DirecTV HD DR

[Clipsfan]

I recently upgraded to a new DirecTV HD DVR from an old Tivo DVR. I love the HD nature, but I'm frustrated with the user interface as compared to what I knew and liked in my Tivo. The season pass manager is much harder to use, for instance. Is anyone expert enough with it to help me with the following problem?

I want it to record all Duke games so that I don't have to manually control it. As a result, I set up a search to record everything with the word "Duke" in it (a brilliant move on my part, I thought). However, I end up having the following issues:

1) I can't choose which channel it records, which often leads to it recording a channel I don't have instead of one I do (I don't get all regional sports channels)

2) It doesn't recognize when it already has a show recorded, so for example it records 3+ versions of K's talk show (which I don't get the channel for anyway) each week

3) I can't tell it to always record an extra 30 minutes at the end of each game

Any help from those wiser appreciated!

[Dukiedevil]

I think you are out of luck, although you should be able to set it up to record 30 minutes after each showing. This ended up hurting me in the Pitt game by the way as I missed the last 1:30 of OT. That killed me because I was sure we were going to win until I looked online. It was right after Nelson hit the up and under and fouled out their big guy.

I ended up spending the extra $10 a month to get the sports package so I could watch the fox sports games, but they are on like 6-8 different regional channels, so I have no idea how it would decide which to record. I just set it up manually even though it's a pain.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

You should browse around on DBSTalk.com as well, there are some hardcore DirecTV people there. I know this has been brought up many times there.

I recently got the DirecTV HDDVR too and have had some issues with the Scheduler. I also set it up to record any keyword 'Duke' under the Sports category. The recordings seem all over the place, some games it records on NESN, some on FSNSouth (I'm in Arlington, VA btw) I need to manually go through the Duke Wishlist and make sure it's setup right every 2 weeks or so. A pain, but doable.

I have read that they are working on getting the Scheduler to sync with the Channels You Receive, so if one gets only the Choice Plus package, it'll only look to record stuff off Choice Plus channels in your area. Right now this isn't available.

Other than the Duke games, my Season Passes on TV shows have all been spot on.

I miss some of the Tivo interface and the Dual Live Buffers, but there are some things that are a bit better on the HR-21, like the single button recording and the 30-sec slip (instead of skip).

Some good news is that DirecTV announced remote scheduling will be available soon from a cell phone or web browser.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I found this helpful...

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=69404

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

3) I can't tell it to always record an extra 30 minutes at the end of each game

You can't do this automatically from what I can tell. It must be done manually for each game. This is pretty aggravating to me, but I can deal until the software is fixed.

[Clipsfan]

Thanks for the responses, I'll take a look through DBStalk.com and see what else I can find. I do have to agree that my biggest aggravation is the lack of dual live tuners, as I like watching two games at once without having to record them, but I know there's nothing to be done about that. I saw today that DirecTV is at some point later this year going to offer the ability to use a PC as a DVR, I wonder if that software will be any better?

[dukemomLA]

I currently have DirecTV. When I wanted to add HD, I was informed that I had to get rid of my beloved TIVO and switch to their crappy in-house alternative. NOT!!

So I am still without HD. Since we are moving soon back to the East Coast, so be it. BUT I will NOT be renewing with DirecTV and will be looking at alternatives such as DISH.

I was infuriated when DirecTV cancelled their long term contract with TIVO --the best, the best, and are trying to inflict us with their own brand. It sucks -- as many of friends inform me.

Long live TIVO. DirecTV can eat sh-t and die. (Just my late night thoughts)

[tommy]

I recently upgraded to a new DirecTV HD DVR from an old Tivo DVR. I love the HD nature, but I'm frustrated with the user interface as compared to what I knew and liked in my Tivo. The season pass manager is much harder to use, for instance. Is anyone expert enough with it to help me with the following problem?

I want it to record all Duke games so that I don't have to manually control it. As a result, I set up a search to record everything with the word "Duke" in it (a brilliant move on my part, I thought). However, I end up having the following issues:

1) I can't choose which channel it records, which often leads to it recording a channel I don't have instead of one I do (I don't get all regional sports channels)

2) It doesn't recognize when it already has a show recorded, so for example it records 3+ versions of K's talk show (which I don't get the channel for anyway) each week

3) I can't tell it to always record an extra 30 minutes at the end of each game

Any help from those wiser appreciated!

#1 is a problem that I haven't been able to fix either.
#2 you can fix by changing in your Season Pass for a given show by selecting "first run only" instead of "first run and repeats." I'm not sure if that's the exact terminology, but that option is definitely there.
#3 you can do also when setting (or editing) a Season Pass. You have an option on the right for start time and stop time. Go over to stop time, highlight it, I think by just hitting 'enter' and then it will provide a menu of options for start time, such as '1 minute later,' '2 minutes later,' '1 hour later' etc. Choose whatever amount of time you want to add, and it will do it to each show that it records pursuant to that particular Season Pass.

Hope that helps.

[billybreen]

On a positive note, it looks like DirecTV may be warming up to Tivo again (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070801-updates-show-more-signs-of-new-love-between-tivo-directv.html). Hopefully, that means a Tivo HD DVR will be coming at some point. I can't imagine any fate crueler than growing accustomed to the Tivo interface and then switching to some crappy in house software.

[DUKIECB]

Does anyone here have the Dish Network HD DVR? Just wondering how it compares to the Directv model.

I too think Directv is evil for pushing their piece of crap products on everyone instead of putting out a quality product like Tivo. You would think with all the backlash from their customers they would at least make a product with all the same features of a Tivo. Not having the dual tuners just sucks!:mad:

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I currently have DirecTV. When I wanted to add HD, I was informed that I had to get rid of my beloved TIVO and switch to their crappy in-house alternative. NOT!!

So I am still without HD. Since we are moving soon back to the East Coast, so be it. BUT I will NOT be renewing with DirecTV and will be looking at alternatives such as DISH.

I was infuriated when DirecTV cancelled their long term contract with TIVO --the best, the best, and are trying to inflict us with their own brand. It sucks -- as many of friends inform me.

Long live TIVO. DirecTV can eat sh-t and die. (Just my late night thoughts)

DukemomLA, I was in your shoes for a long while, keeping my SD DirecTivo over switching to a DirecTV HDDVR. I got my HDTV in late '06, but was unwilling to switch to the DirecTV's HD DVR since it wasn't Tivo. I finally caved this past fall. I'm happy with my choice. I finally decided I was more unwilling to give up DirecTV than Tivo, so I switched.

While it's not as polished as Tivo, DirecTV has a good (not great like Tivo) DVR. I've also heard good things about the DISH DVR.

[grad_devil]

I can't imagine any fate crueler than growing accustomed to the Tivo interface and then switching to some crappy in house software.

Hear, hear! Many of my friends and family have a DVR, and mistakenly call it their 'TiVo'. Oh how I cringe when I'm at their houses and try to use the horrible UI. Still trying to figure my parents' Dish DVR out...Long live TiVo!

I hope that info you heard about DirecTV warming back up to TiVo is true. I dread the thought of mine dying....

--grad_devil

[Clipsfan]

Hear, hear! Many of my friends and family have a DVR, and mistakenly call it their 'TiVo'. Oh how I cringe when I'm at their houses and try to use the horrible UI. Still trying to figure my parents' Dish DVR out...Long live TiVo!

I hope that info you heard about DirecTV warming back up to TiVo is true. I dread the thought of mine dying....

--grad_devil

Yes, I've had to change my phrasing from "Tivo" to "record" shows now that I have buried my old Tivo. It was time, though, as the Tivo box was about 5 years old and had a nasty habit of skipping due to what I would guess was hard drive degradation among other issues. I've heard the rumors about Tivo and DirecTV making good for a while, but I wasn't willing to wait it out to see. At least DirecTV does have a good HD lineup, and there were some guides on dbstalk.com which will hopefully make their UI slightly less painful. People who are happy with it just haven't tried the Tivo UI.

Am I correct in assuming that similar to Tivo, DirecTV mines your viewing habits?