (2 seconds). If I retune to the same channel the "more info" does not seem to be there, but if I go to a different channel if shows up.

I've had at least six different models of directv STBs and this has the least user friendly guide of any of them.



How about some guide options like:

- Option for no channel banner when changing channels:

- Showing the guide when I press the guide button not some filter selection.

- More custom favorite lists than just 2.

- Ability to select favorite list from the guide and actually having the guide change to reflect the list.
(because the way it is now you have to drill down several "QUICK" :confused: menu selctions and then when you get back the guide doesnt reflect the new list.

- Guide Style options...

- Ability to change font size of guide and have it dynamically resize base on screen resolution. IOW 1080 guide should have more rows and columns than 480


Currently one of the main reasons I stick with Directv is because the guide is (was) so much better than what cable offers, in one swoop Directv has almost leveled the playing field for cable.

OK, this morning the "old" local Houston channels are showing up and working. The others, which were the only ones showing up last night, must be the new upcoming HD locals which don't work as yet. Soon, however, hopefully they will! :)

Question on H-20. I have 2 new H-20s. On the Music Choice channels (soon to be XM Radio channels) a banner (giving info on music being played) is displayed when you first tune to a channel. This goes away after a few minutes and a blue saver screen appears. How to you keep the information flowing on screen for each new selection? I have glanced thru the instruction booklet by the way.

Directv should have come up with a 'favorites' such as Zenith. You can set it with the station symbols such as a nice big CBS (in colors) and you can select, as favorites, quite a number of channels. One click brings up 'favorites', 1 more click gives you a favorite station/channel. This favorites is not easy for my wife while the Zenith favoirites was great for her. A design should always be made as simple as possible, meaning quick and easy.

i think the hughes boxes had a similar feature called turbo guide or something like that.

What kind of timers are included so that you can have the box change channels to record programs unattended? I assume they are similar to the H10 but can not find an Owner's Manual on-line yet...

I haven't really played with that feature yet (that's what Tivos are for ;) ), but the H20 has what they call "Autotune". Looks like you can either do a search for a program using the guide or keyword search, or set up a manual tune by time/channel like a VCR.

DanHuff: There is a program timer on the H-20. But, it seems to me, the 'favorites' is not close to the ease other receivers have given us in past. Why would anyone step back in time on this important feature?

If you use a pronto-like remote you could program the guide button to send the signal in duplicate which will jump to the pre-selected guide. I know they should have made it where it goes directly to the guide, but two quick presses of the guide button will get you there.

A question if you please. On my H-20 I bring up Quick Menu, then go to Custom 1. I click on Custom 1 to bring up Custom 1's favorites list..and nothing happens...How do you bring up Custom 1 (or other chosen lists)? Is my receiver defective here. It is not a good favorite setup at best on this receiver but I seem to come to a dead end here. Any suggestions?

A question if you please. On my H-20 I bring up Quick Menu, then go to Custom 1. I click on Custom 1 to bring up Custom 1's favorites list..and nothing happens..

I think that just sets the favorite. You then heve to select Guide and if you were already in the guide you have to dismiss it and then reselect it to get the new favorites choice. A very bad design to say the least.

Steve: I have come to this conclusion. My Zenith is so much better. You load your favorites ( 20 or so) on a big square page that comes up with the channels showing in color with their symbol such as CBS and NBC, etc. You can get to a given channnel in 3-4 or less. So easy for a woman to do. I may return my Zenith to our living room for one of our tvs. I certainly am glad I did not surrender it in getting H-20. Also, by the way, top of H-20 gets warmer than Zenith did.

Another question, if you will: ..Music Choice channels. I go a channel and it brings up current song, artist, etc. but, then, after this one song is finished playing, how do you keep this information flowing for each song as it begins? After first song, info goes and does not return on next selection that is played.

No mention of how horribly slow the guide is on the H20

I bought and returned an H20 last week…the guide was waaaay to slow for me.

I am currently using a Sammy 360

coda305:..Altho the video and audio are both very good on the H-20, it is slpw thru the menus and the 'favorites' setup is not very good. Boxes like the Zenith HD520 are so much better in most everything except the video and audio. Here, the H-20 holds its' own. I think I shall have to replace one of the H-20s' with the Zenith for the pleasure of my wife. Directv could have thought some aspects out better and came up with a much better unit. (My opinion). I bet they had no women on the design team.

Topics merged.

I've had 2 HD boxes for some time now (Toshiba DST-3000 and Hughes E-86). My Toshiba box lost its satellite receiving ability several months ago and I've been waiting on MPEG-4 to replace it. So, when I saw that CC here in Atlanta had the H-20 in stock, I decided to buy one. CC did not have the boxes on display but did have 2 in stock.

I got the unit home and activated it. I told the D* CSR I thought the box should be eligible for the $200 rebate. He did some checking and said the system was telling him that the rebate was only valid for Detroit. I guess I'll have to wait until I get ready to replace my Hughes box to get my rebate.

When the H-20 scanned for locals, it could not find the main digital channels 2-1, 5-1, 11-1, etc. All it could find were the sub-channels 2-2, 5-2, 11-2, etc. After I did 2 or 3 channel scans, the unit informed me that it was downloading a software update. The update took about 15 minutes. After that, the scan found the main digital channels. Whew!

The unit brings in the local digitals significantly better than either of my other HD receivers. Specifically, I could not receive 14-1 (PAX digital) with my other receivers but I get about a 70 signal strength on 14-1 now with a steady picture.

I do miss the turbo tune function of hitting the select button and being able to get to my 9 most favorite channels....

another flaw in H-20; on music choice channels it gives the information for selections played up to a certain point (maybe 10-15 minutes) and, then, no more information. My wife complains about the 'favorities' on this unit so I think I shall return the Zenith HD520 to service.. The Zenith is better in just about everything except audio and video and, there, it is very close; actually. too close to call. The H-20 is very warm to the touch as well, maybe too warm.

something else: I try to load channels into Custom One. I start with 'all channels I get" but, then, when I start clicking the list, the list shuts off with something like 47-1 (a local OTA station). The list of channels I receive does not go on to show full list! I have had a problem with my other H-20. The installer placed the component cables in the right connections..blue, green, red. But we got a green picture. The S-Vid works OK. He said, probably, the wire was wrong inside the H-20..the leads were reversed. So, that H-20 will be replaced. So, others out there have their favorities lists set up OK, yes?

Well, after 2 restarts, and playing around with H-20, I presume I have the favorites lists set up as best a person can. Bottom line, it is a poor and slow way to bring up your favorites. More clicking than is reasonable. Just about as quick to bring up wanted program by clicking on the numbers pad. In fact, it may be quicker.

I liked the menu operation on my Sony HD200, but it died and the DTV-supplied (warranty) Samsung with aftermart remote suffers in comparison. Someday it is likely I will own an H-20 and it appears I may not be happy about that menu either. Is it technically possible for DTV or others to download an upgraded menu program to the H-20? Or is that all hardwired in? I presume other companies could offer competitive boxes, or do the new transmission standards preclude that in some way?

It seems like there would be a big market for software upgrades if the boxes were set up to receive them. DTV could make money selling upgrades in the way ringtones are sold now and I think the advertising buzz over this would benefit DTV. And if a company like, say, Apple got involved, then those many potential DTV customers who think the whole HD thing is way too technical might also be attracted.

Is it technically possible for DTV or others to download an upgraded menu program to the H-20?It might be possible, but it will not happen.

What is much more likely, is that D* will download upgrades to the existing software, to correct any bugs and improve performance, if possible.

I have had receivers for years with a fast menu. Now, we have a slow menu from Directv. This is difficult for me to understand.

I have had receivers for years with a fast menu. Now, we have a slow menu from Directv. This is difficult for me to understand.The other receivers you've used had software designed by the respective manufacturers. The H20 has DirecTV designed software, and the requirement of 2 new sat locations to poll for guide info.

...Ken:...That could be a problem down the road with HD receivers designed from one team instead of different manufacturers. Competition is always good and now it is pretty much gone. Directv has sort of eliminated this. Now and in the future, when Directv gives receivers away, they will be built cheaply. There is only a 90 day warranty on the H-20 but I suspect Directv will exchange a new unit for a defective unit thru the months/years. The guide, itself, is alright on the H-20 but the 'favorites' is very slow and not quick at all. My wife is complaining already. She, already wants me to put the Zenith back in service. But, hey, the H-20 is free. And we will get used to it until something new happens along.

That could be a problem down the road with HD receivers designed from one team instead of different manufacturers. Competition is always good and now it is pretty much gone. Directv has sort of eliminated this.Agreed.

I believe this was one of the reasons why D* was popular with many consumers, choice of receivers.

How come after setting stretch and gray bars, I still get a 4x3 picture with black bars on all sd channels?

Just a further thought. I understand Dish is quite popular with some people but, one of their weaknesses has always been a lesser 'quality' receiver than Directv. Now, it seems for some unknown reason, Directv has 'joined' Dish in this weakness. As a consumer, this is difficult for me to understand. Enough on this subject.

del;............ I have 1 of my H-20s set with gray bars and 3 x 4 format in digital. And I have another 1 set in stretched and blacks bars. H-20 kind of quirky; play around with settings. reset and begin again; I had to on several things.

The Guide alway starts with a filter option rather than showing the guide. I couldn't figure away to stop that so to get to the guide it's alway two key presses. I hope I've just missed something major here.



If the last thing you did in the guide was select a channel from the guide or you hit "exit" from the guide, then you can hit the "back" key, which will take you directly to the guide.

Pardon me for jumping in but does anyone know if it's possible to use the H20 as an OTA receiver only?

Just a further thought. I understand Dish is quite popular with some people but, one of their weaknesses has always been a lesser 'quality' receiver than Directv. Now, it seems for some unknown reason, Directv has 'joined' Dish in this weakness. As a consumer, this is difficult for me to understand. Enough on this subject.

I think it was Dan Collins who summed it uop by saying- DISH is more profitable then Directv so Directv is stealing some of their methods. Namely the in house box design, and the leasing model. Directv already killed all the independant box suppliers now it looks like 2006 they plan to make a big push towards leasing too.

I have not found out yet how to maintain 'song listing' in Music Choice. It is ok listing first several songs but, then, the screen saver comes on the screen. I would like the choice of screen saver and/or music listings for each song played. Any ideas?

I will say my picture HD and SD off the H20 blow away my old DTC 100. Now to get my old 2020 Replaytv to work with it. I was also hoping to maybe pick up Toledo with my OTA but no luck.

Haven't ordered the H20, but read through the owner's guide and was very surprised and disappointed to notice that the receiver doesn't have a "blaster" that can control a VCR. Yes, a VCR is helpful if you want to archive programming. The guide suggests that you separately program your VCR to start at the same time you've programmed into your H20.

What a step backward from my wonderful Sony H300.

This new technology should make things easier for the consumer, not more difficult.

Gary

I think vcr's are essential dead to the masses but a blaster to control a dvd recorder could sure be useful.

I wonder if maybe there are dvd recorder coming out with usb connections and they could one day enable the usb ports to control them that way? Supposedly directv plans to enable the usb ports for all sorts of features maybe this is something they can throw in? Just a random thought....

Yes, VCRs aren't selling, but there are still an awful lot of them out there, not only mine.

Yes, the omission of a "blaster" does affect the user-friendly recording on DVD. I hope Direct does find a way to control outboard recorders.

Gary

I hope Direct does find a way to control outboard recorders.
I don't think that'll happen. D* wants you to use their DVR. FWIW, I haven't used the blaster in my old Hughes box for a couple of years.

Yes, VCRs aren't selling, but there are still an awful lot of them out there, not only mine.

....

Gary

agreed- i thought baout it after i posted, I should have said- something like 'in the future' since there are so many still floating around.



I think though the point about the dvr is valid- more incentive to have to pay the $6 extra amonth to get a dvr from them. Gives people another reason to 'voluntarilhy; move to the new official box flavors.

Pardon me for jumping in but does anyone know if it's possible to use the H20 as an OTA receiver only?Yes, but if you're going to do that, definitely wait for the LG version of the H20.

Yes, but if you're going to do that, definitely wait for the LG version of the H20.

I've actually found this receiver to be the best yet (for me) for receiving OTA. I can compare to the HR10-250 (Tivo), Zenith HD1080, and Mits Sr-HD5.

Seems to handle the multipath problems quite well and the lower stength Fox station too.

Here is what's funny. We know that DirecTV CSR are clueless, but I was surprised when I was connected to level 2 advanced tech support. I spoke with this guy about the MPEG4 rollout and he was VERY knowledgable. (Almost as if he frequets this forum!) While we were talking, I asked if there was any way to identify the different manufactures of the box because I was waiting for the LG box to come out.

What he said really surprised me. There are ways of telling, first off, the location of manufacuring may be differe, the model # would definately be different (ie. H20-xxxx, H20-yyy etc). Also, he said we will NEVER see the LG box, even though they have started manufacturing them. I do not believe him, but he said that LG has lost the contract, even though it had been announced!

Let's hope this guy is completely wrong. If anyone in the know (Ken H) has any info, that would be nice.

Jeff

Here is what's funny. We know that DirecTV CSR are clueless, but I was surprised when I was connected to level 2 advanced tech support. I spoke with this guy about the MPEG4 rollout and he was VERY knowledgable. (Almost as if he frequets this forum!) While we were talking, I asked if there was any way to identify the different manufactures of the box because I was waiting for the LG box to come out.

What he said really surprised me. There are ways of telling, first off, the location of manufacuring may be differe, the model # would definately be different (ie. H20-xxxx, H20-yyy etc). Also, he said we will NEVER see the LG box, even though they have started manufacturing them. I do not believe him, but he said that LG has lost the contract, even though it had been announced!

Let's hope this guy is completely wrong. If anyone in the know (Ken H) has any info, that would be nice.

Jeff


All the xxx numbers are hundreds. I posted a list of what we know so far based upon other posts I have gleaned:

100 is rca/ Thomson
200 is Samsung
300 is Phillips
400 I THINK was the HD Tivo’s manufacturer selectron
500 = ???
600 is humax

Also, he said we will NEVER see the LG box, even though they have started manufacturing them. I do not believe him, but he said that LG has lost the contract, even though it had been announced!

Let's hope this guy is completely wrong. If anyone in the know (Ken H) has any info, that would be nice.Everything I've been told says this is wrong.

All the xxx numbers are hundreds. I posted a list of what we know so far based upon other posts I have gleaned:

100 is rca/ Thomson
200 is Samsung
300 is Phillips
400 I THINK was the HD Tivo’s manufacturer selectron
500 = ???
600 is humax

It's been speculated by those more knowledgeable than me, that 500 will be LG. So the LG version would have on the unit "DTV PN H20 - 500"

Yes, but if you're going to do that, definitely wait for the LG version of the H20.Yes, exactly Ken. Thanks!

On 2- H-20s I get black and gray sidebars but no dark gray sidebars. How about you?

All the xxx numbers are hundreds. I posted a list of what we know so far based upon other posts I have gleaned:

100 is rca/ Thomson
200 is Samsung
300 is Phillips
400 I THINK was the HD Tivo’s manufacturer selectron
500 = ???
600 is humax

400 is Hughes

I thought 500 is Humax and 600 is LG.

-Robert

Robert: The number on my 2 H-20s is '600' and the OTA section seems very good. It seems to me Humax did manufacture some units before LG. LG seems to be latest manufacturer so, logically '600' is the latest number. But I really do not have any definite info on the matter.

400 is Hughes

I thought 500 is Humax and 600 is LG.

-Robert
Hmmmm....

The one I'm looking at is a H20 - 600.

My 5 H20's are all 600.

I just got my H20 today. I bought a H10 yesterday and traded it in after seeing how bad the pq is compared to my antique Hughes (non-HD) in non HiDef channels. First off, the pq on the H20 is a LOT better than the H10 and noticeably better than the Hughes. The HD signal strength is also higher than with the H10 for some reason. The only problems I have are:

1. I miss the Turbo Menu's oh so badly.
2. The guide is ultra slow.
3. Using Channel +/- to page flip in the favorite setup causes a reboot.

I can lie with the lack of Turbo's, but they really need to fix the slow guides. My wife is pissed. :p

Does the Caller ID show name & number, or just number only?

thehater: I agree; How could Directv get the guide so slow and unfriendly to set and read? And the 'favorites' is a joke! But, happy to relate, the audio and video are both first-rate!

arxaw.........
My H20 Caller ID displays only the incoming number, no other info...
I checked out the H20 Manual.....all it talks about is "numbers"...no names/addresses, etc.

It does display both if you subscribe to both services from your telco.

My telco only sells Caller-ID "name & number". But I have 2 Samsung boxes that only display the tel number. That's why I was asking.

Anyway, it looks like I'll be hanging onto the Sammy boxes. This new H20 sounds like the clunky menu, GUI and painfully slow guides would be hard to live with. It's a shame that inferior equipment and no equipment choice is the new rule with D*. Choice of equipment was one of the reasons I went with D* instead of E* or incompetent cablecos.

[QUOTE=arxaw]My telco only sells Caller-ID "name & number". But I have 2 Samsung boxes that only display the tel number. That's why I was asking. QUOTE]


That was a design limitation of the Samsungs.

...That was a design limitation of the Samsungs.

Yes, it was. Unfortunately, I found that out after I purchased the Sammy boxes.

Caller-ID aside, it's too bad D* scrimped on the speed and user friendliness of the new H20. It could've been an excellent box.

I do get name and number on caller ID. I am very happy with my free H20. Moving from an old dtc 100, my picture on all channels is like having a new TV.

I just got my H20 today. I bought a H10 yesterday and traded it in after seeing how bad the pq is compared to my antique Hughes (non-HD) in non HiDef channels. First off, the pq on the H20 is a LOT better than the H10 and noticeably better than the Hughes. The HD signal strength is also higher than with the H10 for some reason. The only problems I have are:

1. I miss the Turbo Menu's oh so badly.
2. The guide is ultra slow.
3. Using Channel +/- to page flip in the favorite setup causes a reboot.

I can lie with the lack of Turbo's, but they really need to fix the slow guides. My wife is pissed. :p

Have they done any software upgrades of the H20 yet? They fixed the guide speed problem on the H10s a few months back, so there may be a similar fix for the H20.

Anyone with an H20 using HDMI? They botched the picture on the H10 HDMI port and I'm curious to see if the problem followed to the H20.

I have mine hooked up using a HDMI-to-DVI converter to the TV, and it seems to work fine. What do you mean by botched?

We just received the LG made H20's and they are manufacturer code -600.

Beginning Tuesday afternoon we are shipping them and you can get a $200 mail-in rebate. The HR10-250 is also eligible for the $200 rebate.

-Robert

Robert: ..I have 2 '600' H-20 in operation in Detroit area. As I have said, the tuners are very good on video and audio, probably among the very best. They, also, pick up OTA stations nicely at about 45 miles. They may be 'slightly' better in sensitively than my Zenith HD520 that I still have. Again, the Zenith is much better on menus and speed of tuning, etc. The Zenith is better on overall built quality. Bottom line, I still prefer the Zenith by a slight margin, overall. The H20 was build to come in at a certain price level and, I believe, Directv has reached its' target. Time will tell how reliable the H20 proves to be. One month and all is well. But, oh, the menus and the slowness!

We should see a download to make the menu move faster.

-Robert-

Robert: I would certainly hope so (about the menu working faster) . Just thinking here..I believe LG made the Zenith HD520, yes? If so, why did they not employ in the H20, the very fine 'favorites' screen with all the logos of the stations to be found there. My wife could go to the CBS eye, and there was the program she wanted to watch. It was the easiest and fastest ever!

From 1994 - 2003 every manufacturer designed their own DIRECTV receivers from the ground up. But when News Corp took over their vision was a standard user interface and remote control for every box, so customers and their CSR could more easily support the products.

So LG, Philips, Samsung, Thomson and Humax all build the same box to DIRECTV's specifications.

Yes you are correct, LG made the Sony and Zenith DIRECTV receivers. In fact, LG owns Zenith. Sony actually built their first box, the HD100, but the HD200 and HD 300 were LG manufactured.

-Robert

Will old mpeg2 HD receivers (Sammy360) work with the new mpeg 4 dish?

Robert,
Do the H20-600's have the 5th generatiion LG ATSC chip?
I took the cover off one of mine but the tuner part has a pretty solid casing I didn't want to mess with.

Will old mpeg2 HD receivers (Sammy360) work with the new mpeg 4 dish?All D* receivers work with the new AT-9 dish, but only the new H20 will receive the MPEG4 channels.

Steeler: Any MPEG2 (or MPEG4) tuner will work with the new dish. Of course, with MPEG2 tuner you will not get the new sats bringing HD locals but you will receive all the regular channels.

Robert,
Do the H20-600's have the 5th generatiion LG ATSC chip?
I took the cover off one of mine but the tuner part has a pretty solid casing I didn't want to mess with.
Based on the LG press release, yes, they are supposed to.

I have done a some amount of comparing the new H20 with my Zenith HD520. Just talking about the OTA section of both units, as I have said before, the H20 is very good on picking up UHF/digital stations some 40 miles away. I have a highly directional uhf antenna (Televes DAT75) and a roter to zero in on 5 HD stations toward Lansing, Mi. 3 stations are northwest and 2 stations are southwest. I split the angle between them (about about 35 degrees I would guess and can pick them all up without moving antenna which shows very good sensitively. Living in the country, I have never had multipath problems. Now, I could do this same thing with the Zenith HD520 but the H20 seems a bit better. But it is certainly no big deal between the 2. Actually, as an overall receiver, I still prefer the Zenith. Now, if we could just get the tuning faster on the H20! By the way, 55 miles distant, the H20 does a 'good to very good' job of picking up the Detroit diigital stations but they are not rock steady 100 percent of the time as the Lansing stations are. The Flint stations come in about as good as the Lansing stations and they are 40 miles away, I would guess. Bottom line, with a good antenna (and a roter, if needed) you can bring in uhf/digital stations some 30-45 miles away just about 99 percent.

The major advantage of the H20's OTA receiver is its ability to reject multi-path. Of course, it's a great ATSC tuner in all applications.

-Robert

Thanks for all the great info, Robert. I have a question for you. Do you plan on selling the AT9 dish also, especially outside of the Detroit market?
Sounds like all the H20's released so far are made by LG based on the "600" reports. Has anyone gotten a H20 with a different number?

It looks like I can begin shipping the AT9 dish to the first 12 markets on or about December 1, 2005.

DIRECTV will upgrade you at no charge, so why pay a dealer?

-Robert

It looks like I can begin shipping the AT9 dish to the first 12 markets on or about December 1, 2005.

DIRECTV will upgrade you at no charge, so why pay a dealer?

-Robert


'casue we don't want so me knuckle dragger drilling into our houses to mount the beast- LOL

Kidding aside- will you be able to sell for people to self install- or is professional installation required?

do you have a projected cost? Ballpark is cool- I'm wondering if it's $50, $100, or $500?

michaelk: 1 or 2 (or more?) h20 tuners plus at9 dish plus switch box plus wiring plus install..all free..from Directv..no trade. And some installers are very good.

Sorry I'm trying to get caught up on all this. What are the first 12 markets?

Steeler: Any MPEG2 (or MPEG4) tuner will work with the new dish. Of course, with MPEG2 tuner you will not get the new sats bringing HD locals but you will receive all the regular channels.
That's what I thought, just wanted to make sure. Thanks. One other question. Will D* let you keep your old HD tuner when they install the H20 and AT9 dish?

'casue we don't want so me knuckle dragger drilling into our houses to mount the beast- LOL

Kidding aside- will you be able to sell for people to self install- or is professional installation required?

do you have a projected cost? Ballpark is cool- I'm wondering if it's $50, $100, or $500?

$139.00 delivered to your door. H20 receivers are free after $200 mail-in rebate.

-Robert

steeler: My own experience. The installer brought me 2 H20s and I kept my 2 tuners..no trade.

Sorry I'm trying to get caught up on all this. What are the first 12 markets?

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington, Atlanta, Detroit, Houston and Tampa, Fla.

It looks like I can begin shipping the AT9 dish to the first 12 markets on or about December 1, 2005.

DIRECTV will upgrade you at no charge, so why pay a dealer?

-RobertI'm going to have to cut some neighbor's trees down to get all sats from one spot. I'm guessing a DirecTV installer wouldnt even touch my current setup. The pegasus installer told me i had no chance but with 3 dishes i made it work.:-)

Thanks steeler. Does anyone know if San Francisco will include Sacramento as part of its extended market?

Thanks steeler. Does anyone know if San Francisco will include Sacramento as part of its extended market?

Nope, Sacramento(-Modesto-Stockton) is #19. Second group.

OK. When is second group allowed to upgrade to the H20? Should I contact Robert about upgrading my equipment or is this a long way off? Thanks in advance!

michaelk: 1 or 2 (or more?) h20 tuners plus at9 dish plus switch box plus wiring plus install..all free..from Directv..no trade. And some installers are very good.


i didnt maen to imply they all suck. But if you get from directv it's not like buying from RObert who screens his installers. DIrectv will send you whoever they got lying around and they might be dolts.

For $139, I'd probably let them play and take the day off to halk 'em, but if it was $50 or maybe even up to $100 I'd think about doing it myself. I'd guess everyone would have their own threshold for taking the directv installer gamble...

One other thing I have not seen mentioned is the lack of the H20 to recognize the "back" button on the remote.

My H20 brings up the guide instead of flipping back to the previously viewed channel every time I press the "back" button. Makes channel surfing annoying. Anyone else experience this? Am I missing something? :confused:

FJV17:..You are correct about above. Also, the title information does not go away for 10 seconds instead of 2, 4, or 6 seconds. And you will find other little things that are not right with the remote. I have been using a great remote (Zenith HD52) and can not understand why a receiver would be released that has so many bugs, to include very slow overall speed. The favorites are, also, difficult to operate and slow. My wife is complaining all the time about remote. It would seem, to get a remote operating fast and correctly, would not be that difficult.

One other thing I have not seen mentioned is the lack of the H20 to recognize the "back" button on the remote.

My H20 brings up the guide instead of flipping back to the previously viewed channel every time I press the "back" button. Makes channel surfing annoying. Anyone else experience this? Am I missing something? :confused:

The back button is for the menu system. Use the prev button conveniently located below the channel up/down button for previous channel. ;)

i didnt maen to imply they all suck. But if you get from directv it's not like buying from RObert who screens his installers. DIrectv will send you whoever they got lying around and they might be dolts.

For $139, I'd probably let them play and take the day off to halk 'em, but if it was $50 or maybe even up to $100 I'd think about doing it myself. I'd guess everyone would have their own threshold for taking the directv installer gamble...

Michael, I am sure I reading your post wrong, but are you saying **************** does not pay our satellite technicians properly? Just in case you or anyone would somehow get that feeling, I want to set the record straight. Here's the facts, I would be surprised if any salaried satellite technician earned the same or more than my staff technicians. We pay extremely well and far above the industry scale.

My two top senior technicians have been working at my company for more than six years each and absolutely love their careers. They perform the highest quality professional installation available. We very sincerely value and appreciate our technicians and treat them with honor and respect that they so well deserve.

I do agree that our industry employes many technicians that are also excellent and take pride in their work. So it's not carte blanche that you will be unhappy with a HSP or MSO, the vast majority are very good. The only difference with my company is that you are 100% guarantied a excellent installation with very high quality workmanship and materials 100% of the time.

-Robert

ahhh....I'll have to give that a try once I get home tonight. Hopefully it will work.

Heck, even my wife was complaining about that yestarday while watching NFL....got to love that :D

Michael, I am sure I reading your post wrong, but are you saying **************** does not pay our satellite technicians properly? Just in case you or anyone would somehow get that feeling, I want to set the record straight. Here's the facts, I would be surprised if any salaried satellite technician earned the same or more than my staff technicians. We pay extremely well and far above the industry scale.

My two top senior technicians have been working at my company for more than six years each and absolutely love their careers. They perform the highest quality professional installation available. We very sincerely value and appreciate our technicians and treat them with honor and respect that they so well deserve.

I do agree that our industry employes many technicians that are also excellent and take pride in their work. So it's not carte blanche that you will be unhappy with a HSP or MSO, the vast majority are very good. The only difference with my company is that you are 100% guarantied a excellent installation with very high quality workmanship and materials 100% of the time.

-Robert


sorry if I wasn't clear. Didn't mean to imply people would get anything but perfect results from your company.

I was trying to say that your company provides 100% satisfaction and uses screened installers that you trust in areas where your techs dont directly handle it. Whereas ordering directly from Directv you take your chances.

I think it's like most anything else with the famous bell curve- probably 60 percent of the time the people directv sends out do a good job, 20 percent do great, and 20 percent stink. I just dont want to roll the dice and have to hope that i dont get one of the 20% who stinks. If the price is right, I'd do it myself. My second choice would be to order from you so i know a trust worth y individual will be sent. Last choice is take it from directv directly and cross my fingers. But since they dont seem to allow free or cheap unless you get from them directly, i'd take the chance. If they ensured the installers were paid fairly and had some QC systems then i'd expect the percentages to skew higher and wouldn't feel it was so risky.

You get what you pay for and it sounds like in general that Directv doesn't make sure the actual installers get paid a decent wage. Some companies, like yours, I'm sure pay a decent wage to their folks, but sure seems like directv has nothing to do with seeing that all their retailers/contractors do the same. At least that's my perception from the web reading about horror story after horror story on differnt forums...

Hello Everyone,

What's the difference between the H20 that you can buy right now at Best Bur or Circuit City, and the one made by LG that everyone is talking about. I am going to be a new Directv subscriber sometime next month, and I want to make sure I buy the best receiver overall for HD.

Thanks,

Victor

DIRECTV contracts the manufacturing of their receivers to six different companies. Most folks in the know agree that LG is the best. In particular the H20, has LG's best 5th generation OTA HD ATSC tuner built-in.

-Robert

if the 600 manuf. code is LG's then all the h20s i've seem at my local BB are LG-made.

jim

Is the $200 rebate on the H20 for new customers only? or only for those in the top 12 markets?

I'm not quite clear on this.

Will Directv allow a chimmey (brick) mount for this 36 pound monster dish ?

Red Dwarf; The 4 mounting methods suggested by Directv are wall, wooden railing (wide), chimney, and ground mount.

The '6oo' LG (H20) receivers provide very good reception (OTA) , excellent video and audio but are somewhat weak in menus and speed. Overall, I still prefer the Zenith HD520 by a slight margin. Built quality is much better on Zenith, by the way. Of course, the H-20's were build down to a price level (as they are given away free). We shall see how long they last. Again, very good video on the H-20's.

Red Dwarf; The 4 mounting methods suggested by Directv are wall, wooden railing (wide), chimney, and ground mount.


Does anyone have photos of the chimmey method?

Red Dwarf: Go to Google..type in..solid signal..check the Detroit section, click on the new dish..will give you information on new dish and mounts.

$139.00 delivered to your door. H20 receivers are free after $200 mail-in rebate.

-Robert

Robert, I hate to beat this subject to death but.......I just got off the phone with D*. I talked to a supervisor not just a CSR. She told me that the H20 is $99.00 after rebate for existing customers and you have to give them your old HD receiver. This is entirely opposite of the info you and others are giving out in this thread. What's the straight scoop?

Directv’s pricing is NOT the same as retailers like Robert.

Their pricing very well might be $99 after $200 rebate. But if you wonder over to Roberts website at www.********************* you will see his price is $199 so after the $200 rebate it’s free.

Sometimes Directv is better (usually through customer retention) , other times the retailers are better.

Has anyone gotten the rebate form yet? I got a letter in the mail today from D* about my recent new activation, but it looked like the rebate form they sent was for the $100.00 DVR rebate. :mad: Looks like I may have to make a call or two to D*, since the H20 is not a DVR. :confused:

Robert, I hate to beat this subject to death but.......I just got off the phone with D*. I talked to a supervisor not just a CSR. She told me that the H20 is $99.00 after rebate for existing customers and you have to give them your old HD receiver. This is entirely opposite of the info you and others are giving out in this thread. What's the straight scoop?

Strange, when I called to order mine they did not charge me a penny for the receiver upgrade. Also they tech did not mention anything about a trade in for my old receiver. In the end I only paid $50 for the dish upgrade.....

As I have mentioned, different CSR's have different information as do different installers. Directv does not communicate with CSRs or their customers very well, to say the least. I received 2 new H-20s and new dish install at zero cost and no trades.

You guys got upgraded to MPEG4.

Steeler is apparently in a market that doesn’t have MPEG4 yet so they are giving him the jumping the gun pricing.

Once his market goes mpeg4 I’d bet he gets the free swaps that you did.

In the mean time if people cant wait and need a box now, just buy one from value electronics.

You guys got upgraded to MPEG4.

Steeler is apparently in a market that doesn’t have MPEG4 yet so they are giving him the jumping the gun pricing.

Once his market goes mpeg4 I’d bet he gets the free swaps that you did.

In the mean time if people cant wait and need a box now, just buy one from value electronics.

I am in the Washington DC market which is not online quite yet. The supervisor from D* gave me the price using Detroit and the markets that went on line today as a price guide. She said when DC comes on broad this will be the price. Obviously people are getting them for free with no trade in. This illustrates how bad info flows from D* to its customers!

usual story with htem

just keep calling to you get the answer you want...

To any H20 owner. Does the OTA signal meter work well? I have a Sammy 360 and the signal meter never worked. It will be nice to have a STB with a functioning OTA signal meter.

To any H20 owner. Does the OTA signal meter work well? I have a Sammy 360 and the signal meter never worked. It will be nice to have a STB with a functioning OTA signal meter.
The OTA meter on the H20 does seem to be pretty usable. Looks like the cutoff for a usable signal on it is around 40%, for what that's worth. I also have a Sammy 360, and so I know where you're coming from with that question. ;)

The OTA signal meter is good on the H20. With a good antenna and the transmitters some 35 miles, the meter shows between 90 and 100. It does help you to zero in on a given station.

Has anyone gotten the rebate form yet? I got a letter in the mail today from D* about my recent new activation, but it looked like the rebate form they sent was for the $100.00 DVR rebate. :mad: Looks like I may have to make a call or two to D*, since the H20 is not a DVR. :confused:


If you read Robert's earlier posts in this thread you will see that the $200 rebate is for customers who activate their HD receivers after 11/25. I confirmed that when I ordered my H20 from him this week. When I call to activate this weekend I will inquire about the rebate at that time and will post the results.

Does anyone's H20 reboot when they try to use the signal strength meter?
Or is it just mine?

Does the caller id work ok on the H20? It seems the R15 and D10 have had problems, so just wondering. I am considering upgrading my RCA DTC210, but enjoy the flawless caller id feature and the fast channel changes of the RCA. What say you?

fish.....
The H20 I have has no problems with the caller ID function....works perfectly....
Now...as for "speedy" channel changes/menu operation....the H20 is running way back in the pack.....Video and audio are top-notch...but this box is slow as molasses running uphill in January when it comes to menu functions. It's been rumored that a firmware upgrade for the H20 may be forthcoming that will fix this issue.....Time will tell, I guess....

fish.....
The H20 I have has no problems with the caller ID function....works perfectly....
Now...as for "speedy" channel changes/menu operation....the H20 is running way back in the pack.....Video and audio are top-notch...but this box is slow as molasses running uphill in January when it comes to menu functions. It's been rumored that a firmware upgrade for the H20 may be forthcoming that will fix this issue.....Time will tell, I guess....

My contacts have also told me a firmware download is in the works to speed up the processor.

-Robert

I currently have the RCA DTC-100 which I connect to an RCA MM36100 monitor through the only possible HD connection, a VGA cable to a 15 pin jack on the monitor.

I see from the manual for the H20 that there is no VGA output, only component output. I will now need a component to VGA transcoder. Even if DirecTV offers a free swap of receivers and a free upgrade of the dish, it will not be an even swap since I will be out of pocket for the price of the transcoder.

Shouldn't DirecTV provide me with a transcoder, or give me a service credit equivalent to the cost of the transcoder?

On channel 582 all last night there was an instructional video for Directv installers explaining the new dish and receiver technology and installation. Very informative! It got me all excited to see the local HiDef stuff. Since I’m in Boston I will try for the upgrade on December 1st.

Just bought a H20 at Compusa last night and have a question, my signal strength
is about 10 to 15 points lower than my hughes HTL-HD, I have a three phase dish, not the new 5 lnb dish, could it be because I have just the RG6U with steel core with the copper coating, or do I have a bad H20 box?

Just bought a H20 at Compusa last night and have a question, my signal strength
is about 10 to 15 points lower than my hughes HTL-HD, I have a three phase dish, not the new 5 lnb dish, could it be because I have just the RG6U with steel core with the copper coating, or do I have a bad H20 box?
Relative signal strength between boxes is irrelevant. Every model will show different signal levels. Most who have installed the H20 report lower levels.

noinfo.....
You mention December 1st to "try for an upgrade"....
Have you heard this to be the start date for Boston? I'm in central NH, just outside Concord...and am considered Boston DMA....and I'm gettin' antsy, too...! :D

Same thing with OTA boxes. One may show "100%" signal strength, but swap it with a different box and you may get a much lower reading. It's just varies by make & model of equipment.

bdraw: Your H20 should not reboot when you check signal strength.

Does anyone here know whether the usb port is a substitution for the low speed data port on other models? I have been using an RCA model (older SD) with an RJ-6 low speed data port connected to my computer . Beyond TV can then control the box to tune for recording.

also, my understanding is that the $200 rebate is contingent on a 24 month committment to extend an existing D* package. It is not necessary to add a new service such as HD programming.

Ok, any RCA210 owners (such as fishguts) can ask me any questions as I am a long time user of the RCA210 and I just installed the h20 tonight. The setup is easy. I think the RCA you have to manually go through the menus and set up the unit, but the H20 is simple about it all. I actually liked that.

I didn't receive any more extra OTA channels than I did with the 210, but my CBS used to have choppy audio here (close to power lines), but no more. The HD on these channels is clearer on my 57" Hitachi Widescreen.

Channel flipping will take about 3/4 of a second longer, that's it. When you are in the guide it takes about an extra ~1/4 second to scroll down and around. I have an OLD RCA analog receiver sitting downstairs that is slower than you guys could possibly imagine, so for me the slower speed of the guide isn't a killer. The 210 was certainly faster about it and I will hope to see a software upgrade in the near future.

Favorites? Umm, with the 210 I essentially did the same thing that I have to do with the H20 but with the H20 when I am scrolling through the long list of channels to take out channels I don't want, I get a nice icon to the right of the channel logo. That is incredibly improved over the RCA. I would have to first surf through the channels with the RCA to make sure I knew which channels I didn't want and THEN I could go and block out those channels in my favorite profile. Maybe I just didn’t utilize some snazzy favorites' function on the 210, but for me, this unit is an improvement. I can further explain they way I do things in case folks don't understand how I set up channels.

Unit doesn't have a digital coaxial connection. Now my DVD player, XBox AND now my DirecTV HD receiver are asking for Optical only. Geh!! My audio receiver will take 3 but still it means I have to go buy another optical cord and ditch the Monster Digital Coaxial I have. Oh well it will come into use someday I am sure.

RF Remote - the H20 has it, so that's good.

HDMI out only. And they don't box any HDMI or HDMI to DVI cables with the unit. My TV is DVI in only. Radio Shack has a 12ft. store brand HDMI-to-DVI cable for $35 on clearance so I took that one. eBay has these cables for maybe half of that cost if you look around hard enough, but I was in need of a 12 footer.

You may get a 2 year agreement added to your account. Mine didn't add for whatever reason. I tried to argue the point but the CSR said they sell those units to Best Buy (and others) at the $200 price because they force the customers to take on a 2 year agreement in return. I thought that was bull, but I have no reason to leave anyway. My rebate from Best Buy will likely add on a 2 year HD Programming commitment as well, but again, who cares. I like that HD and while we need more, it's better than not having it.

HORIZONTAL INVISIBLE LINE IS GONE! Nuf said. To the AByss with that terrible line that had visiting relatives asking, "Hey is that fancy TV broke, you have a line or something?"

I don't know that I can attest to the PQ being better on the D* HD channels. Maybe it is, but I can't tell. The RCA210 is a good machine as far as PQ (despite the H-line).

I'm in the Minneapolis area and we have two 9-1's here. On the 210 if the power was taken from the unit (or if rebooted), the wrong 9-1 would replace the one that I actually could get. So very so often I would have to go in and change that particular channel. On this unit it sees both 9-1's but on a reboot it didn't remove my settings.

Bottom line, my H-line is gone and let's hope they make the channel-flipping and menu-use faster.

Only problem I'm encountering with the H20 is with the use of "favorites" set up. Seems each time I try to establish a favorites list and scroll down the channels, the unit reboots. Do we know if this is a known software glitch or a local problem with my unit?

Just bought a H20 at Compusa last night and have a question, my signal strength
is about 10 to 15 points lower than my hughes HTL-HD, I have a three phase dish, not the new 5 lnb dish, could it be because I have just the RG6U with steel core with the copper coating, or do I have a bad H20 box?

While comparing signal strength/quality between two receivers is a bit irrelevant I have had the exact opposite experience. My H20 was able to pick up stations that were down in the mud for the HD-HTL. It appears to be much more sensitive and has significantly better multipath rejection than the HD-HTL.

My praise stops there.

No 75ohm coax output (I have coax run to my basement for a couple of SD tvs). RF remote (for me anyways) is not very good. You can't seem to customize the channel guide (color, level of detail). It takes 2 button presses to get into the guide. Oh, and the guide is about as fast as the 6 year old sony receiver that it replaced.

Oh, and no built in NTSC tuner. While I rarely use the NTSC tuner it's helpful when for whatever reason the digital broadcast is down.

Only problem I'm encountering with the H20 is with the use of "favorites" set up. Seems each time I try to establish a favorites list and scroll down the channels, the unit reboots. Do we know if this is a known software glitch or a local problem with my unit?
That is what happened to me, also, and I think others have reported that glitch. I found when it stops scrolling, it helps to manually punch in the number of the next channel before it does the reboot. Hopefully they are working on a software update to fix this and other glitches.

Thanks for the mini-review. I am considering getting the H20 and adding a new HD LCD in a bedroom, so I appreciate the info. The H-line on the 210 was not a problem for me-mostly when the camera panned vertically. Since the H20 is free with rebate, you convinced me. Others have said caller id works great, and your direct comparison with the 210 as to speed was most helpful, as I think I can live with that. PQ seems to be equal or maybe slightly better on the H20, so thanks for your very informative reply.

That is what happened to me, also, and I think others have reported that glitch. I found when it stops scrolling, it helps to manually punch in the number of the next channel before it does the reboot. Hopefully they are working on a software update to fix this and other glitches.

Thanks, labmansid . . .direct access works for now ..

Here's the kicker. I didn't tell the store that I was a new or old subscriber and they assumed I was new because I got that $50 Gift Card. After going through the process? You could easily tell them you are new as they took none of my information in any official capacity.

Only problem I'm encountering with the H20 is with the use of "favorites" set up. Seems each time I try to establish a favorites list and scroll down the channels, the unit reboots. Do we know if this is a known software glitch or a local problem with my unit?

Thank god for this forum......I thought this was just my unit. Nice to know its not only me.

Thank god for this forum......I thought this was just my unit. Nice to know its not only me.

Did either of you mention which unit you have? Which x00? Mine is the 600 which is made by LG apparently. If you have this one then clearly you both have some sort of bad unit OR maybe both of you have similar hardware interfering with the HD unit?

What Iw anna know is will my $90 Radio Shack 12ft. HDMI to DVI cord be just as good as the $100 Monster variant. I can't believe DirecTV left people out int he cold on the cord. Then could have at least thrown in a generic adaptor.

A $10 no name cable will be just as good.

A $10 no name cable will be just as good.

Well i got it at $35 on clearance, so I'm ok. I couldn't find one cheaper in a brick-n-mortar store. COuldn't wait for someone to ship it what with my lack of patience for new toys.

Did either of you mention which unit you have? Which x00? Mine is the 600 which is made by LG apparently. If you have this one then clearly you both have some sort of bad unit OR maybe both of you have similar hardware interfering with the HD unit?

What Iw anna know is will my $90 Radio Shack 12ft. HDMI to DVI cord be just as good as the $100 Monster variant. I can't believe DirecTV left people out int he cold on the cord. Then could have at least thrown in a generic adaptor.


Mine is the 600 -- purchased at Best Buy . ..

Mine is the 600 -- purchased at Best Buy . ..

Does it faithfully display that behavior? Or is this something that happens more or less frequently when you go into favorites?

Just brought home an H10 from CC. After I got home, I realized it should have been an H20. (Free after rebate). I browsed through this thread but didn't see it, maybe I missed it. So can someone tell me what's the difference between the H10 and H20? Should I take it back to CC and exchange it for an H20? (That's what was advertised.) Thanks.

djwww98......
The H20 receiver is capable of utilizing MPEG-4 compression, the latest move by DirecTV to accomodate more HD channels (starting with Local-In-Local HD in selected makets around the country)....The H10 uses only MPEG-2 compression scheme and is NOT upgradeable to MPEG-4.....
If you were supposed to get an H20....go back NOW and get it (provided they're still in stock...many areas have limited qunatities on hand......). Good luck!:)

You won't get the rebate on the H10 or so a couple BB guys said. They had to take the H10 out of the CSR who was helping me and replace it with the white w/ blue box which was the H20. They said that the rebate would come back as a no-go. I'd take it back and replace it as I can't see anything about the H20 that is as problematic as the H10 - at least when skimming the H10 the threads.

Go back. Hurry. Don't get pulled over by the cops, but get there fast. :)

You don't need need to get the HD package if you have the 2 year contract.

If you order one of these from Circuit City, how do you get your rebate?

FYI,
Just hooked up my H20-600 yesterday. As soon as I completed the initial setup the unit began a software update. Current info says:
Previous software version - 0160
Current version - 000A
Does anyone else know what their versions are?
I've had no reboot issues and the channel changing seems to be fast enough.
Also wen I activated the H20 with D* I asked about the $200 rebate. The CSR said I was eligible and would be getting a form in the mail in the next 10 days.

... when I activated the H20 with D* I asked about the $200 rebate. The CSR said I was eligible and would be getting a form in the mail in the next 10 days.
Thanks for the info.

Anyone else get a software upgrade yet?

Everyone will get that Software upgrade. Took my system about 15 minutes to perform it. I didn't notice a faster guide or channel surf afterwards. I didn't have reboot int he small time I used the system before the software upgrade. The fraction of a second that it takes the H20 to do things longer than my RCA DTC-210 just isn't bad to me.

One other thing I noticed and I don't think I mentioned above is that on the RCA 210 when I used the previous channel button specifically when that channel was 9-1 it ended up taking me to the wrong 9-1. On this receiver it is smart enough to know which 9-1 I have already removed from the favorites. This is a big thing on football day because 9-1 is a Fox channel, thus the previous channel gets used a lot.

Also for anyone interested my RCA 210 had a very quick way to autotune to channels. You would open up the guide and hit the select button once (twice would put the record icon in there) and the program would be placed on the schedule. If something else was scheduled already, the 210 would pop up a message saying there was a conflict and then it wouldn't let you schedule the new one. Now the H20 takes a few more pushes of the button to autotune, but it let's you choose up to 10 minutes early. When there is a conflict it tells you what program and channel is conflicting. That is a huge upgrade because in the past I sometimes couldn't find the conflict in the schedule with the RCA unit. Now to sell the RCA on eBay - in perfect condition and will come with the retail box, btw. ;)

Just brought home an H10 from CC. After I got home, I realized it should have been an H20. (Free after rebate). I browsed through this thread but didn't see it, maybe I missed it. So can someone tell me what's the difference between the H10 and H20? Should I take it back to CC and exchange it for an H20? (That's what was advertised.) Thanks.

The H20 is capable of Directv Active Service which the H10 is not.

FYI,
Just hooked up my H20-600 yesterday. As soon as I completed the initial setup the unit began a software update. Current info says:
Previous software version - 0160
Current version - 000A
Does anyone else know what their versions are?
I've had no reboot issues and the channel changing seems to be fast enough.
Also wen I activated the H20 with D* I asked about the $200 rebate. The CSR said I was eligible and would be getting a form in the mail in the next 10 days.

Keith, my experience with my H20 and D*was exactly as yours. Actually your post was word for word my experince.

The H20 is capable of Directv Active Service which the H10 is not. This is a future service that may never be used. Who knows! It is not being used now.

Only problem I'm encountering with the H20 is with the use of "favorites" set up. Seems each time I try to establish a favorites list and scroll down the channels, the unit reboots. Do we know if this is a known software glitch or a local problem with my unit?

I found another problem. I can't program my remote to operate my Onkyo receiver. The codes given don't work. The remote operates my Mits. just fine!

... what's the difference between the H10 and H20? Should I take it back to CC and exchange it for an H20?
The H20 has a significantly improved OTA tuner.
Yes, take it back and exchange the H10 for the H20.

The H20 has a significantly improved OTA tuner.
Yes, take it back and exchange the H10 for the H20.

The OTA tuner does work great but I did not find much of a noticeable difference in performance from my old Sammy 360.

D* is now offering 3 free months of the HD package and the $200.00 rebate when you buy the H20 or a HD DVR with a 2 year programming commitment and activation of the HD package.

This is a future service that may never be used. Who knows! It is not being used now.

What with a whole button designated for it, I'd think they're going to make some effort to have at least minimal operation of the feature. I can't imagine it will all that great for me though, even if they install it as described. They used to have those Interactive channels and I never used them.

3 free months of HD programming huh? I wonder if us old customers could geta taste of that. For all the more is on those channels it shoudl be free all the time! WOuldn't that be a great incentive for HD customers to move to D*? Start charging when they pick up another HD channel or two. The addition of ESPN2HD was fairly useless due to the channel not having much programming.

Directv’s pricing is NOT the same as retailers like Robert.

Their pricing very well might be $99 after $200 rebate. But if you wonder over to Roberts website at www.********************* you will see his price is $199 so after the $200 rebate it’s free.

Sometimes Directv is better (usually through customer retention) , other times the retailers are better.
I bought the H2O and am totally confused by the rebate. It says that I need to submit the rebate certificate, and a copy of my DirecTV statement and that my DVR service must be $40+.

I do not currently have DirecTV HD service, and having never yet experienced HD reception, plan to initially try it OTA and see if I like it enough to want to pay DirecTV for the HD service. Sooooo....if I read the rebate correctly, I don't actually have to subscribe to DirecTV's HD service in order to take advantage of the rebate....right? My current service includes second level plan (not sure what exactly it is called, but it includes almost all channels, but not HBO/Showtime, etc), and I pay extra for DVR service and local channels, bringing my bill to around $49 as I recall (my wife pays the bill, so don't hold me to the exact amount). My point is, does this meet the rebate requirements (ie. I DON'T have to sign up at this time for HD service from DirecTV)? Am I reading the "fine print" right?

Rob

3 free months of HD programming huh? I wonder if us old customers could geta taste of that........

I believe it is for existing customers too.

djwww98......
The H20 receiver is capable of utilizing MPEG-4 compression, the latest move by DirecTV to accomodate more HD channels (starting with Local-In-Local HD in selected makets around the country)....The H10 uses only MPEG-2 compression scheme and is NOT upgradeable to MPEG-4.....
If you were supposed to get an H20....go back NOW and get it (provided they're still in stock...many areas have limited qunatities on hand......). Good luck!:)
I live in Boise ID, and I suspect it will be some time before we see MPEG-4 service. I don't currently have an HD dish or HD service, but would like to add HD service. I bought the model H2O and would like to know what my options are as far as getting hooked up?

1. Can I use a 3LNB with my model H2O? Or should I go ahead and go the 5LNB route?
2. Can a simple-minded geek like me install my own dish (whether the 3 or 5LNB type)? Or should I pay someone to install for me? What can I expect to pay for such installation (and the cost of the dish itself)? If I can use either dish, what are the price differences between the two, and installation issues with one versus the other?
3. I do not currently have DirecTV HD service, and my dish is a round dish. I know that it will have to be replaced by something (see question 1). Will DirecTV do the replacement? If so, at a cost? Or would I be better off paying someone to do the install, and then contact DirecTV to begin the HD service?

Thanks, Rob

What with a whole button designated for it, I'd think they're going to make some effort to have at least minimal operation of the feature. I can't imagine it will all that great for me though, even if they install it as described. They used to have those Interactive channels and I never used them.
I miss the interactive channels. The weather channel was very helpful; it showed airport delays, which, for anyone who travels frequently, was handy. ESPN's interactive channel was great for quickly checking scores and stats.

I'm hoping Murdoch gets something going on the interactive front pretty quickly. I've heard that his satellite service in the U.K. has some pretty advanced interactive features.

If you live in New York or LA,you do not need a 5LNB dish.I live in NY using 3 Lnb.

Ask direct tv to sent you the rebate form and your statement with the HD package in it.

You can use ANY DirecTv dish with the H20.

I set one up last night with 3lnb dish.

However, certain dishes only get certain channels (of course). Ideally you want the new 5lnb jobber.

PDS

Installed a new H20 last night.

The TV, a Syntax / Olevia 30" LCD tv, is not the in the "list" of known TV's for the remote.

I did find the RC24 manual online which shows how to program the remote manually (including code search).

But, does anyone know the Oeliva code? (or re-direct me to other sources).

Thanks,

PDS

... does this meet the rebate requirements (ie. I DON'T have to sign up at this time for HD service from DirecTV)? Am I reading the "fine print" right?

Correct.

But you do have to keep at least TotalChoice programming package (or possibly whatever you currently subscribe to) for 2 years.

If you bought the H20 and your rebate form mentions DVR, it sounds like you have the wrong rebate form. I haven't purchased the H20 yet, but plan to, and I also talked to D* beforehand about the rebate. They said when i call and activate the box, they will mail me an H20 $200 rebate form.

FWIW, OTA HD channels look a lot better than HD on D* - unless the local channel is doing mulitcasting.

According to the H20 user guide on directv.com, you can choose that 4:3 material be displayed pillar-box, stretch, or crop if you have a 16:9 set. Is there any way to tell it to do nothing? I have a Toshiba 16:9 set and would prefer to let it do the adjustments to 4:3 material. Perhaps there is a setting to just pass the aspect ratio information on to the TV?

Thanks.

If you have a 16:9 set, choose pillar box.
It will automatically show 16:9 programs as 16:9 and 4:3 as 4:3.

I believe it is for existing customers too.

I called D*...the free 3 months of HD package does apply to existing customers. I got mine!!!

I called D*...the free 3 months of HD package does apply to existing customers. I got mine!!!

Your talking to yourself :D

Installed a new H20 last night.

The TV, a Syntax / Olevia 30" LCD tv, is not the in the "list" of known TV's for the remote.
I did find the RC24 manual online which shows how to program the remote manually (including code search).
But, does anyone know the Oeliva code? (or re-direct me to other sources).
Thanks,

PDS
I would be interested in that as well. Mine is hooked up to a Syntax 27". I tried the code search feature on the remote and found a couple of codes that work, until I try to save it and then it won't work anymore. Not a deal breaker, but it would be nice to at least be able to adjust the volume using one remote.

RobJJ - The rebate form I received from BB indicates that for eligibility one must subscribe to DTV's HD programming package, whether as a new or existing customer. I confirmed this with a DTV supervisor.

RobJJ - The rebate form I received from BB indicates that for eligibility one must subscribe to DTV's HD programming package, whether as a new or existing customer. I confirmed this with a DTV supervisor.
actually the wording on the rebate form at BB is very vague and unclear and I would'nt put total faith in anything that a DTV rep tells you

you can read the rebate terms provided by BB here
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1128338085305&type=product&skuId=7384742&tab=6&productCategoryId=cat03026
by clicking on the link within

statement one
PROOF OF PURCHASE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Please include a copy of the original
2. sales receipt and circle the
3. applicable rebate item.
4. 1.) Complete this rebate form.
5.
6.
7. 2.) Complete the DIRECTV rebate
8. form (DIRECTV will send form to you
9. in a separate mailing).
10.
11. 3.) Attach a copy of your DIRECTV
12. bill showing activation of DIRECTV
13. programming and HD service.
14. *************************************
15. Please NOTE: Your submission will not
16. be honored without BOTH completed
17. rebate forms (one from Best Buy store
18. and one sent in seperate mailing from
19. DIRECTV.)
20. *************************************
21. Limit one $100 rebate and one $200
22. rebate for a total of $300 per
23. account. Limit one rebate per
24. receiver.


statement 2

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
For customers who purchase 24 consecutive months (without interruption) of any TOTAL CHOICE programming package ($41.99/mo. or above), DIRECTV PARA TODOS programming package ($29.99/mo. or above) or qualifying international services bundle within 30 days of equipment purchase. In certain markets, programming and pricing may vary. Reproductions of rebate form are strictly prohibited. May not be substituted for cash or credit, and cannot be transferred or exchanged. May not be combined with any other DIRECTV HD offer. Refurbished/reconditioned equipment purchases and/or exchanges through DIRECTV do not qualify. Offers void where prohibited, taxed or restricted. DIRECTV programming, pricing, terms and conditions subject to change. Receipt of DIRECTV programming is subject to the terms of the DIRECTV Customer Agreement; copy provided at DIRECTV.com and in your first bill. DIRECTV services not provided outside the U.S. 2005 DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo, TOTAL CHOICE and DIRECTV PARA TODOS are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. 11/05 24855ACQ-6

Now I spoke with a retailer today **************** who said that the rebate would be valid if I committed to a two year contract of a Total Choice package and did not have to include a HD package commitment

at the same time I would assume one could get the 3 month free HD package to meet the terms in statement 1 but who's to say that doesn't conflict with 'may not be combined with any other DIRECTV HD offer' from statement 2

seems to me there is no clear cut answer based on how you read/interpret the verbage

Seems to me it is much easier to just call Directv and have the installer bring the equipment around. I took the 2 recivers ordered but did not install the new dish at this time. You also save some money in state taxes and also in gas dring to stores. You never part with any money by letting the installer bring the receivers. The installer even sat the receivers up for me and explained some things. And called Directv to authorized the receivers. All very clean and easy and completely free. No trades.

Seems to me it is much easier to just call Directv and have the installer bring the equipment around. I took the 2 recivers ordered but did not install the new dish at this time. You also save some money in state taxes and also in gas dring to stores. You never part with any money by letting the installer bring the receivers. The installer even sat the receivers up for me and explained some things. And called Directv to authorized the receivers. All very clean and easy and completely free. No trades.

Richard, I agree completely but my market (Wash DC) is not online yet. I wanted to get the H20 now and use my Sammy 360 on a new HDTV I recently bought. The $9.00 tax was a small price to pay to get it early. Did you get the free 3 months of the HD package?

actually the wording on the rebate form at BB is very vague and unclear and I would'nt put total faith in anything that a DTV rep tells you

you can read the rebate terms provided by BB here
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1128338085305&type=product&skuId=7384742&tab=6&productCategoryId=cat03026
by clicking on the link within

statement one



statement 2



Now I spoke with a retailer today **************** who said that the rebate would be valid if I committed to a two year contract of a Total Choice package and did not have to include a HD package commitment

at the same time I would assume one could get the 3 month free HD package to meet the terms in statement 1 but who's to say that doesn't conflict with 'may not be combined with any other DIRECTV HD offer' from statement 2

seems to me there is no clear cut answer based on how you read/interpret the verbage

My rebate form from COMPUSA states: Rebate details: Both $100 and $200 Rebate offers valid nationally through 02-28-06 for customers who purchase 24 consecutive months (without interruption) of any TOTAL CHOICE programming package ($41.00/mo. or above), DIRECTV PARA TODOS programming package ($29.00/mo. or above) or qualifying international services bundle within 30 days of equipment purchase.

Rob

If you bought the H20 and your rebate form mentions DVR, it sounds like you have the wrong rebate form. I haven't purchased the H20 yet, but plan to, and I also talked to D* beforehand about the rebate. They said when i call and activate the box, they will mail me an H20 $200 rebate form.


Here is the link the CSR gave me over the phone when activating. He said it would be a waste of time to mail me one. http://www.directv.com/imagine/pdf/dvr_rebate_form.pdf

It says DVR in the link, but it's for both DVR and HD scenarios.

What exactly am I missing by not having this 5LNB satellite? I have the 3-LNB and I would be upset to find that I need the 5 before HD LIL's make it to my market - which they haven't.

What exactly am I missing by not having this 5LNB satellite? I have the 3-LNB and I would be upset to find that I need the 5 before HD LIL's make it to my market - which they haven't.

You will not be able to get HD locals or upcoming HD national channels unless you upgrade to the 5 LNB dish.

Does anyone know if the ReplayTV 5000 series has the IR codes for the H20?

Info regarding H20 or H10 Boxes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just got off the phone the Customer Installation Department at DirecTV.

Apparently if you live in Los Angeles or New York you do not need the new dish or H20 receiver to receive the local HD channels. He said that the H10 and 3 LNB dish will work because the local HD are not on the new satellites for LA and NY. If I order from DirecTV I may or may not get the H20 because its not required for local HD. He also said if I want to make sure I get the H20 I should go to the local Circuit City or Best Buy and buy it there. He also said that the H10 is not Mpeg4 and I would have to upgrade sometime later.

Can anybody confirm this?

Paul

I'm sure the manual will say, but I'm not currently where the manual is, so thought I'd ask the forum. When I hook up the H20, will I replace the current DirecTV box and use only the H20? That's what I'd assume, but mentally trying to anticipate my connection needs.

If you have a 16:9 set, choose pillar box.
It will automatically show 16:9 programs as 16:9 and 4:3 as 4:3.

But then the H20 is adding the pillars, correct? I would rather have it pass the image "as-is" to my TV and let it handle the adjustments.

According to the H20 user guide on directv.com, you can choose that 4:3 material be displayed pillar-box, stretch, or crop if you have a 16:9 set. Is there any way to tell it to do nothing? I have a Toshiba 16:9 set and would prefer to let it do the adjustments to 4:3 material. Perhaps there is a setting to just pass the aspect ratio information on to the TV?

Thanks.
Try setting the output resolution to native, and 4:3 format to stretch (note that I don't have my H20 yet, so this is just an educated guess).

But then the H20 is adding the pillars, correct? If you want stuff shown as the station is sending it, choose PILLAR BOX.

On 4:3 standard definition broadcasts, it will show the 4:3 material as is, with 4:3 in the middle of your 16:9 TV screen and pillar boxes on the sides to fill in the rest of your screen.

On 16:9 broadcasts (720p or 1080i), it shows everything in 16:9. On those channels, if the original material is not widescreen (e.g. CBS Evening News), the station inserts the pillar bars to fill in the 16:9 frame.

Info regarding H20 or H10 Boxes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just got off the phone the Customer Installation Department at DirecTV.

Apparently if you live in Los Angeles or New York you do not need the new dish or H20 receiver to receive the local HD channels. He said that the H10 and 3 LNB dish will work because the local HD are not on the new satellites for LA and NY. If I order from DirecTV I may or may not get the H20 because its not required for local HD. He also said if I want to make sure I get the H20 I should go to the local Circuit City or Best Buy and buy it there. He also said that the H10 is not Mpeg4 and I would have to upgrade sometime later.

Can anybody confirm this?

PaulEverything above is correct.

Also, the H20 has a better OTA HD tuner than the H10. Something to consider if you want to use an antenna to get some of the local HD channels that are not on D*. Not all of them are.

Here is the link the CSR gave me over the phone when activating. He said it would be a waste of time to mail me one. http://www.directv.com/imagine/pdf/dvr_rebate_form.pdf

It says DVR in the link, but it's for both DVR and HD scenarios.


In that PDF, it says: "Originals only - duplicates of this form will not be accepted"

Does anyone know if MPEG is available in the Boston area? I read a press release that stated that the Boston market was going to get the new service in December, but I heard that it was pushed back to middle '06. Anyone hear the same thing from D*? Thanks.

I bought the H20 from BestBuy on Black Friday and after I hooked it up and activated the HD service through D* customer service all was well except that I noticed that sometimes the audio and video seems out of sync sometimes on some HD channels like Discovery. I am using a 3lnb dish. How can I fix that?

Also, when I set up the dish I had no idea what to put in for the multiswitch option (4x4 or 6x8 i think) so i just chose the 4x4 since it was the default one. What exactly is the multiswitch for? Does it have any effect on anything?

In the H20 box there is some little device in a small white box called the Ka- something something (im at work dont have it on me). What is that for?

I bought the H20 from BestBuy on Black Friday and after I hooked it up and activated the HD service through D* customer service all was well except that I noticed that sometimes the audio and video seems out of sync sometimes on some HD channels like Discovery. I am using a 3lnb dish. How can I fix that?

Also, when I set up the dish I had no idea what to put in for the multiswitch option (4x4 or 6x8 i think) so i just chose the 4x4 since it was the default one. What exactly is the multiswitch for? Does it have any effect on anything?

In the H20 box there is some little device in a small white box called the Ka- something something (im at work dont have it on me). What is that for?

You can complain to D* and Discovery HD about the audio sync. It is not equipment related as far as I can tell.

The 4x4 is what you have currently I would bet.

The B band converter is not needed until you get the new dish. Don't throw it out. Keep it for the new dish.

actually the wording on the rebate form at BB is very vague and unclear and I would'nt put total faith in anything that a DTV rep tells you

you can read the rebate terms provided by BB here
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1128338085305&type=product&skuId=7384742&tab=6&productCategoryId=cat03026
by clicking on the link within

statement one



statement 2



Now I spoke with a retailer today **************** who said that the rebate would be valid if I committed to a two year contract of a Total Choice package and did not have to include a HD package commitment

at the same time I would assume one could get the 3 month free HD package to meet the terms in statement 1 but who's to say that doesn't conflict with 'may not be combined with any other DIRECTV HD offer' from statement 2

seems to me there is no clear cut answer based on how you read/interpret the verbage

Musick - You may be right although I specifically indicated in my post that the information I received came from a tech support supervisor. I phoned and asked to speak with someone in authority because I wanted to bitch about being forced to upgrade to DTV's HD package in order to be eligible for the H20 rebate. Personally, I don't believe their HD package is worth $11 per month. So, FWIW, I wasn't speaking with a typical lower level csr.

My complaints must have paid off because I got the 5lnb dish, H20, and installation for a good price, without a mandatory HD package commitment.

Now I spoke with a retailer today **************** who said that the rebate would be valid if I committed to a two year contract of a Total Choice package and did not have to include a HD package commitment

at the same time I would assume one could get the 3 month free HD package to meet the terms in statement 1 but who's to say that doesn't conflict with 'may not be combined with any other DIRECTV HD offer' from statement 2

seems to me there is no clear cut answer based on how you read/interpret the verbage

Actually you do need to activate the HD package and agree to 2 years of TOTAL CHOICE to qualify for the $200 HD rebate. Sorry if someone at my office misquoted you. I will go over the rebate details at our morning meeting tomorrow.

We are only shipping the H20 it is a superior receiver to the H10 and is MPEG-4 capable.

-Robert

Has anyone had a chance to play around with the program timers yet?

I just received my H20 today and I can't get it to turn itself on and tune to a channel. The autotune works fine if the box is already on but it won't wake itself up if I turn it off like my sony sat-hd300 will.

I've got a dvd recorder with a hard drive that I use to record with frequently and i don't really want to leave the sat box on all the time.

The manual for the H20 isn't real clear on this. In the troubleshooting section, it says that if the box turns itself on unexpectedly, that an autotune might have been set. From this I'm inferring that an autotune should turn the box on.

Just curious if I got a bad box or they are all this way. Thanks a lot!

Brian

Has anyone had a chance to play around with the program timers yet?

I just received my H20 today and I can't get it to turn itself on and tune to a channel. The autotune works fine if the box is already on but it won't wake itself up if I turn it off like my sony sat-hd300 will.

I've got a dvd recorder with a hard drive that I use to record with frequently and i don't really want to leave the sat box on all the time.

The manual for the H20 isn't real clear on this. In the troubleshooting section, it says that if the box turns itself on unexpectedly, that an autotune might have been set. From this I'm inferring that an autotune should turn the box on.

Just curious if I got a bad box or they are all this way. Thanks a lot!

Brian
FYI, most STBs use nearly as much power when they are turned off. The only thing that you are turning off is the A/V ouputs.

We are only shipping the H20 it is a superior receiver to the H10 and is MPEG-4 capable.

-Robert

I received my H20 from Robert today (quick service as usual Robert, thanks). I must say that my initial reaction to the PQ is that I actually find it a bit better than the Sony HD200. I never thought I'd say that of any receiver, but in an A/B comparison, the H20 appears to have a bit more picture depth, a bit better sharpness and a tad less noise....not a bad combination!

Unfortunately I'm having a few issues with my Gefen HDMI switcher which is making the process a bit more difficult than it needs to be.

Actually you do need to activate the HD package and agree to 2 years of TOTAL CHOICE to qualify for the $200 HD rebate. Sorry if someone at my office misquoted you. I will go over the rebate details at our morning meeting tomorrow.

We are only shipping the H20 it is a superior receiver to the H10 and is MPEG-4 capable.

-Robert
Robert,
thanks for the clarification and to be fair your rep was helpful but I don't think anyone could be expected to properly interpret the vague wording of the rebate

Since you seem to be clearer on it can I assume the minimum contract commitment needed to get the rebate is as follows:

- 24 consecutive months of a Total Choice package $41.99 x 24 = $1007.76
+
- 1 month HD package $10.99 that I can cancel after the first month (as I also don't believe at this time $10.99 is worth the price per month for the current content)

these cable/satellite companies make it much to confusing to the average consumer to make an informed purchase

This is a very good receiver. The ATSC tuner is sensitive and stable. Hopefully a software update will make it quicker and fix the minor bug where the receiver reboots when editing the current favorites list. I did find that you can change to a differnet favorite list and edit the first favorite list with no problem. You just can't edit the "Current Favorite List".

By the way, if anyone is looking for a good low cost source for cables try
monoprice.

I bought a HDMI and HDMI-DVI cable for $6.49 each.

The rebate says that you have to send in a copy of your D* bill showing the activation of service. Now I already had D* when i got teh H20 and since I just activated the HD with 2 yr service commitment there is no way I am going to get the next bill showing the HD activation within 30 days for the rebate to be valid. Is any current bill showing my status as a D* customer but not the HD package which I had just recently activated going to be valid for that rebate?

The rebate says that you have to send in a copy of your D* bill showing the activation of service. Now I already had D* when i got teh H20 and since I just activated the HD with 2 yr service commitment there is no way I am going to get the next bill showing the HD activation within 30 days for the rebate to be valid. Is any current bill showing my status as a D* customer but not the HD package which I had just recently activated going to be valid for that rebate?

The rebate is valid till 2-28-6......and must be postmarked by 4-30-06

Robert,
thanks for the clarification and to be fair your rep was helpful but I don't think anyone could be expected to properly interpret the vague wording of the rebate

Since you seem to be clearer on it can I assume the minimum contract commitment needed to get the rebate is as follows:

- 24 consecutive months of a Total Choice package $41.99 x 24 = $1007.76
+
- 1 month HD package $10.99 that I can cancel after the first month (as I also don't believe at this time $10.99 is worth the price per month for the current content)

these cable/satellite companies make it much to confusing to the average consumer to make an informed purchase

The HD Package is free for 3 months

If you want stuff shown as the station is sending it, choose PILLAR BOX.

On 4:3 standard definition broadcasts, it will show the 4:3 material as is, with 4:3 in the middle of your 16:9 TV screen and pillar boxes on the sides to fill in the rest of your screen.

On 16:9 broadcasts (720p or 1080i), it shows everything in 16:9. On those channels, if the original material is not widescreen (e.g. CBS Evening News), the station inserts the pillar bars to fill in the 16:9 frame.

I believe that answers my question. I do not want the H20 to add the pillars, I would prefer to let my TV handle 4:3 image manipulation. But that doesn't seem to be an option. I have been spoiled by the Toshiba TW1 mode that zooms in slightly and stretches only the edges of the image to fill the screen.

One more question... What happens to a 16:9 broadcast when recorded to a VCR? Have any of you tried this yet? Is it letter-box?

Thanks.

That brings up an interesting point. I'm surprised, since this is an LG box, that there is no 'panaroma' mode in the stretch modes. It seems the stretch mode in the H20 is a linear stretch which doesn't look nearly as good as the panaroma mode in the LG made Sony HD200.

Stupid question time.....

I just got my new dish and H20 installed today (SF Bay Area), and rather than noticing audio drop outs consistently, my audo is full on just either way ahead or behind what is shown on screen.

I am aware that there will be a software download to rectify the situation. My question is, does a phone line need to be connected in order to receive it, or does it just come through the dish?

Direct's upgrades comes to you via your satellite dish.

Gary

Thank you, kind sir. I kinda figured as much, but strangely, I recall not getting any updates whatsoever on my SD Tivo unit until I connected a phone line to it. Maybe it is just different for the DVR units.

I believe that answers my question. I do not want the H20 to add the pillars, I would prefer to let my TV handle 4:3 image manipulation. But that doesn't seem to be an option. I have been spoiled by the Toshiba TW1 mode that zooms in slightly and stretches only the edges of the image to fill the screen.

Yes-- that is why I suggested sending 4:3 material as stretch-- the box won't add pillar boxes. Also, you must set the output resolution to native. That way, the box will send 480i as 480i and not convert it to anything else. Therefore, your tv will be able to apply its stretch settings.

Note that this won't work if you're watching a local station that's doing its own upconverting and adding their own pillar boxes.

Hey, I want to followup on an earlier Post. I have the H20 and I use it in conjunction with a DVR with a hard drive. MY old Directv box had a reminder function which would automatically turn on the box and tune to the channel selected for recording. The Autotune feature does not automatically turn on the H20. Anyone else tried doing this? Is there any way around it? I hate leaving the box on all night just to record a 1 hour show. Thanks in advance.

Brian

Is the RF active now or is that coming with a firmware upgrade? I'm adding a new HDTV to our kitchen and want to "hide" the sat receiver.

Thanks, Mike

Mike, the RF is active. You need to go into settings find remote and it gives you the option to set it up as RF or IR. Just make sure you attach the RF antenna (included) to the back of the H20 before setting up the remote.

Brian

Mike, the RF is active. You need to go into settings find remote and it gives you the option to set it up as RF or IR. Just make sure you attach the RF antenna (included) to the back of the H20 before setting up the remote.

Brian

Brian,

Thanks for the fast reply! Next question.............If I have more than 1 H20, can they be set up not to interfere with each other?

Thanks, Mike

My first try would be just to set up both H20's as RF and see if you get interference. Each H20 may be coded with it's own unique RF frequency.

If you get interference, one possiblity might be to use a universal remote and set each H20 up with it's own code (as separate devices). THe problem there is you probably would have to go IR then, and that defeats the purpose of hiding the boxes.

Does anyone else on here have more info?

I know on the old receivers you could assign each receiver a "code". Hope the H20 has this feature.

Mike

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this before about the H20 rebooting. I hooked mine up and it kept rebooting when I tried to do some things in the menu. It seems that the H20 has a problem with diplexers. I had the antenna and sat signal combined and split them before running the cables into the box. This caused interference and the box would reboot. As soon as I removed the diplexer, the box stopped rebooting.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this before about the H20 rebooting. I hooked mine up and it kept rebooting when I tried to do some things in the menu. It seems that the H20 has a problem with diplexers. I had the antenna and sat signal combined and split them before running the cables into the box. This caused interference and the box would reboot. As soon as I removed the diplexer, the box stopped rebooting.
You cannot diplex OTA on the new H20 system. The new MPEG4 signals use that bandwidth on the cable.

In Chicago-

Installed my H20 on Wednesday of this week- works fine but every hour at 45 min. past the hour it attempts a software upgrade (Ua) that fails. DTV has no clue and does not know if it an update issue or a problem with the box. I will probably swap the box but wanted to see if others have had this issue.

In Chicago-

Installed my H20 on Wednesday of this week- works fine but every hour at 45 min. past the hour it attempts a software upgrade (Ua) that fails. DTV has no clue and does not know if it an update issue or a problem with the box. I will probably swap the box but wanted to see if others have had this issue.

Yep, I had the a similar problem on Monday. After hooking up the new receiver it found an update and started a painfully slow download, then hung at 97%. Customer support had be reboot the receiver, it found the updated and hung again at 97%. The third time it finally finished the upate after about 40 minutes. 40 minutes is a really long time when you just got a new receiver and are anxious to try it out!

I'd been waiting for the new D* LG box and got the H20-600 yesterday. I have the LG LSS 3200A and I've been hoping that the unit would acutally have an inication that it's an LG because I love the picture on the LSS 3200A.

On my new H20-600, in the lower right hand corner, it says "SERV NO: LSS 5200D"

Not sure what it says on the other H20-XXX units, but this indicates to me that it's an LG model number.

The "600" designation means that it is an LG manufactured box. I haven't heard of any non-LG manufactured H20s yet.

Now that my H20 and AT9 dish are installed....a few observations:

1) The H20 seems to be a mighty fine unit. I have had 0 issues since it was activated and the immediate software update downloaded.

2) Since I hooked up both my "old" OTA antenna and the new AT9 dish to the H20, I can see both local channels and compare them. The PQ on both is virtually identical - and solid.

3) An added bonus I've seen - OTA HD locals that were weak and/or had intermittent dropouts now appear to be very solid and the signal strength much stronger with the tuner in the H20 than my previous Samsung TS160.

4) Since its raining pretty good today....I'm getting to see the impact of rain fade. I've watched 6 hours and over 20 different channels (local, HD, and others for at least 15 minute increments - not one single droput or interruption. There is no doubt in my mind that the new dish reduces the rain fade effects. Even my "older" SD receivers have experienced no rain fade effects, despite some downpours. Channels that were marginal in the rain in the past are solid today in steady rain.

Now if they can only get that intermittent audio drop issue for local HD channels (only) addressed....the equipment upgrade will be utopian.

Now that my H20 and AT9 dish are installed....a few observations:

1) The H20 seems to be a mighty fine unit. I have had 0 issues since it was activated and the immediate software update downloaded.

2) Since I hooked up both my "old" OTA antenna and the new AT9 dish to the H20, I can see both local channels and compare them. The PQ on both is virtually identical - and solid.

3) An added bonus I've seen - OTA HD locals that were weak and/or had intermittent dropouts now appear to be very solid and the signal strength much stronger with the tuner in the H20 than my previous Samsung TS160.

4) Since its raining pretty good today....I'm getting to see the impact of rain fade. I've watched 6 hours and over 20 different channels (local, HD, and others for at least 15 minute increments - not one single droput or interruption. There is no doubt in my mind that the new dish reduces the rain fade effects. Even my "older" SD receivers have experienced no rain fade effects, despite some downpours. Channels that were marginal in the rain in the past are solid today in steady rain.

Now if they can only get that intermittent audio drop issue for local HD channels (only) addressed....the equipment upgrade will be utopian.

I experienced virtually no rain fade on my orginal SD dish but my 3 LNB dish has been pretty bad when it comes to rain fade. Glad to hear the new dish performs better in that regard.

I MAY HAVE DISCOVERED A POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO THE LOCAL HD CHANNEL AUDIO DROPOUT PROBLEM SEEN IN THE NEW MPEG4 EQUIPMENT INSTALLS.

I was going through the entire inventory of settings again today for my new H20 / AT9 MPEG4 DirecTV equipment install, and may have stumbled upon the cause and/or cure for the AUDIO DROPOUT PROBLEM for (only) the local HD channels.

When I turned off the Dolby Digital option in the H20 settings, the problem went away, and yet I was still getting Dolby output through my receiver.

It appears as though the activation of "Dolby Digital" in the H20 may conflct somehow with the Dolby processing/output in any conventional surround sound setup.

All I know at this point, is that the audio dropouts have disappeared, and Dolby Surround works fine on all channels now, including HD locals.

Since I have not seen this posted anywhere else, and it has been a frustrating hiccup in an otherwise-outstanding equipement upgrade process, I wanted to share this.

Yep, I had the a similar problem on Monday. After hooking up the new receiver it found an update and started a painfully slow download, then hung at 97%. Customer support had be reboot the receiver, it found the updated and hung again at 97%. The third time it finally finished the upate after about 40 minutes. 40 minutes is a really long time when you just got a new receiver and are anxious to try it out!

It is normal for the first H20 download to hang-up at 97% and again at 99%, but for not as long at the 99% mark. Most people re-boot and most of the time it's not necessary, just an unusual amount of patience to let the IRD finish the large file download and expansion.

I did not want to use the word "normal" in describing the extremely long wait time required for the download to move past the 97% point, but I did want everyone to know that it is normal for this first download.

-Robert

I MAY HAVE DISCOVERED A POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO THE LOCAL HD CHANNEL AUDIO DROPOUT PROBLEM SEEN IN THE NEW MPEG4 EQUIPMENT INSTALLS.

I was going through the entire inventory of settings again today for my new H20 / AT9 MPEG4 DirecTV equipment install, and may have stumbled upon the cause and/or cure for the AUDIO DROPOUT PROBLEM for (only) the local HD channels.

When I turned off the Dolby Digital option in the H20 settings, the problem went away, and yet I was still getting Dolby output through my receiver.

It appears as though the activation of "Dolby Digital" in the H20 may conflct somehow with the Dolby processing/output in any conventional surround sound setup.

All I know at this point, is that the audio dropouts have disappeared, and Dolby Surround works fine on all channels now, including HD locals.

Since I have not seen this posted anywhere else, and it has been a frustrating hiccup in an otherwise-outstanding equipement upgrade process, I wanted to share this.

This is interesting. I have been holding off on going the MPEG4 route as I don't really need it(DNS feeds) and there seems to be a few bugs with the box. But, if the bugs have been worked out, I just may order it since it's free.

I MAY HAVE DISCOVERED A POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO THE LOCAL HD CHANNEL AUDIO DROPOUT PROBLEM SEEN IN THE NEW MPEG4 EQUIPMENT INSTALLS.

I was going through the entire inventory of settings again today for my new H20 / AT9 MPEG4 DirecTV equipment install, and may have stumbled upon the cause and/or cure for the AUDIO DROPOUT PROBLEM for (only) the local HD channels.

When I turned off the Dolby Digital option in the H20 settings, the problem went away, and yet I was still getting Dolby output through my receiver.

It appears as though the activation of "Dolby Digital" in the H20 may conflct somehow with the Dolby processing/output in any conventional surround sound setup.

All I know at this point, is that the audio dropouts have disappeared, and Dolby Surround works fine on all channels now, including HD locals.

Since I have not seen this posted anywhere else, and it has been a frustrating hiccup in an otherwise-outstanding equipement upgrade process, I wanted to share this.


This worked for me also, but turning off the Dolby Digital output takes away the 5.1 surround which is not acceptable IMO. Until they get this straighten out it looks like I will be viewing my locals off my antenna. At least the H20 has a good OTA tunner where all my local channels come in relatively easy.

I know on the old receivers you could assign each receiver a "code". Hope the H20 has this feature.

It does. The receiver also comes with little stickers to place on the back of each remote (or in the battery compartment) so you won't get the remotes mixed up.

Is a phone line required for the receiver or DVR? I only use cell and looking to go to D* soon.

Is a phone line required for the receiver or DVR? I only use cell and looking to go to D* soon.

You might need a phone line for the initial set up for the DVR but not after. No need for one for the receiver unless you want to buy pay per view programing using your remote.

This worked for me also, but turning off the Dolby Digital output takes away the 5.1 surround which is not acceptable IMO.
You don't lose the Dolby 5.1, you simply are using your receiver's Dolby processor instead of the one in the H20. The Dolby setting "switch" in the settings menu appears to more of a "bypass" on & off for the internal H20 Dolby processor - you don't lose it, you just don't use it. I still get 5.1, but my receiver is processing the Dolby audio. I also validated this on the "Free Preview" channel this weekend - Showtime. Still getting Dolby there too.

Cowchip,
Don't know about DVRs, but it's not an absolute requirement for receivers. D* says it is in their rules, but they aren't going to disconnect you if all of your receivers are unplugged from the phone line. To order PPVs with no phone line, order online.

You don't lose the Dolby 5.1, you simply are using your receiver's Dolby processor instead of the one in the H20. The Dolby setting "switch" in the settings menu appears to more of a "bypass" on & off for the internal H20 Dolby processor - you don't lose it, you just don't use it. I still get 5.1, but my receiver is processing the Dolby audio. I also validated this on the "Free Preview" channel this weekend - Showtime. Still getting Dolby there too.
This doesn't sound right. If the STB was decoding the DD 5.1 signal it would need 5.1 separate analog outputs, like a DVD player. What the STB should be doing is sending the DD data stream to the receiver for processing into the 5.1 channels.

Are you sure you are getting DD 5.1 data stream from the STB with that switch off? Is it possible your receiver is taking a 2.0 signal and expanding it with ProLogic to 5.1? On my Denon 3805 it shows the signal being input and the signal being output so it is easy to see exactly what signal is actually being input, does your receiver have a similar function?

At long last the SAT-HD100 went out in a puff of smoke... Won't miss replacing those $50 cooling fans. After reading this thread from start to finish (thanks, guys) I ran down to Best Buy and bought the H20. I figure it's free after the rebate and I've been with DirecTV so long now I wouldn't change anyway. They even gave me the HD package for three months free, even though there's not enough content there for me to keep it. We'll see when NASCAR goes to ESPN.

First impressions:

- Picture quality NOT as good on SD channels. The HD100 did a much better job. I'll get used to it.
- OTA extremely impressive. I'm receiving more channels that I really care for. I'm in SF and I was never able to get NBC11 out of San Jose. Kinda makes all the trouble getting all those darn waivers a moot point now.
- Annoying channels showing up in the guide from local markets based on zip code. Like VHF locals. I don't even have a VHF antenna. Easy to get rid of with the favorites.
- Guides are faster than the HD100. I hated when the HD100 would stop in the middle of everything and update the guide. I miss the HD100 guide's preview window with the selected channel in it. That's how I would surf for something to watch. The H20 keeps the "present" or "currently viewing" channel in the preview window.
- You have to play with the settings a lot to get the display to do it's own thing with SD channels. I've got a panny with the "justified" mode that I like a lot and I didn't like the H20 "stretch" mode. Someday this won't be necessary.
- HD is among the best I've seen. No complaints.

Quirks:

I have an annoying problem with the guides and filters on the new H20 receiver.

All the channels I like to watch are in "Custom 1" which I have renamed "DTV". By itself this works just fine. It provides all the channels I have selected for this list.

However, when I bring up the guide and APPLY A FILTER such as "sports channels" (press "guide", scroll down to "sports channels" and press "select")

I get a guide which is labled:

Guide: DTV(fav), Sports Channels(filter)

I end up with a very lenghthy list of every freakin' sports channel on DirecTv, WHETHER OR NOT I RECEIVE THEM OR SUBSCRIBE TO THEM. Some of these are even out-of-market programs I could not get even if I wanted them.

I think the design of this guide/filter would be to "filter" the selected guide by the selected filter. In my case I should see "sports channels" which I have in my custom list.

Have I programmed something wrong or can I expect that we'll see a software update to fix this?

SFPegasus, I take it you didn't have the new dish installed to receive the HD local channels? Are you going to, or just going to rely on the OTA tuner? I'm curious how the quality of the HD locals compare to the OTA counterparts.

SFPegasus, I take it you didn't have the new dish installed to receive the HD local channels? Are you going to, or just going to rely on the OTA tuner? I'm curious how the quality of the HD locals compare to the OTA counterparts.

I really didn't have a reason to change anything until the HD100 blew up. That's why I went ahead with the H20. OTA have been just fine. Even better now that I get NBC11 OTA .I'll wait for the new HD DVR and do the new dish then.

I really didn't have a reason to change anything until the HD100 blew up. That's why I went ahead with the H20. OTA have been just fine. Even better now that I get NBC11 OTA .I'll wait for the new HD DVR and do the new dish then.
That's what I figured, if I could get OTA up here I would be a happy camper as well. I'm already getting the 4 major nets with HD DNS but I was curious how the DirecTV PG was with the new locals. When the HD-DVR becomes available is when I'll go with the new dish as well. :)

It does. The receiver also comes with little stickers to place on the back of each remote (or in the battery compartment) so you won't get the remotes mixed up.

NICE! Thanks for the info. My first H20 is coming tomorrow.

Mike

I just purchased a H20 from the Fullerton, CA Costco for $169. They also had the HR10-250 HD DVR for $549. It looks like they have switched from Dish to Directv.

You don't lose the Dolby 5.1, you simply are using your receiver's Dolby processor instead of the one in the H20. The Dolby setting "switch" in the settings menu appears to more of a "bypass" on & off for the internal H20 Dolby processor - you don't lose it, you just don't use it. I still get 5.1, but my receiver is processing the Dolby audio. I also validated this on the "Free Preview" channel this weekend - Showtime. Still getting Dolby there too.


HDTVFAN0001, see keenan post.

When I turned off the DD in the H20 settings menu, the receiver stopped sending a DD signal to my receiver and I was only get Pro Logic audio from channels that I know send Dolby Digital.

Quirks:
... I end up with a very lenghthy list of every freakin' sports channel on DirecTv, WHETHER OR NOT I RECEIVE THEM OR SUBSCRIBE TO THEM. Some of these are even out-of-market programs I could not get even if I wanted them.

Have I programmed something wrong or can I expect that we'll see a software update to fix this?
I'm not sure if you've done something wrong, but I had a problem where channels I had removed from a favorite list kept showing up in that list's (non-filtered) guide. After I went into Parental Controls and removed the offending channels there (and locked the system), they also disappeared from the FAV list I had setup. So you might try that.

This box has a damned good OTA ATSC tuner, better PQ than previous boxes I've owned (on both SD & HD on my TV - YMMV), and initial basic setup is very easy. But when trying to customize things, the box is not very intuitive or user friendly, IMO. And channel changing is much slower than the Sammy was.

I also miss the picture "Freeze" button my samsung box had.

In a favorite list you can go along and add or delete channels..one by one. It does not take that long.

HDTVFAN0001, see keenan post.

When I turned off the DD in the H20 settings menu, the receiver stopped sending a DD signal to my receiver and I was only get Pro Logic audio from channels that I know send Dolby Digital.
Additonal information and clarification -

Spoke to Level 3 technical support supervisor at D*TV (had escalated this issue over the weekend).

Here's the latest poop - Leave your Dolby seetings on the H20 to the "on" position. All is well (for all HDTV channels except the locals. THE AUDIO SIGNAL FOR THE NEW HD LOCAL CHANNELS ARE NOT PRESENTLY BEING TRANSMITTED WITH DOLBY, according to this higher-level supervisor. He said that the plans are to activate it in the "near future" (whatever than means).

Is it possible your receiver is taking a 2.0 signal and expanding it with ProLogic to 5.1? On my Denon 3805 it shows the signal being input and the signal being output so it is easy to see exactly what signal is actually being input, does your receiver have a similar function?
You are correct, see above post for updated info as well.

Does anyone know if the H20 accepts HP's remote control codes?

Signal Strength

I installed my H20 on Saturday and have noticed lower satellite transponder signal strength on the H20. It is approx. 10%-15% from my old receiver (Sony SAT-HD200) and from my HD-Tivo HR10-250. I haven't noticed any problems with picture drops or pixelization. I'm still using 3 the LNB dish.

Anyone notice the same thing? Should I exchange the receiver?

On the other hand, my OTA signal strength is higher on the H20.

Signal Strength

I installed my H20 on Saturday and have noticed lower satellite transponder signal strength on the H20. It is approx. 10%-15% from my old receiver (Sony SAT-HD200) and from my HD-Tivo HR10-250. I haven't noticed any problems with picture drops or pixelization. I'm still using 3 the LNB dish.

Anyone notice the same thing? Should I exchange the receiver?

On the other hand, my OTA signal strength is higher on the H20.
With the new 5LNB Dish, I get 70's - 80s on signal strength, with 95-100% on all OTA channels. It's important to note that the quality of the dish=pointing can have a major impact on results.

That said, please let me point out that the signal strength meter software running on every receiver is unique to that device. In the real world, a 50% reception signal signal on one box may actually be the exact same as a 70% signal on another box. I actually tested this on the exact same feed in with 3 different receivers while they were doing my new H20 install (using 2 previous HD receivers and the new one) -- same feed, same dish, same sats.

As expected, despite the exact same connectivity and dish, the signal strength meter values varied from unit to unit.

What I can tell you is that having a weekdn of rain and thunderstorms in our area here, I experience NO DROPOUTS on ANY channels during a busy HDV-viewing weekend, as well as some local HD channels - very solid to my pleasant surprise. I'm not saying rain fade is obsolete, but I sure had 500% better results with the new H20 and new 5LNB dish than the previous HD receiver and 3 LNB.

...
- You have to play with the settings a lot to get the display to do it's own thing with SD channels. I've got a panny with the "justified" mode that I like a lot and I didn't like the H20 "stretch" mode. Someday this won't be necessary.
...


SFPegasus,

What settings did you end up with to allow your panny to stretch the SD channels? I have a Tosiba with a stretch mode that I prefer over the H20's and have held off purchasing one because of this (even though it is "free")... Thanks!

Mike

With the new 5LNB Dish, I get 70's - 80s on signal strength, with 95-100% on all OTA channels. It's important to note that the quality of the dish=pointing can have a major impact on results.

As expected, despite the exact same connectivity and dish, the signal strength meter values varied from unit to unit.
I didn't change out dish yet. I'm not if I will need to since I'm in Los Angeles. What I'm concerned about is I have never seen satellite signal strength numbers this low on any of my receivers over the years. I'm just concerned if this is a bad unit.

I didn't change out dish yet. I'm not if I will need to since I'm in Los Angeles. What I'm concerned about is I have never seen satellite signal strength numbers this low on any of my receivers over the years. I'm just concerned if this is a bad unit.
While that is always one possiblity, there are other potential issues - including the pointing of your 3LNB dish - did they repoint it when your H20 was installed (if all else, to make sure it was maximized)?

Also, my old HD receiver had channels in the 55-70 range, depending on the sopecific transponder polled for signal strength. Now they are actually a bit higher. OTA is MUCH higher on all channels.

In a nutshell, I really don't have a whole lot of faith in sibgal meter software in general, in that you can often get such a variety of readings on the same source. Aside from a specific numbe, the main thing is whether or not your video and audio are solid. That said, your numbers do seem low - but if it were me, I'd check out the dish pointing accuracy first, before pursuing the H20.