1. THE BAD NEWS. They cannot send me an HR-20. No one has authority to make that happen. I could keep trying replacements and hope it is what I happen to get, but I'm not sure they would cooperate with that.

2. The secret to dealing with DirecTV is to threaten to cancel your subscription. You then get connected to a "retention specialist". She thought maybe she could get me an HR-20, but came back to say the rules allow her to do that only if the subscriber is in an area that gets no local stations. If it's officially an area that does get locals, then you're out of luck even if they don't have the locals you want.

3. THE GOOD NEWS. On February 27 DirecTV is coming out with an add-on box for the HR-21 that provides the OTA functionality of the HR-20, with this additional feature: you can simultaneously record two satellite broadcasts and two OTA broadcasts for four simultaneous recordings. It will be sold as a $60 option--but the retention specialist was able to arrange to have one sent to me gratis. So, my problem is solved as of that date. The box is supposed to integrate the OTA with the satellite, just as with the HR-20.

Cheers,
Ira

To experiment, I connected up an old pair of Radio Shack rabbit ears directly to the antenna input of my Panasonic Plasma. Great picture on the PBS HD stations, which I now learn are multiple. I sure look forward to getting that HR 20.

As for the order of the playlist, they confirmed there is indeed no way to make one's choice stick. This agent patiently took down my complaint and said she will forward that point on, and perhaps the next time they update the software they will fix this.

I've just tried this on my HR20, and it sticks just fine across putting it into "standby" mode and turning it back on again. I can sort by name, date, or expiration date (in ascending or descending order) and it sticks.

We also just got a software update last night or something. When I turned on the TV today I was informed of three big changes. So far, they're quite nice: re-organized menus with larger type, etc.

I'm also not entirely sure I believe the bit about the HR20 not being available. You should investigate here.

I just called DirecTV. They no longer offer the HR-20 new, but in effect they will treat me as complaining that my 21 doesn't work correctly, and will send me a replacement "refurbished" model, and the agent told me the odds are very high it will be a 20 because the 21 is too new for there to be many refurbished. If it turns out I get a 21, I can just send it back. They do this at no cost. Of course I have to send the 21 back.

As for the order of the playlist, they confirmed there is indeed no way to make one's choice stick. This agent patiently took down my complaint and said she will forward that point on, and perhaps the next time they update the software they will fix this.

I assume it is essentially the same as HD DVR 20.

It's black and it doesn't do OTA. But otherwise, it's just about the same, so far as I know.

Ira Ellman said on January 26, 2008:

I cannot tell it to order my playlist alphabetically as the default.

Isn't there a setting for this? I believe mine sticks. I prefer to see it in time view, but if you're correct and there's no setting and it doesn't stick, indeed that kind of stinks. Especially as things get shuffled around as new items record.

Ira Ellman said on January 26, 2008:

I don't see how to do this. I would love to do it if I could because DirecTV still doesn't provide my local PBS station in HD, but I could get it over the air in HD.

Page six of the HR-21 manual as well as this thread at DBSTalk.com indicate the HR21 can't do OTA.

Perhaps you should ask DirecTV to send you the HR20 and you could send back your HR21?

Point: I cannot tell it to order my playlist alphabetically as the default. It always lists programs in the order they were recorded; you can go to menu, pick "sort by" and change that to alphabetical listing, but it doesn't stick. You have to do that every time. This is pretty stupid.

Question: You say "The HR20 can not only tune into over-the-air channels (like your local HD broadcasts), but it can retrieve guide data, tune to all available sub-channels, and record any OTA channels as well (one-off or as part of a season pass)." I don't see how to do this. I would love to do it if I could because DirecTV still doesn't provide my local PBS station in HD, but I could get it over the air in HD. If I could do that through the DVR that would be great. But I don't see any input on the HD DVR for an antenna. Am I missing something? If this can really be done, please tell me how!

Thanks.

The guide is modal now (has always been?), you retain the audio from what you're watching, but if you go into the watch menu, the dialog is modal. Makes sense to me overall, as you're clearly not interested in what's on NOW if you're going to look what's in your list.

That's not entirely true. Sometimes you're watching live TV but want to check on your recordings for later in the evening, delete some old shows, or do other tasks but don't want to cut away from the current program entirely.

Or sometimes you want to do things while commercials are on, and then stop when the program comes back on. Can't do that in a modal dialog.

Tom Bridge said on January 22, 2008:

HDMI works great with my TV. I've got 720p and 1080i when the feeds switch back and forth. Totally seamless. Very pleased with this.

That wasn't really the question. The question is whether all outputs were active simultaneously. This is important to people who want to set up a recorder on one output (or a Slingbox) but leave the HDMI plugged in (and active).

Tom Bridge said on January 22, 2008:

So, overall, it's really the modality of the TiVo play list that has you peeved. That's cool, that's fine, but I'd much rather trade the TiVo Experience for the lack of modality.

It's quite a bit more than that. Given the choice between the two, I'd take the HR20 right now, hands down. Remove the "modality" and I'd still take the HR20 - it offers several things that best the TiVo, and as I've said to you on Twitter, I don't believe you've ever tried the HR20, have you?

HD Models: While Series 3 recorders are pricy, TiVo HD models are only $300, or what you paid to lease your HR-20 initially.

One-Click Recording: I think right now it's two-click to record, three-click to series. I don't mind it. I don't think it's badly designed.

Non-Modal Interaction: The guide is modal now (has always been?), you retain the audio from what you're watching, but if you go into the watch menu, the dialog is modal. Makes sense to me overall, as you're clearly not interested in what's on NOW if you're going to look what's in your list.

Available Disk Space: Nope. This I'd like to see added, but it maintains an adequate buffer of storage for me as it stands.

eSATA Expansion: Yup.

HDMI and All Active Output: HDMI works great with my TV. I've got 720p and 1080i when the feeds switch back and forth. Totally seamless. Very pleased with this.

So, overall, it's really the modality of the TiVo play list that has you peeved. That's cool, that's fine, but I'd much rather trade the TiVo Experience for the lack of modality.

Now, I only have two complaints:

Dual live buffers

Can't setup 2 series links with the same show name on separate channels

Otherwise, they have gone way ahead of what my DirecTivo offered.