DirecTV HD DVR - HR20/HR21/HR22 Master Topic

[Smuuth]

With the recent addition of the HR21 to the DIRECTV HD DVR lineup joining the HR20, it was suggested that a single thread be started on AVS Forum for discussion of both of them. For those who are unfamiliar with the HR21, it is very similar to the HR20 in function with the notable difference that it does not include ATSC tuners built in for reception and recording of OTA signals. A first look at the HR21 is posted here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=105066

[markrubin]

link to original HR20 thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=704067

[veryoldschool]

Guess we can close the older one now.

[armin_t]

Intersesting...

I get that the reason (I think) I am not gettiung on demand to display even though it is in my menu, is becasue DirecTV needs to activate it on their end. Simple enough...

HOWEVER and it's a big however, how come I am not getting some features that have been reported on this update by other users.

For example:

*Option to remove SD version if HD Channel exists
(found it, in a not so obvious place)

*Fix for HR20 to not end playback early and ask for deletion

*Updated Prioritizer menu

[fafner]

My HR21 was installed yesterday with software version 0x168. Overnight it updated itself to 0x16d.

What software versions do other ppl have?

fafner

ps. Thanks for taking my suggestion to have a thread that explicitly references the HR21 in the title.

[joelhe]

I'm thinking about switching to DirecTV from Time-Warner and currently use an external HD with my SA8300 box. I've seen a report that the SATA port is active on the HR-21 but would like to hear from someone that actually has an external HD working before switching over.

Thanks- Joel

[krisjan]

I just ordered the HD package and hardware including the HD DVR. Does this mean I will get the HR21? There is nowhere on my equipment order that they actually specify the model HD DVR they are installing. Anyone know the answer?
Thanks,
Mark

[Tom in OH]

Originally Posted by krisjan

I just ordered the HD package and hardware including the HD DVR. Does this mean I will get the HR21? There is nowhere on my equipment order that they actually specify the model HD DVR they are installing. Anyone know the answer?
Thanks,
Mark

You can always ask your installer which models they have when they call to verify the appt. If you want to use an ota antenna for digital locals be sure to ask for the HR20 HD DVR. Let us know how the instal works out.

[GregLee]

Originally Posted by joelhe

I'm thinking about switching to DirecTV from Time-Warner and currently use an external HD with my SA8300 box. I've seen a report that the SATA port is active on the HR-21 but would like to hear from someone that actually has an external HD working before switching over.

I am not such a person, but I did just switch to DTV from TWC and I did have an external ESATA drive working with the SA8300HD. I believe it would work with my HR20, but my drive is only 300Gb, so there wouldn't be any point to hooking it up, since the HR20 cannot use an external drive as a supplement to the hard drive it has already, but can only use an external drive to replace its internal drive. Probably you knew that, but just in case, I thought I'd mention it. I'd guess the HR21 works this way, too, but I don't actually know.

[Smuuth]

Originally Posted by fafner

My HR21 was installed yesterday with software version 0x168. Overnight it updated itself to 0x16d.

What software versions do other ppl have?

fafner

ps. Thanks for taking my suggestion to have a thread that explicitly references the HR21 in the title.

0x16d is the latest national release for the HR21.

[krisjan]

Originally Posted by Tom in OH

You can always ask your installer which models they have when they call to verify the appt. If you want to use an ota antenna for digital locals be sure to ask for the HR20 HD DVR. Let us know how the instal works out.

Thanks for the advice Tim. I currently get OTA through an HD receiver (Zenith 520) but now that I've opted to go for the DTV HD package, I don't think I'll need OTA anymore since they provide the locals in HD. If there is something I'm missing, please enlighten me.

Thanks,
Mark

[danmen]

Originally Posted by krisjan

Thanks for the advice Tim. I currently get OTA through an HD receiver (Zenith 520) but now that I've opted to go for the DTV HD package, I don't think I'll need OTA anymore since they provide the locals in HD. If there is something I'm missing, please enlighten me.

Thanks,
Mark

The only locals you will get in HD via DTV are the Big 4 (Fox, NBC, ABC and CBS). No plans to add PBS, CW, etc to HD local offerings. That would be one possibly major/minor downside to not having a built in OTA tuner.

[bakers12]

You can use OTA for local news and weather 24/7 in many places. The Weather Channel on the satellite is only national.

[balpers]

Originally Posted by krisjan

Thanks for the advice Tim. I currently get OTA through an HD receiver (Zenith 520) but now that I've opted to go for the DTV HD package, I don't think I'll need OTA anymore since they provide the locals in HD. If there is something I'm missing, please enlighten me.

Thanks,
Mark

I like having OTA available to serve as a backup tuner. There are frequent occasions when I have two HR20 tuners tied up with recordings and I want to watch a live network program. This may just be a personal quirk in the way I use equipment, but I thought it was worth mentioning. (You can never have too many tuners.)

Burt

[veryoldschool]

Originally Posted by balpers

I like having OTA available to serve as a backup tuner. There are frequent occasions when I have two HR20 tuners tied up with recordings and I want to watch a live network program. This may just be a personal quirk in the way I use equipment, but I thought it was worth mentioning. (You can never have too many tuners.)

Burt

If you have two tuners "tied up" recording SAT programs. You can't use the HR-20 OTA tuners, since it's limited to TWO recordings, or one recording and viewing another. You can NOT record two and watch a third, period.

[veryoldschool]

Originally Posted by danmen

The only locals you will get in HD via DTV are the Big 4 (Fox, NBC, ABC and CBS). No plans to add PBS, CW, etc to HD local offerings. That would be one possibly major/minor downside to not having a built in OTA tuner.

This really depends on what your DMA has. I have CW HD from D* as part of the six local HD channels, but no PBS HD.

[veryoldschool]

Originally Posted by joelhe

I'm thinking about switching to DirecTV from Time-Warner and currently use an external HD with my SA8300 box. I've seen a report that the SATA port is active on the HR-21 but would like to hear from someone that actually has an external HD working before switching over.

Thanks- Joel

I'm not using an eSATA, but do know personally users that are with the HR20 & 21.

[krisjan]

Originally Posted by balpers

I like having OTA available to serve as a backup tuner. There are frequent occasions when I have two HR20 tuners tied up with recordings and I want to watch a live network program. This may just be a personal quirk in the way I use equipment, but I thought it was worth mentioning. (You can never have too many tuners.)

Burt

Burt, this occured to me after I posted - it would be nice to have a back-up via OTA in case the satellite signal goes down. Also, there are other local OTA channels avaioable that DTV won't offer. I will request an HR20.
Thanks,
Mark

[krisjan]

I thought I'd add that after considerable haggling with DTV customer service, I managed to get the DVR and a second HD receiver for no cost. I don't think that's news here but we've been long-time DTV customers (well over 10 years) always paying our bills on time and used that as leverage.

[balpers]

Originally Posted by veryoldschool

If you have two tuners "tied up" recording SAT programs. You can't use the HR-20 OTA tuners, since it's limited to TWO recordings, or one recording and viewing another. You can NOT record two and watch a third, period.

You're right. Wasn't thinking too clearly when I wrote that. The OTA is coming through the tuner in my TV. Need more coffee.

Burt

[joed32]

Originally Posted by joelhe

I'm thinking about switching to DirecTV from Time-Warner and currently use an external HD with my SA8300 box. I've seen a report that the SATA port is active on the HR-21 but would like to hear from someone that actually has an external HD working before switching over.

Thanks- Joel

This thread might help you;
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-...e-upgrade.html

[hfthomp]

Hello, and sorry if this has been asked before. I am a current cable subscriber looking to switch to satellite. Does the new HR-21 receiver allow you to use both tuners with only 1 coax run coming into it? The one thing I like about my cable HD DVR is that it only needs the one coax to work. Does this new receiver need two lines coming into it from the dish? Thanks.

Also if I order Direct TV now, are they only offering the HR-21 receivers or are they still offering the HR-20s?

[Smuuth]

Originally Posted by hfthomp

Hello, and sorry if this has been asked before. I am a current cable subscriber looking to switch to satellite. Does the new HR-21 receiver allow you to use both tuners with only 1 coax run coming into it? The one thing I like about my cable HD DVR is that it only needs the one coax to work. Does this new receiver need two lines coming into it from the dish? Thanks.

At this time, it needs two coax feeds to utilize both tuners. There is a device currently in Beta testing called an SWM (Single Wire Multiswitch) that will allow both tuners on the advanced devices (HR20, HR21) to be fed with only one coax, but it is not yet available to the public.

Originally Posted by hfthomp

Also if I order Direct TV now, are they only offering the HR-21 receivers or are they still offering the HR-20s?

Based on posts on DBSTalk.com, it appears most current installations of HD-DVRs are the HR21. The HR20 is still available, though some customers are being told by installation companies that they are out of it.

[Rakesh.S]

boy am I glad that I got an HR20..

I *must* have CW in HD and directv does not offer it.

[Evangelo2]

Upgraded my HardDrive, how do I know if it worked?

I got a seagate 750GB FreeAgent and D* just delivered my HR20 2 nights ago.
I powered up the HD first and then powered on my HR20. No errors came up but how do I know if it is actually using the new Hard Drive or still writing to the internal? When I powered it back on, it went through its normal initialization process but it never prompted me anything about preparing a hard drive. Any ideas if this worked guys? I guess I can record something, then power down and restart the TiVo without the external HD connected. If I don't see anything recorded then I know it is working...

-Evangelo2

[veryoldschool]

Originally Posted by Evangelo2

Upgraded my HardDrive, how do I know if it worked?

I got a seagate 750GB FreeAgent and D* just delivered my HR20 2 nights ago.
I powered up the HD first and then powered on my HR20. No errors came up but how do I know if it is actually using the new Hard Drive or still writing to the internal? When I powered it back on, it went through its normal initialization process but it never prompted me anything about preparing a hard drive. Any ideas if this worked guys? I guess I can record something, then power down and restart the TiVo without the external HD connected. If I don't see anything recorded then I know it is working...

-Evangelo2

Did you have any series links set up to record? if so then they should be gone since they're stored on the drive.
If not then set up a recording [even if it is later] and reboot without the eSATA and see if it's still there [it shouldn't be].
The eSATA works without the internal so it's either/or.

[danmen]

Does the HR21 have coaxial audio out as well as Toslink (like the HR-20 100)? I am thinking about grabbing up the Walmart $100 HD DVD special tomorrow and it only has optical out, and my AVR has only one optical in (currently being used by my HR20-700).

[thebishman]

Originally Posted by Evangelo2

Upgraded my HardDrive, how do I know if it worked?

I got a seagate 750GB FreeAgent and D* just delivered my HR20 2 nights ago.
I powered up the HD first and then powered on my HR20. No errors came up but how do I know if it is actually using the new Hard Drive or still writing to the internal? When I powered it back on, it went through its normal initialization process but it never prompted me anything about preparing a hard drive. Any ideas if this worked guys? I guess I can record something, then power down and restart the TiVo without the external HD connected. If I don't see anything recorded then I know it is working...

-Evangelo2

Record about 8-10 one hour long HD shows. If the remaining time available shows about 91% left, you know you're operating from the 750Gb Seagate. (I have the exact same drive; works great).

Bish

[veryoldschool]

Originally Posted by danmen

Does the HR21 have coaxial audio out as well as Toslink (like the HR-20 100)?

Yes

[Sundance]

Originally Posted by Tom in OH

If you want to use an oat antenna for digital locals be sure to ask for the HR20 HD DVR.

The HR21 does not support OTA locals? Can you use a external drive with the HR20? What are the differences between the 20 and 21?

Thanks